Reflection and Research: 2. Reflection: asking questions and proposing answers 3. Interpretation: reading and taking notes Part II. The Dynamics of an Essay: 4. Introductions 5. Middles 6. Endings Part III. Language: 7. You, your language and your material 8. Analytical language 1: sentences 9. Analytical language 2: rhetorical strategies Cohesion and texture Conventions of academic writing Appendices Index.
Save to Library Save. Create Alert Alert. Share This Paper. Topics from this paper. Essays Cohesion computer science. Interpreter computing Conferences. Citation Type. Has PDF. Publication Type. More Filters. Many people feel that family life is being harmed by the high-speed and pressure of contemporary lifestyles. I somewhat agree with this opinion because the fast pace leads to less time for families to be together, and stress leads to arguments among family members; however, due to the increased time pressure and stress families are forced to cooperate more, which brings them closer together.
The main reason why I believe family life is being compromised is because families have less time to be with each other. As individual family members are busier at work and with their social lives, they have less time to spend with their family. As well as this, people have many things they have to do these days such as checking e-mail, updating their online social status and so less time is left for family life.
To illustrate, I spend about two hours online every night attending to daily correspondence before chatting with my family members, whereas ten years ago I would spend time with my family from the moment I walked in the door.
In addition, the pressure of life these days means that even when families do get together arguments are more likely. This is because everyone feels tired and they are more likely to get irritated and to react to their heightened emotional levels. However, it does seem reasonable that this pressure may also lead to positive outcomes. One such possibility is that family members will cooperate more in order to overcome time limitations.
For instance, they may share household chores, so that everybody has time to relax afterwards. In conclusion, I somewhat believe that the rapid pace and stressful nature of contemporary lifestyles are having negative consequences on family relationships. Given this situation, it seems that family members should try to be more supportive to one another and also parents need to set aside regular times for families to relax together.
Comments about the previous model essay You may have noticed that the previous essay was rather long.
It was about words. This is because of a high level of paragraph development in paragraph 2. Paragraph development can increase the score for task response and also cohesion and coherence. However, if we do a lot of paragraph development we should consider having fewer paragraphs. The following model has only two body paragraphs.
I believe this is a better approach because it is more persuasive and there is less risk that when you cover the other side of the argument you end up contradicting what you have previously said.
It also means that your introduction and conclusion will be shorter because there are fewer things you have to mention.
Template for opinion essay The template below has been used to write the second version of the essay. Model essay version 2: totally agree Some people believe that the fast pace and stress of modern life is having a negative effect on families.
There is currently a contentious argument over whether family life is being harmed by the high-speed and pressure of contemporary lifestyles. I totally agree with this opinion because the fast pace leads to less time for families to be together, and stress leads to arguments among family members.
This is due to family members being busier at work and with their social lives. To illustrate, I spend about two hours online every night attending to daily correspondence before chatting with my family members, whereas ten years ago I would spend time with my family as soon as I walked in the door. Another reason why I support the notion that families are being impacted negatively is that the pressure of life these days means that even when families do get together arguments are more likely.
In conclusion, I completely agree that the rapid pace and stressful nature of contemporary lifestyles are having negative consequences on family relationships. More sample questions of opinion essays Some people believe that arts like music and painting should not be funded by the government. Others believe that these are important for a society and need government funding.
What is your opinion? More and more students choose to move to other countries to study their higher education. Do you think the advantages of this outweigh its disadvantages? Some people believe that local shopping markets are the best places to shop, while others believe that modern shopping centres are better. Do the advantages of local markets outweigh the disadvantages?
To improve road safety there should be more severe punishments for drivers who break the rules. Common mistakes Unclear opinion In the example below the candidate fails to fully make clear their opinion in the introduction. The examiner can only guess that the candidate agrees, and has no idea of the extent. In this case this is not a good introduction, and this has a negative effect on task response and also cohesion and coherence.
Television has brought great changes to the way many children spend their leisure time. Many people believe these changes have been beneficial. The candidate writes: Nowadays, children spend a lot of time watching television.
It seems that there are other wider variety of television shows and many more channels. Choosing the wrong side to argue For opinion essays I don't think you should think about what you really believe, you should think which side is easier to argue and use high-level language. In other words, the best side to choose is the one that you can maximize your score for the four grading criteria.
Contradicting your opinion The example below shows how an opinion can easily be contradicted in the conclusion of an essay. The writer contradicts the opinion stated in the introduction that they somewhat disagree with the widespread use of technology, by stating in the conclusion that technology needs to be learnt. Some people say that this is a positive development. The candidate writes a contradicting opinion In summary, although it is necessary for children to learn to use these devices at a young age I somewhat disagree that the widespread use of computers among children is a positive development.
I have three main reasons for this. This is because when the examiner thinks about the extent you have convinced them of your opinion it is more powerful when you have just argued about one side. The second reason is because it is much easier to structure an essay this way and it is easier to write it. In this case you are more likely to have fewer issues with cohesion and coherence and it will take less time to write the essay. The third reason is because it is less likely you will end up arguing against yourself.
In this case, your score for task response will be limited to 6 because your opinion does not match the main points of your essay. As well as this your score for cohesion and coherence may be lowered because confusion may be created in the mind of the reader. Finally, concessions where you argue against your main position can lead to total confusion when the candidate makes errors with grammar and vocabulary.
In other words it is risky to write a concession because if you make errors with vocabulary and grammar the meaning can be totally unclear and then your score will go spiralling down for all four criteria. Both sides and opinion essay. Typical question words Discuss the advantages and disadvantages Discuss the advantages and disadvantages and give your own opinion Discuss both sides of this argument and then give your own opinion Sample task Some people think that the education system should only focus on preparing students for employment, while others believe it has other important functions.
Discuss both sides and then give your own opinion. Task analysis It is important to realise that every task contains a topic and a question. An analysis of the topic and question is provided below: Topic: Some people think that the education system should only focus on preparing students for employment, while others believe it has other important functions.
This type of topic always expresses two points of view. It is important to always see what the two points of view are. In this case the topic of the essay is about whether schools should only prepare students for their future careers or not. In other words it is careers purposes vs. Question: Discuss both sides and then give your own opinion.
The question has three requirements. You must discuss each side of the argument from a neutral point of view and then give your opinion, which is your view on the argument.
In order to score a six and above you need to make sure you meet all three requirements of the question. To get to 7 you must answer all three requirements fully. In order to make your opinion clear I believe it is best to keep you opinion out of the introduction and body of the essay. If you put it into the introduction you risk making it sound like the essay is just about your opinion, which is misleading to the reader. If you put your opinion in the body of the essay, then you risk it becoming unclear to the examiner whether you have completed all three requirements.
Essentially it becomes difficult to see both sides and your opinion. I believe it is best to hold your opinion for the conclusion of the essay. A typical error students make is to not say sufficient about their opinion. One sentence is clearly not enough to get to 7. Planning your essay Some people think that the education system should only focus on preparing students schools concentrate on getting pupils ready for employment, while others believe it has other important functions.
Both sides of the argument are merits 2. Having a good plan will speed up this process and ensure that you meet all three requirements of this type of question [both sides and your opinion]. It will also ensure that you have a good balance for the essay. What I mean here is that you should cover both sides of the argument roughly equally. So, if you plan two points for each side of the argument this will help you to achieve it.
When you write this sentence, in addition to rephrasing words also try to rearrange the order of words in the sentence. Some people think that the education system should only focus on preparing students schools concentrate on getting pupils ready for employment, while others believe it has other important functions.
Say what the essay is about This sentence can always be written the same for every question of this type, as follows:. Nothing more is required in the introduction. You should try to memorise a sentence like this for this type of essay because you will be able to write it very quickly and without any errors with vocabulary and grammar. The introduction for this type of essay is the easiest of the three types of essays.
If you want to use a slightly different sentence:. After you have written the introduction, you will need exactly two body paragraphs. You want a paragraph for each side of the argument. I suggest putting exactly two main points in each paragraph. The main idea of each paragraph is the side of the argument that it is focused on. After this you have two main points to support each side. You can then support each of these main points by explaining it or giving an example to illustrate it. In order to keep the size of your essay manageable, you might choose to have a major and minor point in each paragraph.
The major point may use three sentences and the minor point 2 sentences. For instance, you might use this structure: S1 topic sentence: make it clear which side of the argument you are discussing s2: make the first main point s3: explain the main point s4: give an example to illustrate the main point s5: make a second main point s6: explain or give an example to illustrate the second main point 1.
The topic sentence should make it clear to the reader which side of the argument the paragraph is about. There are merits of schools only focusing on preparing young people for their working lives. It introduces which side of the argument the paragraph is focusing on, which forms the key point for the paragraph. There are three ways to develop your key point: Explanation, example, adding details Explanation: If young people are better prepared for their careers they will be more successful in their working lives.
Adding details: As well as this, they will also make more money and be able to support themselves better. Example: To illustrate, some recent stories in the media highlighted that students who finish high school are less likely to be unemployed, and more likely to earn higher salaries.
You should always signal the start of your concluding paragraph to the reader by using the words "In conclusion". Do not write "to summarise" or similar to begin this paragraph as you are not doing this; you are giving your own opinion. For this type of essay you should follow this with a phrase to make it clear that this final paragraph is about your opinion …. I believe. Generally your opinion can consist of three parts. The first part states that there are merits of both sides of the argument, which makes sense given that you have discussed these in the body of your essay.
Second, you should give your opinion on the argument. The best way to do this is to say which side you support more strongly. Third, you should give a justification for your opinion.
In other words you should state the reason why you more strongly support this side of the argument. Essentially the structure is as follows: 1. Signal the start of your final paragraph. State that both sides of the argument have merits. Say which side you support more strongly. Give a justification for supporting this side more strongly. Model essay 1: Some people think that the education system should only focus on preparing students for employment, while others believe it has other important functions.
Many people feel that getting pupils ready for their careers should be the main focus of schools, where as others believe that schools should have additional purposes. This essay discusses both sides of this argument and then I will give my own perspective. If young people are better prepared for their careers they will be more successful in their working lives. As well as this, they will also make more money and be able to support themselves better.
To illustrate, some recent stories in the media highlighted that students who finish high school are less likely to be unemployed, and more likely to earn higher salaries. In addition, by schools preparing young people for jobs there will be a better prepared workforce. This benefits society by raising productivity and ensuring that employers have the necessary labour they need.
However, there are also advantages of schools having other functions. First of all, they should teach students skills to make them well-rounded. By teaching communication skills and how to use technology the students will be better rounded individuals.
Clearly, these are important skills in today's society and so they should be learnt at school. As well as this schools should teach morals and ethics because this will make the society better.
Many people feel that this aspect of schooling has become neglected, and has led to a deterioration of society. In conclusion, I believe both sides of the argument have their merits. On balance, however, it seems that schools should have other functions.
This is because if the students are well-rounded they will be more successful in their lives and contribute more to society. Template for a both sides and opinion essay The template below contains about words. The advantage of this template is that it can be used for any type of both sides and opinion essay.
Memorising and using this template can help you to speed up the writing of your essay [you have less language to think of], and also help you to increase your score as you have a lower proportion of errors [this is error-free language], and also increase your score for vocabulary and grammar because the template has high-level vocabulary and grammar embedded in it.. In this essay, I am going to examine this question from both points of view and then give my own opinion on the matter.
The main reason for believing this is that …………………. It is also possible to say that ……. One good illustration of this is …………. It is often argued that in fact ……….. People often have this opinion because …………… A second point is that ……….. A particularly good example here is…………..
On balance, however, I feel that… This is because…. Model essay 2: [using the template] [This essay is based on the template that follows] One of the most controversial issues today relates to capital punishment. On one side of the argument there are people who argue that the benefits of killing violent criminals considerably outweigh its disadvantages. The main reason for believing this is that the fear of execution acts as a deterrent to commit serious crimes such as rape and murder.
It is also possible to say that the execution of a criminal may bring relief to the suffering victims. One good illustration of this is when Saddam Hussein was executed. Many of the victims who were persecuted under his rule expressed joy and relief when he was finally captured and killed.
On the other hand, it is also possible to make the opposing case. It is often argued that in fact sentencing criminals to death is just committing another murder. A second point is that many religions are opposed to any form of murder.
A particularly good example here is from the bible, which lists killing another person as one of the Ten Commandments that should not be broken. In conclusion, I believe both arguments have their merits. On balance, however, I feel that capital punishment is justified. This is because in cases of extreme crime and that deterring crime is more important than taking the moral high ground. More Sample Questions There are two main types of questions here.
The first kind requires you to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of one thing and the second kind asks you to discuss the advantages of two different things. Situation one: discuss the advantages and disadvantages of one thing. Computers are being used more and more in education. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of computers and then give your opinion. The structure is: Introduction advantages of computers disadvantages of computers your opinion Situation two: discuss the advantages of two different things Some people say that learning online is the best way to learn, whereas some claim that it is still better to attend a class with a teacher.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this and then give your own opinion. Technology allows food to be produced in greater quantities and at lower prices. Some people believe this is a positive development, while others feel that the change is harmful.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion. It is more important to spend public money on promoting a healthy lifestyle, in order to prevent illness rather than to spend it on the treatment of people who are already ill. Some people think that development in technology causes environmental problems. Other people believe that technology can solve environmental problems.
Discuss both sides of the argument and then give your opinion. Some people believe that to improve public health more public sports facilities should be provided by the government; others believe that this will have little effect and other measures are needed to improve people's health. Discuss both sides of this argument and give your own opinion. Common mistakes Putting your opinion in the introduction of the essay For this type of essay it is best to keep your opinion for the final paragraph.
Writing this here makes it seem like this essay is just about your opinion. Instead you should write: "This essay discusses both sides of this argument and then I will give my own perspective.
Others, however, think that these are necessary for individuals and the society. Discuss both views and give your opinion. The candidate writes a misleading introduction below: Today, holding parties or other activities is a common practice for individuals and organisations to celebrate some special events.
Some people, however, claim that these celebrations are wasteful, while others argue that they have favourable effects on individuals and the society.
Personally, I believe that holding these celebrations does more good than harm. Putting your opinion in the body of the essay The question asks for both views and your opinion. Try to have three clear responses. Hold your opinion until the final paragraph. It is extremely dangerous to mix your opinion with one of the sides because some examiners will then feel you have not satisfactorily completed the task of both sides and your opinion.
They might think you have only discussed one side and your opinion. It's very risky to mix your opinion with the discussion of one side of the argument. Taking this risk may mean you will not get to 7 for task response; it will depend on the examiner's interpretation.
To get rid of this risk I suggest you structure the essay the way I have outlined, with your opinion given in the final paragraph only. You can see the previous model essay in this section for examples of this.
Not writing enough for your opinion With a both sides and opinion essay, your opinion is one of the three requirements of the task. You must give more than a sentence for your opinion. In addition, you should not only say what your opinion is but also give the reason. I suggest you say the following: 1. Start with a signal "In conclusion, I believe…" 2. Say why. Justify your selection. This is the key to reaching 7 and above for task response. Remember that YOUR opinion is one of the three parts of the question and although this paragraph may be briefer than the body paragraphs it is a very important one.
Two question essay This type of question sometimes also known as a problem and solution essay. I do not call it this because it is not always about problems and solutions. This type of question tests your ability to discuss two aspects of an issue. To score well you must answer BOTH questions well. Therefore you should respond to each of the questions equally. Sample question words What problem does this cause? What are some potential solutions?
What are the causes of this problem? What are some solutions? Sample task Some people think that in the future lots of changes will occur that will improve our society. What kind of changes will occur? An analysis of the topic and question is provided below: Topic: Some people think that in the future lots of changes will occur that will improve our society.
Question 1: Do you agree or disagree? Question 2: What kind of changes will occur? Planning the essay Some people think that in the future lots of changes will occur that will improve our society.
Better entertainment New technologies to enhance our entertainment. For instance 3-D television will soon become commonplace in our living rooms. What I mean here is that the introduction will fit the body of the essay, and the conclusion will summarise the points from the body of the essay.
Given that you have already rephrased the keywords of the topic this step should be relatively easy. Some people think that in the future lots of changes will occur that will improve our society.
It is important to make it clear what the essay is about because it makes it clear to the examiner you understand that there are two questions. Also, when the examiner reads the body of your essay they already have an overall idea of what your essay is about, and in the likely event that you have errors with vocabulary and grammar they may be less serious because the examiner will have more of a context in order to guess the meaning of what you are trying to express.
You can simply state what the essay is about using a phrase like: …and then add on a rephrase of the two questions:. You should have a paragraph for each of the questions. The main idea for each paragraph is the question you are responding to.
You should then have exactly two main points to support each question. This ensures that you get the right balance for the essay. What I mean here is that you should say about the same amount for each of the questions. You should not focus on one of the questions more than the other. For this type of essay the topic sentence should clearly identify which of the questions is being responded to.
It introduces the question you are responding to, which forms the key point for the paragraph. There are three ways to develop your key point: Explanation, example, adding details Explanation:. Adding details:. You only need to do two things in the final paragraph of this type of essay and they are always the same. First you need to signal that this is the concluding paragraph and second you should summarise your main points for each question.
Model essay one: Some people think that in the future lots of changes will occur that will improve our society. As a result of developments that are taking place, many people believe that life will become better. This essay discusses the reasons why the changes that are coming are positive, and also suggests what kind of changes will occur.
The changes that are coming are positive for two main reasons. The main reason is that they will make our lives more convenient. We are likely to have more free time as a result of technology taking over many of our everyday tasks. For example, we may have robots capable of doing many household chores, and this will enable us to have more free time for enjoyment and relaxation. Another factor is that our recreational time will be enhanced by new technologies that make our entertainment and even more fun.
If we enjoy ourselves more we will be happier and more relaxed. There are two main types of developments that are likely to occur. The first of these is time-saving technologies. Future enhancements of robotics are likely to lead to even more household tasks being performed by machines.
As well as this, the entertainment industry looks likely to soon make enhancements to our recreational experiences by making new technologies available.
A good example of this is 3-D television, which will make watching movies even more fun. In conclusion, the future looks promising because we will have technology takeover many of life's mundane tasks and we'll have better forms of entertainment. The most likely changes appear to be technologies to save us time and also enhance our leisure time. Template for a two question essay It is difficult to build a standardised template for our two question essay because a wide variety of questions can be asked.
First a general template will be given and then a more specific template will be given for a typical problem and solution essay. The question type is quite commonplace and you can use the template below for any essay of this type. Although ……………. This essay looks at some of the problems caused by ……………. The ……………. For example, ……………. In some cases, such as ……………. The second effect is ……………. People who ……………. However, the menace of …………….
Education is the main way to tackle this issue. People need to be aware of the effects so that they can avoid this problem. In addition, the government could also ……………..
This is a good approach because ……………. In conclusion, ……………. The best approaches to deal with it are to educate people about its damaging effects, and also for the government to ……………..
Although the problem is unlikely to be entirely eliminated in the short term there are concrete steps to reduce the effects it is having on the current society. Model essay two: [problem and solution] Change the underlined parts according to your topic Drug abuse is becoming increasingly serious in many nations. Although drugs threaten many societies, their effects can also be combated successfully.
This essay looks at some of the problems caused by drug use on society, and suggests some solutions to the problems. Drug abuse causes multiple problems for countries and communities.
The medical effects are very obvious. For example, addicts abuse their bodies and neglect their health, and so eventually require expensive treatment or hospitalization. In some cases, such as Marilyn Monroe, a drug overdose even leads to death.
The second effect is crime. People who take drugs become crazy and irrational and often cause harm and danger to themselves and others. However, the menace of drugs can be fought. In addition, the government could also use infomercials to educate their citizens. This is a good approach because they can alert all citizens about the negative aspects of using drugs.
The best approaches to deal with it are to educate people about its damaging effects, and also for the government to ensure all people are aware of the consequences through public service advertising. Although the problem is unlikely to be entirely eliminated in the short term these are concrete steps to reduce the effects it is having on the current society.
More sample questions Nowadays we communicate less with our family members face to face. What are the causes of this? More people use their own cars rather than public transport; so many people believe it is up to the government to encourage people to use public transport. Do you agree? How else can people be encouraged to use public transportation? The development of technology has influenced the ways people interact with each other. What are the main changes in the types of interactions people have?
Do you think this is positive or negative? Developed countries often give financial aid to developing countries, but it does not solve poverty, so developed countries should give other types of help to the poor countries rather than financial aid. What other kind of aid could be provided? There are many reasons that can motivate a person to stay working for the same company.
Some believe that money is the main reason. What are some other reasons why people may stay? Common mistakes Not responding fully to both questions Level 6 for task response requires that you: Address all parts of the task although some parts may be more fully covered than others. Level 7 requires that you: Fully address all parts of the task.
From this perspective it is vital that you answer both questions fully in order to reach 7 and above. Not introducing BOTH questions in the introduction. As mentioned above it is vital that your essay focuses on both questions in the essay. It is misleading to only introduce one of the questions in the introduction.
Improving your score This section will help you to improve your score by outlining some of the common errors that occur with essays written in the exam and also to make suggestion about how to enhance your score for each of the four grading criteria. Poor time management If you do not right enough words your score for task response is penalised by 1 to 3 points! In addition to that, if you didn't complete the task you are unlikely to score well for task response anyway, as you are unlikely to have completely answered the question.
In this case your score for task response would be restricted to 5 and you would still get the penalty on top of this. In other words you probably will fail your exam! The following are my suggestions for managing your time: Make sure you make a plan before you start writing. A plan will save you time when you start writing because you will not have to keep stopping to think about what point you want to make next. This is the area that most students do poorly on and in order to do it well it takes practice.
The best way to practice is to look at past exam questions and prepare a plan of how you would write them. Make sure you have practiced writing sufficiently before your exam and that you understand how to structure the three types of essays that get asked. If you are familiar with the types of questions that get asked you won't get a nasty surprise and you will be able to answer the question more quickly. If you really have trouble with finishing on time, learn some stock phrases that you can write quickly in the exam.
If you have learnt the sentences well you will be able to write them quickly and without errors. The best way to learn these is to look at model answers and underline sentences you think you would like to use in your own writing. Then you need to memorize the sentences by writing them, and even better, practice writing them in an essay. Not responding to all parts of the topic. For the task below, the topic includes two parts that must be both referred to in the body of the essay.
If you have failed to answer both, your score would be limited to 5 for task response. Misstating the topic This error occurs when a candidate gives an answer that is not directly related to the topic; or in other words, is tangential to the topic. This commonly occurs in the introduction to the essay but also it can happen in the body of the essay. See the example below, the question talks about space travel but the candidate talks about science and technology in general.
Some people think space travel is important for the development of humanity; while other people believe it is a waste of money. Candidate writes: Many people believe that we should invest more money on science. However, others disagree and think we should not waste money on technology. This essay discusses both sides of the argument and then I will give my opinion.
In the example below the candidate changes the topic by saying that people rely on computers instead of talking about whether they will be able to use computers to view art. Some people claim that public museums and art galleries will not be needed because people can see historical objects and works of art by using a computer.
Do you agree or disagree with this opinion? Candidate writes: Nowadays, people tend to rely on computers too much. Some people even think the need for public museums and art galleries will gradually disappear in the future. I totally disagree because I believe museums and galleries will always be essential. The task does not say that advertising is deceptive only that it is powerful.
Today, the high sales of popular consumer goods reflect the power of advertising and not the real needs of the society in which they are sold. Candidate writes: These days, we can see some consumer goods are in high demand in our society. There exists a perception that such high demand is the result of deceptive advertising.
I somewhat agree with this. The question says more not only Some people said the government should not spend money on building theaters and sports stadiums. It should spend more money on medical care and education. Candidate writes: When it comes to how to allocate the governmental budget, one topic now under debate is whether the money should be spent only on medical services and education instead of on constructing theaters and sports stadiums. Do you think the advantages of free admission outweigh the disadvantages?
Candidate writes: Misstating the question In the example below the candidate makes it seem like the question is only asking for their opinion instead of both sides of the argument and their own opinion.
The candidate writes: Nowadays our food supply is more plentiful and cheaper due to scientific advances. I believe this is totally advantageous for individuals and society for the reasons that follow.
Over-generalisation Overgeneralisation occurs when something is exaggerated. Something that only applies to some or the majority is said to apply to all of a population. For example: As we all know, all politicians are corrupt. Improving task response Read the task carefully Do not rush reading the task, even though you are under pressure to finish the writing exam in one hour. Read every word carefully and underline key words.
Think carefully what the topic is about and what the question is asking you to say about the topic. Planning The planning stage should also not be rushed. You should spend at least 5 minutes planning your essay. You need to make sure that you have strong main ideas and a good structure for your essay. This will enable you to focus on the topic and question. Also, if you make an effective plan, this can actually speed up the writing of your essay.
This is because a lot of time can be wasted when writing if you need to think of what you are going to say. The plan can reduce the time spent trying to think of what to say when writing. Essentially, it's more time efficient to do all the thinking at the start, in the planning stage, in order to reduce the time spent thinking during writing.
Developing strong main ideas A lot of my students tell me they struggle to come up with good ideas. My main suggestion is to practice this. Look at lots of sample questions and think how you would answer them. You may get lucky and get one of these questions in your exam! As well as this, brainstorming in English is a skill and if you practice it you will get better at it. Developing your ideas well A grade six requires responding to all parts of the question.
A grade seven and above requires that you extend and support your ideas. This can be done by supporting your main ideas with explanations, details, and examples. For more on this see the section on writing the body of the essay. Use an appropriate structure To get a high score it is essential that you structure your ideas well. This is because the examiner will be able to see the quality of your ideas if they are structured well.
Common errors with cohesion and coherence Avoid basic sequencing words Try to avoid sample sequencing words such as: firstly secondly, as they are very basic sequences. Instead use something like: the main reason…. This is of benefit for those who are not able to attend class at a certain time.
Secondly, As well as this, students can choose where to study, and this is clearly a benefit to students who need to look after other members of their family.
Avoid unnecessary sentence elements In the examples below unnecessary phrases are underlined. It is better to leave these out because they don't add anything to the sentence, and they break the flow of the sentence. In other words, they lower coherence, while offering no communicative benefit. When you use a conjunction it is to join two parts of a sentence and you should only have a single sentence. Words that cannot be used to start sentences and should only be used in the middle of sentences are called conjunctions.
And: They bet and they drink. Nor: They do not bet nor do they drink. But: They bet, but they don't drink. Or: Every day they bet or they drink. Yet: They bet, yet they don't drink. So: He bet well last night, so he drank a beer to celebrate. Not using an appropriate structure for the question type In response to the question below, a student wrote: I discussed both views and end up getting 6 bands.
Really disappointed. My reply: that's because you were not asked to discuss both views. You were asked to discuss which one is better! Avoid irrelevant sentences Every supporting sentence in a paragraph must relate to the main idea stated in the topic sentence. A sentence that does not support the main idea does not belong in the paragraph, thus such a sentence should be omitted. When a sentence does not belong in a paragraph, it is called an irrelevant sentence. The underlined sentence below is an example of this because it is not about where people come from, like the rest of the paragraph: The staff in the company come from many different parts of the world.
Some are from European countries, such as France, Spain, and Italy. Still other students were born in Asian countries, including Japan and Korea. Japanese food is delicious. The company is an interesting mix of people from many different countries.
Improving cohesion and coherence Make a plan before you start writing If you have a solid plan before you start writing you will make sure that you are on topic and that you have an appropriate structure for your essay.
It is essential that you respond to the question that is asked. Use sequencing words and connecting phrases Sequencing words and connecting phrases add cohesion to your writing by showing the relationship between ideas and by sending signals to the reader about your writing. Avoid errors with word choices If you make lots of errors with word choices this makes it more difficult for the examiner to read your writing which lowers coherence. Therefore these errors with word choices lower your score for vocabulary as well as for cohesion and coherence.
The negative effect is double! Avoid unnecessarily complicated structures and grammar The more difficult it is for the examiner to follow your writing the lower your score for cohesion and coherence. Just use simple straightforward main points and explain them as clearly and logically as possible. In terms of sentence structure avoid sentences with lots of clauses. I would say a maximum of three clauses. This is because sentences with lots of clauses are hard to read and also if you make any errors with vocabulary or grammar the reader will become totally confused.
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