Preparation for Writing essays
Before jumping right in the main of this post, we will walkthrough criteria and structure of an IELTS writing task 2 essay. To score an IELTS Writing test, it will be based on the following criteria:
- Task response time length: how accurately the task is addressed
- Coherence and Cohesion: how organized the writing is
- Lexical resource: the quality and relevance of your Vocabulary
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: how varied and accurate your Grammar is
Four types of essays:
- Opinion/ argue
- Discuss/ Two – side
- Problems and solutions/List essays
- Two-part questions
Opinion/argue
Following with some questions like:
- Do you agree/disagree ?
- What is your opinion?
- To what extent do you agree/disagree?
Example: Some people believe that unpaid community service should be a compulsory part of high school programs. To what extent do you agree/disagree?
Discuss/ Two – side
Following with some questions like:
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of the issue?
- To what extent do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
- Discuss both sides of the issues and give your opinion?
Example: Some people think that it is more effective for students to study in groups, while others believe that it is better for them to study alone. Discuss both views and give your opinion?
Problems and solutions/List essays
Following with some questions like:
- What are the cause and effect of the increase in car use?
- Discuss the problems caused by pollution and its effects on our life?
Example: Many criminals re-offend after they have been punished. Why do some people continue to commit crimes after they have been punished, and what measures can be taken to tackle this problem
Two-part questions
The topic includes two or more problems and give us two or more questions for each problem. Our job is give our view for each question.
Example: As most people spend a major part of their adult life at work, job satisfaction is an important element of individual well-being. What factors contribute to job satisfaction? How realistic is the expectation of job satisfaction for all workers?
The essay organization
- Introduction: usually 2 sentences
- Body: 2 paragraphs ( each para at least 5 sentences )
- Conclusion: usually 1 sentences
Introduction
Including 2 sentences:
- General statement: give the reader the background information about an essay. They should lead the reader gradually from general idea to a very specific one.
- A thesis statement introduces the main idea of an essay. A thesis statement is like an answer to the question your paper explores. It provides you reader with a guide to your argument
Two sides question
Example: Some people think that it is more effective for students to study in groups, while others think that it is better for them to study alone. Discuss both views and give your opinion
- General statement: People hold different views about the effectiveness of group study as opposed to working alone
- A thesis statement: While there are some benefits to studying independently, I believe that group work is usually more productive
Opinion question
Example: Some people believe that unpaid community service should be a compulsory part of high school programs. To what extent do you agree/disagree?
- General statement: It is sometimes argued that high school students should be made to do some work in their local communities
Use of “It is sometimes argued that….” to introduce the topic ( paraphrase question ) - Thesis statement: agree, disagree, partly agree
- Agree: I completely agree that this kind of scheme would be a good idea.
- Disagree: In my opinion, it would be inappropriate to force teenagers to do this kind of unsalaries work.
- Partly agree: While I disagree with the idea of making such programs compulsory, I do believe that community service could benefit young people
Problems & solutions
Example: Many criminals re-offend after they have been punished. Why do some people continue to commit crimes after they have been punished, and what measures can be taken to tackle this problem?
- General statement: It is true that punishments do not always deter criminals from committing more crimes. ( accept the idea )
- Thesis statement: There are various reason why offenders repeatedly break the law, but government could certainly take steps to address this issue.
Two-part questions
Example: As most people spend a major part of their adult life at work, job satisfaction is an important element of individual well-being. What factors contribute to job satisfaction? How realistic is the expectation of job satisfaction for all workers?
- General statment: Work plays a central role in our lives, and we would all like to feel fulfilled professionally. ( parapharse question )
- Thesis statement: While a variety of factors may lead to job satisfaction, it would be unrealistic to expect everyone to be happy at work
Conclusion
Just need one sentence
- Never write anything new for your conclusion: your conclusion should summarize or repeat what you already said. Your opinions should already be clear thoroughout your essay.
- One-sentence conclusion: repeat and summarize what you already said in the rest of the essay. The simplest approach to writing a conclusion is to paraphrase your introduction
Discussion questions
Example: In many cities, the use of video cameras in public places is being increased in order to reduce crime, but some people believe that these measures restrict our individual freedom. Do the benefits of increased security outweigh the drawbacks?
- In conclusion, I would argue that the advantages of using video security systems in public places do outweigh the disadvantages. ( paraphrase introduction )
Other type of questions use the same method for conclusion