Tips for writing a composition

1. Write in paragraphs using a) an introduction e.g. what the situation is now in your country, or defining

what the title means b) different points of view, points for and points against, or advantages and

disadvantages c) a conclusion summarizing and giving your final opinion.

2. Plan your arguments – listing the points for and against before you attempt your final finished version –

maybe use a mind-map. If you have difficulty thinking of ideas, try listing some questions and simply

answer them to come up with your points.

3. Support your points with reasons and examples, don’t over-simplify.

4. Learn and use connectors to link your ideas.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of being famous?

Complete with linkers: in spite of, as a result, in addition, however, for example, consequently, in

conclusion, the main advantage, on the other hand, what is more

It seems nowadays that everybody is interested in people who are famous. The magazines that sell the

most are ones like HELLO, which tell us about the lives of famous people, especially film stars, pop or rock

stars, sports stars and royalty. Apparently most people would like to be famous. 1---------------------, there

are advantages and disadvantages.

2----------------- of being famous is probably the lifestyle it gives you. Most famous people are very rich and

can afford big houses with swimming pools and expensive cars. 3------------------------, they spend a lot of

time travelling, visiting different countries, and staying in luxurious hotels.

4---------------------, there are disadvantages. Every time famous people go out they are surrounded by fans

and photographers, 5--------------------- , it is very difficult for them to have a normal private life. 6--------------

they often can’t spend much time at home as they have to travel so much, 7-------------------- if they are

making a film or doing a concert tour, 8----------------------- it’s impossible for them to lead an ordinary

existence and do the every day things ordinary people do.

9----------------------, I think it is probably easier to be happy if you are not famous, 10-------------------- all the

money and riches famous people have.

Useful linking expressions

To list advantages and disadvantages – an advantage/disadvantage is, the main advantage/disadvantage is,

a positive/negative aspect= a drawback, on the plus/negative side

To make contrasting points – although…. even though . however, nevertheless, despite, in spite

of the fact that/this

To add more points to the same topic – also, as well as this…., besides this, in addition,

moreover, what’s more

To explain a consequence – so….., consequently, as a result, therefore, thus

To introduce an example – for example, e.g. , such as

To introduce the conclusion – in conclusion, as a conclusion, to sum up, as a summary,

to conclude

Composition

Complete with the linkers: consequently, personally, to sum up, moreover, secondly,

in addition, for example, firstly, such as, as a result,

Top sports people earn too much money

In most countries today top sports people, 1------------------ footballers, tennis

players and basketball players, get enormous salaries. What they earn in a week

is often more than the average person earns in more than a year. Is this really too much?

2--------------------I don’t think so. 3-------------------, the active life of a professional sports person

is relatively short- they often retire when they’re in their mid-thirties.

4--------------------, many of them don’t even play that long, as they often get injured,

5----------------- they have to retire early.

6----------------------, although their salaries are very high, they are not much higher

than other successful people in the entertainment industry 7---------------pop singers,

actors or TV personalities, whose professional careers can last for fifty years. 8----------------

sport today is watched by millions of people, 9---------------- it should be considered

entertainment just like the cinema or TV.

10---------------------, I think that top sports people’s high salaries are not unfair if you

compare them with people doing similar high-profile jobs.

Serial killings – composition

1. In my view, I think that violence has become one of the most attractive

subjects on TV. I firmly believe that crime stories and dark stuff have the

power to catch the audience’s attention according to the article, so as far

as I’m concerned I think that people really like to sit down on their sofa

and entertained by violent TV shows. In the following paragraph I’ll give

you some reasons about this audience’s attitude.

If I have to think about my own country is undeniably that crime shows

have become more and more popular.

Putting everything into consideration we have to think about negative

effects that crime and violents shows can provoke on people’s behaviour.

2. Nowadays TV channels offer a lot of interesting programmes, e.g.

documentaries. Despite that, people often prefer watching a violent

movie instead of them. Thus, one is naturally led to wonder, why are we

so attracted by violence?

The answer may be that in our minds there is still those violent instincts,

that characterized our ancestors. So, to my mind, watching violent

programmes is a need and not so bad . On one hand it is a way to satisfy

our instict, on the other we should ask if it can drive one to commit

murders and crimes.

My idea is that violent serials should be limited but not cancelled,

otherwise they become too “normal” and, not less important, they should

be on in the evening, so that young vulnerable spectators cannot watch

them.

To sum up we can say that violence on TV is not necessary a bad thing.

But it is undeniable that in high dose it can create addiction and serious

consequences on one’s personality. Naturally it regards all countries

these days, however I think that in Italy this phenomenon is not so

developed, probably because of the lack of big movie producers.

SMOKING SHOULD BE BANNED IN ALL PUBLIC PLACES

USE REASONS AND SPECIFIC EXAMPLES TO SUPPORT YOUR OPINION

1 bad for health

2 unfair for people who don’t smoke

3 dangerous (fire)

Some countries still allow to smoke in public places, like pubs or restaurants, I firmly believe that smoking

should not be permitted in places shared by many persons. If a person wants to smoke he can do it at his

own home or outdoors and in the following paragraphs I’ll give you some reasons.

The first reason and most important one: smoke can seriously damage people health. Many medical studies

have demonstrated that sigarettes are one of the main factors causing lungs cancer or hearth attack.

Smoker risks to get sick or even to die more than a no smoker.

The second reason is that smoking in a public place is a very unfair habit for no smoking people. Who

doesn’t smoke have the right of enjoying fresh air while sitting at a restaurant. A baby in a restaurant would

breath all the smoke dangerous if someone would light a sigarette by his side.

My third and last reason is a cigarette in some places could become really dangerous because if we don’t

pay attention it can provoke a fire in a very short time. Imagine what can provoke a sigarrette in a book

shop or, simply, on the tablecloth of a restaurant.

As a conclusion I want to mantain the necessity of condemning smoking in all public places all over the

world because smoking it’s so bad for the health.

The death penalty cannot be defended. Do you agree? Some countries still have the death penalty,1 it no longer exists in Europe. 2

after a particularly violent murder, people sometimes call for it to be brought back. 3. the death penalty cannot be defended for a number of reasons.

4. and most important reason is that one can never be entirely certain that the accused person is guilty. 5. people have been sentenced to death and later it has been discovered that they were completely innocent. 6. it is often suggested that the death penalty prevents crime and that the risk of death acts as a deterrent. 7. many serious crimes are caused by a sudden and very powerful emotion. In these cases the individual is not thinking sensibly and 8. does not stop to consider the risks. 9. the death penalty sets a bad example. The laws of society should reflect values. If it is wrong for one individual to murder another 10. it is also wrong for the state to execute an individual. 11, 12 that the death penalty cannot be defended. There are other ways of punishing criminals and these ways should always be tried.

Facebook, vampires.......

1. On the one hand she feels very uneasy about them reading this unsuitable material, but on the other (hand) she's happy that they're reading anything at all. She has mixed feelings about that.

2. She herself played with childish toys when she was a child, however at the same time she was interested in/curious about more adult literature and behaviour. In grown-up matters

3. It claims/maintains that children are pressurized by /under pressure from the media and internet

and their peers Under a lot of pressure/there's a lot of pressure on them to do adult things, they're nolonger allowed to enjoy the innocence of childhood, introduced to an inappropriate lifestyle too early/young.

4. She disagrees with these findings/results. She believes that staying at home surfing the net the children are more under control/protected/supervised, parents shouldn't be so scared, worried but take the necessary precautions

5. She makes a number of observations: firstly/1. She says that childhood hasn't really changed/is the same as it ever was because /in that some children

develop more quickly than others. 2. secondly there are dangers. more access to porn mobile phones allow them to do unsuitable things 3. parents should really look after them and treat them like children

Exam September 2013 Burmese religious tensions Answers

1. a)Shin Wirthau's justification for the violence against Muslims in Myanmar is that Muslims want to change Myanmar into an Islamic state.

b) Wirthau justifies the violence as a means of preventing an Islamic takeover of the country.

2. a) Wirthau's proposal for limiting the power and influence of Muslims in Myanmar is a creation of defensive and nationalist organisation called 969. That organisation takes care the buddhist culture and identity.

b) He proposes a Nationalist organisation called 969 to help promote Buddhist affairs and simultaneously limit Muslim growth.

3. a)The journalist believes it is a long-term project because the present estimates suggest Myanmar's Muslims are just 5% of the population and would take a long time to increase.

b) The journalist asserts that Wirthau's fear of an Islamic state is “a long-term project” because about all Myanmar's 60 million are Buddhist and only little part are Muslim; that it is very hardly.

4. a) When Smar Nyi Nyi sys “If someone is controlling things, he is a smart man!” he is imply that the global vision is focolisated only about the violence between Buddhists and Muslims and not in other darck's cronicle facts.

b)Smar Nyi Nyi thinks the attention given to the violence is just a planned propaganda to distract people from the more important internal issues.

5. a) He believes he is only trying to protect his nation from extremist Muslims and using far less violence that the USA in their fight against terrorism.

b) Shin compares himself to President Obama because he wants to compare his actions with the USA's actions where there are a lot of victim. However Wirthau wants to justification his military and political actions in Myanmar.

Composition There have been various clashes between different religious groups in history, all of which has seen the death of numerous innocent souls. This might try to suggest religion pushes people to be violent. When we take a proper look into most of these religions, we find out the doctrines actually preaches love, equality, respect for every human. Religious people normally tend to follow their religious leaders and there ideals. In a situation where the leaders take extremist positions and translate their ideas into their preachings, the followers easily get mind washed blinded by faith and this makes them act as asked. Nevertheless There are a lot of places in the world where people of different religions coexist in peace and harmony because they chose to respect one another and their religious views. As far as I’m concerned Religion is not a cause of Violence, people are. We humans are a naturally violent species known to fight for our own selfish reasons. This has been proven over and over again by history. In a world absent of religion, humans will still be violent. It is just our nature.