the best for writing

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC ĐÀ LẠT

ĐỀ ÁN NGOẠI NGỮ 2020

CHƯƠNG TRÌNH BỒI DƯỠNG TIẾNG ANH CHO GIẢNG VIÊN

TRÌNH ĐỘ B2

WRITING

Biên tập: - Nguyễn Tất Thắng

- Trần Thanh Hưng

-Trương Thị Mỹ Vân

LƯU HÀNH NỘI BỘ

ĐÀ LẠT, THÁNG 7 NĂM 2014

MỤC LỤC

Getting to know IELTS Writing ............................................................................................1

Unit 1 .....................................................................................................................................7

Unit 2 .....................................................................................................................................32

Unit 3 .....................................................................................................................................44

Unit 4 .....................................................................................................................................62

Unit 5 .....................................................................................................................................77

Unit 6 .....................................................................................................................................90

Unit 7 .....................................................................................................................................104

Unit 8 .....................................................................................................................................120

Unit 9 .....................................................................................................................................134

Unit 10 ...................................................................................................................................147

Unit 11 ...................................................................................................................................155

Unit 12 ...................................................................................................................................162

Unit 13 ...................................................................................................................................171

Unit 14 ...................................................................................................................................177

Unit 15 ...................................................................................................................................183

Unit 16 ...................................................................................................................................194

Unit 17 ...................................................................................................................................207

Unit 18 ...................................................................................................................................214

Unit 19 ...................................................................................................................................221

Tài liệu tham khảo

1

Getting to Know IELTS Writing

2

IELTS ACADEMIC WRITING - TASK 1

In the first task, you must write a report based on pictorial information. This means you may need

to describe a graph, chart, or diagram. It may be a bar chart, pie chart, line graph, or some other

graphic representation. You might also be asked to describe the process illustrated by the

diagram. This involves describing the data accurately, pointing out trends and relevant

information, and using appropriate vocabulary.

To understand how best to answer this type of task, read through the model answers provided in

IELTS guidebooks. Examiners will score your answer based on your ability to group relevant

information, link ideas in complex sentences, and use appropriate vocabulary to describe trends.

This is not as difficult as it sounds. By reading through several sample answers, you can extract

the vocabulary you need and also learn a variety of sentence structures, to present your

information in a formal, academic manner. For the highest marks, also pay close attention to your

spelling and copy given words and phrases correctly.

IELTS ACADEMIC WRITING - TASK 2

In this task, you need to write an academic style essay on the single topic given. You have no

choices here – you must write only about the one topic – so prepare yourself with strategies to

write a well-organized essay on a variety of subject areas. You may need to offer a solution to a

problem, express an opinion or comment on ideas or arguments presented.

Your essay should be about four or five paragraphs in length, with an introduction, body and

conclusion. It should not be a list of bullet points, but a properly organized essay, written in full

sentences. You need to state your thesis, provide evidence or reasons to support your argument

and write a strong conclusion. Use topic sentences to clearly identify the main theme in each

paragraph. You could use the guide below to structure your essay:

Paragraph 1 Introduction Restate the topic, indicate your position

Paragraph 2 Body Main idea, supporting idea, examples

Paragraph 3 Body Main idea, supporting idea, examples

Paragraph 4 Conclusion Summarize ideas, restate position

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This is what you may see in Task 1

Line graph

Pie chart

Bar chart

Map

Diagram

Table

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The structure of a report passage

Commonly-written expressions

The introduction: The introduction should describe the purpose of the chart and say what

overall trends can be seen. Note that you should not copy the exact words given in the

instructions. Below are some commonly-written expressions:

Type of charts Main verbs Object / Noun Clause

The

chart graph table diagram figures statistics

shows indicates illustrates describes gives show indicate describe give present

the number of... the proportion of... data on ... that...

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Body: The body should point out the source of information. The expressions below may be used:

The following sentences may be used to write about the proportions of percentages:

The following expressions may be written in describing or comparing data:

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Subject + verb Adverb of degree Fraction The scale being compared Subject + verb Adverb of degree Fraction The scale being compared

Subject + verb Adverb of degree Comparison word + noun The scale being compared

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Unit 1 Describing Line Graphs

INTRODUCTION

Let‟s examine the following examples

You will be given a graph with a single line, double or more lines. Your task is to write a 150

word report to describe the information given in the graph.

You are not asked to give your opinion. You should spend around twenty minutes on the task.

Task one is not worth as many marks as task two and so you should make sure that you keep

within the recommended twenty minute time frame.

What is being tested is your ability to:

objectively describe the information given to you

report on a topic without the use of opinion

use suitable language to describe the graph

A POSSIBLE STRAGEGY

The most important idea is to focus on what the question asks you to do – write a summary of the

main points and make comparisons if asked.

1. Understanding the basics – look at the question and axes

Is it time based or “static”. This tells you what type of graph/chart you are looking at and what

type of language you need. Think about:

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time – this tells you what tense to use (past for past time etc)

the type of words you need – this includes both topic vocabulary from the question (e.g.

transport) and perhaps number language

2. Try and see the big picture

This is where a lot of people go wrong. They see the detail, but they fail to see the main points.

Sometimes these points are so obvious that you can forget them. Here are some questions to ask

yourself:

How many items are shown?

Is it time based or static?

Is there one common pattern?

3. Find the main points to include

This is where I really do believe it can help to make some brief notes. You are not meant to

include everything. Make a note of those points you do want to include. Quick notes. Ideas

include:

is the pattern typically up/down in a time based graph?

look at the extremes – the biggest/smallest – the beginning the end

what changes?

what common patterns are there? Are two items similar?

Remember that you need to include all the topics included on the axes. For example, if there 6

countries shown, you must include some information about all 6 countries.

4. What comparisons do you see?

This I think is a necessary step just because the question asks you to make comparisons. If you

fail to do this, your summary is incomplete, which is very bad for task response.

5. Organise the information

Tough. A summary is normally harder to organise than an essay – there are far fewer “rules”.

You should not spend too much worrying about paragraph structure here. You do need to use

paragraphs though. Questions to think about include:

how many paragraphs do I need? (I normally suggest no more than 2 content paragraphs)

if there is more one graph, is the sensible option to use one paragraph for each graph?

(often yes, but not always)

how can I group information so I don‟t repeat myself?

is there a logical order to describe the information (for example, it often works best to

start with the biggest and then move in order to the smallest)

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AN ANALYSIS OF A QUESTION

Let‟s take an example.

Write a report to a university lecturer describing the information in the graph below

What to do?

1. Look for overall trend. What is the general trend of the graphs.

2. Paraphrase the information given to make an introduction.

3. When you write the body, describe the information, don‟t insert your opinion.

4. You may or may not write a conclusion

This is a sample

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Now, analyze the answer.

How many paragraphs are there? What are they?

How is the report started? What information is included in the first paragraph?

What is included in the second paragraph?

Is there an inclusion? What is presented in this paragraph?

What do you think about the answer?

Here is the comment of a teacher about this answer.

What should be taken into consideration?

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HOW TO WRITE THE INTRODUCTION

The first part of your report is called the introduction. Usually, you just need ONE sentence for

this. However, if you think you must write TWO, it would be fine.

Note: Do not simply copy the words in the question – make sure you use synonyms and

paraphrase where you can:

Remember, if you copy the question the words will be deducted from the word count.

Try using some of the following tips to help you with your introduction:

Words Illustrates/presents/gives/displays/shows

Data/information/statistics/

Chart/graph/diagram/table/illustration

Phrases The graph shows/illustrates the trends in… between… and

The graph gives/provides/reveals/presents information about (the

differences/changes)

The graph/diagram shows/illustrates how the population has changed

Some more introductory expressions

The graph/table shows/indicates/illustrates/reveals/represents...

It is clear from the graph/table...

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It can be seen from the graph/table...

As the graph/table shows,...

As can be seen from the graph/table,...

As is shown by the graph/table,...

As is illustrated by the graph/table,...

From the graph/table it is clear....

It is always best to avoid using personal pronouns. Instead of saying We can see from the

graph..., it is better to use the passive or impersonal constructions.

Most of the above expressions can be followed by a clause starting with that.

Several of the above expressions can be followed by a noun or noun phrase.

Several of the above expressions must be followed by a main clause.

Now, let‟s examine an example. Suppose that the instruction goes as follows.

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Complete the table

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THE OVERVIEW: A VITAL PART

The overview is extremely important. Candidates who do not write an overview CANNOT get a

high score for Task Achievement.

What is an overview?

The overview briefly describes the main feature(s) of the data. It is NOT the same as the

introduction which just says what the data is about. The overview is a summary of the most

important trends or features of the data. If you read the overview you should know (all) the most

important things about the data.

Look at the example we have mentioned again

Answer the questions:

What is the main/general trend of the cases of the diseases?

How should I say if I have only 1 or two sentences to write?

Here is what the sample says:

Does the overview include all main features of the graph? Does it miss any general

information?

It is important to notice the overall genral trend/overview of the main trends and most

important information of the graph.

As an overall trend, it is clear that the number of cases of the disease increased

fairly rapidly until the mid seventies, remained constant for around a decade at 500

cases before dropping to zero in the late 80s.

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PRACTICE WRITING THE OVERVIEW

Write the introduction and the overall review for the following charts

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Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information in the

graph below.


graph below.

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LANGUAGE FOCUS

1. Verbs and nouns describing trends

Trends Verbs Nouns

Rise (rose – risen) [to/by] A rise of

Increase [to/by] An increase [of]

Go (went – gone) up [to/by] A growth [of]

Fall (fell – fallen) [to/by] A fall [of]

Decline [to/by] A decline [of]

Drop (dropped) [to/by] A drop [of]

Go down [to/by] A reduction

Do (did) not change No change

Remain/stay

stable/steady/unchanged

Fluctuate Fluctuation

Position Stood at /was

Reached [a high peak of]

Stabilize [at]

Write a report for a

university lecturer describing

the information in the graph

below.

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2. Adjectives and adverbs for degree of change

3. Adjectives and adverbs for speed of change

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4. Tenses for description

5. Time expressions

It is important to know how to use common expressions of time. Hereafter are some of the most

popular ones.

Usually, the chart presents information about the past, so PAST tenses are the most

appropriate.

However, in some cases, e.g. describing process, PRESENT/FITURE tenses are

used.

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6. Linking

Coherence in your writing will make it readable to readers. Therefore, it is advisable that you use

linking words to make your writing smooth.

First event Middle event Final event

At the beginning

At first

In the first year

In the first month

In 1999

In January

Then / Next

After this/that

Following this/that

This followed by

..during/over the next...years

Finally

At the end of the period

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6. Rounding

Relatively – About – Rather - Almost

Roughly – Approximately – Around – Just about

Well/just below – Well/just above

A little / slightly more than

A little / slightly less than

SAMPLES

Read the instruction carefully, see how you could paraphrase the information given.

Look at the graph carefully and decide how you could present the overall trend of the information

given in the chart.

Sample 1

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Here is an example answer (with 187 words)

Examine the graph and answer the following questions.

1. What type of graph is it? 2. What does the graph show? 3. How is the population measured? 4. What is the interval between the years on the x axis? 5. What overall trend does the graph show? 6. Which parts of the graph show an increase? 7. Which parts of the graph show a decrease? 8. Which parts of the graph remain almost steady?

Sample 2

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Now examine a model answer: The graph shows the birds’ population in Europe, measured in millions, for the year 1977 to 2001, in three-yearly intervals. Overall, the graph shows the population decreased over time. In 1977, the population was 120 million birds. This increased to a peak of about 126 million in 1980, and then dropped sharply over the next six years to approximately 98 million in 1986. It, then, rose significantly to about 105 million in 1989. It fell sharply over the next three years to about 95 million in 1992 and remained relatively stable after that at between 96 and 90 million birds. The graph shows a trend of a gradual decrease in the number of birds since 1995.

A model answer

The graph shows energy consumption in the US from 1980 to 2012, and projected consumption to 2030.

Petrol and oil are the dominant fuel sources throughout this period, with 35 quadrillion (35q) units used in 1980, rising to 42q in 2012. Despite some initial fluctuation, from 1995 there was a steady increase. This is expected to continue, reaching 47q in 2030.

Sample 3

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Consumption of energy derived from natural gas and coal is similar over the period. From 20q and 15q respectively in 1980, gas showed an initial fall and coal a gradual increase, with the two fuels equal between 1985 and 1990. Consumption has fluctuated since 1990 but both now provide 24q. Coal is predicted to increase steadily to 31q in 2030, whereas after 2014, gas will remain stable at 25q.

In 1980, energy from nuclear, hydro- and solar/wind power was equal at only 4q. Nuclear has risen by 3q, and solar/wind by 2. After slight increases, hydropower has fallen back to the 1980 figure. It is expected to maintain this level until 2030, while the others should rise slightly after 2025.

Overall, the US will continue to rely on fossil fuels, with sustainable and nuclear energy

sources remaining relatively insignificant.

PRODUCTION

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The line graph below shows people in a store at various times of the day.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features.

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Multi-Line Graphs

There is not much difference between reports of single ling graphs and multi line graphs.

Like the single line graph, your report for multi-line graphs should be structured simply with an

introduction, body and conclusion. Tenses should be used appropriately.

It is advisable to use two standard opening sentences to introduce the graph and your report.

These opening sentences should make up the first paragraph. Sentence one should define what

the graph is about, that is the date, location, what is being described in the graph etc.

Let’s take an example

Sample answer

The graph compares the rate of smoking in men and women in Someland between the years 1960

and 2000. It can be clearly seen that the rate of smoking for both men and women is currently

declining and that fewer women have smoked throughout the period.

In 1960, 600 men in every 1,000 were smoking. This number decreased gradually to 500 by 1974

and continued to decrease but more steeply to 250 in 2000. In contrast, the rate of smoking in

women in 1960 was very low at only 80 in every 1,000. By 1968 this increased to 170, and

increased again but more steeply to 320 in 1977. The rate of female smokers then remained stable

at 320 until 1984 at which point the figures began to decline and had dropped to 200 by 2000.

In conclusion, we can see that the rate of smoking in men dropped throughout the whole period


graph below.

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but was always at a higher level than the female figures. The rate of smoking in women increased

until 1977 but then decreased for the rest of the period.

Now, analyze the report

1. Does the introduction paraphrase or copy the instruction?

2. Does the report include an overview?

3. Does the overview contain major important information in the graph?

4. Does the body present all significant features of the data?

5. Are the tenses in the report appropriate?

6. Are the linking words effective, i.e. being easy to understand the connection

between ideas?

Example 2

This is a student’s answer

The line graph shows the number of The USA and Japanese people unemployed between Mar

1993 and Mar 1999. Overall, the unemployment rate in the USA shows a downward trend while

that of Japan increases gradually. Also, the unemployment rates in both countries are the same

between 1998 and 1999.

In 1993, 7 % of people in the USA were unemployed while the figure for Japan was noticeably

lower, at just 2.5%. From 1994 to 1998, the number of Japanese people who were unemployed

increased dramatically from just under 3.5 % to around 4.5 %, a rise of about 1% of its

population in just 5 years. On the other hand, the USA unemployment rate decreased by 2.5%

over the same period shown. By 1999, there was a period of stability in the percentage of

unemployment in both countries, standing at just over 5% (150 words)


graph below.

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Example 3

There are several ways to approach this multi-line graph. Hereafter is one of them.

1. You could describe the line with the highest of generally highest in value, and then describe

other lines according to their decreasing value, respectively.

In this case, „The Tea Room‟ would be first described.

“The Tea Room” generally had the highest income in the period shown with the figure

starting at the highest amount among the four cafes at 160000 dollars and reaching the

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highest point at almost 180000 dollars in March. There were wild fluctuations in the

amount of income generated by this cafe at around 140000 dollars over the next 7 months

before a sudden plunge to the lowest position, with a mere 50000 dollars at the end of the

year.

2. The “Internet Express‟ ranks the second and do not change throughout the period.

Meanwhile, Internet Express ranked second with a moderate drop from 100000 dollars to

80000 dollars in April. This figure remained stable in the next 3 months before seeing a

substantial rise to finish at 140000 dollars.

3. With other lines of similar trend, group them into one category and describe them together.

It is clear that there was a similar upward trend in the amounts earned by the remaining

coffee shops which started at a low point of around 30000 dollars for Café Cool and

50000 dollars for Wifi Café. While the data of the former fluctuated wildly before rising

suddenly over the last two months to reach a high of 120000 dollars, that of the later

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witnessed a remarkable increase to 100000 dollars in July before dropping by 40000

dollars in August and September. The most noticeable change could be seen in the income

of Wifi Café in the last quarter of the year when the figure soared to a peak of nearly

190000 dollars, significantly outnumbering the incomes of the other coffee shops in the

last month.

PRODUCTION

1. The graph below shows the proportion of the population aged 65 and over between 1940 and

2040 in three different countries. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main

feature and make comparisons where relevant.

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2. The graph below shows waste recycling rates in the U.S. from 1960 to 2011.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons

where relevant.

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Unit 2 Describing Pie Charts

INTRODUCTION

Pie charts are used to illustrate the proportion or ratio of data as part of the whole or group.

Let’s take an example,

What do you need to do?

When you look at all three pie charts, you should see that you need exactly the same

language: it’s the language of percentages. By definition the whole pie is 100% and each

share of that pie is also a percentage. It should make little or no difference how the pie chart is

labeled.

You also have to pay attention to the structure of the writing. Like the one you have known

from describing line graphs, the writing requires the introduction, the overview, and details.

When describing pie charts it is often necessary to consider comparison vocabulary and

numbers in terms of percentages & proportions. A single pie chart only provides

information about one particular moment in time. Therefore, unless you have 2 or more pie

charts, your overall comment will not describe a trend over time.

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Major steps: - Read the given instruction carefully

- Detect the main trend of the data

- Detect the similarities and differences between pies

Dealing with all main features is essential to getting a high score. Avoid simply describing the

percentage given. Look for differences and similarities to make comparisons.

A SAMPLE

You should spend about 20

minutes on this task.

Write a report for a

university lecturer describing

the information in the graphs

below.

Write at least 150 words.

Guidelines for a good answer

1. Does the report have a suitable structure?

Does it have an

introduction, body and

conclusion?

Does it include

connective words to

make the writing

cohesive within

sentences and

paragraphs?

2. Does the report use suitable grammar and vocabulary? Does it include a variety of sentence structures?

Does it include a range of appropriate vocabulary?

3. Does the report meet the requirements of the task? Does it meet the word limit requirements?

Does it describe the whole graph adequately?

Does it focus on the important trends presented in the graphic information?

Now read a sample answer. How well does it follow the guidelines?

The pie charts compare the highest level of education achieved by women in

Someland across two years, 1945 and 1995. It can be clearly seen that women

received a much higher level of education in Someland in 1995 than they did in

1945.

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In 1945 only 30% of women completed their secondary education and 1% went on

to a first degree. No women had completed post-graduate studies. This situation

had changed radically by 1995. In 1995, 90% of women in Someland had

completed secondary education and of those, half had graduated from an initial

degree and 20% had gone on to postgraduate studies. At the other end of the scale

we can see that by 1995 all girls were completing lower secondary, although 10%

ended their schooling at this point. This is in stark contrast with 1945 when only

30% of girls completed primary school, 35% had no schooling at all and 35% only

completed the third grade.

In conclusion, we can see that in the 50 years from 1945 to 1995 there have been

huge positive developments to the education levels of women in Someland.

LANGUAGE FOCUS

Many times in this task, you are asked to compare the data where relevant; therefore, knowing

the language of comparison is vital to complete this task.

Comparative Superlative Equal comparison

Short

adjective/adverb

Adj + er than The adj+est

(not) as adj as

Long

adjective/adverb

More/less adj than The most/least adj

Some exceptions

Irregular

Adjective

Comparative

Form

Superlative

Form

good better best

bad worse worst

far farther farthest

little less least

many more most

Describing one part of the chart Starting with the adjective:

The highest

The lowest

The smallest

The largest

percentage of

proportion of

number of

women

cars sold

holiday makers

are employed in the X

category

are red

come from Spain

Starting with the subject:

Red is the

Professional is the

Spain is the

most

second/third most

least

popular

common

car colour

employment category

holiday destination

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Describing two parts of the chart

Starting with the adjective:

(not) As many

Twice as many

Three times as many

red cars

women

holiday makers

are sold

are employed in X

come from X

as …

More

Much more

Many more

than

Starting with the subject:

Blue cars are

Women are

Spain is

(not) as

just as

nearly as

almost as common

popular

as …

much more

slightly more

(much) less

far less

than

Some language variations on percentage

One possible problem is that you find yourself repeating the word “percentage”. Here are

some helpful variations for you. There are variations possible in almost every case: using a

fraction or a synonym such as proportion.

Notes

1. “percentage” is more correct than “percent” (“per cent” is the correct spelling, though

no one I know uses it!

2. “amount” is correctly used only with uncountable nouns: the variation for countable

nouns is “number”

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PRACTICE

Exercise 1: Examine the information in the box and fill in the blanks with suitable

words and data.

Exercise 2

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Exercise 3

Questions should be answered before doing the task

Complete the sentences using the words given

that respectively for example how but

which meanwhile whereas and

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Exercise 4. Sometimes you must compare the data. Here is an example about that.

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Exercise 5. The word respectively

Sometimes you can use in turn in place of respectively

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PRODUCTION

Exercise 1: You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The pie chart shows the amount of money that a children's charity located in the

USA spent and received in one year.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and

make comparisons where relevant.


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Exercise 2. The pie charts below show the average household expenditures in a country in

1950 and 2010. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and


Average Household Expenditures by Major Category

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Exercise 3: The pie chart shows the percentage of women in poverty and the bar chart shows

poverty rates by sex and age. They are from the United States in 2008.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make

comparisons where relevant.

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Exercise 4. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The pie charts show the electricity generated in Germany and France from all

sources and renewables in the year 2009.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and



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Exercise 5: The pie chart shows the percentage of persons arrested in the five years ending

1994 and the bar chart shows the most recent reasons for arrest. Summarize the information by

selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.


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Unit 3 Essay Writing – Task 2

INTRODUCTION

The IELTS Academic Writing Task 2 asks you to write a short essay of a minimum of 250

words. The essay is usually a discussion of a subject of general interest. You may have to

present and justify your opinion about something, give the solution to a problem or compare

differing ideas or viewpoints. It is important that you practice writing regularly in order to

achieve your true potential.

Your task will be marked in four areas. You will get a mark from 1 to 9 on Task response –

the content of your essay, Coherence and Cohesion – the connection of ideas in your essay,

Lexical Resource – diversity of vocabulary, and Grammatical Range – diversity of structures -

and Accuracy.

Your final band for Task 2 will be effectively an average of the four marks awarded in these

areas. Task 2 writing is more important than Task 1 and to calculate the final writing mark,

more weight is assigned to the Task 2 mark than to Task 1's mark. To get a good overall mark

though, both tasks have to be well answered so don't hold back on Task 1 or give yourself too

little time to answer it properly.

These are some of the types of IELTS essay you may see at the exam:

Agree / disagree

Discuss two opinions

Advantages & disadvantages

Causes (reasons) & solutions

Causes (reasons) & effects

Problems & solutions

Compare & contrast

Not every essay will fit one of these patterns, but many do. You may get some of these tasks

mixed up. For example, you could be asked to give your opinion on an issue, and then discuss

the advantages or disadvantages of it.

The golden rule is to ALWAYS read the question very carefully to see exactly what you

are being asked to do.

45

What does an essay look like? To answer this question, we should take a look at a question.

An IELTS essay is structured like any other essay; you just need to make it shorter. There are

three key elements:

1. Introduction

2. Body Paragraphs

3. Conclusion

We will look at each of these in turn, using the essay question above as an example.

Introduction

You should keep your introduction for the IELTS essay short. Remember you only have 40

minutes to write the essay, and some of this time needs to be spent planning. Therefore, you

need to be able to write your introduction fairly quickly so you can start writing your body

paragraphs.

You should do just two things:

State the topic of the essay, using some basic facts (that you may be able to take from

the question)

Say what you are going to write about

Here is an example introduction for the above essay question about IT:

The last two decades have seen enormous changes in the way people's lives are affected by

IT, with many advances in this field. However, while these technological advances have

brought many benefits to the world, it can be argued that these developments in IT will

result in more negative impacts than positive ones.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Present a written argument to an educated reader with no specialist knowledge of the

following topic.

In the last 20 years there have been significant developments in the field of

information technology (IT), for example the World Wide Web and communication by

email. However, these developments in IT are likely to have more negative effects than

positive in the future.

To what extent do you agree with this view?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own

experience or knowledge.

You should write at least 250 words.

46

As you can see, the first sentence makes sure it refers to the topic (IT) and uses facts about IT

taken from the question. Note that these are paraphrased - you must not copy from the rubric!

The second part then clearly sets out what the essay will be about and confirms the writers’

opinion (some questions may not ask for your opinion, but this one does).

Body Paragraphs

For an IELTS essay, you should have 2 or 3 body paragraphs - no more (not 4), and no less

(not 1).

For your body paragraph, each paragraph should contain one controlling idea, and have

sentences to support this.

In this case we have to prove that negative effects of IT outweigh the positive ones.

Therefore, it is a good idea to introduce some positive points, then save the rest for negative

ones.

Let’s look at the first paragraph for the essay about IT. The essay is about the benefits and

drawbacks of IT, so these will need to be discussed in separate paragraphs.

Here is the first body paragraph:

To begin, email has made communication, especially abroad, much simpler and faster,

resulting in numerous benefits for commerce and business. Furthermore, the World Wide

Web means that information on every conceivable subject is now available to us. For

example, people can access news, medical advice, online education courses and much more

via the internet. It is evident that these improvements have made life far easier and more

convenient for large numbers of people and will continue to do so for decades to come.

The controlling idea in this first paragraph is the 'benefits of IT', and there are two

supporting ideas, which are underlined. No drawbacks are discussed as the paragraph would

then lose coherence.

Most of the essay will focus on the negative aspects of IT, as the writer says there are more

negative effects in the introduction. So the next two paragraphs are about these.

The topic sentence in the next paragraph therefore tells us we are changing the focus to the

negative points:

Nevertheless, the effects of this new technology have not all been beneficial. For

example, many people feel that the widespread use of email is destroying traditional forms

of communication such as letter writing, telephone and face-to-face conversation. This could

result in a decline in people's basic ability to socialize and interact with each other on a day-

to-day basis.

The final body paragraph gives the last negative effect:

In addition, the large size of the Web has meant that it is nearly impossible to regulate and

control. This has led to many concerns regarding children accessing unsuitable websites and

viruses. Unfortunately, this kind of problem might even get worse in the future at least until

more regulated systems are set up.

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Conclusion

The conclusion only needs to be one or two sentences, and you can do the following:

Re-state what the essay is about (re-write the last sentence of your introduction in

different words)

Give some thoughts about the future

Here is an example:

In conclusion, developments in IT have brought many benefits, yet I believe developments

relating to new technology are likely to produce many negative effects in the future that

must be addressed if we are to avoid damaging impacts to individuals and society.

Sample essay

The last two decades have seen enormous changes in the way people's lives are affected

by IT, with many advances in this field. However, while these technological advances

have brought many benefits to the world, it can be argued that these developments in IT

will result in more negative impacts than positive.

To begin, email has made communication, especially abroad, much simpler and faster,

resulting in numerous benefits for commerce and business. Furthermore, the World

Wide Web means that information on every conceivable subject is now available to us.

For example, people can access news, medical advice, online education courses and

much more via the internet. It is evident that these improvements have made life far

easier and more convenient for large numbers of people and will continue to do so for

decades to come.

Nevertheless, the effects of this new technology have not all been beneficial. For

example, many people feel that the widespread use of email is destroying traditional

forms of communication such as letter writing, telephone and face-to-face conversation.

This could result in a decline in people's basic ability to socialize and interact with each

other on a day-to-day basis.

In addition, the large size of the Web has meant that it is nearly impossible to regulate

and control. This has led to many concerns regarding children accessing unsuitable

websites and viruses. Unfortunately, this kind of problem might even get worse in the

future at least until more regulated systems are set up.

In conclusion, developments in IT have brought many benefits, yet I believe

developments relating to new technology are likely to produce many negative effects in

the future that must be addressed if we are to avoid damaging impacts to individuals and

society. (287 words)

48

Advantages and disadvantages Essays

INTRODUCTION

Here is an IELTS advantages and disadvantages essay plan and model answer for writing task

2 on the topic of employment. In this kind of question you will be asked to: 'Discuss the

advantages and disadvantages,' or 'Discuss the advantages and disadvantages and give

your own opinion,' or 'Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?' Sometimes this

question appears in the form, 'What are the benefits and drawbacks?'

Major steps when you are going to write an IELTS advantages and disadvantages essay:

Step One – Thesis: Analyze the question. Understand what you have to do. Pick your best

idea and pin it down in a clear assertion that you can write your entire essay around.

Your thesis is your main point, summed up in a concise sentence that lets the reader know

where you’re going, and why. It’s practically impossible to write a good essay without a clear

thesis. In this case, this will be your topic sentence.

Step Two – Outline: Sketch out your essay before straightway writing it out. Use one-line

sentences to describe paragraphs, and bullet points to describe what each paragraph will

contain. Map out the structure of your essay, and make sure each paragraph is unified.

Step Three – Introduction: The introduction should grab the reader’s attention, set up the

issue, and lead in to your thesis. Your intro is merely a buildup of the issue, a stage of

bringing your reader into the essay’s argument.

Step Four – Paragraphs: Each individual paragraph should be focused on a single idea that

supports your thesis [main point].

Begin paragraphs with topic sentences, support assertions with evidence, and expound your

ideas in the clearest, most sensible way you can. Speak to your reader as if he or she were

sitting in front of you. In other words, instead of writing the essay, try talking the essay.

Step Five – Conclusion: Gracefully exit your essay by making a quick wrap up sentence.

Your conclusion should bring the whole essay together while at the same time answering the

topic question and then end on some memorable thought, perhaps a quotation, or an

interesting twist of logic, or some call to action. Is there something you want the reader to

walk away and do? Let him or her know exactly what.

HOW TO DO IT

1. How to write a thesis statement

Very basically, it tells the person reading your essay what will be in it. It may also give your

opinion if the question asks you for this. It is the last sentence of your introduction.

Let’s look at an IELTS Task 2 question as follows.

49

What you have to do (the task) is explain whether you think, overall, an increase in the

production of goods in other countries and their subsequent transportation over long distances

is more advantageous or disadvantageous.

So your essay is obviously going to be discussing the advantages and disadvantages of this

issue, and this is what needs to be made clear in your thesis statement.

It is also an opinion essay as it is asking you to make a decision on whether you think there

are more advantages or disadvantages. So you need to make this clear as well.

In this case, suppose that you think that the global trade does more bad things than good

things to human beings, it means that you will have to prove that the disadvantages outweigh

the advantages.

Therefore, your thesis could be like this, “In my opinion, this trend has more disadvantages

than advantages.”

You would then go on to write about the advantages and disadvantages of global trade

(focusing more on the disadvantages as you think there are more of these).

2. Make an outline

A simple outline of the essay looks like this

Introduction: There are about 3-4 sentences, including (a) general

statement(s) about the topic; (b) a sentence or two leading into your 'thesis

statement'; and (c) your final sentence of the introduction - 'thesis statement'.

Paragraph 2: The advantages (supporting points): Write advantages of the

trend here.

Paragraph 3: The disadvantages (supporting points): Write disadvantages of

the trend here.

Paragraph 4: 'Your opinion': Prove that there are more disadvantages than

advantages.

(Sometimes you can combine Paragraph 3 and 4 into one paragraph)

Conclusion: Restate your thesis statement and supporting points.

3. Write the introduction

The Introduction usually starts with general statements which lead readers into the topic you

are writing about.

As global trade increases, many goods including those we use on a daily basis are

produced in other countries and transported long distances.

Do the benefits of this trend outweigh the drawbacks?

http://www.go-proofreader.com/thesis-statement.html



50

This is a sample of an IELTS question

And here is an example of an introduction

It is clear that the population in the world is getting bigger and bigger. This means

that lots of people will use cars and trains to travel. Traffic jams in many cities

around the world is severe. One possible solution to this problem is to impose

heavy taxes on car drivers and use this money to make public transport better. This

essay will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of such a measure.

4. Writing the paragraphs

Usually, there is just enough time for you to write 2 body paragraphs for an IELTS essay.

Therefore, you must be careful to select what to write.

In the task question above, the question asks you to discuss both the advantages and

disadvantages of the solution. Therefore, you should save 1 paragraph for the advantages and

1 paragraph for the disadvantages.

Here is an example of the two paragraphs

One of the first benefits of such a measure is that the heavy taxes would discourage

car owners from using their cars because it would become very expensive to drive.

This would mean that they would begin to make use of public transport instead,

thus reducing traffic problems and pollution as well. Another benefit would be that

much more use would be made of public transport if it was improved. It is often the

case that public transport in cities is very poor. For example, we often see old buses

and trains that people would rather not use. High taxes would generate enough

money to make the necessary changes.

Nevertheless, there are drawbacks to such a solution. First and foremost, this would

be a heavy burden on the car drivers. At present, taxes are already high for a lot of

people, and so further taxes would only mean less money at the end of the month

for most people who may have no choice but to drive every day. In addition, this

type of tax would likely be set at a fixed amount. This would mean that it would hit

those with less money harder, whilst the rich could likely afford it. It is therefore

not a fair tax.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic:

In order to solve traffic problems, governments should tax private car owners

heavily and use the money to improve public transportation.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of such a solution?




51

5. Writing the conclusion

The conclusion usually consists of two major parts. Part one is a summary of the main points

presented in the body paragraphs, or it could be a restatement of the thesis statement. Part 2

presents the comments of the writer about the main points. Remember that Part 2 does not

state a new idea.

Hereafter is an example of a conclusion for the topic mentioned above.

To conclude, this solution is worth considering to improve the current situation, but

there are benefits and drawbacks of introducing such a policy. I think the

government should consider the policy carefully before enforcing it.

SAMPLE ESSAY

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COHERENCE IN WRITING ESSAYS

Coherence is achieved when sentences and ideas are connected and flow together smoothly.

An essay without coherence can inhibit a reader’s ability to understand the ideas and main

points of the essay. Coherence allows the reader to move easily throughout the essay from one

idea to the next, from one sentence to the next, and from one paragraph to the next. Following

are several methods that can be used to achieve coherence in writing:

Use Repetition to Link Ideas, Sentences, and Paragraphs

Repeating key words or phrases helps connect and focus idea(s) throughout the essay.

Repetition also helps the reader remain focused and headed in the right direction.

Example:

Most students are intimidated by the works of William Shakespeare. They believe

Shakespeare’s sonnets and plays are far to complicated to read and understand

Use Transitional Expressions to Link Ideas, Sentences, and Paragraphs

Transitional expressions, such as however, because, therefore, and in addition, are used to

establish relationships between ideas, sentences, and paragraphs. They serve as signals to let

the reader know the previous idea, sentence, or paragraph is connected to what follows.

Example:

Many students believe they cannot write a good essay because they are not writers.

However, as they practice writing and work on developing their writing skills, most

students are able to gain the needed confidence to start thinking of themselves writers.

Use Pronouns to Link Sentences

Pronouns are used to link or connect sentences by referring to preceding nouns and pronouns.

Pronouns can also help create paragraphs that are easy to read by eliminating wordiness and

unnecessary repetition

Example:

Mr. Thompson agreed to meet with members of the worker’s union before he signed

the contract. He was interested in hearing their concerns about the new insurance plan

Use Synonyms to Link Ideas and Create Variety

Synonyms are words that have the same or nearly the same meaning as another word. They

provide alternative word choices that can add variety to an essay and can help eliminate

unnecessary repetition.

Example:

Teenagers face an enormous amount of peer pressure from friends and schoolmates.

As a result, many young adults are exhibiting signs of severe stress or depression at

an early age.

Use Parallel Structures to Link Ideas, Sentences, and Paragraphs

Parallelism is the use of matching words, phrases, clauses, or sentence structures to express

similar ideas. Parallel structures allow the reader to flow smoothly from one idea, sentence, or

paragraph to the next and to understand the relationships and connections between ideas

53

Example:

Usually, the children spend the summer weekends playing ball in park, swimming in

the neighbor’s pool, eating ice cream under the tree, or camping in the backyard.

At the museum, the class attended a lecture where the speaker demonstrated how

the Native Americans made bows and arrows. They also attended a lecture where a

sword smith demonstrated how the Vikings crafted swords

Transitional Words and Phrases

Addition

furthermore moreover too also

in the second place again in addition even more

next further last, lastly Finally

besides and, or, nor first, second, secondly, etc.

Time

While immediately never after, later, earlier

Always when soon whenever

Meanwhile sometimes in the meantime

During afterwards now, until now, next

Following once then at length

Simultaneously so far subsequently

Place

Here there nearby beyond

Wherever opposite to adjacent to neighboring on

above, below

Exemplification or Illustration

to illustrate to demonstrate specifically

for instance as an illustration e.g., (for example)

for example

Comparison

in the same way by the same token similarly

in like manner likewise in similar fashion

Contrast

yet and yet nevertheless

nonetheless after all but

however though otherwise

on the contrary in contrast notwithstanding

on the other hand at the same time

Clarification

that is to say in other words to explain

i.e., (that is) to clarify to rephrase it

to put it another way

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Cause

because since on account of for that reason

Effect

therefore consequently accordingly

thus hence as a result

Purpose

in order that so that to that end, to this end

for this purpose

Qualification

almost nearly probably never

always frequently perhaps maybe although

Intensification

indeed to repeat by all means of course

certainly without doubt undoubtedly in fact surely

in fact

Concession

to be sure granted of course, it is true

Summary

to summarize in sum in brief

to sum up in short in summary

Conclusion

in conclusion to conclude finally in brief

to summarize to sum up

UNITY

Unity is a very important characteristic of good writing. Paragraph unity means that one

paragraph is about ONLY ONE main topic. That is, all the sentences -- the topic, supporting

sentences, the detail sentences, and (sometimes) the concluding sentence -- are all telling the

reader about ONE main topic. If your paragraph contains a sentence or some sentences that

are NOT related to the main topic, then we say that the paragraph "lacks unity," or that the

sentence is "off-topic."

Look at the following paragraph, which is similar to the paragraph that we have studied

above. Does it have perfect unity? Try to find the sentence that is off-topic:

Each of the Russian manned space exploration projects had specific major goals.

For example, the Vostok project was designed to test whether or not human

beings could survive and function in outer space. For another example, the

Voshkhod project was intended to find out whether people could work in the

weightless environment of space. One Voshkhod cosmonaut experimented with

weightlessness by taking a "spacewalk." That is, he floated in a spacesuit outside

his Voshkhod spacecraft, connected to it by a tether. The cosmonaut to do this

was Alexei Leonov. Several weeks later, Leonov's spacewalk was followed by

55

that of U.S. astronaut Ed White. Finally, the Soyuz project, with three

cosmonauts, had goals of testing spacecraft and spaceflight skills so that people

could fly long missions in Earth orbit.

This paragraph is generally good, but the sentence, “Several weeks later, Leonov's spacewalk

was followed by that of U.S. astronaut Ed White”, does not have anything to do with the

major goals of the various Russian space projects. That is, it is an "off-topic" sentence, so we

can say that the paragraph somewhat lacks unity. In order to improve the paragraph, we

should omit this sentence, even though it is historically accurate.

Which sentence breaks the unity of the paragraph?

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

PRACTICE

1. Your thesis statement: You must think of the way to write the thesis statement. Sketch

some ideas here.

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2. Ideas for two main body paragraphs

Advantages: ................................................................................................................................

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3. It is time to write the Introduction

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1. Your thesis statement: You must think of the way to write the thesis statement. Sketch

some ideas here.

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2. Ideas for two main body paragraphs

Advantages: ................................................................................................................................

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Disadvantages:..............................................................................................................................

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You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic:

In order to solve traffic problems, governments should tax private car owners heavily

and use the money to improve public transportation.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of such a solution?




59


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1. Your thesis statement: What is your opinion? More advantages or more disadvantages?

You must decide it before thinking of the way to write the thesis statement. Sketch some ideas

here.

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2. Ideas for two main body paragraphs. (This could be in the other order).

Advantages: ................................................................................................................................

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Your opionions. (This is optional. You may combine this with one paragraph which is

usually the second one – the one you prove it to be outweigh the first)

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Unit 4 STOP AND CHECK 1

LANGUAGE FOR GRAPHS

a. Subject + verbs + ...

Useful introductory expressions:

The graph shows / indicates / depicts / illustrates

From the graph it is clear It can be seen from the graph

As can be seen from the graph, As is shown / illustrated by the graph,

Example: The graph shows the percentage of children using supplements in a place over a

year.

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The following sentences may be used when describing small changes or no changes:

Use the sentences below when describing the highest and lowest points:

There + be + a (very) + adjective + N + in the number of something + from ...to ..../between

...and ...

There be Adjective

indicating changes

Noun indicating

changes In what scale Period of time

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Useful time expressions:

over the next... / for the following... (for the following two months... over the next six

months...)

from ... to / between ... and (from June to August... between June and August...)

during (during the first three months...)

Warning!

Per cent is the word form of the symbol %. We can write 10% or 10 per cent. Percentage is

the noun form: The percentage of children using supplements. NOT The percent of

children...

PRACTICE

Exercise 1


The graph below shows waste recycling rates in the U.S. from 1960 to 2011.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and

make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Read the following sample answer. Complete the answer by filling the gaps with the correct

form of the words in the box. Some words can be used more than once.

sharp triple peak

reach steady from

rise compare significant

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The graph depicts waste recycling rates in the U.S. ........... 1960 to 2011, in both

percentage and tons.

Between 1960 and 1970, the percentage of garbage being recycled annually remained

relatively ........... at just over 6%. It then ........... slightly over the next 15 years to

10.1% in 1985.

On the other hand, the amount of garbage being recycled ........... during the same period,

from 5.6 million tons in 1960 to 16.7 million tons in 1985. Following this ...........

increase, the amount of waste material being recycled has risen ........... between 1985

and 2011 when it ........... at 86.9 million tons.

Similarly, the recycling rate continued to grow ........... from 1985 to 1995, and then at a

slower rate over the next 15 years until it ........... a peak of 34.7% in 2011. However, this

figure is still disappointing ........... to the total amount of waste being recycled each year.

Exercise 2


The line graph below gives information about the number of visitors to three

London museums between June and September 2013.



Look at the line graph and complete the text with the correct forms of the verbs in brackets

and the correct prepositions.

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The graph ........... (show) how many people ........... (visit) three London museums

in the summer of 2013. Most visitors ........... (go) to the British museum ...........

June and September. The number ........... (fluctuate) between 500 and 750. By contrast,

the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum ........... (receive) fewer visitors.

The number of people who visited the Science Museum ........... (drop) gradually from

400 thousand to 300 from June to August then ........... (rise) to 450 thousand ...........

September. We can ........... (see) that the trend for the Natural History Museum

........... (be) similar. There was a sharp drop in visitors from June to July. The number

........... (remain stable) in August and then ........... (increase) steadily in September.

PRODUCTION

Exercise 1


The graph below gives information about international tourist arrivals in five

countries.



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Exercise 2


The graph below shows in percentage terms the changing patterns of domestic

access to modern technology in homes in the U.K.

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Exercise 3. The graph below gives information about car ownership in Britain from 1971 to

2007. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make


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69

PIE CHARTS

POINTS TO REMEMBER

The key point is that whatever the chart looks like the language you need is the same. Take a

look at these 3 pie charts and ask yourself what language you need.

A chart with percentages A chart without any numbers

A chart with numbers

The answer should be obvious. When you look at all three pie charts, you should see that you

need exactly the same language: it’s the language of percentages. By definition the whole

pie is 100% and each share of that pie is also a percentage. It should make little or no

difference how the pie chart is labeled.

Tip: if you see a pie chart without % figures written in, don’t panic. Consider what the %

must be.

Report structure As in the line graphs task, your report should be structured simply with an introduction, body

and conclusion. Tenses should be used appropriately.

Use two standard opening sentences to introduce the graph or graphs and your report. These

opening sentences should make up the first paragraph. Sentence one should define what the

graph is about, that is the date, location, what is being described in the graphs etc. For

example:

70

The pie charts compare the highest level of education achieved by women in Someland across

two years, 1945 and 1995.

Notice that in the single line graph we said that ‘the graph shows' but with two charts we can

more accurately say ‘the pie charts compare’.

Note the tense used. Even though it describes information from the past, the graph shows the

information in the present time.

Notice that the sample opening sentence does not simply copy the words used on the graphic

material. Copied sentences will not be assessed by the examiner and so you waste your time

including them.

Sentence two (and possibly three) might sum up the overall trend. For example:

It can be clearly seen that women received a much higher level of education in Someland in

1995 than they did in 1945.

Notice the Simple Past tense is used. Here we are talking about what happened in the past.

The body of the report will describe the chart or charts in detail. You will need to decide on

the most clear and logical order to present the material. In this case it might be best to work

through the charts one by one.

Ideally your report should end with one or two sentences which summarise your report or

draw a relevant conclusion.

Grammar and vocabulary You will receive a higher mark if your writing uses a range of structures and vocabulary

correctly rather than a limited number.

Pie charts generally show figures in percentages and your language in writing the report

should reflect this. You will talk about ‘the percentage of graduates’ or the ‘proportion of

people who completed secondary school’.

Make sure that you are confident with comparatives and superlatives used to compare and

contrast and the language used to describe pie charts.

LANGUAGE FOCUS

1. When you describe pies, choose the most important points to write about first. These will

be the largest ones. Find the biggest portion / outstanding data to report.

Items such as ‘other’ are usually less important and account for small amounts, so can be left

till the end.

2. With an IELTS pie chart, the most logical thing to do is usually to compare categories

together across the charts, focusing on similarities and differences, rather than writing about

each chart separately.

71

If you write about each one separately, the person reading it will have to keep looking

between the paragraphs in order to see how each category differs.

3. As with any task 1, this is important. You should not keep repeating the same structures.

The key language when you write about pie charts is proportions and percentages.

Common phrases to see are "the proportion of…" or "the percentage of…"

However, you can also use other words and fractions. These are some examples from the

model answer:

A large number of people over a quarter of people

a small minority A significant number of people

less than a fifth

This table presents some examples of how you can change percentages to fractions or ratios:

Percentage Fraction 80% four-fifths

75% three-quarters

70% seven in ten

65% two-thirds

60% three-fifths

55% more than half

50% half

45% more than two fifths

40% two-fifths

35% more than a third

30% less than a third

25% a quarter

20% a fifth

15% less than a fifth

10% one in ten

5% one in twenty

If the percentages are not exact as above, then you can use qualifiers to make sure your

description remains accurate. Here are some examples:

Percentage Qualifier 77% just over three quarters

77% approximately three quarters

49% just under a half

49% nearly a half

32% almost a third

This table presents some examples of how you can change percentages to other phrases:

Percentage proportion / number / amount / majority / minority 75% - 85% a very large majority

65% - 75% a significant proportion

10% - 15% a minority

5% a very small number

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PRODUCTION

Exercise 1

The pie charts below give information about world population in 1900 and 2000.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make


doubled – decreased - illustrate – remained – increase - percentages - growth

The pie charts ...............changes in the population of different areas of the world

between 1900 and 2000. The major regions are represented as .....................of the

total world population.

From 1900 to 2000, the percentage of people living in Africa more than

.................from 4.5% to 10%, while Latin America’s proportion almost tripled in the

same period. On the other hand, the percentage of population in Europe and Asia

.......................over the last century. Europe’s percentage dropped from 25% to 14%,

while Asia declined from 60% to 54%. North America’s percentage however,

........................constant at 5% in 1900 and 2000. The Middle East and North Africa,

a new category in 2000, represented 6% of world population.

Overall, this represents a huge ..................in the number of humans on the planet,

from 1.6 billion to 6 billion in just one century. Most of this population

..................has occurred in developing countries.

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Exercise 2.

The pie charts show the main reasons for migration to and from the UK in 2007.



proportion– accounted for – employment–reasons – minority – influencing - illustrate -

respectively

The pie charts .....................the primary reasons that people came to and left the UK in 2007.

At first glance it is clear that the main factor influencing this decision was....................

Having a definite job ........................30 per cent of immigration to the UK, and this figure was

very similar for emigration, at 29%. A large number of people, 22%, also emigrated because

they were looking for a job, though the ......................of people entering the UK for this

purpose was noticeably lower at less than a fifth.

Another major factor ..............................a move to the UK was for formal study, with over a

quarter of people immigrating for this reason. However, interestingly, only a small.................,

4%, left for this.

The proportions of those moving to join a family member were quite similar for immigration

and emigration, at 15% and 13%................................ Although a significant number of

people (32%) gave ‘other’ ...................or did not give a reason why they emigrated, this

accounted for only 17% with regards to immigration.

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Exercise 3.

The chart below shows the percentage of U.S. men and women who were

physically inactive in 2000.



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Exercise 4. The diagrams below show UK students' responses to the question of to what

extent would they describe themselves as financially organised.



Very organised

%

All students 21

Age up to 22 years

18

Age 23-25 years 26

Age over 26 years

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Exercise 5. The charts show the deaths from infectious diseases in Canada.



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77

Unit 5 Describing Bar Charts

INTRODUCTION

A bar chart or bar graph is a chart that uses either horizontal or vertical bars to show comparisons

among categories. One axis of the chart shows the specific categories being compared, and the

other axis represents a discrete value. Some bar graphs present bars clustered in groups of more

than one (grouped bar graphs), and others show the bars divided into subparts to show cumulate

effect (stacked bar graphs).

Let’s take an example to see what bar charts look like.

Example 1. The bar chart below shows the different types of accommodation chosen by the

British when they went on holiday in 2012. Summarise the information by selecting

and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Example 2. The chart below shows the percentage of male and female teachers in six different

types of educational setting in the UK in 2010.



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When describing information in a bar chart, it is important to look for significant words and make

comparison between categories. Basically, with a bar chart, you need to describe the bars and

their values.

When describing a bar chart, you first have to decide in what order to describe the bars, from the

highest value to the lowest value or from the lowest value to the highest value. It may be a

mixture of this. If there are very many bars, you can sometimes group together for the description

of one, two or three bars which have similar or the same values. If there are very many and you

cannot group them, then just describe the ones that are the most significant.

What you need to focus is the two axis, vertical axis – x axis - and horizontal axis – y axis. Look

at the axis carefully to know what they refer to.

Then, you should ask yourself some simple questions. Ask yourself which is the biggest/longest?

Are there any patterns? What is the most typical features of the charts?

For example, if you look at Exercise 1 in the previous page, you may have some notes as the

following.

hotels were the most common form of accommodation at over 50%

self-catering was second most popular (just below 30%) but there is one major exception

caravan and camping holidays were typically least popular (around 10%) but again there

was an exception

England, Scotland and Wales follow a broadly similar pattern (Scotland is only slightly

different)

the popularity of caravanning in Northern Ireland needs to be highlighted

Then, you have to decide how to organize the information. You may group the information in a

way that it is easy for you to describe the data.

In example 1 above, the best choice would be to use the countries. There are only 4 of them and 3

of those are very similar and it seems natural and easy to group England, Scotland and Wales

together. Northern Ireland is the odd one out.

Comparison?

In many case, you have to compare the information. In example 2 above, you have to compare

the percentage of male and female teachers in six different types of educational setting.

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GRAMAR AND VOCABULARY

In this type of charts, comparison is often seen in the language of the report.

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Look at the chart on the previous page, make sentences using guided words/phrases.

Adverbs in comparison

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Comparing and contrasting

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SAMPLES

1. The chart below shows the percentage of male and female teachers in six different types

of educational setting in the UK in 2010.



The bar chart gives information about the gender of teachers in six types of educational

institutions in the UK in 2010. It shows what percentage of teachers was male and what

percentage was female.

Women dominated the teaching profession in primary education, but less so at lower and upper

secondary education. It was particularly true of nursery school, where the share of female

teachers was above 95%. Similarly one-sided was the situation in primary school, where over

90% of teachers were also female.

At secondary and upper secondary level this pattern was less pronounced, where there were

nearly equal proportions of male and female teachers. On the other hand, male teachers

outnumbered female teachers in high-level education, where the proportion of men was twice that

for women.

Overall, the higher the level of education, the more male teachers dominated, and the reverse

occurred with respect to female teachers.

1. Does the report include all parts required in Task 1? (introduction, overview, body, etc.)

2. How is the report organized? (according to gender or types of schools)

3. How is the report connected? (by transitional words)

4. How many major ideas are reported?

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2.

1. What information is presented on the vertical axis? Horizontal axis?

2. Do the bars have similar or different patterns?

3. Is there a corresponding or different amount of money spent on research and the deaths causes

by the diseases?

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Hereafter is a sample.

PRACTICE Exercise 1. The charts give information about two genres of TV programmes watched by

men and women and four different age groups in Australia.



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Fill in the gaps in the model answer.

The charts give information about the genres of TV programmes that Australian men and women

and different age groups watch. It is clear from the charts that women tend to watch ...........

television than man overall, although they watch slightly ........... game shows. The people who

watch the ........... television are in the 45+ age group.

Nearly 70% of women watch reality shows, which is almost ........... as many as the percentage of

men who choose this genre of programme. Nevertheless, most age groups watch ........... reality

shows than game shows revealing that game shows are generally ........... popular than reality

shows.

The percentage of people watching reality shows increases steadily from ages 16 to 45 with the

........... percentage of viewers, at just over 50% of the age group 16-24 and the ........... percentage,

at 68% of the over-45s.

However, the pattern is different for game shows. The number of programmes watched by 25- to

44-year-olds is ........... lower than the number watched by 16- to 24-year-olds and those over 45.

Just over 50% of 16- to 24-year-olds watch game shows, but this share is not ........... high as the

share of people aged 45 and over watching game shows, at nearly 70%. Only 41% of 35- to 44-

year-olds watch game shows, and the share of 24- to 34-year-olds is ........... lower at 38%.

Exercise 2. The chart below shows the percentage change in the share of international

students among university graduates in different Canadian provinces between

2001 and 2006.



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Fill in the gaps in the model answer.

occurred – relatively –shows – fell – considerable – remained– period - proportion

The chart .........................changes in the share of international students who graduated from

universities in different Canadian provinces over a period of 5 years.

In 2001, this share had a ....................narrow range, from 3% in Ontario to 7.0% in New

Brunswick. Nova Scotia had the second highest ...........................at 6.5%. Five years later, the

figures for most provinces had risen, with the exception of Alberta. There, the figures ...............

by 1% to just over 4%.

By 2006, some parts of Canada experienced a ..............................increase in their share of

international graduates. Growth in this share was especially strong in the case of New Brunswick,

where the figures rose from 7% to 12%. The largest growth ...........................in British Columbia,

where it more than doubled to 11%.

Over this five-year.................., changes in the proportion of international graduates have been

very uneven across the provinces of Canada. However, New Brunswick .........................the

province with the highest percentage overall.

PRODUCTION

1. The chart below gives information about the UK's ageing population in 1985 and makes

predictions for 2035.



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2. The bar chart below gives information about the percentage of the population living in

urban areas in the world and in different continents.



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3. The bar chart below shows shares of expenditures for five major categories in the United

States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Japan in the year 2009. Write a report for a university

lecturer describing the information below.

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4. The chart below shows the total number of minutes (in millions) of telephone calls in Finland,

divided into three categories, from 1995 – 2004. Summarise the information by selecting and

reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

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Unit 6 STOP AND CHECK 2

POINTS TO REMEMBER

To prepare yourself to complete Task 1, follow the five steps below:

1. Learn to recognize and identify different graphic forms, such as line graphs, bar charts,

pie charts, etc.

2. Know what key information, comparisons and trends to look out for.

3. Practice using the specific vocabulary required to describe those trends.

4. Learn how to follow a plan to start, complete and finish your answer. Use sample Task 1

questions, included on this website, to practice writing out a full response. At first, do not

time yourself. Later, once you've got the hang of it, time yourself and make sure you

finish in 20 minutes.

5. Know what NOT to include in your response.

By following the steps above, you will be prepared and confident, no matter what type of

question appears in Task 1 of your actual IELTS exam.

Steps 1 & 2 – Identify Types of Charts, Look for Trends

Line Graph

A line graph plots the changes in data over time:

Ask yourself:

What is the highest level / point?

What is the lowest level / point?

Is there a point till when the trend was increasing or decreasing?

When did the trend change?

Pie Chart

A pie charts is a circular chart divided into sectors or pie slices. It presents information in

segments of a circle or pie, which together add up to 100%. Here's an example:

Ask yourself:

Which is the largest segment?

Which is the smallest segment?

How do the segments compare with each other?

Bar Charts

A bar chart consists of rectangular bars arranged horizontally or vertically from the x or y axis.

The length of a bar shows the values it represents. The values are listed on one axis and each bar

shows what is being measured on the other axis. Bar charts are useful for comparing data. In

studying a bar chart, you may want to look for the following information:

Which is the tallest bar? Which is the shortest bar?

Have the bars changed over time? How?

How do the bars compare to each other?

TASK 1

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Step 3 – Vocabulary of Trends

To get high marks on the Academic Task 1, you must show the examiner that you know how to

use a range of vocabulary to describe and interpret visual information. You must be able to use

the appropriate verbs, nouns, adjectives and adverbs to provide precise descriptions.

Step 4 – Write your answer according to a plan

To be able to complete Task 1 in 20 minutes or less, write your answer according to the following

plan:

Write one sentence to introduce the subject and graphic.

Write one or two sentences to show the relationship between the data or to comment on

the main trend.

Write an in-depth description of the information given. Include details from the most

important to the least important, depending on time.

Write one sentence to conclude your answer.

Step 5 - What not to write

Only describe the data. Don not give your interpretation of it. You are not being asked why you

think the data in the chart is the way it is, so do not write about that.

The following words and phrases will help you describe trends:

Nouns

a rise, an increase, a surge, a growth, a peak, a fluctuation, a variation

a period of stability, a plateau

a fall, a decrease, a decline, a dip

Verbs

to rise, to increase, to surge, to grow, to peak, to skyrocket

to fluctuate, to vary

to fall, to decrease, to decline, to dip, to dive, to plunge

Phrases

to show an upward trend, to show a downward trend, to hit the highest point, to hit

the lowest point, to reach a peak, to show some fluctuation, to fluctuate wildly, to

remain stable, to remain static, to remain unchanged, to stay constant, to reach a

plateau, to level off, to flatten out,

the highest, the lowest, the second highest, the third highest

compared to, compared with, relative to

Adverbs sharply, suddenly, rapidly, abruptly, dramatically, significantly

steadily, considerably, markedly, slightly, gently, gradually, wildly

Adjectives sharp, sudden, rapid, abrupt, dramatic, steep, significant, steady, considerable,

marked, slight, gentle, gradual

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PRODUCTION

1. The chart below shows the percentage change in total crime arrests for persons under 18 by

locality. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make


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93

2. The chart below shows the levels of unemployment of 3 countries from 2004-2008.



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94

3. The chart below shows energy consumption by fuel type and the resulting carbon dioxide

emmisions in America. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features,

and make comparisons where relevant.

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95

4. The graphs show changes in spending habits of people in UK between 1971 and 2001. Write a

report to a university lecturer describing the data.

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96

3. The following chart illustrates reasons for Internet usage in the United Kingdom in the year

2001. Those surveyed were adults at least 21 years of age.

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97

POINTS TO REMEMBER

1. You have only 40 minutes to write an essay of at least 250 words, so do not waste your time.

2. Before you start doing anything, take 1 or 2 minutes to study the question carefully to

undersstand what you have to do.

3. Make a simple outline for your main ideas. Usually, one idea will be developed into one

paragraphs. Therefore, if any idea that is difficult for you to find evidence, information, or

examples to support, quit that one and find another idea which is easy for you to develop.

4. Remember that the time for this task is only 40 minutes, so try to have 2 or 3 body paragraphs

only or you will run out of time before completing your task. Together with the introduction and

the conclusion, your essay will consist of 4 or 5 paragraphs.

5. Each body paragraph has one topic sentence which is supported by sentences in that paragraph.

6. Coherence adds to the value of your essay.

7. A diversity of vocabulary and structures will help you gain more points.

8. Below is a basic essay organization:

Use the following guide to plan, organise and paragraph an essay in IELTS Writing Task 2.

First paragraph: Introduction

Key technique: Don’t begin with your thesis statement.

Never begin an essay with I believe, I agree, or In my opinion. These indicate your thesis

statement and should go at the END of your introduction, after you have introduced the topic and

problem to be discussed. As a rule, start generally and take several sentences to build to your

main idea. Note that the style of thesis statement will vary depending on the question type. Study

the question carefully first to determine if you should give your opinion in the introduction or in

the conclusion.

Introductory sentence: What topic is to be discussed? Recently, there have been…

Narrow the focus: What issue concerning the topic is to be resolved? However, some people

argue that…

Thesis statement (opinion essay): What is your opinion on this issue? This essay will argue

that…

Thesis statement (argument essay): What will happen in this essay? This essay will look at

both sides of the argument before stating my own opinion.

Thesis statement (problem/solution essay): What are you going to write about? The main

problems are X and Y and I will propose solutions to both in this essay.

Hint: You can choose either to write in the first person (I believe...) or third person (This essay

will…). The third person sounds more objective and academic.

TASK 2

98

Hint: Don’t include your main reasons or arguments in the introduction, these should go in

each of the body paragraphs.

Body paragraphs

Key technique: Make a paragraph plan

In Task 2, you will need to write between two and four body paragraphs. Each paragraph should

express one main idea in relation to the thesis statement (see above) and how you order these

paragraphs is also important for the overall coherence of the essay.

In an opinion essay, if you express a strong opinion (I firmly believe…), then all body paragraphs

should support it. However, if your opinion is weak (I agree to some extent…), consider writing

one paragraph against followed by two paragraphs in favour (see hint below).

In an argument essay, it is best to give equal space to both sides of the argument, which means

writing either two or four body paragraphs. If you write three body paragraphs, i.e. there is

clearly a bias towards one side of the argument, make sure your final opinion is in favour of that

side!

In a problem/solution essay, make sure you give equal treatment to all parts of the question. Two

problems and two solutions are enough. It is best not to write about problems you can’t offer

solutions to. There are many ways to organise such an essay. You can write about a problem and

its solution in one paragraph or you can deal with all the problems first and the solutions later.

Once you have decided on a paragraph plan, make sure each paragraph is organised as follows:

Link to the previous paragraph: First, Furthermore, On the other hand, etc.

Topic sentence: Describe the main idea of the paragraph in general terms.

Supporting sentences: Use examples or further explanation to support the claim made in the

topic sentence.

Qualifying sentence: Sometimes it is clear that an idea isn’t perfect or there may be

exceptions. You can point this out as long as you don’t destroy your main idea completely.

Summarising sentence: If you have included a qualifying sentence, or if you have written

several supporting sentences, consider returning to your main point by paraphrasing your topic

sentence at the end.

Hint: If one of your body paragraphs goes against your main idea, put this paragraph first so

that the remaining body paragraphs flow logically to your conclusion. The same is true in an

argument essay. Discuss the side you don’t agree with first, so that the opinion expressed in

your conclusion follows naturally from what has come before.

99

Final paragraph: Conclusion

Key technique: Give your reader something to consider.

One habit of IELTS test-takers is to end with a simple summary of their opinion and main ideas.

This is absolutely fine and can add essential extra coherence, but try also adding some kind of

concluding comment. This will leave the examiner with a powerful final impression of your essay

when he or she comes to score it. A full conclusion should contain:

Concluding signal: In conclusion, In summary, Overall, etc.

(Re)state opinion: In an opinion essay, you can simply paraphrase your original thesis

statement. In an argument essay, this is where you state your opinion, often using a phrase

such as Having considered both sides of the argument, I believe…

Summary: Paraphrase the main idea of each body paragraph in very brief terms. Never include

examples or explanations. These go in the body of the essay.

Concluding comment: Give the reader something to think about. Highlight the importance of

the issue you have just discussed. Ask the reader to consider the future consequences if the

issue is not resolved. Recommend a course of action that the reader or society should follow.

Hint: Don’t include anything in the introduction that is completely new or requires detailed

explanation. This is also true for the concluding comment. Keep it obvious. Don’t write an

idea that you then need to explain.

PRODUCTION

1. Present a written argument or case to an educated reader with no special knowledge of the

following topic.

More and more colleges and universities are offering courses via distance learning. Distance

learning has many benefits, but there are also drawbacks, and not every learner will be suited

to this mode of study.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with

examples and relevant evidence.

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2. In many countries nowadays, young single people no longer stay with their parents until

they are married, but leave to study or work somewhere else.

Do you think this trend has more advantages or disadvantages?

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3. Some people prefer to live in a house, while others think that there are more advantages

living in an apartment.

Are there more advantages than disadvantages to living in a house rather than in an

apartment?

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4. Present a written argument to an educated reader with no specialist knowledge of the following

topic.

Do the dangers derived from the use of chemicals in food production and preservation

outweigh the advantages?

Give reasons for you answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or

knowledge.

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104

Unit 7 Describing Maps

A-MAPS OF POTENTIAL SITES

INTRODUCTION

At times you have to describe a map. This type of question often shows you a plan of two or

three possible sites to construct a building, and you have to analyze the benefits as well as the

drawbacks of each site.

When you write about a map, you need to focus on describing where things are in location to

each other.

Hereafter is an example.

The map below is of the town of Garlsdon. A new supermarket (S) is planned for the

town. The map shows two possible sites for the supermarket.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make


Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge

or experience.

105

A SAMPLE ANSWER

The first potential location (S1) is outside the town itself, and is sited just off the main road to

the town of Hindon, lying 12 kms to the north-west. This site is in the countryside and so

would be able to accommodate a lot of car parking. This would make it accessible to shoppers

from both Hindon and Garlsdon who could travel by car. As it is also close to the railway line

linking the towns to Cransdon (25 km to the south-east), a potentially large number of

shoppers would also be able to travel by train.

In contrast, the suggested location, S2, is right in the town centre, which would be good for

local residents. Theoretically the store could be accessed by road or rail from the surrounding

towns, including Bransdon, but as the central area is a no-traffic zone, cars would be unable to

park and access would be difficult.

Overall, neither site is appropriate for all the towns, but for customers in Cransdon, Hindon

and Garlsdon, the out-of-town site (S1) would probably offer more advantages.

ANALYZING CHART

Read the sample answer and fill in the analyzing

chart below.

Discussion of the first site S1:

Locate the site:

1-………………………………………………………………………………

2-………………………………………………………………………………

3-………………………………………………………………………………

Mention the advantages

1-………………………………………………………………………………

2-………………………………………………………………………………

3-………………………………………………………………………………

Discussion of the second site S2:

Locate the site:

1-………………………………………………………………………………

2-………………………………………………………………………………

3-………………………………………………………………………………


1-………………………………………………………………………………

2-………………………………………………………………………………

3-

Mention the disadvantages

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Conclusion: comparison of the two sites

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106

LANGUAGE PRACTICE

1-Locate the sites on the map

Write sentences to locate the sites S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7 and S8 on the map above

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

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Lacoruna Hotel – S1

Aromsa Grocery – S2

S3

S4

S5

New Century

Apartment – S6

Industrial zone

Industrial

zone

Town

Center Lake

Housing

Area

A9 Bus-S7

S8

15km to Bruden

Population 32,000

9 km to Pasque

Population 19,000

35 km to Vasquera

Port

107

Here are some words and phrases you may use for your description

Positions

... directly opposite ... . .. stands outside ...

... on the right-hand side of ... ...halfway between ...

... in close proximity to ... . .. in the bottom left-hand corner of ...

... to the left of ... . .. at right angles to/perpendicular to ...

... to the right of ... . .. roughly in the middle of...

... at the bottom of... ... on the left-hand side of...

... in the bottom right-hand corner of... ... surrounded by ... ... parallel to ...

... in the top left-hand corner of... ...at the top of...

... exactly in the middle of... . .. in the top right-hand corner of...

Addition

In addition, Besides, Moreover, Furthermore, also

Another change is that An additional development is that…

Direction

Usually the top of the map indicates the North, but sometimes you may see a symbol

representing the directions.

You may describe one object compared to the whole area:

There is a lake in the north of the park.

Or you may describe two objects:

There is a lake north of the central building.

Useful words/phrases

Residential area: an area that has lots of houses and some schools.

Industrial area: an area that has lots of factories

Commercial area: an area that has lots of stores

Hospital: a health facility where patients receive treatment

Zoo: a place where people can go and see many kinds of animals

Post office: a place where you can send mail (letters and packages)

Fire station: a station housing fire apparatus and firemen

Airport: an airfield equipped with control tower and hangers as well as accommodations

for passengers and cargo

Park: a recreational area where people can play football and have picnics

Skyscraper: very tall buildings

Warehouse: a building where things are kept until they are sold.

Parking lot: an area where people can park cars

Museum: a place that displays things of scientific or historical or artistic value

Supermarket: a large store that sells mostly food but sometimes other items such as

clothes and furniture.

Factory: an industrial plant, a production facility,

Woodland: an area with lots of trees

River: a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

Street: the place where cars drive

Intersection: the point where several streets meet.

Remove: remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, taking off, etc.

Develop: to make

108

Change: modify

Construct: to build

Demolish: to destroy a building or other structure completely

Replace: to take the place of or substitute for somebody or something

Expand: to become or make something become larger

Recreation: an activity that is exciting, stimulating or relaxing. For example, bike riding

and playing football are recreational activities.

Proximity: closeness

2-Discuss advantages and disadvantages



1-……………………………………………………………………………

2-……………………………………………………………………………

3-……………………………………………………………………………


1-……………………………………………………………………………

2-……………………………………………………………………………

3-…………………………………………………………………………



1-…………………………………………………………………………

2-…………………………………………………………………………

3-…………………………………………………………………………


1-…………………………………………………………………………

2-…………………………………………………………………………

3-…………………………………………………………………………

109

PRODUCTION

1. The map shows proposed plans for the development of the old college campus to be

completed by 2016.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make


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110

2. The map below shows three proposed sites for a new hypermarket (A, B and C) in the city

of Pellington.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and making


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111

B-MAPS OF DEVELOPMENTS/CHANGES

INTRODUCTION

This type of question often shows you a plan of a city in two time periods, and you have to

describe the main changes between the two periods.

When you write an answer for the question of this type, you will need to write

+ a brief introduction to the maps in your own words;

+ a short overview to describe what has happened to the town in general;

+ two or three paragraphs to describe some of the main changes.

Sample 1

112

The two diagrams show the changes of the island. It is clear that the center has been

extensively developed with tourist facilities while the remaining one third appears to have

been left untouched.

More specifically, a pier has been constructed on one side of the island, with a vehicular track

leading from the pier to a reception centre about 40 metres across the island. This track

encircles the reception building and continues across to the far side of the island where a

restaurant is situated.

Accommodation units have been built on either side of the reception centre, in two separate

circular formations, with one formation comprised of 9 units and the other of 6 units, and with

no unit more than 80m from the reception building. The units in each group are all connected

to a circular pathway in the centre of each formation and, in the case of the left-hand group of

units, the pathway extends to a beach at the far left of the island, about 100m from the

reception centre. The pathway for this group also connects to the circular track surrounding

the reception building, in contrast to the pathway for the right-hand group of units, which does

not connect to the track.

Sample 2

The two maps show the main changes which have taken place in the town of Castellon

between the year 2000 and today. In general, it appears that Castellon has become a much

more modern city, with far more shopping and transport facilities.

One interesting change is that a new tram line has been built, to connect the university with

the town center. In 2000, there wasn’t any accommodation for students, but a hall of residence

has been built near the university. Another striking change is that the old market in the west of

the city has been knocked down to make way for new shops. A completely new covered

market has also been built on the other side of town.

113

If we look at the port area, it has been pedestrianized since 2000, and a range of entertainment

facilities have been built, such as cinemas, bars and clubs. The north-east of the city used to

be a green area, with lots of trees, but the trees have been cut down, and a new shopping

complex has been constructed. A final interesting development has been the introduction of a

bike-rental scheme in the city center.

LANGUAGE PRACTICE

1-Language practice

A

-

B

-

114

2-Practice describing changes

Complete the following

sentences

1-In 2002, Kimsville

was ……………….with

lots of trees, but today it

…………………. much

more industrial.

2-The green area in the

north-west of the city

…………………… to

make way for new

…………..

3-The trees in the south –

west of the city

…………………….. a

football stadium.

4-A new train station …………………between new apartments and the football stadium.

5-The factory near the city center …………….and replaced by a …………………..

C

-

115

PRODUCTION

QUESTION 1. The maps below show the changes experienced by the town of Lakeside at the

beginning of the 21st century. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main

features and making comparisons where relevant.

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QUESTION 2

The maps below show the changes of Lacuna Riverside between 1998 and 2009.



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Black Forest, 2001 Black Forest, 2013

QUESTION 3

The map below shows the recent changes in the town of Black Forest.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, an make


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C- REAL-TEST-CONTEXT PRACTICE PRACTICE 1. Look at the maps showing how the town of Harborne changes from 1936 to

2007, and summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features. Make


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PRACTICE 2

Below is a map of the city of Brandfield. City planners have decided to build

a new shopping mall for the area, and two sites, S1 and S2 have been

proposed. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main

features and make comparisons where relevant.

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Unit 8 Essays of Causes & Solutions

INTRODUCTION

In this kind of question you will be asked to explain the causes and suggest some solutions to

a problem. You are giving your opinion throughout the essay.

You are now examining a sample of this type of question. In this model answer, paragraphs 2

and 3 are saved to discuss the causes and paragraph 4 to consider solutions.

As an alternative, you could use paragraph 2 to consider the causes and paragraphs 3 and 4 to

focus on solutions. You could also use paragraph 2 for causes, paragraph 3 for solutions and

paragraph 4 to elaborate your opinion. These models can also be used for a causes and effects

answer regardless of the actual topic of the question.

The plan and model answer given here however is a straightforward and effective way to

answer the question.

Introduction: Have 3-4 sentences (1) general statement(s) about the topic (2) a sentence

or two leading into your 'thesis statement' (3) your final sentence of the introduction -

'thesis statement'.

Paragraph 2: Causes (supporting points).

Paragraph 3: Causes (supporting points).

Paragraph 4: Solutions (supporting points).


Intro: Most people would agree that youth crime is increasing at a global level. How are we

to comprehend and alleviate this problem? In order to understand the causes it is necessary to

consider national and international factors, similarly solutions need to be sought at the

national and international levels.

P1, Causes: In terms of individual countries, in order to understand the rise in crime rates

among young people we need to consider local sociological factors. Is there a high rate of

divorce? What are the laws concerning drug and alcohol use? How do schools, the media and

parents nurture a sense of social responsibility in young people? All these factors will

influence crime rates to varying degrees and there will be significant cultural variation.

P2, Causes: Global factors also need to be considered. A prime example here concerns the

media, especially the internet. Most young people these days will have access to a computer

and with that access to games, TV series and films that condone or glorify anti-social

behavior. Adolescents are vulnerable and easily influenced to the point of obsession, even

addiction, increasing the likelihood of criminal behavior.

Youth crime is increasing in most countries around the world. What

are the causes of this and what are the solutions?

121

P3, Solutions: To alleviate youth crime national and international solutions need to be

considered and coordinated. Parents need to take a morally responsible attitude toward the

upbringing of their children. Individual countries need to ensure that the media and

educational authorities encourage and reward socially constructive behavior. There also needs

to be some kind of international cooperation with respect to these issues. Additionally, it is

necessary for young people themselves to take responsibility for their actions and cultivate a

socially responsible attitude.

Conclusion: Youth crime is surely increasing internationally. Causes vary between countries,

however there are global factors that are also relevant regardless of cultural differences.

Families, governments, educational establishments and the media all need to collaborate to

provide a solution or alleviate the problem, as do young people themselves.

HOW TO DO IT


You specifically have to talk about the causes (reasons) of the global warming, and propose

certain measures (solutions) to deal with it. So your essay is obviously going to be discussing

CAUSES of this issue, and this is what needs to be made clear in your thesis statement. The

question also asks you to present SUGGESTIONS to help preventing global warming. So,

you need to make this clear in your introductory paragraph as well.

Let’s take another example of type of question: Global warming is one of the most serious

issues that the world is facing today. What are the causes of global warming and what

measures can governments and individuals take to tackle the issue?

With this question, your thesis could be like this, “This essay will examine the reasons why

global warming is occurring and discuss some possible solutions.”

You would then go on to write about causes of global warming and about your suggestions to

tackle this problem.

2. Make an outline

A simple outline of this essay looks like this




Paragraph 2: The causes of global warming (supporting points): Write about

the causes here.

Paragraph 3: The solutions (supporting points): Write about your suggested

measures here.

+ Suggestions to the government

+ Suggestions to the individual




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Alternatively, you may present a cause and then a solution right after the cause.

Your outline may look like this.




Paragraph 2: Cause 1 of global warming. + Solution for cause 1

Paragraph 3: Cause 2 of global warming. + Solution for cause 2

(Paragraph 4: Cause 3 of global warming. + Solution for cause 3)




Probably the most worrying threat to our planet at the present time is global warming.

Indeed, there are various factors leading to this phenomenon. Therefore, this essay will

examine the reasons why global warming is occurring and discuss some possible

solutions.




In the task question above, the question asks you to discuss the causes and present some

solutions. Therefore, you should save paragraph 2 for the causes and paragraph 3 for the

solutions.


The predominant factors resulting in the warming of the earth are the emissions of

CO2 and deforestation. CO2, which damages the ozone layer, comes from several

sources, but the most problematic are those coming from the burning of fossil fuels

from power plants. This releases thousands of tones of CO2 into the atmosphere

every year. Another cause of these emissions is the burning of gasoline for

transportation, which continues to increase because of our demand for cars and also

our increasing worldwide consumption, resulting in an increasing need to transport

goods. Also, forests store large amounts of carbon, so deforestation is causing larger

amounts of CO2 to remain in the atmosphere.

Present the situation,

stating the emergency of

the problem.

Present causes & solutions

in the thesis statement.




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Nevertheless, there are potential ways to solve these problems, or at least reduce the

effects. Firstly, governments need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and

promote alternatives. Plant-derived plastics, biodiesel, wind power and solar power are

all things that are a step in the right direction, but governments need to enforce the

limits on CO2 emissions for the polluting industries in their countries for these to be

effective. Also, individuals can play a part by making lifestyle changes. People should

try to buy cars with the best fuel economy, and only use their car when really

necessary. They can also switch to energy companies that use renewable energy rather

than fossil fuels. Finally, small things like buying energy efficient light bulbs, turning

off electricity in the house, and planting trees in the garden can help.





state a new idea.


To conclude, this solution is worth considering improving the current situation, but

there are benefits and drawbacks of introducing such a policy. I think the

government should consider the policy carefully before enforcing it.

SAMPLE ESSAY

In this modern era, the mounting number of overweight adults as well as children is a serious health concern in the every country of the world. It has been observed that many diseases, which predominantly detected at old age, are found more common in the young generation. Obesity is one of such diseases. There are a number of reasons involved, but junk food and changing lifestyle are the most alarming ones. For one, easily and readily available junk food is very popular among teenagers. Even school-age children are often found partying at restaurants such as McDonalds and Dominos. The main motive behind this situation is that children neither like to cook at home nor their parents have enough time to cook. Apparently, parents often buy ready-to-eat food, which is always calorie and fat rich, for their children. Such unhealthy diet is making children obese. The only viable solution is to replace pizzas and burgers with healthy

alternatives such as eggs, milk and fresh fruits. Also, parents should be educated to prevent

their children from buying junk food.

Modern children are suffering from the diseases that were once considered

to be meant for adults only.

Obesity is a major disease prevalent among children.

What are its causes and what solutions can be offered?

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Furthermore, due to technological advancement human lifestyle has dramatically changed. Instead of playing ground sports and working in the gymnasium, children prefer to spend more and more time on computer games and Internet as well. Thus, reduction in physical activities is a major contributor in teenage obesity. This can be resolved not only by encouraging traditional sports such as cricket, hockey and soccer, but also by introducing physical fitness in the curriculum. In a nutshell, the vital reasons behind obesity in children are unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise. This infirmity can be cured and prevented by healthy food and enough physical activities.

Make a simple outline based on the essay above

Thesis statement: .............................................................................................................

Paragraph 1: (causes only, or cause – solution. What are main ideas?)

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Paragraph 2: (causes only, or cause – solution. What are main ideas?)

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WRITING TECHNIQUES IN ESSAYS OF CAUSES & SOLUTIONS

1-Language useful for writing sentences of causes and effects

In order to write successful cause and effect sentences, you can apply the following methods:

A-Making a statement showing that X is the cause of Y. In this way, the cause is stated in the

subject part of a sentence, and the effect is the predicate part of a sentence. The following

expressions can be used.

Cause Effect

causes failure

leads to failure

results in failure

brings about failure

creates failure

is the cause of failure

Laziness in study and work.

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B-Making a statement showing that Y is the result of X. In this way, the effect will be stated

in the subject part, and the cause in the predicate part of a sentence. The following

expressions can be helpful.

Effect Cause

may be due to

may be caused by

may result from

may come from

may arise from

C-Using signal words and phrases for cause-effect relations

2-Practice: What are some possible causes of and solution for the following problems.

a- The increasing number of crimes in urban areas nowadays.

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One’s failure in

study and work laziness

Cause-Effect

for this reason

thus

since

in order to

as a result

therefore

consequently

because

due to

for this reason

on account of

Solution

in order to

thus

to tackle this

to handle this

to solve this

solutions

measures

practices

to deal with

to prevent this

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b- The popularity of thefts and robberies during the World Cup 2014 season.

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c-The increasing number teenagers being addicted to online games.

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B-Complete the sample essay given below with appropriate signal words or phrases

Question



following topic.

These days, many children have difficulty paying attention and concentrating in their

classes at school.

What are the reasons for this?

How can it be dealt with?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or

knowledge.


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Teachers are increasingly finding that their pupils do not pay full attention or concentrate

properly during class time. 1-________, this essay will examine the reasons for this and

suggest some possible solutions.

One of the reasons for this is that teachers now lack the freedom to discipline children. In the

past, teachers could use any methods they felt appropriate to control pupils in their class, 2-

________ this meant physical punishment. 3-________, the balance has now changed, with

children aware that there are limits to what a teacher can do and without this respect they do

not concentrate if they do not want to. There have, 4-________, been cases were pupils have

sued teachers for disciplining them too harshly. Children should of course not be abused, 5-

________teachers must be given more power to use the methods that they think appropriate to

control the class without fear of recrimination.

Another factor may be the diet of children. Research has widely reported that the additives in

a lot of the snacks and carbonated drinks that children drink regularly can cause behavioural

changes such as hyperactivity. This may lead to a lack of ability to concentrate in class. 6-

________, schools must make sure that these snacks are not available at the school. Parents

have a part to play as well, 7-________they must ensure that their children are not given too

much of these types of snacks at home.

8-________, children may have difficulty paying attention in class 9-________a lack of

discipline in schools and additives from snacks. 10-________, the solutions are to give more

power back to teachers and to limit the availability of certain foods.

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PRACTICE

1.-Make a detailed outline for the folllowing IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Question



following topic.

These days, many graduates have difficulty in looking for a job after leaving their

universities or colleges.




knowledge.


Your outline

INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH:

Your thesis statement:

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DEVELOPMENT

1. Paragraph 2

Reason 1, Reason 2, Reason 3, etc.

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2. Paragraph 3

Solution 1, Solution 2, Solution 3, etc.

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CONCLUSION

2.-Write the full Introductory Paragraph for the essay on the topic given above.

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3.-Write a full essay to answer the folllowing IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Question 1

These days, overpopulation in urban areas is getting increasingly serious because of the

great migration of people from the countryside to the city.

What are the reasons for this, and suggest some solutions.


knowledge.

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Question 2

In many countries schools have severe problems with student behavior.

What do you think are the causes of this? What solutions can you suggest?


knowledge.

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Question 3.

In cities and towns all over the world the high volume of traffic is a problem. What are

the causes of this and what actions can be taken to solve this problem?


knowledge.

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Sample answer – question 3

It is undoubtedly the case that urban areas around the world increasingly suffer

from congestion. In this essay, I examine the reasons for this trend and suggest some practical

policies the authorities could implement to reduce the level of traffic in our cities.

The first step is to understand why traffic has increased in towns and cities. Broadly speaking,

there are three main reasons for this. One is that cars have become more affordable for the

average consumer and they are no longer a luxury item, but something that most families

expect to own. A second reason is that public transport has become increasingly unreliable in

recent years, not least because many bus and train services have been reduced because of the

difficulty in funding them. The third reason is that society has in general become more mobile

and this means more people are prepared to commute to work by car than they were before.

There is almost certainly no one solution to this problem given the complexity of its causes.

However, one option has to be to improve the reliability of public transport to encourage

people to take the bus or the train rather than get in the car. It would also be possible

to discourage people from driving to work by introducing special tariffs for using the roads,

especially during peak periods. A successful example of this is the congestion charge

scheme in London which has certainly reduced the level of traffic in inner-city areas.

In conclusion, there are a variety of different factors that have led to rising levels of traffic in

urban areas. While it may not be possible to find a complete solution, any action should

probably involve encouraging greater use of public transport and making it more expensive

for the motorist to drive in urban areas.

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Unit 9 Essays of Effects & Solutions

INTRODUCTION

IELTS essay questions of this type require you of presenting the negative effects or problems

of a phenomenon and suggesting some solutions to deal with these problems.

Here is the plan and a model answer for writing IELTS task 2 on the topic of global warming,

answering the essay question of effects/problems and solutions.

To write an essay of this type, you will have to answer questions as follows.

“What are the effects of …some measures ….”

“What are problems of …..how can ….”

“Explain the problem and ….what can be done …”

For the problem/solution essay, you can follow this paragraph structure:

1. Introduction- introduce topic and give your clear answer to the task question

2. Problems – give examples and supporting details

3. Solutions – give examples and supporting details

4. Conclusion – restate your answer to the question

or

1. Introduction - introduce topic and give your clear answer to the task question

2. Main problem #1 & possible solutions - give examples

3. Main problem #2 & possible solutions – give examples

4. Conclusion - restate your answer to the question

Here’s an example for a problem/solution essay or a reasons for problems/solutions essay.

A 4-paragraph approach:

1. Introduction. First sentence paraphrases the topic of the question – people avoid

making changes in their lives. Second/Third sentence answer both questions.

2. Problems caused by this resistance – give examples – not challenging oneself in

pursuing career or academic goals, staying unhealthy and unfit, staying in a bad

relationship, etc.

3. Possible solutions – finding support groups, encouragement from family & friends,

etc.

4. Conclusion - restate answer and overall possible solutions.

People naturally resist change in their lives. What kinds of problems can this

cause? What solutions can you suggest?


knowledge or experience.

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Here’s another example:

An essay structure for this question

1. Introduction – paraphrase the topic, answer the questions

2. Main problems (both problems together) – Privacy security and vulnerability of

children by online predators

3. Suggested solutions (applies to both problems) – stronger regulations and parental

supervision

4. Conclusion – restate suggested solutions to address main problems

An example with a modal answer

There is no doubt that the internet has revolutionised communication and information-sharing

in the same way that the telegraph and the television did before it. However, societies have

had to cope with unanticipated new problems, including crimes which traditional laws are

powerless to prevent. This essay will address some of the illegal acts enabled by the internet

and propose solutions.

To begin with, the global scale of the internet means that national laws are no longer adequate

to control what happens online. Take restrictions on legal reporting, for example. In some

countries, the media is prohibited from revealing details of a defendant’s past in case this

prejudices a fair trial. However, such restrictions are no longer enforceable now that

information may be freely published in other countries and accessed by all. The only solution

here, it seems, is to adopt global standards. Since the internet traverses national borders, the

flow of information can only be controlled if all nations agree on what can and cannot be

shared.

Another problem concerns anonymity, as internet users can easily conceal their identity and

even impersonate others. Many crimes such as identity theft and child abuse result from the

ease with which criminals can operate anonymously online. Some have proposed a system of

online identification, similar to a passport, which would allow all internet users to be verified

and traced. I believe this idea should be explored further, though there are clearly concerns

about the security of those who use the internet to protest against oppressive regimes.

In conclusion, the only long-term solution to the problem of internet crime is greater

international cooperation. Since the problem is global is scale, the solution must also be

The widespread use of the Internet has brought many problems. What do

you think are the main problems associated with the use of the web?

What solutions can you suggest?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from

your own knowledge or experience.

The internet has transformed the way information is shared and consumed,

but it has also created problems that did not exist before.

What are the most serious problems associated with the internet and what

solutions can you suggest?

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global. A new agency of the United Nations should be created to tackle the problems

described here. (298 words, IELTS 8.5)

HOW TO DO IT


Let us take a question as an example

You specifically have to talk about the negative effects (problems) of the overpopulation, and

propose certain measures (solutions) to deal with it. So your essay is obviously going to be

discussing PROBLEMS/EFFECTS of this issue, and this is what needs to be made clear in

your thesis statement. The question also asks you to present SUGGESTIONS to help limiting

these problems of overpopulation in big cities. So, you need to make this clear in your

introductory paragraph as well.

Therefore, your thesis could be like this, “Although there will undoubtedly be some negative

consequences of this trend, both the government and the individual can take steps to

mitigate these potential problems.”

You would then go on to write about problems/ negative effects of urban overpopulation and

about your suggestions to tackle these problems.

2. Make an outline


Introduction: There are about 3-4 sentences, including (a) general statement(s) about the

topic; (b) a sentence or two leading into your 'thesis statement'; and (c) your final

sentence of the introduction - 'thesis statement'.

Paragraph 2: The problems of urban overpopulation (supporting points):

Write about the problems here.

Paragraph 3: The solutions (supporting points): Write about your suggested measures

here.

+Suggestions to the government

+Suggestions to the individual


Overpopulation of urban areas has led to numerous problems.

Identify one or two serious ones and suggest ways that governments and

individuals can tackle these problems.


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Many countries of the world are currently experiencing serious problems caused by

rapidly growing populations in urban areas, and both governments and individuals

have a duty to find ways to overcome these problems. Although there will

undoubtedly be some negative consequences of this trend, both the government and

the individual can take steps to mitigate these potential problems.




In the task question above, the question asks you to analyze the problems and present some

solutions. Therefore, you should save paragraph 2 for the problems and paragraph 3 for the

solutions.


Overpopulation can lead to overcrowding and poor quality housing in many large

cities. Poorly heated or damp housing could cause significant health problems,

resulting in illness, such as bronchitis or pneumonia. Another serious consequence of

overcrowding is a rising crime rate as poor living conditions may lead young people in

particular to take desperate measures and turn to crime or drugs.

In terms of solutions, I believe the government should be largely responsible. Firstly,

it is vital that the state provides essential housing and healthcare for all its citizens.

Secondly, setting up community projects to help foster more community spirit and

help keep young people off the street is a good idea. For example, youth clubs or

evening classes for teenagers would keep them occupied. Finally, more effective

policing of inner city areas would also be beneficial. Naturally, individuals should also

act responsibly to address these problems, and the motivation to do this would

hopefully arise if the measures described above are put into place by the government.

This is because it will encourage people to have more pride in their own community

and improve the situation.





state a new idea.



the problem.

Present negative effects

and suggest solutions.

138


Therefore, it is clear that the problems caused by overpopulation in urban areas

are very serious. Yet if governments and individuals share a collective

responsibility, then it may well become possible to offer some solutions.

SAMPLE ESSAY

Read the following essay and make a sketch of the outline

Thesis statement: ....................................................................................................................

Body Paragraph 1: ........................................................................................................................

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Conclusion: ..................................................................................................................................

What is the organization of the essay?

Type 1

Thesis statement

All problems

All solutions

Conclusion

Type 2

Thesis statement

Problem 1 – Solution 1



Conclusion


Write about the following topic:

In the developed world, average life expectancy is increasing. What problems

will this cause for individuals and society? Suggest some measures that could

be taken to reduce the impact of ageing populations.




139

It is true that people in industrialized nations can expect to live longer than ever before.

Although there will undoubtedly be some negative consequences of this trend, societies can

take steps to mitigate these potential problems.

As people live longer and the populations of developed countries grow older, several related

problems can be anticipated. The main issue is that there will obviously be more people of

retirement age who will be eligible to receive a pension. The proportion of younger, working

adults will be smaller, and governments will therefore receive less money in taxes in relation

to the size of the population. In other words, an ageing population will mean a greater tax

burden for working adults. Further pressures will include a rise in the demand for healthcare,

and the fact young adults will increasingly have to look after their elderly relatives.

There are several actions that governments could take to solve the problems described above.

Firstly, a simple solution would be to increase the retirement age for working adults, perhaps

from 65 to 70. Nowadays, people of this age tend to be healthy enough to continue a

productive working life. A second measure would be for governments to encourage

immigration in order to increase the number of working adults who pay taxes. Finally, money

from national budgets will need to be taken from other areas and spent on vital healthcare,

accommodation and transport facilities for the rising numbers of older citizens.

In conclusion, as people live longer, more pension money is needed, younger people have

fewer job chances, and government has less tax. Therefore, various measures can be taken to

tackle the problems that are certain to arise as the populations of countries grow older:

increasing the retirement age, encouraging immigration, and taking money from different

fields. (298 words)

WRITING TECHNIQUES IN ESSAYS OF PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS

1-Language useful for writing sentences of problems and solutions

In order to write successful cause and effect sentences, you can apply the following

expressions:

One of the unexpected result from this issue is . . .

An additional problem is . . .

Another issue is…….

A problemtic effect is….

One solution is …

Another possibility is ….

…………to be worth the price

2- What are some possible problems of and sollutions for the following issues.

a- Children watching too much TV.

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b- Smoking in public places

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c- Eating too much fast food for a long time.

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d-Getting a lot of failures in love affairs.

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e- Not being able to concentrate on studying.

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f-Being addicted to drinking with colleagues after work.

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PRACTICE

1.-Make a detailed outline for the folllowing IELTS Writing Task 2 question and sample

Question



following topic.

Drugs are becoming more and more common in many countries. What are some of the

problems associated with drug abuse, and what are some of the possible solutions?

142


knowledge.

Sample essay

Drug abuse is rife in many countries. Every society, every age and ethnic group, every social

class, and every family has been touched by the devastating effects of drug addiction.

Billions of dollars are spent regulating drug use, treating addicts and their families, and

fighting drug-related crime. Although drugs threaten many homes and societies, their effects

can be combated more effectively.

Drug abuse causes multiple problems for families and communities. Addicts are often too

sick, physically and mentally, to function as normal, responsible members of a family or of

society. For example, they often neglect or abuse their families and strain these relationships

and resources, especially if they eventually require expensive treatment or hospitalization.

Adult addicts may lose their jobs and, therefore, their means of supporting themselves and

any dependents. Children and teens who abuse drugs become more rebellious and distant

from their families, who despair over coping with their loved ones’ drug problems. A second

problematic effect of drug abuse is the crimes committed by those profiting from selling

illegal drugs and by the addicts who look for more and more desperate ways to support their

habits. Increased police resources are needed to fight smuggling and dealing illicit drugs and

the criminals who profit from them. Communities continue to struggle to find ways to deter

drug abuse and to rehabilitate addicts. Combating drug problems strains the police

departments as well as the communties’ resources. Since many cities and communities are

financially strapped, adding more police protection, mainly through taxes, puts a strain on the

citizens.

Despite these problems, the menace of drugs can be fought. Education is the first line of

attack. Children need to be taught at home and in school about the dangers of drug abuse.

For example, discussions around the dinner table and during family outings and school

programs and activities in health classes can give children information to help them deal with

temptations and questions about drug use. Families and counselors need to talk to those at

risk and help them resist experimenting with illicit drugs. Another approach to the problem of

drug abuse is to increase police manpower and resources to stop dealers and to enforce the

law. Statistics show the bigger the drug problem in a community, the bigger its crime rate and

the bigger its need for police protection. Even though the cost of adding more police may

strain a community and its citizens financially, protecting its children from the dangers of

drug abuse and cutting down on drug-related crimes are worth the price.

In conclusion, although the problems of drug abuse may seem impossible to eliminate or to

even control, there are concrete steps that can be taken to weaken the hold of drugs on

families and on society. Parents, teachers, and communities must take steps to educate

children about the dangers of drug abuse and must offer safe, appealing alternative for

restless, inquisitive young people and programs and for those who are at-risk. In addition,

police departments must be provided with more manpower, resources, and community

143

support to combat drug-related crimes. If the war on drugs is to be won, everyone must

realize that he or she has a stake in the battle and in its outcome.

The outline


The thesis statement:

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DEVELOPMENT

1. Paragraph 2

(Problems mentioned)

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2. Paragraph 3

(Solutions presented)

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CONCLUSION

Restatement

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Global warming is challenging human beings of today.

What are some problems that global warming may cause and what are

some solutions to tackle the problems.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your

own experience or knowledge.

145

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Nowadays many people have access to computers on a wide basis and a

large number of children play computer games.

What are the negative impacts of playing computer games and what can

be done to minimize the bad effects?


own experience or knowledge.

146

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More questions for practice

1. The internet has transformed the way information is shared and consumed, but it has

also created problems that did not exist before.

What are the most serious problems associated with the internet and what solutions can

you suggest?

2. In the developed world, average life expectancy is increasing.

What problems will this cause for individuals and society?

Suggest some measures that could be taken to reduce the impact of ageing populations.

147

Unit 10 Writing Essays of Causes & Effects

INTRODUCTION

IELTS essay questions of this type require you of presenting both the causes and the effects

(which are usually negative) of a problem.

Here is the plan and a model answer for writing IELTS task 2 on the topic of obesity in

children.

To write an essay of this type, you will have to answer questions as follows.

“What are the causes and effects of …”

“What are some causes of ….and how it has affected/influenced ……”

“Discuss the causes and effects of …..”

“Why does this happen…/How does it affect …?”

Example

To answer the questions given in this essay, you specifically have to talk about the causes

(reasons) of the increase in overweight children, and explain the effects (results) of this. Your

essay is then organized as follows:

Main idea (development paragraph) 1: Causes

Main idea (development paragraph) 1 Effects

Of course it is also possible to have a 3 development paragraph essay.

Body 1: Causes Body 1: Causes

Body 2: Causes or Body 2: Effects

Body 3: Effects Body 3: Effects


Present a written argument to an educated reader with no specialist knowledge

of the following topic.

The percentage of overweight children in western society has increased by

almost 20% in the last ten years.

Discuss the causes and effects of this disturbing trend.




148

HOW TO DO IT


You specifically have to talk about the causes and the negative effects of obesity in children

So your essay is obviously going to be discussing both CAUSES and EFFECTS of this

issue, and this is what needs to be made clear in your thesis statement.

Therefore, your thesis could be like this, “This essay will discuss some reasons why this has

occurred and examine the consequences of this worrying trend.”

2. Make an outline





Paragraph 2: The main causes of obesity in children (supporting points):

Write about the causes here.

Paragraph 3: The main effects of obesity in children (supporting points):

Write about the effects here.

Conclusion: Restate your thesis statement and supporting points. Suggest

possible solutions to deal with the problem presented.



Over the last ten years, western societies have seen close to a 20% rise in the number

of children who are overweight. This essay will discuss some reasons why this has

occurred and examine the consequences of this worrying trend.




In the task question above, the question asks you to analyze some causes and present some

effects. Therefore, you should save paragraph 2 for the causes and paragraph 3 for the effects.



the problem.

Present both causes (reasons)

and effects (consequences).




149

Here is an example of the two paragraphs:

The main cause of this problem is poor diet. Over the last decade there has been a

prolific increase in the number of fast food restaurants. For example, on nearly every

high street there is a MacDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut. The food

in these places has been proven to be very unhealthy, and much of the advertising is

targeted at children, thus ensuring that they constitute the bulk of the customers of

these establishments. However, it is not only due to eating out, but also the type of

diet many children have at home. A lot of food consumed is processed food,

especially with regards to ready-made meals which are a quick and easy option for

parents who are working hard.

The effects of this have been and will continue to be very serious. Firstly, there has

been a large increase in health related diseases amongst children, especially diabetes.

This debilitating illness means a child has to be injected with insulin for the rest of

their life. Not only this, very overweight children often experience bullying from

other children, which may affect their mental health. The negative stigma of being

overweight may also affect self-esteem.





state a new idea.


To sum up, it is evident that there are several causes of obesity amongst children, and

a variety of negative effects. Society must ensure steps are taken to prevent this

problem from deteriorating further.

SAMPLE ESSAY



As countries have developed there has been a trend towards smaller family

sizes.

Why does this happen?

How does this affect society?



150

Many countries around the world are becoming richer as they develop and at the same time

these countries are seeing a reduction in the size of the family unit. This essay will discuss the

reasons for this phenomenon and examine some of the possible effects it will have on society.

One of the principal reasons for smaller family units is birth control. As a country develops

and becomes richer, birth control becomes more readily available. This may be due to a rise

in the number of medical clinics or the distribution of free contraception. The result of this is

that people can choose family size. Another important factor is the rise in the levels of

education that occur as a country develops, which means that women are more educated and

more likely to be working. Consequently, many will want to delay having children and so

will likely have fewer in the long-term.

This can impact on society in a number of ways. One positive effect is that the population

will fall, which will likely result in less poverty as there will be less competition for scarce

resources. The parents can also provide a better education to their children as it will cost less,

which will benefit society as a whole. A possible negative impact is that there will be fewer

younger people in the workforce in the future, thus making the sustainability of future

economic growth less certain.

In conclusion, family size has fallen due to birth control and education, and this can impact

on debt, access to resources, and economic growth. Regardless of any impacts, this trend is

likely to continue as countries around the world develop and become wealthier.

PRACTICE

1.-Make a detailed outline for the folllowing IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Question



following topic.

Many societies of today are facing a considerably increasing number of high school

student dropouts. What are the causes and effects of this problem?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience

or knowledge.

---------------------

You may use the ideas suggested below

-need to make money (get a job)

-find subjects too difficult or

boring

-can’t afford school fees

-want to get married

-family problems

-uneducated society

-negative impact on the

economy

-can’t cope with new technology

-low self-esteem for dropouts

-creates more family problems

-classifies people in the

community into different social

levels.

151

Your outline



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DEVELOPMENT

1. Paragraph 2

Causes

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CONCLUSION

2.-Write the full Introductory Paragraph for the essay on the topic given above.

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Question



Many teenagers today are addicted to the overuse of the Internet.

What are the causes and effects of this problem?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience

or knowledge.


Your full essay

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Revision 3

Writing Task 1

The maps below show the changes of Valdanien town in Brazil between 2004 and today.

Summarise the information by selectiong and reporting the main features, and make


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Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task


Nowadays may marriages have ended in divorces.

What could be the possible causes of this? What might be the effects of this to the society

and family?


or experience.


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0

500

1000

HarperLane

Very

satisfied17%

Satisfied

45%

Dissatisfied

20%

No

comment18%

Males

Very

satisfied34%

Satisfied

37%

Dissatisfied

20%

No

comment9%

Females

Unit 11 Describing Tables

INTRODUCTION

1-Sample Question and Answer

With a table, you need to do much the same as you would for any other question that requires

you to write about data. The most popular strategy when reporting a table is to “transform” it

into a line graph, a pie chart or a bar chart as illustrated in the examples below.

A-A table into a line graph.

The table below shows the results of a survey of the average number of cars per hour using

two suburban roads during working hours in a four-year pollution monitoring program.

Traffic calming* was introduced in Harper Lane at the beginning of 1999.

(Traffic calming: methods of slowing down traffic, e.g. by building raised areas across roads.)

Year 1993 1995 1996 1997

Harper

Lane

82 100 386 542

Great

York

Way

600 720 700 667

B-A table into pie charts.

The table shows in percentage terms the results of a survey of a new shopping complex in

London.

Year Very

satisfied

Satisfied Dissatisfied No

comment

Males 17 45 20 18

Females 34 37 20 9

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020406080

100

Boys 6-11

Boys 12-16

C-A table into a bar chart.

The following table shows the percentage of school aged boys in two different age groups

who participate in 3 different sports in the UK in 2010.

Sports Boys 6-11 Boys 12-16

Football 87 78

Basketball 35 25

Cricket 45 34

QUESTION


The table shows the Proportions of Pupils Attending Four Secondary School Types

Between Between 2000 and 2009





or experience.

SAMPLE

ANSWER

The table illustrates the percentage of school children attending four different types of

secondary school from 2000 to 2009. It is evident that the specialist, grammar and voluntary-

controlled schools experienced declines in numbers of pupils, whereas the community schools

became the most important providers of secondary school education during the same period.

To begin, the proportion in voluntary-controlled schools fell from just over half to only 20%

or one fifth from 2000 to 2009. Similarly, the relative number of children in grammar schools

-- just under one quarter -- dropped by half in the same period. As for the specialist schools,

157

the relatively small percentage of pupils attending this type of school (12%) also fell, although

not significantly.

However, while the other three types of school declined in importance, the opposite was true

in the case of community schools. In fact, while only a small minority of 12% were educated

in these schools in 2000, this figure increased to well over half of all pupils during the

following nine years.

PRACTICE

1.There are a few mistakes in the following passage. Find them out and correct them.

Table 1. The output value of two factories in their toy production 2003 – 2007.

Year Factory A (million USD) Factory B (million USD)

2003 0.84 1.80

2004 1.04 1.70

2005 1.24 1.60

2006 1.40 1.66

2007 1.60 0.90

The table indicates the output of Factory A and Factory B in their toy production from 2003 to

2007.

The production of Factory A was obviously much better than Factory B. Take the five years

from 2003 to 2007 for example. Factory A’s output value increased from 0.84 million USD to

1.60 million USD, with a rise of 0.2 million USD each year. The value in 2007 was almost

twice as much as that in 2003. Yet in the same period Factory B’s slid all the way from 1.80

million USD to 0.9 million USD, with a fall of 0.1 million USD each year. Although the

value picked up in 2006, it has dropped sharply in 2007 to the amount of half of that in 2003.

We see clearly that Factory A’s output value kept growing while Factory B’s output value

dropped all the time.

From the table we can also see that in 2003 Factory A’s output value was 0.84 million USD

and that of Factory B was 1.80 million USD.

The cause of the decrease of Factory B’s output value must have been the poor management.

2. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The table below summarises some data collected by a community library for January 2008.

Write a report describing the figures of various types of publications borrowed, based on the

information shown in the table.


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Figures of different books borrowed in a community library for January 2008

Community members Non-

community

members

Total

Males Females

Science 430 125 53 608

Humanities 259 36 295

Magazines 99 135 310 544

Total 788 296 363 1447

Use the cues below in your passage:

- The figures of community members are divided into two groups, males and females.

- borrow/ lend/ loan

- more than / more … than

- fewer than / fewer … than

- … accounted for the greatest number of the publications borrowed.

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The table below summarises some data collected by a community library for January 2008.

Write a report describing the figures of various types of publications borrowed, based on the

information shown in the table.

Use the given prompts to help you

Make Price Country of

origin

Engine size Miles per

gallon

Toyota Corolla $15,550 Japan 1400cc 48

Volkswagen

Golf

$18,250 Germany 1600cc 40

Ford

Focus

$15,800 USA 1400cc 50

Nissan

Micra

$15,500 Japan 1200cc 52

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Prompts

-four different models of cars are mentioned

- Toyota Corolla and the Nissan Micra: both made in Japan, similar prices. The former:

$15,550 while the latter: a little cheaper.

- The Corolla: bigger engine but the Micra: more gallons to the mile.

-The Volkswagen Golf: in Germany/ the most expensive

-The Golf: the biggest engine size / the least economical

–The Ford Focus / same price range / the Corolla and the Focus

- the Micra / the cheapest /the Golf /the most expensive.

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PRODUCTION

1- You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

Table below describes sports injuries



Sport

Number of

sports injuries

% of sports

injuries

% admitted to

Hospital

% of injuries

during

competition or

practice

Australian

football 10,122 24.5 7.5 83

Soccer 3777 9.2 7.1 84

Rugby 3636 8.8 10.9 95

Cricket 3408 8.3 5.4 83

Basketball 3228 7.8 4.1 83

Netball 3098 7.5 2.5 95

Hockey 1219 3.0 3.2 95

Martial Arts 882 2.1 5.6 71

Squash 787 1.9 6.4 91

Volleyball 776 1.9 2.2 79

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The table below refers to household incomes, infant deaths and government spending

in selected African countries.




Country Household

incomes ($)

Infant

mortality

(Per 10,000)

Spending

on

education

(% of

GDP)

Spending on

defence

(% of GDP)

Angola 620 160 11 29

Ethiopia 320 165 8 27

Zaire 535 101 7 48

Zimbabwe 998 72 16 17

Namibia 940 89 16 15

Botswana 1860 45 19 3

Cote

D’Ivore

2900 45 19 3

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The table below gives information about the percentage of USA households with

selected appliances in certain years.




1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

TV sets 82 82 85 88 97 98

Computers 2 12 23 44 61 85

Video

recorders

n/a n/a 5 15 45 90

Washing

machines

75 80 85 87 87 88

Fridges 83 84 84 86 86 86

Landline

Telephones

76 84 87 89 93 94

Central Air

conditioning

15 22 23 34 41 48

Mobile

telephones

n/a n/a n/a 5 45 94

n/a = no figures available

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Unit 12 Effective Essays of Opinion (A)

TYPE 1: DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE

INTRODUCTION

This type of IELTS question is probably the most popular in the IELTS exam. You are now

asked to write an essay called “opinion” essay. This is where you have to write about your

opinion on common topic.

Here is the plan and a model answer for writing IELTS task 2 on the topic of governments’

responsibilities in funding and controlling scientific research.

The questions of this type are normally as follows.

“What is your opinion….”

“Discuss”

“Do you agree or disagree ……”

Example

To answer this question, you will need to:

write an introduction to the topic which clearly states your opinion on the subject

(either “yes, I think the government’s funding and controlling is the best” or “no, I

don’t think the government should be responsible”.

think of at least two main points to support your opinion and write about them with

examples;

think of one alternative opinion (However, some people may argue that …) and give

examples. This will make sure your essay has a good balance;

write a short conclusion to summarize your main points and re-state your opinion.



Governments should be responsible for funding and controlling scientific

research rather than private organizations.

Do you agree or disagree?




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HOW TO DO IT


You specifically have to talk about the reasons why you agree or disagree with the idea

presented in the introduction. So your essay is obviously going to be discussing CAUSES for

YOUR OPINION, and this is what needs to be made clear in your thesis statement.

Therefore, your thesis could be like this, “In my opinion, the government should have the

predominant responsibility for this for some reasons presented in the following essay.”

2. Make an outline





Paragraph 2: The first reason for your approval (or disapproval) (supporting

points): Write about the reason here.

Paragraph 3: The second reason for your approval (or disapproval): Write

about the reason here.

Paragraph 4: (optional) The opponents’ idea. Write about the idea of your

opponents here.





Undertaking scientific research is imperative if countries want to progress and

compete in a globalized world. However, the funding and controlling of this research

remains a contentious issue. In my opinion, the government should have the

predominant responsibility for this for some reasons presented in the following essay.


stating the idea given in

the exam question.

State your own

opinion.

Make it clear that

you Agree/ or

Disagree




164




In the task question above, the question asks you to defend your opinion by analyzing some

important arguments (reasons). Therefore, you should save paragraph 2 (and, if you have

enough time, paragraph 3) for the reasons and paragraph 4 for the opponents’ idea.

Here is an example of the three paragraphs:

One of the first issues is the knowledge that we gain from research. If governments are

responsible then they are driven by the need to make advances in knowledge in order

to improve people’s lives. This is because they are accountable to the public and the

research is paid for by taxes. On the other hand, private organizations are driven by

profit. This may mean that some research that could be valuable to society may not

begin because there is no monetary gain.

Another reason for my approval of the government’s funding is the research process.

When the funding for research comes from the same organization that can be expected

to gain from a favorable outcome, there is a strong potential for biased results. Taking

drugs companies as an example, governments usually require rigorous trials for new

drugs that can take many years. The companies have large amounts of money invested

in such research and the need for positive results is paramount. It is difficult for a

scientist to remain impartial in these circumstances. However, if this is controlled and

funded by governments, their accountability means that such conflicts of interest are

less likely to occur.

However, there are also certain arguments supporting the idea that private

organizations should fund the scientific research for these organizations may save the

time of fulfilling the paper work for receiving grants, which means that scientists can

receive their money in much shorter time and with less effort to deal with

administrative procedures.


The conclusion usually consists of two major parts. Part 1 is a summary of the main points



state a new idea.


On balance, I would argue that although it is not realistic to remove all opportunities

for privately funded research, governments should have the main responsibility for the

monitoring and controlling of this. Strong checks and balances need to be in place to

ensure future research is ethical and productive.

165

SAMPLE ESSAY

These days, every time you turn on the television or flick through the pages of a newspaper,

you learn about the victims of crime. But what is the most effective method of dealing with

the rising crime rate in our society? Some people believe the best way to punish criminals is

to sentence them to time in prison. I completely disagree with this idea and in this essay I will

support my opinion with examples.

Firstly, life in jail is far too comfortable for prisoners. For example, many inmates have access

to luxuries such as television, computers and sports facilities and so on. In other words,

spending time behind bars is more like being in a holiday camp. If prison is going to act as a

deterrent, then I believe it needs to be considerable tougher.

Another reason why I disagree with prison as a punishment is that a large number of prisoners

are not actually a danger to society. Take shoplifters as an example. They are often locked up

in the same cells as murderers, rapists and violent criminals. I strongly believe that this is a

serious waste of taxpayers’ money. What’s more, petty criminals may even learn how to

commit more serious crimes when they are inside.

On the other hand, there is an argument that prison can help to rehabilitate offenders. Many

inmates have the opportunity to study while they are doing time. As a result, many never re-

offend when they are released.

In conclusion, although it is a common belief that prison is the best way to punish criminals, I

believe it is too soft and that it is not necessary in the majority of cases. Personally, I think

prison should be the last option when all else has failed.

PRACTICE

1-Read the following sample essay on recycling and fill in the topic sentences given

below.

A. Many people argue that the actual process of collecting and recycling materials is

expensive and unnecessary.

B. To start with, it is very important for people to realize the damage that our rubbish is doing

on the environment.



Prison is the best punishment for criminals. Discuss.




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C. Another important reason is that many forests are being destroyed due to paper being

wasted.

Essay question:

Recycling is important. Do you agree or disagree? Support your opinion with arguments and

examples.

Essay sample:

Saving certain recyclable materials and taking them to recycling centers has become part of

the daily routine in many homes. In my opinion, this should be encouraged for a number of

reasons.

____ 1 Our towns, rivers and seas are becoming more and more polluted with household

waste. This could easily be prevented if people took the time to sort, save and recycle their

rubbish.

____ 2 Hundreds of thousands of trees are unnecessarily cut down to make paper products.

Again, by recycling the paper that we would otherwise throw away we could reduce this

wastage

____ 3 They say that special machinery is required and that many people have to be employed

to operate it, thus making recycling more expensive than simple waste disposal. They forget,

however, that recycling both creates jobs and is beneficial to the environment.

All points considered, I strongly believe that people should be made aware of the benefits

recycling can bring, and should be encouraged to participate in programmes that will help

create a cleaner world for everyone in the future.

2-Read the following sample essay and make the detailed outline.

Essay question:

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?

Children should begin learning a foreign language as soon as they start school.

Use specific reasons and examples to support your position.

Sample essay

In this century, regarding to learning a foreign language, if anyone has multi-languages, it will

be a greatly beneficial skill. Therefore, it comes to the question that should children start

learning a foreign language as soon as they start school? Although, some people may

disagree, I agree that children should not wait until they are adult in order to learn a new

language. Learning a foreign language as the young age has many advantages for the

following reasons.

First, human brain ability to learn a new language reduces when growing up. Many research

have shown that babies start to memorize and understand a new language automatically after

they are born until the age of four. Then this ability will be decreased and adults need more

effort to learn a new language compare to babies and young kids. For example, my friend’s

son, Elijah, is able to speak both Mandarin and English, even before he started the school,

because his father and his mother taught him to speak both languages since he was born. Take

myself as another example, nowadays I can understand and speak Italian almost like a native

because I used to live in Italy for two years while I was five years old and I learned from the

environment along with a private school there. In contrast, I have been studying English since

I was in middle school until university, but accent is still Asian accent, not American accent.

167

Moreover, my grammar is horrible compare to Italian, which I studied only two years when I

was very young.

Second, young children have less obstacles and distracters from learning a new language than

adults. When we are young, we don’t have other responsibilities to worry about. So, young

children can concentrate only on studying. However, adults come with many responsibilities

such as jobs, family, personal life, so, these could disturb and prevent adult from learning a

new language efficiently. For example, when I worked in a province that there are many

foreign tourists, I need to speak English very fluent as the company required. Because my

English was awful, I tried to learn more at a language school around my neighborhood. But it

offered only few times a week and moreover, the schedule conflicted with my work schedule.

So, it was hard to keep up the class and learned faster as I wish. Also, when I had serious

tasks at work to solve, I was exhausted and hard to concentrate on studying. I wish I could

have studied English when I was in early age, so I could have learned well and I could not

have had anything to worry about.

In conclusion, since babies and kids get a benefit from nature to learn a new language and

they are free from taking care of relatives and work, so learning a new language as soon as

children start school is better than waiting to study when being an adult.

The Outline

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PRODUCTION

1.- You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.


It is better to have many acquaintances than to have only a few close friends. Do you agree

or disagree?


knowledge.

You should write at least 250 words. ______________________

Reading for Ideas

You may read various answers to the question below to get more ideas for your essay

Is It Better To Have A Few Close Friends Rather Than Lots?

A- There's no real answer to this because it all depends on the quality of the friendships you

have. Having one good and true friend is probably better than having a lot of people who are

more like casual acquaintances.

It's possible to have both lots of friends and one or two very close friends and I think that's

what most of us tend to have.

In terms of your social life it's good to have a lot of friends because then you've got lots of

choices when it comes to going out and doing things.

I think that having one or two very close friends is a great thing because that sort of friendship

tends to last much longer and the strength of the bond between you can grow very strong over

time.

If friends are on a more casual level you tend not to share so much with them whereas a best

friend is someone who is there with you through good and bad times and you can tell each

other all sorts of things that you wouldn't normal tell to other friends.

Some people prefer to have a wide circle of friends and others are more comfortable with one

or two good friends - it's an individual thing really.

B-Jennifer Snyder answered

I think it is better to have a few best friends then a lot of friends. Having a lot friends I think

causes one to never share anything or have anything really in common with someone. I have

had the same four best friends for a long time and I think that's better then having a lot of

friends cause I can share things with them in confidence and we can talk about pass

experiences and laugh and we know each others families and we can be there for one another

through out anything. Having close friends allows one to trust them more then if you had a lot

of friends and you always have someone to talk to and close friends are there through thick

and thin. Just friends are hardly ever.

And if you are an outgoing person then you may have acquaintance's but they are really not

friends. But they could fade in and out.

C- It depends on the type of person that you are. If you are a really sociable person, then

obviously you will talk to lots of people and have many friends. If you aren't as sociable then

you may only have a few friends who you are close to.

169

It is good to have friends who you can talk to about any problems and friends who you feel

you can rely on. Even if you do have lots of friends, there will always be ones that you find

you are closer to, and these are the ones that you can trust.

If you had lots of people who you classed as friends but you felt you couldn't talk to them

about problems then it would be a good idea to get to know people who you feel you have

more of a connection with.

D-

I think it is better to have a few/one close friend than many not as close friends. Although they

both have their benefits, having a few/one close friend gives you someone you can always

talk to, and be comfortable talking to. If you have a lot of friends, they have other friends and

they have problems that they may bring you into. Having a few/one close friend lessens the

drama in a teenage life. And another to add to the upside of having fewer friends that are

close, you are least likely to loosing friends or friends betraying you. But to the upside of

having many not so close friends, you have more options. Who to hang out on Friday nights,

who to sit by at lunch and so on. Keep your friends close!

You full essay

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170


In today's world, the ability to cooperate with others is more important than it was in the

past. Do you agree or disagree?


knowledge.

You should write at least 250 words

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Unit 13 DESCRIBING FLOWCHARTS AND DIAGRAMS (A)

INTRODUCTION Diagrams or flow charts to a certain extent differ slightly from other types of task 1 questions.

it requires some different language from the other task types. The purpose of a diagram is

normally to show a process, how a piece of equipment works, or the operational structure of a

system.

Let’s look at an example of what it looks like.

Example 1.

The diagram shows how electricity is generated by a hydroelectric dam.

Write a 150-word report for a university lecturer explaining how the process works.

Example 2.

The flowchart illustrates the production of coloured plastic paper clips in a small

factory.

Write a report for a university tutor describing the production process.

172

Your task is to describe the diagram or flowchart. There are several points to take into

consideration.

1. Make sure you understand what the important stages of the flowchart or diagram are

and that you know what order they all come in.

Find a place to begin and work your way through or around the diagram or chart.

2. You will need to include all the stages in your description.

3. Make sure you are aware of any stages that happen at the same time as other stages or

are alternatives.

4. You will probably be using the present simple passive and present simple if you are

describing a process.

5. Use any notes on the diagram but put them into your own words.

6. Think about varying your vocabulary. Use synonyms. If, for example, the diagram

describes jobs – interchange ‘jobs’, ‘occupations’, ‘types of employment/work’ etc.

7. Make sure you organize your information clearly. You will need an introduction and

body for this report. A conclusion is not necessary.

- Your introduction should introduce the process or flow chart and give an overview

to summarize its overall function.

- Your body will describe the process or flow chart in a logical order.

8. For this report you will need to guide the reader with sequence expressions such as

‘first of all’, ‘after that’, ‘at the same time’, ‘concurrently’ etc.

9. Don’t copy phrases from the instructions as this will not be assessed. Use your own

words.

10. Try to write neatly and cross out errors with one line only. Leave a couple of minutes

to read through what you have written.

Remember

- that you will receive a higher mark if your use a range of structures and

vocabulary.

- you are NOT being asked for your opinion on the information, just to report it. An

opinion would be considered ‘irrelevant’ for this task.

PRACTICE

Use the sentences given to build up a full report answering the IELTS TASK 1 question

below


The diagram shows how salt is removed from sea water to make it drinkable.

Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information below.

173

Write at least 150 words

1-How seawater is treated to make it ready to drink or use in agriculture and industry.

2-Major impurities are removed and much of the water washes back into the sea.

3-Concentrated salt water is then pumped back to the sea.

4-Seawater is pumped from to a pre-treatment filter.

5-Water is forced through a membrane under high pressure.

6-The water is treated with chemicals including lime, chlorine and fluoride.

7-The pure treated water is stored in huge tanks before being distributed to the integrated

water supply system.

Your full report

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PRODUCTION

1-You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The diagram shows how pencils are made.



Your report

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The diagram shows the life cycle of a product.



Your report

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The diagram shows the life cycle of a product.



Your report

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Unit 14 FLOWCHARTS AND DIAGRAMS (B)

DIAGRAMS OF LIFE CIRCLES

Generally speaking, diagrams of life circles do not differ much from those of production

processes. However, one thing which is more recognizable is that you can realize the start and

the end of the circle easily.

Let’s look at an example of what it looks like.

Example 1.

The diagram below shows a life circle of a frog.

Write a 150-word report for a university lecturer explaining how the process works.

- From start to finish, the life cycle of the frog appears to have 7 stages.

- The exact number of stages may depend on how you wish to dissect the image. You

could break this image down into 4 stages: early growth, first physical changes, terrain

adaptation stage and full development.

How can we describe the overall process of this image? Take the following sentences as

examples:

-The common frog undergoes a number of physical changes over the course of its life.

-From an egg to a fully-grown adult, the common frog experiences a number of radical

physical changes.

-Adapting from a water-dependent creature into one capable of surviving on land, the

frog undergoes a tremendous transformation over the course of its life.

178

Example 2. The diagram shows the life cycle of the honey bee.

Questions to be answered before starting writing

1. What is the diagram about (being presented in your own words)?

2. How long is the whole cycle?

3. How many major stages are there?

4. What is the most noticeable information in each stage?

DIAGRAMS OF AN OBJECT OR HOW SOMETHING WORKS

Sometimes the part 1 writing task asks you to describe a diagram. The diagram will usually

show a process or how something works. You can see an example below. Just as for charts

and tables, it is important that you spend some time carefully looking at the diagram until you

understand what it shows. Look for the following:

- the main parts or sections of the diagram.

- the relationship between parts in the diagram.

- the order of any stages shown in the diagram.

- any key that accompanies the diagram and helps to explain it

Before you write, try to imagine in your mind how the object works or the process develops.

Keep in mind what the result of each stage will be or what the purpose of each component is.

179

Let’s examine an example below.

A process will have a number of stages that are in time order. So you should start at the

beginning, and describe each stage through to the last one.

In the example above, this is fairly clear. It begins with the digging of the clay, and ends with

delivery.

Processes are not always this clear, and you may have to look more carefully to spot the

beginning, and there may also be two things happening at the same time.

So it is important that you look at other sample processes to get a good understanding of

how they can vary.

Introduce the Diagram

As with any task 1, you can begin by paraphrasing the rubric:

The diagram explains the way in which bricks are made for the building industry.


The diagram illustrates the process that is used to manufacture bricks for the

building industry.




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As you can see, this has been taken from the question, but it has not been copied. You need to

write it in your own words.

Highlight the main points

An IELTS process diagram is different from a line, bar, pie chart or table in that there are not

usually key changes or trends to identify. However, you should still give an overview of

what is taking place.

As you have already known that after the introduction, you must have an overview. As there

are no trends to comment on, you can make a comment on, for example, the number of

stages in the process and how it begins and ends:

Overall, there are eight stages in the process, beginning with the digging up of clay and

culminating in delivery.

PRODUCTION


The diagrams below shows the life cycle of a butterfly. Summarise the information by

selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

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The diagrams below simplifies the wine making process from vineyard to winery to our

kitchen tables.




Hand-picked

grapes

Sorted for

quality Stems

removed

Stainless

tanks

Oak barrels

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The diagrams below shows a household microwave oven. Summarise the information by

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Unit 15 Effective essays of Opinion (B)

TYPE 2: TO WHAT EXTENT DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE

INTRODUCTION


asked to write an essay called “opinion” essay. This is where you have to write about your

opinion on common topic.

Here is the plan and a model answer for writing IELTS task 2 on the topic of “employees

aging more than 50”


“To what extent do you agree or disagree…..”

“How far do you agree or disagree….”

Example

An essay answering this type of question is sometimes referred to as a “neutral opinion essay”

in that you will say that you agree to a certain extent (not completely); in other words, you

will talk about both sides of the argument.


think of both the good side and the bad side of the argument to support your opinion

and write about them with examples.




It has been claimed that workers over 50 are not responsive to rapidly

changing ideas in the modern workplace and that for this reason younger

workers are to be preferred.





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HOW TO DO IT


You specifically have to state clearly the “extent” (how far) that you agree or disagree with

the idea presented in the introduction. So your essay is obviously going to be discussing the

CAUSES of both FOR and AGAINST, and this is what needs to be made clear in your

thesis statement.

Therefore, your thesis could be like this, “To a certain extent, I agree with the statement

presented; however, I also believe that older workers offer certain positives.”

2. Make an outline





Paragraph 2: The reasons for your approval (supporting points): Write about

causes here.

Paragraph 3: The reasons for your disapproval (supporting points), Write

about causes here.




And here is an example of an introduction.

Some people believe that due to the rapid changes occurring in modern work places, it

is better to employ younger than older people. To a certain extent, I agree with the

statement presented; however, I also believe that older workers offer certain positives.




In the task question above, the question asks you to defend your opinion by analyzing some

important arguments (reasons). Therefore, you should save paragraph 2 for the “approval”

and paragraph 3 for “disapproval”.

Present idea.

State your own opinion, saying

that you agree to just a certain

extent.




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One argument in support of younger employees is that older employees could be more

set in their ways and potentially against any change. To an extent this may be true, but

there are many flexible and intelligent workers over 50, while there are inflexible and

narrow-minded younger ones. Attitude towards change is a result not of age but of

personality type. Another argument to support younger employees is that physical

changes occurring with age could mean certain jobs are more suited to a younger

person. For instance, psychologists seem to be in agreement that memory declines

with age for people not remaining mentally active. In high-tech industries such as

computer programming, where it is so important to be able to work with so much

information, numbers and calculations, being younger may be an advantage.

However, older workers have a wide range of other positive attributes that they can

bring to their working environment. Generally, they have more work experience than

those who are younger. In addition, as can be seen with the trend of many department

stores in the UK to take on older people, they are seen to be more reliable and

respectful. These are important in any kind of working environment.





state a new idea.


In conclusion, therefore, there is not the evidence to support employing young

people as opposed to those over 50. It would seem that a mix of the best

qualities of old and young is preferential in order to ensure the most productive

environment evolves.

SAMPLE ESSAY

Medical studies have shown that smoking not only leads to health problems for the smoker,

but also for people close by. As a result of this, many believe that smoking should



Smoking not only harms the smoker, but also those who are nearby. Therefore,

smoking should be banned in public places.





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not be allowed in public places. Although acknowledging that there are certain arguments

against the ban, I strongly agree that issuing such a ban is the most appropriate course of

action.

Opponents of such a ban argue against it for several reasons. Firstly, they say that passive

smokers make the choice to breathe in other people’s smoke by going to places where it is

allowed. If they would prefer not to smoke passively, then they do not need to visit places

where smoking is permitted. In addition, they believe a ban would possibly drive many bars

and pubs out of business as smokers would not go there anymore. They also argue it is a

matter of freedom of choice. Smoking is not against the law, so individuals should have the

freedom to smoke where they wish.

However, there are more convincing arguments in favour of a ban. First and foremost, it

has been proven that tobacco consists of carcinogenic compounds which cause serious harm

to a person’s health, not only the smoker. Anyone around them can develop cancers of the

lungs, mouth and throat, and other sites in the body. It is simply not fair to impose this upon

another person. It is also the case that people’s health is more important than businesses. In

any case, pubs and restaurants could adapt to a ban by, for example, allowing smoking

areas.

In conclusion, it is clear that it should be made illegal to smoke in public places. This would

improve the health of thousands of people, and that is most definitely a positive

development.

PRACTICE

1-Practice 1

Study the IELTS TASK 2 question below and complete the exercises given

Essay question

A-Correct the following sentences for efficiency. The first one is done as an example

1-It is time to adopt a new point of view that more and more women join the army.



Some people think women should be allowed to join the army, the navy and the

air force just like men.





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It is time to adopt a new point of view that women can join the army.

2-There are about one third women have social responsibilities.

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3-Fourty years ago, it is the sign of moden woman joining the army in China.

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4-Woman are take more and more important role in army.

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5-Females soldiers have special affect. They can take care of the soldiers who can’t fight in

the war.

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6-As some special missions and tactics, women are fitter than men.

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7-Many news are reported that there are female snipers, female armies of defence in some

countries.

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8-In other fields such as fighting with enemies, they may not win men.

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9-In the passed time, many people think the war is dangour things, which is not fit to

woman.

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10-In the mordern society, the technology has the fast development.

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B-Read the following essays and then build up your own outline

Essay 1

Some people hold the view that women should not join the army as soldiers. However, I

totally disagree with this opinion.

In my point of view, women are equall with men. They can have their dreams and pursuit

what they wish. Although they are weak in strength defeating against enemies, they have

rights to join the army to contribute themselves to the society by doing what they can.

Secondly, in my opinion, women are greatly needed in army. They can play an important

role in helping men to fight. Take medical nursers for example, they take good care of the

injured in front line, relief their pain quickly and assist doctors to make them recovered,

and then man can go back to battlefield. Besides, during the tedious life in army, music or

dancer parties hold by women can be a great entertainment for men to refresh themselves.

On the other hand, the work efficient will be greatly improved if women and men are

working together in the army. They both have their characteristics, they compareate for

each other well if they make joined effort. Nowadays, women enjoined good education as

men as well-qualified as men. They capably take part in army proposal and army research.

They play the same role as men and may be more excellent than men.

In conclusion, woman have ability and rights to join army. They can exert same impact in

army as man. Woman and man both ca delicate themselves to safeguard our country, which

can be prosperous by their joined power. (257 words)

Essay 2

Many women join the army in some countries. I quite agree that women can join the army

as soldiers.

Today, women play the same role as men do. They have opportunities to go to school, go

out for work and do what ever they want, just being equal to men. Women also can win

Olympic medals for their own countries, while only men could attend the Olympic games

before. Now women also have their own boxing competition in Olympic games, as well as

men do. Same thing happen in other areas, such as science. Marie Curies is the first

chemical scientist who make a great contribution to the development of radiation and won

Nobel Prize. So why women shouldn’t join the army.

Some people may think that women is not strong enough to join the army. In fact, wether

strong or not varies from one person to another, which has no thing to d with the sex. It is

doing more sports and having good living habits that helps people to be stronger and

healthier. For example, women boxing player must be stronger than common people, no

matter men or women. Some survey also indicates women can keep calmer in dangerous

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situation than men. There is also another indicates women can live longer than men in

special conditions such as no food, no water supply. So from these above, we believe that

women may behave better than men.

All in all, women, who account for 50% of the total population, have right to do any they

want. so why shouldn’t they join the army? (263 words)

Essay 3

This is a world of gender equality, or, at least, a world calling for so. The last decades saw

an avalanche of rules and regulations being passed to ensure more rights are granted to

women, known as the weaker sex in the past. Then should women also be entitled to join

the army as soldiers? I would answer negatively to the issue.

To begin with, female soldiers would reduce the efficiency of military operations. Martin

Clareweed, a British expert on war, recently pointed out in Sunday Telegraph, a Britain-

based newspaper, that women are more prone to get wounded. They are twice more likely

to get wounded in legs than men and five times more likely to get fracture. What is more,

based on a survey by West Point Academy, females are physically weaker than males.

After eight weeks of military training, it was found that the increase of female physical

strength is only 59% of that of male soldiers. These factors can, when real battle occurs, put

the whole troop in danger.

Another factor we should take into consideration is military budget. Woman’s joining the

army would inevitably boost the budget in the following two aspects. First, since women

are smaller in size than men, the uniforms and various facilities such as tanks or helicopters

traditionally designed for men only would have to be redesigned for the convenience of

women. This takes a good sum of money. Second, female soldiers’ stay in the army is

shorter than the male soldiers, as they have another profession waiting for them: mother. So

they have to retire earlier. This, in terms of the training cost, incurs losses to the country.

Nevertheless, some may argue my opinion is sexual discriminating. Actually I myself am a

female and I expect more rights granted to women. Yet this doesn’t mean we should

encourage women to join the army.

In summary, I don’t think it a good thing to have females in the army.

Your outline



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CONCLUSION

C-Write a full essay on the outline you’ve just finished

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2-Practice 2

Read the sample answer the given IELTS Writing Task 2 question and complete the

blanks with words or experessions provided in the box

Question



Machine translation (MT) is slower and less accurate than human translation and there is

no immediate or predictable likelihood of machines taking over this role from humans.



knowledge.


Sample answer

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It is true that there have been great advances in technology over the last forty years.

.................... the use of mobile phones and e-mail communication are common these days.

...................., machines that translate from one language to another are still in their early

stages.

.................... that a machine could never do as good a job as a human, .................... when it

comes to interpreting what people are saying. ...................., machines can translate statements

such as “Where is the bank?” but even simple statements are not always straightforward

.................... the meaning depends on more than just words. .................... the word “bank” has

a number of different meanings in English. How does a translating machine know which

meaning to take?

.................... understand what people are saying, you need to take into account the relationship

between the speakers and their situation. A machine cannot tell the difference between the

English expression “Look out!” meaning “Be careful!” and “Look out!” meaning “Put your

head out of the window”. You need a human being to interpret the situation.

.................... with written language, it is difficult for a machine to know how to translate

accurately .................... we rarely translate every word. ...................., we try to take into

consideration how the idea would be expressed in the other language. This is hard to do

.................... every language has its own way of doing and saying things.

.................... I feel that it is most unlikely that machines will take the place of humans in the

field of translating and interpreting. If machines ever learn to think, perhaps then they will be

in a position to take on this role.

PRODUCTION


Some people feel that certain workers like nurses, doctors and teachers are undervalued

and should be paid more, especially when other people like film actors or company bosses

are paid huge sums of money that are out of proportion to the importance of the work that

they do.

How far do you agree?



on the contrary for instance especially because

for these reasons in order to it is true of course

similarly however it seems to me for example

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Unit 16 Effective essays of Opinion (C)

TYPE 3: DISCUSS BOTH VIEWS

INTRODUCTION


asked to write an essay called “both –sided opinion” essay.

Here is the plan and a model answer for writing IELTS task 2 on the topic of “factors

influencing children’s development”


“Discuss both opinions and give your opinions”

Example

To write an essay answering this type of question, you will have to talk about each view

presented before giving your own view on the matter given. So, you need to


discuss the two views presented respectively and support your explanations with

examples.


HOW TO DO IT


You specifically have to state clearly that you are going to talk about each view in the

introduction. Therefore, your thesis could be like this, “This essay will examine both sides of



Some people think that the main factors influencing a child’s development

these days are things such as television, friends, and music. Others believe

that the family still remains more important.

Discuss both opinions and give your opinion.




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the argument.” or like this, “In this essay, I am going to examine this question from both

points of view and then give my own opinion on the matter.”

2. Make an outline

There are several formats of outlining an essay answering the question of discussing both

views. However, the most effective and straightforward format is likely to look like this.




Paragraph 2: side A view (supporting points): Write about the first

viewpoint here.

Paragraph 3: side B view (supporting points): Write about the second view

point here.

Conclusion: Restate your thesis statement and supporting points. Present

your own viewpoint on the matter discussed.


And here is an example of an introduction.

While parents obviously play a major role in the way that their child develops as they

get older, many people believe that social factors outside of the family now influence

children much more. This essay will examine both sides of the argument.




In the task question above, the question asks you to discuss both of the viewpoints presented.

Therefore, you should save paragraph 2 for the first viewpoint (side A) and paragraph 3 for

the second viewpoint (side B). In case the question asks you to give your own opinion, you

will present yours in the conclusion.


There is no doubt that there are factors external to the family that significantly impact

on a child’s development. For example, there is television and the internet. Children

these days have access to these much more than they used to in the past, and they will

pick up language and see things that will teach them about life. Friends also have an

important influence as a child will often copy peers that they admire and respect. This

Present both the ideas. State clearly that you are

going to talk about both side.




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could be positive behavior but it could also be negative, such as smoking or taking

drugs.

Ultimately, however, it is family who have the most important impact. Children spend

nearly all of their time with their family, especially in their early years. They develop

their confidence, socialization skills, morals, values and views on life through their

interaction with them. Proof of the importance of this can be seen in the differences

between some children. Those that grow up in a dysfunctional home often eventually

have problems themselves, whilst those that are brought up in a warm and close

environment end up more confident and secure in adult life..





state a new idea.


To conclude, it is the family that can provide a supportive, secure, and nurturing

environment, which is crucial to the way in which a child becomes an adult. Although

it is clear that social factors play a part, I would argue that it is the former that is the

most important.

SAMPLE ESSAY

Some people believe that animals should be treated in the same way humans are and have

similar rights, whereas others think that it is more important to use them as we desire for

food and medical research. This essay will discuss both points of view.

With regard to the exploitation of animals, people believe it is acceptable for several

reasons. Firstly, they think that humans are the most important beings on the planet, and



A growing number of people feel that animals should not be exploited by

people and that they should have the same rights as humans, while others

argue that humans must employ animals to satisfy their various needs,

including uses for food and research.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.




State your own choice.

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everything must be done to ensure human survival. If this means experimenting on animals

so that we can fight and find cures for diseases, then this takes priority over animal

suffering. Furthermore, it is believed by some that animals do not feel pain or loss as

humans do, so if we have to kill animals for food or other uses, then this is morally

acceptable.

However, I do not believe these arguments stand up to scrutiny. To begin, it has been

shown on numerous occasions by secret filming in laboratories via animal rights groups that

animals feel as much pain as humans do, and they suffer when they are kept in cages for

long periods. In addition, a substantial amount of animal research is done for cosmetics, not

to find cures for diseases, so this is unnecessary. Finally, it has also been proven that

humans can get all the nutrients and vitamins that they need from green vegetables and

fruit. Therefore, again, having to kill animals for food is not an adequate argument.

To sum up, although some people argue killing animals for research and food is ethical, I

would argue there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate that this is not the case, and,

therefore, steps must be taken to improve the rights of animals.

PRACTICE

Using the format of structure given, make the detailed out line and then write the full

essay on the IELTS Task 2 question below

Question



following topic.

Computers and modems have made it possible for office workers to do much of their

work from home instead of working in offices every day. Thus, many people believe that

working from home should be encouraged as it is good for workers and employers while

others are strongly against this.

Discuss both of the views and give your opinion.


knowledge.


Your outline


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CONCLUSION

Read the following articles for your ideas

As more and more professionals seek a better work-life balance and more companies adopt

flexible policies to accommodate shifting workplace priorities and realities the working from

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home option is becoming increasingly viable. Employees see this as an ideal means to remain

in the workforce and continue to be employed thereby maintaining all the tangible benefits of

being part of an established company, while enjoying all the advantages of being based at

home. The option has its potential pitfalls however and below we discuss some of the

advantages and disadvantages of working from home.

Advantages

By working at home you save on many hidden costs associated with going to work. These

include costs of commuting, car wear and tear, fuel, road taxes, parking as well as indirect

costs such as expensive professional wardrobes and the dry-cleaning of those. Often you can

also save on older children’s care arrangements although for younger children it is highly

unadvisable to forgo the childcare arrangement and try to balance close care and supervision

with the demands of the job.

Flexibility

This doesn’t just relate to timings either although the flexibility to determine your own work

hours to some extent is the most important aspect of this. You can also determine your

environment, lighting, temperature, setting, mood; basically work in the framework that suits

you best and makes you happiest and most productive.

Less distractions

Coworkers banter and distractions, unnecessary interruptions, unimportant meetings can all be

avoided if you are safely at home and sealed off in your own environment which you have

barricaded from any possible interruptions.

Proximity to home and family

For many, the physical proximity to family and the convenience of being at home are

tremendously comforting. For parents it can be especially pacifying to know that they are very

near to their children and available should they be needed for any reason. This also applies in

the case of elderly care.

Less stress

The stress of commuting in bumper-to-bumper traffic at rush hour in many countries is

extremely counterproductive and can lead to disgruntled workers who are already exhausted

and worn before they have even begun their day. This is especially true where the workplace

is far from the office. Other stresses often cited include unfriendly coworkers, a suboptimal

work environment and constant distractions.

More productivity

Removed from the stresses and distractions of the workplace and working independently in

their own preferred environment at their own pace, professionals are often a lot happier and a

lot more productive.

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Better health

Often with long commutes and anywhere from 1 to 3 hours a day spent getting to and from

the workplace both physical and mental health are adversely impacted; the former as the gym

hours are usually the first to go and the latter due to the stresses associated with both the

commute and the workplace itself. By working at home the commuting time saved enables

you to resume physical exercise, to go for a long walk for example before and after work or to

join a local gym.

Better work/life balance

Work/life balance, the aspiration of the modern professional, is often achieved and tuned to

satisfaction through a working at home arrangement, particularly when a professional has the

flexibility to report into the office and work from the office partially as an option and can

fine-tune the arrangement to achieve the most optimal balance.

Disadvantages

Isolation

Often, professionals working from home complain of isolation and loneliness given their

removal from their bosses and coworkers and th is can be very depressing to some. Since the

workplace provides a location to meet people and make friends for many, professionals

working from home have to be more creative and resourceful in getting to know people and in

staying in touch with their colleagues.

Distractions

Although office distractions are avoided by working at home, different distractions may arise.

Interruptions from children, work, neighbours, friends, family may be very disruptive and

special efforts must be made to make it known that you are actually working and unavailable

for interruption within work hours despite your physical presence at home.

Difficulty in separating home from work

The temptation to engage in household matters since you are at home is often very strong.

Suddenly you may start feeling obliged to clean the home, do the shopping, the childcare, the

cooking, the home finances and the socializing all while meeting the full requirements of the

job too. It is essential to draw the line between home and work so as to avoid both areas

suffering.

Work doesn’t end

Since there is no-one looking over your shoulder enforcing strict hours you may feel tempted

to work endlessly. This pressure to work endlessly may be compounded by the fact that you

feel there are greater expectations made of you as a home-worker or by self-imposed

pressures to prove yourself and your abilities in this arrangement. Moreover the lack of

physical separation between home and work may add to this pressure to work endlessly.

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Alienated from daily company developments

A lot can change from day to day in a company and you may find yourself removed from

important developments such as staff changes, new business, changes in company direction,

new competitive intelligence etc.

Danger of being overlooked for promotion

The danger of being overlooked for promotions and career development opportunities is quite

real when you are away from the office and other more visible employees are actively and

aggressively vying for them. An open line of communication with management and regular

visits to the office are critical in order to prove your dedication and commitment to your

career and to prevent the out-of-sight-out-of-mind syndrome.

Need for high self-discipline

Working from home is not for anyone. It takes a lot of dedication, self-control and discipline

to motivate yourself to persevere in working at home alone over the long run without

succumbing to the distractions and losing drive and momentum. Often a partial arrangement

where you report into the office once or twice a week is the optimal arrangement as it allows

for close interaction with colleagues and supervisors and ensures you remain in touch with

company developments while still permitting you the comfort and convenience of working

from home.

PRACTICE



Some people think that we can use as much fresh water as we want. Others think that fresh

water supply should be controlled strictly by governments as the sources are limited.

Discuss both views and give your opinion


or experience.


Your essay

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Some say that public health is important and there should be more sports facilities. Others

say that they have a small impact on individuals.

Discuss both views and giver your opinion.


or experience.


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Revision 4 Writing Task 1

1.The diagrams below shows the life cycle of an Alaska Salmon. Summarise the

information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where

relevant.

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Writing Task 2

Some people think that parents should teach children how to be a good member of the

society. Other, however, believed that school is the place to learn this.

Discuss both of the views and give your opinion.


knowledge. You should write at least 250 words.

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Unit 17 Describing multi Graphs

INTRODUCTION

1-Sample Question and Answer

Sometimes, in IELTS Task 1, you will be asked to write a report from multi data courses

instead of one; which means that you have to write about two or even more than two graphs

together. It can look a bit scary at first. However, when you look more closely, you'll see it is

probably no more difficult than having one graph.

QUESTION


The line graph shows visits to and from the UK from 1979 to 1999, and the bar graph

shows the most popular countries visited by UK residents in 1999.




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SAMPLE ANSWER

The line graph illustrates the number of visitors in millions from the UK who went abroad and

those that came to the UK between 1979 and 1999, while the bar chart shows which countries

were the most popular for UK residents to visit in 1999. Overall, it can be seen that visits to

and from the UK increased, and that France was the most popular country to go to.

To begin, the number of visits abroad by UK residents was higher than for those that came to

the UK, and this remained so throughout the period. The figures started at a similar amount,

around 10 million, but visits abroad increased significantly to over 50 million, whereas the

number of overseas residents rose steadily to reach just under 30 million.

By far the most popular countries to visit in 1999 were France at approximately 11 million

visitors, followed by Spain at 9 million. The USA, Greece, and Turkey were far less popular

at around 4, 3 and 2 million visitors respectively.

2-How to organize the report There are various ways to format the report of multi graphs; however, the seemingly easiest

one will be like this,

INTRODUCTION

In the introductory paragraph of a report of this type, you need to mention what both of the

graphs show. Here is a sample first sentence of the introduction.

The line graph illustrates the number of visitors in millions from the UK who went abroad

and those that came to the UK between 1979 and 1999, WHILE the bar chart shows which

countries were the most popular for UK residents to visit in 1999.

Remember to write this in your own words and not to copy from the question.

Next you need to mention the key points from the graph. When you do this, mention the most

interesting things from each, like this,

Overall, it can be seen that visits to and from the UK increased, and that France was the

most popular country to go to.

BODY PARAGRAPHS

If there are two graphs and a lot of information, you will have to be careful not to describe

everything as you may then have too much information. Also, the examiner is looking to see

that you can select the important things and not describe every single detail.

So the key skill when you have two graphs is being able to pick out the important information

or summarize things in a concise way, otherwise you will end up writing too much and

probably run out of time.

Here is an example description for the bar and line graph:

To begin, the number of visits abroad by UK residents was higher than for those that

came to the UK, and this remained so throughout the period. The figures started at a

similar amount, around 10 million, but visits abroad increased significantly to over 50

million, whereas the number of overseas residents rose steadily to reach just under 30

million.

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By far the most popular countries to visit in 1999 were France at approximately 11

million visitors, followed by Spain at 9 million. The USA, Greece, and Turkey were

far less popular at around 4, 3 and 2 million visitors respectively.

As you can see, the first paragraph discusses the line graph, and the second the bar chart.

You will not usually need to mix up the descriptions. This will only make things complicated

and difficult to follow. Writing about the first one and then the second one is ok.

PRACTICE

1. The bar chart below shows the estimated sales of jeans for two companies next year in

Turkey. The pie chart shows the projected market share of the two companies in jeans at

the end of next year.

Write a short report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below.

Summarize the information by selecting and report in the main features, and make



Others

Mango

Co.

Jack & Jones Co.

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Introduction

The charts show ………………………………

Development

(paragraph 1)

1-The most striking feature is that sales will increase for both companies.

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2-Toward the end of the year, in December, sales of Jack & Jones will reach

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while sales of Mango Co. is forecasted ………………………………………………………..

(paragraph 2)

Regarding the pie chart, ………………………………………………………………………..

Your answer

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PRODUCTION


The Bar Chart shows CO2 emissions for different forms of transport in the European

Union. The Pie Chart shows the percentage of European Union funds being spent on

different forms of transport.




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The table shows the percentage of journeys made by different forms of transport

in four countries, The bar graph shows the results of a survey into car use.




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3- The two charts below give information on visits to doctors in the US.



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Unit 18 Effective essays of multi-questions

INTRODUCTION

1. Overview

One more type of essay question requires you to discuss a social problem or issue. Tasks

in this type ask a direct question on a social problem or issue. Often, you're also asked to

give solutions. For instance:

At the same time as people in many cities are becoming more and more dependent

on cars, public transport systems are tending to become worse. This has serious

consequences for both existing communities and new communities that are

spreading farther and farther from the centre of cities.

Why do people choose to use private cars instead of public transport? How can this

problem be solved?

After the introduction, two questions are posed.

This type of task may ask you to present an opinion(s), then an opinion(s), a problem(s) and

then a solution(s), a cause(s) and then a solution(s), or an opinion(s) and then solution(s).

Let’s take an example

It is basically an opinion essay, as you have to give your opinion on protecting old buildings.

However, it does not ask you whether you agree or disagree.

There are two parts to this essay question so you must answer both.

1. How important is it to maintain old buildings?

For the first part you have to decide which opinion you have:

Yes, it's very important - reasons why

No, it's unimportant - reasons why



Many old buildings protected by law are part of a nation’s history. Some people

think they should be knocked down and replaced by news ones.

How important is it to maintain old buildings?

Should history stand in the way of progress?

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2. Should history stand in the way of progress?

In this part, you need to give your opinion on whether you think history is so important that it

should take priority over a country's progress.

There are two parts to this essay question so you must answer both.

Hereafter you will find a sample answer.

Most nations around the world have at least some, or possibly many, old buildings

such as temples, churches and houses in their cities, villages and surrounding areas

which have historical significance. In my opinion, it is very important to maintain

these, but this does not mean progress should stop.

Preserving certain old buildings is important for several reasons. Firstly, these

structures provide an insight into the history of our countries, showing us how people

many centuries ago lived their lives. Without them, we could only learn by books, and

it would undoubtedly be sad if this were the only way to see them. Many of these

buildings are also very beautiful. Take for example the many religious buildings such

as churches and temples that we see around the world. Not only this, but on a more

practical level, many of these buildings provide important income to a country as

many tourists visit them in great numbers.

However, this certainly does not mean that modernization should be discouraged. I

believe that old buildings can be protected in tandem with progress. For example, in

many circumstances we see old historic buildings being renovated whilst maintaining

their original character, and being used for modern purposes. Also, in no way does

history hinder progress, and in fact it is the opposite. By studying and learning about

our history, we understand more about the world we live in, and this helps us to build

a better future.

To conclude, I believe that it is very important to protect and preserve old buildings as

we can learn about our history as can others from other countries. Such knowledge can

also help us to understand how to modernize our countries in the best way.

2. An example

In some cases, the two question essay could fall into the category of cause/reason-solution

essays. Now take a look at the question and model answer for the paying attention in class

essay.

These days, many children have difficulty paying attention and concentrating in

their classes at school.





You should write at least 250 words. You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

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This paying attention in class essay is a causes and solutions type question. The issue is

about the extent to which children at school concentrate or pay attention in their classes.

There are two ways that you can organize an essay like this. Firstly, you could write a

paragraph about the causes / reasons and then a paragraph about the possible solutions.

This is a good idea when you have general solutions that do not specifically relate to the

causes that you have given.

However, if you wish you can put the solution directly after the cause if it is directly related to

that cause. So the organsation would be as follows:

Body 1: Cause - Solution

Body 2: Cause - Solution

For whatever you do, present causes and solution for the issue.

Sample Answer

Teachers are increasingly finding that their pupils do not pay full attention or

concentrate properly during class time. This essay will examine the reasons

for this and suggest some possible solutions.

One of the reasons for this is that teachers now lack the freedom to discipline

children. In the past, teachers could use any methods they felt appropriate to

control pupils in their class, even if this meant physical punishment.

However, the balance has now changed, with children being aware that there

are limits to what a teacher can do and without this respect they do not

concentrate if they do not want to. There have, for example, been cases were

pupils have sued teachers for disciplining them too harshly. Children should

of course not be abused, but teachers must be given more power to use the

methods that they think appropriate to control the class without fear of

recrimination.

Another factor may be the diet of children. Research has widely reported that

the additives in a lot of the snacks and carbonated drinks that children drink

regularly can cause behavioral changes such as hyperactivity. This may lead

to a lack of ability to concentrate in class. To prevent this, schools must make

sure that these snacks are not available at the school. Parents have a part to

play as well, and they must ensure that their children are not given too much

of these types of snacks at home.

To conclude, children may have difficulty paying attention in class because of

a lack of discipline in schools and additives from snacks. However, the

solutions are to give more power back to teachers and to limit the availability

of certain foods. (281 Words)

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PRACTICE

1. Make an outline for an essay answering the IELTS TASK 2 question below

Your outline

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People have different ways of escaping the stress of modern life. What do

you think are the best ways of reducing stress? Which do you prefer the

most and why?


own knowledge or experience.

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2-Write an essay answering the IELTS TASK 2 question below. You may read the

articles given for your ideas.

PRODUCTION

Reading 1

Today computers are used almost everywhere, it is impossible to imagine our life without

PCs, Internet, mobile phones and other computer devices. It is reasonable to think that people

look forward to the future of computers. In what field will be computers used for and what

role will human has in this world in future?

Besides, computers make our life easier, we can easily get information about any product we

plan to buy or place we plan to visit in a second using a personal computer and Internet.

Scientists predict that in the nearest future it will be possible to smell a new perfume using the

Internet and watch 3D scenes at home like we do in the movie theater. According to forecasts

of HR agencies machines will replace jobs of cashiers, and civil and military pilots. Some

corporations in Japan are already selling housewife-robots, which help old people to keep

their homes clean.

Despite the fact that computers help us, they make us dependent. Apparently, people spend

more time behind monitors than ever before. And some of them feel a need for more time to

be spent with people in live contact. In addition, a breakdown of one of the important modules

of a specific computer can entail serious consequences. Suffice to mention the computer

problem that occurred in the end of 1990s, a problem related to the coming year 2000 (Y2K)

and catastrophes that were predicted. Fortunately imminent disasters did not happen.

However, it is difficult to imagine what could be if all the predictions came true.

We live in a technological era, computers penetrated everywhere with all benefits they

provide and all dangers they hide. However we are satisfied with them and sometimes we

even thank them because they help us in communicating, studying, doing business,

entertaining and saving lives in critical situations.



We are becoming increasingly dependent on computers. They are used in

businesses, hospitals, crime detection and even to fly planes.

What things will they be used for in the future?

Is this dependence on computers a good thing or should we be more auspicious of

their benefits?




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Reading 2

As we move into the twenty-first century, it is clear to see that we have become more and

more dependent on computers and information technology. This technology now reaches into

almost every area of our lives and it is easy to predict that this phenomenon is only going to

grow. My personal belief is that this presents a variety of dangers.

It is highly likely that in the future there will be comparatively few aspects of our lives that

will not be influenced by computer technology. The probability is that it will control more and

more forms of communication, transforming fields such as education and business when

video-conferencing platforms become more stable. It might even affect romance with more

people forming relationships online.

While there may be benefits to this technological revolution, there are also a number of

potential dangers. Perhaps the most serious of these would be that if people rely on

computers too much for communication, they could in fact begin to communicate less well.

For example, if every member of a family had their own computer screen and smart phone,

they might speak less and less often to one another and simply look at a screen. This would be

serious because our ability to communicate is an essential part of our humanity.

My conclusion is that the growth of computer technology is inevitable, but that this may not

be entirely positive. Just one area in which it is possible to foresee dangers is communication,

and if we are going to ensure that computers do not become a negative influence, we need to

think carefully how we use them.

PRODUCTION


Many parts of the world are losing important natural resources, such as forests,

animals, or clean water.

What might be the reasons for this?

What are the effects of this?

What can be done to solve the problem?

Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.


Your essay

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Unit 19 REVISION 5

POINTS TO REMEMBER

Length & Timing

You have to write at least 150 words.

You are advised to spend 20 minutes on this task.

Marking

Your performance in Task 1 will be assessed on the criteria below:

Task Achievement

Being able to follow the instructions properly.

Being able to write a clear, accurate and relevant description of the information.

Being able to focus on the important trends presented as graphic information.

Coherence and Cohesion

Being able to organize your writing using a suitable structure.

Using connective words to link sentences and paragraphs logically.

Lexical Resources

Being able to use a wide range of vocabulary naturally.

Being able to spell accurately and using the appropriate word formation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

Using the appropriate grammatical structures accurately

Using a variety of sentence structures.

HOW TO DO TASK 1 – MAPS, DIAGRAMS & MULTI GRAPHS

+ Spend about 2-4 minutes reading the graph(s) or chart(s) and preparing

your answer.

+ Make sure you understand what the details in the maps, the sequences of

images in the diagram present.

+ Make sure you follow the format of each type of task 1 questions mentioned.

+ If there are two graphs or charts look for ways to compare the data.

+ Think about the time period represented and the tense(s) you should be

using.

TASK 1

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+ Think about varying your vocabulary and avoiding repetition by using

synonyms. If, for example, the graph refers to job types – interchange „jobs‟,

„occupations‟, „types of employment/work‟ etc.

+ Make sure you organize your information clearly. You will need an

introductory statement, body and conclusion.

Your introduction should introduce the graph(s) by stating what it represents

and give an overview to describe what the overall trend is.

Your body will need to describe the graph(s) in detail.

Your conclusion should include a brief summary your report.

+ Don’t copy phrases from the question as this will not be assessed. Use your

own words.

+ Don’t include information that is not on the graph or in the chart. This may

be considered irrelevant and cause you to get a lower mark.

+ Don’t take more than 20 minutes over this task.

+ Try to write neatly and cross out errors with one line only.

+ Leave a couple of minutes to read through what you have written.

Remember

-that you will receive a higher mark if your use a range of structures and

vocabulary.

-you are NOT being asked for your opinion on the information, just to report

it. An opinion would be considered ‘irrelevant’ for this task.

A-WHEN YOU WRITE ABOUT A MAP OR MAPS

1-Make sure you know exactly the type of questions; whether it is a potential site

question or a question of changes/developments.

2-If it is a potential-site question:

+include the introduction of each site‟s location in the Introduction.

+write two paragraphs for the Development, each for a site.

+locate each site in details, presenting both the advantages and disadvantages

of each site.

B-WHEN YOU WRITE ABOUT A DIAGRAM OR A FLOWCHART

1-Make sure you understand the process that the diagram or flowchart describes

2-Make sure you know what the order of the stages/steps is.

3-Start with the first step or stage and move on to the following ones respectively.

4-Do not include your comments or opinions

5-Use sequence expressions like thereafter, in the subsequent stage, next, then, etc.

6-Consider the use of the passive forms of the verbs where necessary.

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C-WHEN YOU WRITE ABOUT A MULTI GRAPH QUESTION

1-Make sure you understand what the data in each of the graphs presents.

2-Include the introductions (the data presentation + the main trends) of all the graphs

in your Introduction.

3-Use each of the body paragraphs to write about each graph.

4-Make comparisons of the graphs

5-Avoid falling in presenting too many details.

PRODUCTION


The picture below shows Bell Hill farm in 1976 and the changes that took place in 2006.




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2. The diagram below shows how to make paper. Summarize the information by

selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

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3- The line graph below shows the number of annual visits to Australia by overseas

residents. The table below gives information on the country of origin where the visitors

came from.



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POINTS TO REMEMBER

A-When you write an opinion essay, you need to understand clearly the essay question,

whether it requires you to write about your opinions, about both of the views presented, or

about your level of approval or disapproval (to a certain extent)

B-To answer the question of “Do you agree or disagree”, you will need to

+ say clearly that you AGREE or DISAGREE with the statement presented

+defend your argument with at least 2 reasons clarified in TWO paragraphs (one for

each).

C-To answer the question of “To what extent…”, you will need to

+say that you AGREE or DISAGREE with the statement presented to a certain extent.

+say why the statement is true in ONE paragraph.

+say why the opposite ideas are also meaningful in ONE paragraph

+present your choice in the conclusion.

D-To answer the question of “Discuss both views…”, you will need to

+say that you are going to write about BOTH views

+discuss the first view in ONE paragraph

+discuss the sencond view in ONE paragraph

+present your choice in the conclusion.

E-To answer the question of multi tasks, you will need to

+say that you are going to write about ALL the tasks presented

+discuss each of the tasks in ONE paragraph

+present your suggestions or comments in the conclusion

PRODUCTION

1. Present a written argument or case to an educated reader with no special knowledge of the

following topic.

Some people think that the automobile has improved modern life. Others think that the

automobile has caused serious problems.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.



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2-Present a written argument or case to an educated reader with no special knowledge

of the following topic.

Friendship is obviously an important aspect in a person’s life.

What are the roles of friendship in a person’s life?

What typical factors that make a good friend.



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TÀI LIỆU THAM KHẢO

1-Loughed, L. (2012). Baron’s IELTS Practice Exams. Baron’s Educational Series.

2-Brook Hart, G. & V, Jakeman. (2012). Complete IELTS Band 4-5. Cambridge University Press.

3-McCarter, S. & N, Whitman (2006). Improve Your IELTS – Writing Skills. MacMillan Education.

4-Hopkin, D. & P, Cullen. (2007). Grammar for IELTS – Cambridge University Press.

5-Brown, R. & L, Richards. (2011). IELTS Advantage-Writing Skills. Delta Publishing.

6-Duigu, G. (2003). Essay Writing for English Tests. Academic English Press.

7-McCarter, S. (2003). Academic Writing Practice for IELTS. IntelliGene.

8-Bailey, S. (2003). Academic Writing-A Practical Guide for Students. Nelson Thornes Ltd.

9- Bailey, S. (2006). Academic Writing-A Handbook for International Students. Routledge.

10-Zemarch, D.E. & L. , Rumisek. (2002). Academic Writing-From Paragraph to Essay. McMillan

Education.

11- Brook Hart, G. & V, Jakeman. (2012). Complete IELTS Band 5-6.5. Cambridge University Press.

12- Brook Hart, G. & V, Jakeman. (2012). Complete IELTS Band 6.5-7.5. Cambridge University Press.

13-Williams, A. (2011). Writing for IELTS. HarperCollins Publishers.

14-Bazin, A. & E, Boyd. (2008). Achieve IELTS-Practice Tests. Marshall Cavendish.

15-Mann, M. (2009) IELTS for Academic Purposes (5.5 to 6.5) . McGraw Hill Higher Education.

the best for writing

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