ielts writing

INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED

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How to write

IELTS Essays

by ROBERT LEWIS

M.A. LINGUISTICS

how to use this book for self study

For self-study, you should work through the book, from page one to the end, checking

your answers as you complete each of the exercises. Begin by reading the Introduction

and learn about the essay form, the key stages and the language features of the essay

that are important for this form of persuasive communication.

What is the best way to study?

First, find a quiet and comfortable place where you can work. You should feel good

working there. Do a minimum of 40 minutes each day. Try to make a regular time for

study, so that it becomes routine - the same time and place every day.

You will need a dictionary to check the meaning of new

vocabulary. At this level (advanced) you should use an

Advanced Learners dictionary of English - rather than a

bilingual dictionary. Whenever you find common or familiar

expressions that you dont know, learn these words first.

They are the building blocks for the more difficult

vocabulary you will learn later. Develop your vocabulary,

step by step. The best way to learn new words is to

guess their meaning from the context, check the meaning

in a dictionary, and practice using them in your writing.

The topics in this book are general topics selected to

help develop your academic vocabulary. You should also

read widely and become familiar with other topics and

issues. It is a good idea to read about topics that are

less familiar to you, but still relevant for a general English

test, like the IELTS.

What else can I do?

By completing all

the exercises in this

book, you are taking

positive steps

towards achieving

your goals.

Remember - every

page completed is a

giant step toward

achieving success in

essay writing.

Find a friend who will practice speaking English with you and discuss together the

topics and issues that you read about in this book Of course, an English teacher will

be helpful when you need to have your essays corrected and get advice about any

errors you might be making in your writing.

At the end of each chapter there is a checklist of things to look for in your writing.

Check that you have done all these things, and, if you need to, make changes and

corrections. Finally, it is advisable to attempt the sample essay questions provided at

the end of each chapter. By completing all the exercises in this book, you are taking

positive steps towards achieving your goals. Remember - every page completed is a

giant step toward achieving success in essay writing.

terms & abbreviations

/

claim

context

diff.

discuss

eg.

essay

etc.

exposition

exam

formal language

gaps

genre

i.e.

IELTS

intro

L

match

no.

practice

proposition

p/w

Q.

R

re./ref.

recommendation

recount

structure

strategy

s.o.

s.t.

text

via

viz.

2

- alternative eg. x/y =. (x) OR (y)

- to say without proof/evidence something is true

- situation and circumstances

- different

- (1) talk about, (2) consider two or more sides

example

- type of persuasive/written text

etcetera : and so on

- factual writing eg. explanation, argument, etc.

- examination

impersonal language used in formal situations

spaces where words are missing

- type of text. eg. recount, narrative, exposition

that is

- International English Language Testing System

- introduction

- left

- put together, link

- number

- purposeful activity

- a statement or claim that may be true

- per week

- question or essay question

- right

- reference to / concerning / about

- final suggestion, advice

- retelling of past events, story about people

- form, organization into stages or steps

a way of doing s.t., a method or technique

- some one

- some thing

- a written passage, sometimes transcribed spoken

- through

- such as

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contents

The Essay INTRODUCTION

LANGUAGE LEARNINGTOPIC 1 :

Reading & Vocabulary

Grammar : Be Logical

Writing practice

Review, checklist, sample questions

WORK AND LEISURETOPIC 2 :


Grammar : Be Authoritative

Writing practice


THE ENVIRONMENTTOPIC 3 :


Grammar : Reason

Writing practice


TV & COMPUTER GAMESTOPIC 4 :


Grammar : Be Cohesive

Writing practice


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TOPIC 5 :


Grammar : Sound Reasonable

Writing practice


ANSWERS

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3

introduction

What is an essay?

The essay is a form of academic writing widely used in secondary and higher education. The

general purpose of the essay is to demonstrate the importance of a given subject or issue, and

persuade an educated reader to consider the writers point of view on the issue.

What is an exam essay? What do they examine?

Exam essays, like the IELTS Task 2, test a students ability to think analytically, present

persuasive arguments and thus communicate effectively in an academic context. In other words,

the writer should show that they can :

- answer the question, which requires the careful analysis of the question,

- present and develop logical and reasonable arguments, and

- communicate clearly, using appropriate language (vocabulary and grammar).

What are the key stages of an essay?

It is important to remember that the exam essay is a response to a given question, so it should

answer the question clearly and decisively. To this end, the writer makes their position clear

from the start, and then presents a sequence of arguments in support of their position, before

finally restating their position. These are the three key stages of any essay.

KEY STAGES

Position

INTRODUCTION

Sequence of

BODY

Arguments

Restatement

CONCLUSION

The writer states their position or opinion,

in response to the question/s.

A sequence of arguments is given to

support the writers position.

Each argument is a claim supported with

reasons, facts and examples.

The writer re-states their position to

conclude.

The staging of the essay is (in itself) a persuasive device. Statement and repeated restatement

reinforce the writers position. Depending on the number, strength and logical development of

arguments, any given essay will be more or less persuasive and more or less successful.

Most essays include a few optional stages, such as a lead-in (which introduces the topic by

providing some very general background information/ideas), and the preview stage (which

previews the arguments that will follow). A recommendation is optional, depending on the essay

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question. Though many essays will differ, in terms of optional staging, all essays display the

same key stages as above. The sample essay below illustrates a more complex staging of the

essay genre.

This essay (below) is a good example because it has a clear position statement, previews the

arguments that follow, and proceeds to develop argumentation logically and coherently. The

recommendation stage follows logically from the essay question, as the writer is required to

discuss solutions to the problem of gambling.

What are the causes, effects and possible solutions to the problem of gambling?

STAGING

GAMBLING

sample essay

Many people participate in gambling as a form of recreation and

Lead-in

POSITION

Preview

Sequence of

ARGUMENTS

1.

2.

3.

Restatement

Recommendation

entertainment. It is very popular in countries, like Australia, where more

than 20 billion dollars was spent on gambling in the year 2000. However,

gambling is viewed by many as a problem for society . There are causes,

effects and possible solutions for the problems related to gambling.

Generally speaking, there are a number of causes of gambling-related

problems. Many gamblers lose money and some get into debt very

quickly. They may spend all their savings, and then borrow more money,

to try and get out of debt. In this way, they may get into further debt.

The effects of gambling can be devastating on both the individual and

their families. If gamblers get into serious debt, their families may suffer

hardship and poverty as a result. Some gamblers neglect their children,

whom they abandon while they spend time gambling in casinos. If they

are caught, the authorities might take their children away. Still others

might take out their frustration on their friends or families, and possibly

become violent.

Solutions to the problems of gambling involve society and the

government. In general, people should try to help those with gambling

problems. The government should also place restrictions on gambling, and

run education programs, to help gambling-addicts and raise peoples

awareness and understanding of the related social problems.

In conclusion, if we understand the causes and effects of gambling, the

solutions become clear . Through education and support programs , it is

possible to give people and addicts the knowledge and assistance they

need to resist or overcome their gambling problems.

In an assessment of a candidates essay the examiner will consider (i) whether the writer

answers the question, (ii) their expression (grammatical accuracy and vocabulary), and (iii) the

cohesion of the text (including whether arguments are logically developed). Therefore, when

preparing for a writing exam, it is a good idea to practice developing arguments on many

different issues and topics.

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the language features of the essay

The language features of an essay reflect the writers purpose, namely, to persuade the reader

of their position (opinion) on a given issue. We have already mentioned that the staging of the

essay is itself a persuasive device by repeatedly stating and expanding on their arguments, the

writer is being persuasive.

The language features of an essay also reflect the persuasive strategies commonly used in

argumentation : be logical, reason effectively, sound authoritative and reasonable (dont

exaggerate), and communicate effectively (precisely and cohesively). The relevant strategies and

language features are summarised in the table below :

PERSUASIVE

STRATEGIES

1. Be LOGICAL

2. Be AUTHORITATIVE

3. REASON

4. Be COHESIVE

5. Sound REASONABLE

Language Features

CONJUNCTIONS for Listing, Addition etc.

TECHNICAL VOCABULARY & Nominalisation

Language of CAUSE and EFFECT

REFERENCE WORDS

Language of GENERALISATION

Each chapter of this book discusses one of these five persuasive strategies and relevant

language features as outlined above. In the Grammar unit of each chapter, further

explanation and exercises are provided to help the reader become more familiar with the

key language features and their effective use in writing short exam essays.


topic 1

language learning

in this chapter

learn new vocabulary and read about the topic

learn about conjunctions : being logical

learn about three types of essay question

develop ideas and write an essay on the topic

a Bizzy moment

visualise (n) to see in your mind, imagine

visualisation (n) process of imagining, in your minds eye

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reading & vocabulary

language learning

Match the word/expression with the meaning (R).

1. effectively

2. context

3. memorise

4. method

5. advantage

6. interaction

7. recommend

8. distinction

9. comparatively

10. goal

11. functional proficiency

12. depends

a) a positive thing, a benefit

b) situation, circumstances

c) way of doing s.t., technique

d) put into the memory

e) with a good effect, result

f) suggest, advise

g) exchange between two ..

h) relies on, conditional

i) purpose, aim

j) ability to function

k) clear difference

l) in comparison to s.t. else

Fill the gap using expressions from 1.1 above.

1. The main .goal. of school is preparation for life.

2. Many language tests are designed to assess

3. Success in exams, .. on how hard you work.

4. In the of the classroom, students can practice speaking.

5. One way to prepare for the test is to ..facts.

6. speaking, classroom learning is easier than self-study.

7. The best . for learning new words is using them!

8. Sallys teacher . that she does more study.

9. The discussion was a very positive .

10. One of studying abroad is making new friends.

11. The most obvious . between America and China is language.

12. Deaf people communicate using sign language.


Complete the table below, and revise vocabulary from Topic 1:

language learning.

www.text2write.com copyright Robert Lewis 9 (Adjective Noun Verb Adverb 1. study 2. 3. learnt 4. 5. ___________ 6. 7. copy ___________ 8. 9. understand 10. 11. memory/isation 12. 13. enjoyable 14. 15. 16. repetitive 17. 18. 19. 20. acquisition 21. 22. 23. 24. instruct 25. 26. 27. teach ___________ 28. 29. ___________ methodically functional/ing 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. dependently 36. interaction 37. 38. 39.. recommendation 40. ___________ contextual 41. 42. ___________ 43. advantage 44. 45. serious 46. ___________ 47. 48. 49.. text ___________ 50. proficiency 51. ___________ conversational 52. 53. ___________ 54. speech 55. ___________ necessary 56. 57. 58. )