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IELTS Writing

Task 2

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  • It is a short essay for an educated reader
  • You have to give your opinion and write a clear argument or discussion. You must support your ideas with relevant evidence and examples
  • Your writing should be in a formal, academic style
  • You should write 250 words in no more than 40 minutes

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task requirement

background info

specific question

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Background information

  • includes the topic
  • presents a viewpoint

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Background information

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Practice

Artists need a certain amount of freedom to develop their creativity. Some people think that artists should have total freedom to express any thoughts and ideas.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

The reason that most individuals are in debit is due to the overuse as well as irresponsible use of credit cards. Banks should not issue credit cards unless they are completely sure of an individual’s ability to pay back their debits.

To what extent do you agree with this?

Communication through text messaging and other instant forms of online communication are short and basic. Some people think this will be the death of grammar and spelling.

Do you agree or disagree?

Discipline is an ever increasing problem in modern schools. Some people think that discipline should be the responsibility of teachers, while others think that this is the role of parents.

Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

Many countries apply to be the host of an international sporting competition, such as the Olympics, but only one is ever chosen.

What are the benefits for a country of hosting an international sports competition?

Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

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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Specific question types

  • argument
  • problem-solution
  • discussion

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GIVE YOUR OPINION AND SUPPORT IT

Artists need a certain amount of freedom to develop their creativity. Some people think that artists should have total freedom to express any thoughts and ideas.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Communication through text messaging and other instant forms of online communication are short and basic. Some people think this will be the death of grammar and spelling.

Do you agree or disagree?

The reason that most individuals are in debit is due to the overuse as well as irresponsible use of credit cards. Banks should not issue credit cards unless they are completely sure of an individual’s ability to pay back their debits.

To what extent do you agree with this?

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DISCUSS BOTH SIDES AND CONCLUDE WITH YOUR OPINION

Discipline is an ever increasing problem in modern schools. Some people think that discipline should be the responsibility of teachers, while others think that this is the role of parents.

Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

Many countries apply to be the host of an international sporting competition, such as the Olympics, but only one is ever chosen.

What are the benefits for a country of hosting an international sports competition?

Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

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OBVIOUSLY:

PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS

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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Planning

  • relevant ideas
  • viewpoint development

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Practice

Artists need a certain amount of freedom to develop their creativity. Some people think that artists should have total freedom to express any thoughts and ideas.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

The reason that most individuals are in debit is due to the overuse as well as irresponsible use of credit cards. Banks should not issue credit cards unless they are completely sure of an individual’s ability to pay back their debits.

To what extent do you agree with this?

Communication through text messaging and other instant forms of online communication are short and basic. Some people think this will be the death of grammar and spelling.

Do you agree or disagree?

Discipline is an ever increasing problem in modern schools. Some people think that discipline should be the responsibility of teachers, while others think that this is the role of parents.

Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

Many countries apply to be the host of an international sporting competition, such as the Olympics, but only one is ever chosen.

What are the benefits for a country of hosting an international sports competition?

Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

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?

  • brainstorm the plan

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Planning

  • brainstorm the ideas
  • group them
  • add examples

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  • you DON'T always have to discuss both sides!!!!!!

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Structure

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Structure

  • introduction
  • body (2-3 paragraphs)
  • conclusion

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Structure for Argument essays

  • introduction
  • body (2-3 paragraphs)
  • conclusion
  • introduce the topic. You MAY state your point of view
  • provide 2-3 arguments with examples and evidence to support your viewpoint
  • give a summary of the discussion and strongly restate your viewpoint

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  • find signpost words to contrast information
  • find signpost words to show time order

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Structure for Discussion essays

  • introduction
  • body (2-3 paragraphs)
  • conclusion
  • introduce the topic. You MAY state your point of view
  • discuss BOTH sides of the issue. State pros and cons
  • give a summary of the discussion and state your viewpoint

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  • find signpost words to order information
  • find signpost words to contrast information

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Structure for Problem-Solution essays

  • introduction
  • body (2-3 paragraphs)
  • conclusion
  • identify the problem, show that there are solutions
  • discuss the problem. discuss solutions
  • overview the problem and summarise the solutions

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Structure

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Intro

  • gives a general statement about the topic
  • refers to the viewpoint or a problem presented in the question
  • refers to the specific question

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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?

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.

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Practice

Artists need a certain amount of freedom to develop their creativity. Some people think that artists should have total freedom to express any thoughts and ideas.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

The reason that most individuals are in debit is due to the overuse as well as irresponsible use of credit cards. Banks should not issue credit cards unless they are completely sure of an individual’s ability to pay back their debits.

To what extent do you agree with this?

Communication through text messaging and other instant forms of online communication are short and basic. Some people think this will be the death of grammar and spelling.

Do you agree or disagree?

Discipline is an ever increasing problem in modern schools. Some people think that discipline should be the responsibility of teachers, while others think that this is the role of parents.

Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

Many countries apply to be the host of an international sporting competition, such as the Olympics, but only one is ever chosen.

What are the benefits for a country of hosting an international sports competition?

Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

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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Paragraphs

  • topic sentence introducing the main idea
  • sentences to support the main idea
  • evidence/examples

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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.

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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.

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Topic sentence

  • introduce the main idea of the paragraph
  • link the paragraph to the question
  • link the paragraph to other paragraphs

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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.

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Evidence/examples

  • explanation of the idea
  • data from a research study
  • a quotation from a critic

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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.

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Conclusion

  • summarise the ideas
  • give your point of view
  • I believe that
  • I think that
  • I feel that
  • It is my opinion that
  • To sum up
  • To conclude
  • In short
  • In brief
  • In summary

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Reviewing

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Reviewing

  • presentation
  • content
  • language

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Presentation

  • one idea per paragraph
  • neat handwriting
  • neat corrections
  • added words (v) or sentences (*)

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Content

  • word length
  • clear and relevant points
  • evidence and examples

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Language

  • grammar
  • vocabulary
  • punctuation and spelling
  • style

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Assessment

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Assessment

  • task response
  • coherence and cohesion
  • lexical resource
  • grammatical range

logic

connectors