Practice activity 6.2: Understanding different essay types
You might need to write a number of different kinds of essay for IELTS Task 2. Here is a list of
some common vocabulary used in IELTS Task 2 questions. Can you put the words in the right
places to complete this description?
In the IELTS Task 2 essay, you may be asked to 1 or 2
with an opinion. You may also be asked to discuss cause and 3 or
give 4 to a 5
In some cases you might have to compare and 6 two things
or judge which is one is better. In all cases you will need to 7 your
opinions with explanations or 8
A typical IELTS Task 2 question will look like this:
Every year there are reports of serious injuries that occur not only to professional sports
people but also to young amateurs playing sports like football and ice hockey. Are some
sports simply too dangerous?
It is important for you to identify the key words that tell you the topic and what type of
essay you should write. Here is the question again with the key words highlighted:
Every year there are reports of serious injuries that occur not only to professional sports
people but also young amateurs playing sports like football and ice hockey. Are some
sports simply too dangerous?
Once you have made sure you understand the question, you should brainstorm some ideas.
For this task, your ideas can be divided into FOR andAGAINST:
It's also a good idea to brainstorm some relevant vocabulary.
Once you have your ideas, you can organise them into an appropriate structure.
An essay has three basic parts:
INTRODUCTION
BODY
CONCLUSION
Your introduction can be only two or three sentences. You should begin with a general
statement, then state your position. Your body is the main part of your essay and must have at
least two paragraphs, each with a central topic. Your conclusion can be only one or two sentences,
restating your position from the introduction or summarising your arguments from the body.
It is a good idea to make a quick outline ofwhat you plan to write. Here is a possible outline
for the example essay question above:
INTRODUCTION
- general statement about sports
- opinion: yes, some sports too dangerous
BODY PARAGRAPH 1
- can cause serious injuries
- especially bad for young people
BODY PARAGRAPH 2
- not necessary - plenty of other sports
- times change
Now you are ready to write your essay. Here is an example of a very good answer to the essay question above:
Participating in a sport can have a wide array of physical and mental benefits. However,
many sports can also carry the risk of injury, ranging from mild to severe. With some
sports this risk is simply too great and outweighs the benefits of playing.
Every year there are reports of serious injuries or even deaths caused from participating
in sports such as boxing, ice hockey and motor racing. Serious injuries occur not just at the
elite professional level but also at the amateur Level. Head injuries are the biggest potential
threat, and even seemingly minor head injuries have been shown to Lead to brain damage
later in Life. This is a particular problem for young sportsmen and women whose brains
might still be developing, and in many cases we might not realise the damage that has
been done until many years Later. This is an unacceptable risk.
As well as being unacceptable, it is also unnecessary. There are plenty of other sports
that people can play in order to obtain the same health benefits as these other, more
dangerous, sports. Although some might argue that we need to respect the tradition behind
these sports, many traditional habits and customs have been abandoned as our knowledge
of health and safety has developed over time.
In short, there is no reason for professional sports people - and certainly not for
young amateurs - to put their lives on the line playing outdated and violent sports. While
everything in life carries some risk, it should be kept at a reasonable level. These sports
and their unreasonable levels of risk should be abandoned.
(268 words)
After you have written your essay, it is time to go back and edit your work. Try to leave at
least a few minutes for editing.You'll be surprised by how many simple grammar, punctuation
and spelling errors you can pick up, and these simple errors can affect your result.
|
Bình luận