03. With a partner, discuss how the italicised words in each B statement might change your approach to the question when compared to the A statement.

1

A. People today are more concerned with owning material possessions than with developing friendships and family relationships.

B. People today are only concerned with material possessions, even if it has negative effects on friendships and family relationships.

2

A. Levels of consumer debt are increasing across the world. To address this, a new subject should be introduced in secondary schools: how to manage personal finances.

B. Levels of consumer debt are increasing dramatically across the world. To address this, a new compulsory subject must be introduced in all secondary schools: how to manage personal finances.

Suggested Answer

1

The A statement asks you to evaluate if, how much, and why people in today's society value their possessions over their friendships.

The B statement is more confrontational, with a more pessimistic slant; it asks you to consider if people value their possessions so much that they are willing to sacrifice their relationships with family and friends. While the first question asks you to weigh up this statement, the second requires you to discuss whether the issue is black-and-white.

2

There is a greater sense of urgency in the B statement - 'increasing dramatically' - and a suggestion that we have little choice but to force students all over the world to learn how to be financially responsible - 'a new compulsory subject must be introduced in all secondary schools'. The first statement allows you more room to consider when and how the matter should be addressed. Again, the B statement is less equivocal than the A statement.

WRITING AN INTRODUCTION

04. Read the exam task and the introductions (1-4). Match each one with the teacher's comments about them (a-d).

People today are more concerned with owning material possessions than with developing friendships and family relationships.
To what extent do you agree with this statement?

1. It has been argued that in today’s world, everybody spends more of their time preoccupied with what they buy and less concerned with maintaining close ties with the people around them.

2. It is said that people today are more concerned with owning material possessions than with developing friendships and family relationships. In this essay I will explain the extent to which I agree with this idea.

3. I agree with the statement and in this essay I will explain why.

4. It has been suggested that these days we tend to prioritise the accumulation of possessions over the development of relationships with those closest to us. Whilst there is some truth in the assertion that the world has become more materialistic, it is not necessarily true that this is at the cost of our loved ones.

05. Look at the following plans for three essays for the task in exercise 4 (main body only, introduction and conclusion missing). Discuss with a partner how each essay differs in its overall approach to answering the question.

Sample answers

Essay Type 1 is a more conventional, balanced essay. The first paragraph presents arguments that agree, the second - arguments that disagree. In a balanced essay like this, candidates often write an introduction that presents the topic, but do not state their opinion until the conclusion. However, it is also good practice to state your opinion in the introduction in case you run out of time in the exam.

Essay Type 2 is a plan for an essay that agrees more than it disagrees. Over the first two paragraphs, the writer intends to make three main points to express this agreement. The third paragraph discusses two opposing arguments. It is likely that the conclusion - and the introduction - will both express the fact that the writer is broadly in agreement with the statement given.

In Essay Type 3 the writer intends to show their strong disagreement with the statement. In the first paragraph, they plan to provide two strong main points to support their disagreement. In the second paragraph, they plan to discuss two possible arguments that do agree with the statement but with the explicit intention of arguing that they are incorrect, rather than simply presenting them and expressing disagreement in the conclusion.

06. For this next Agree/Disagree question, read the arguments that a candidate has written for their essay. For each argument, write A if the argument is in favour of the statement, and write D if the argument is against it. Ignore the numbered gaps for now.

Levels of consumer debt are increasing across the world. To address this, a new compulsory subject should be introduced in secondary schools: how to manage personal finances. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

1. , given the growing amount of individual debt around the world, there is no better time to learn about the negative effects of personal debt than at school. Students would be less likely to borrow what they could not afford, and more likely to stay in credit when they reach adulthood.

2. , I believe that teaching teenagers how to manage their money within the school curriculum would be vital in allowing them to become financially independent, even before the age of 18. They would feel more confident in being able to control their daily or monthly expenditure, and less reliant entirely on their parents for support or 'top-up' money.

3. , some would argue that teenagers are often too immature to become truly financially responsible, and so the classes would be a waste of teaching time.

4. Others point out that teaching the concept of financial responsibility as a new subject would unfairly favour those students who are good at maths, and even that it would be just another way for them to get the best grades.

5. , in my experience, neither of these last two points are particularly valid. Most teenagers are keen to become financially independent as soon as they possibly can, while even the best mathematicians can experience difficulties with money at some point.

07. Read the arguments in exercise 6 again and discuss the questions. Note that there is no introduction or conclusion for this essay yet.

1. How many arguments agree with the essay question and how many disagree?

Agree:

Disagree:

2. Are the arguments in a logical order or would you reorder them?

3. How would you group the arguments in paragraphs?

4. Look again at the three essay plans in exercise 5. Which essay type is this: 1, 2 or 3?

5. How do you think the candidate will summarise their position in their conclusion?

Suggested answer: The candidate seems to agree strongly - see how the strength of their opinion is presented when they disagree with the counterarguments: 'in my experience, neither of these points are particularly valid' - so the likeliest option is a.