Ielts Writing

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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

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
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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

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contents

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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

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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

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?

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Many people participate in gambling as a form of recreation and

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 :

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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

a Bizzy moment

visualise (n) to see in your mind, imagine


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

reading & vocabulary


language learning

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


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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.

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Adjective

Noun

Verb

Adverb

1.
learnt

study
4.

2.
5.

3.

6.

7.

copy

8.
11.

9.
memory/isation

understand
12.

10.
13.

enjoyable
repetitive

14.
17.

15.
18.

16.
19.

20.

acquisition

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22.

23.
26.

24.
27.

instruct
teach

25.
___________

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29.

functional/ing
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30.
34.

31.
35.

32.
dependently

36.

interaction

37.

38.

39..
contextual

recommendation
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40.
42.

43.
serious

advantage
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44.
___________

48.

49..

text

___________

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conversational

proficiency
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51.
53.

___________
___________

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speech

55.

___________

necessary

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57.

___________

___________

___________

methodically

___________
___________
45.
47.

58.

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