MASTERING WRITING (PART OF THE ALL SKILLS COURSE) — COURSE MAP

Section # Lecture # Video Details

2 19 Introduction • Welcome to the course • What you can expect from this course • The course structure

Writing an advantages-and-disadvantages essay

20 Introduction to this section • Watch a video giving an overview of what you will study in this section

21 Unit preparation — test yourself • Test yourself before you get any input from this section

22 Model answer — Analysis • Analyse a band-9 model answer

23 Writing an introduction to this essay type • Focus on techniques to write an introduction to advantages-and-disadvantages essay

24 Writing a conclusion to an essay • Focus on techniques to write a conclusion to an essay

2 25 Learner Training: Generating ideas for your essay • Learn how to generate ideas for your essay

26 Learner Training Practice: Writing Topic Sentences • What are topic sentences and how can we write them?

27 Learner Training: What is 'hedging'? • What is ‘hedging’ and why is it important to use?

28 Grammar & lexis practice: Hedging I • Practice using ‘hedging’

29 Writing Criteria for Task 2 • Learn how your grade is arrived at

30 Check your progress — compare essays • Compare what you wrote in ‘Unit preparation — test yourself’ with another piece of work.

Writing a problem-and-solution essay

47 Introduction to this section • Watch a video giving an overview of what you will study in this section

48 Unit preparation — test yourself • Test yourself before you get any input from this section

49 Model answer — Analysis • Analyse a band-9 model answer

50 Lexis: Phrases to write about solutions • Practice phrases to write about solutions

51 Lexis: Discourse markers — Contrasting ideas • Learn how to use discourse markers to talk about contrasting ideas

3 52 Lexis: Word building • Practice building verbs, nouns and adjectives from the base forms of words

53 Grammar and Lexis: Introductions • Practice writing introductions to essays

54 Grammar and Lexis: Conclusions • Practice writing conclusions to essays

 55 Grammar: Advanced explanations • Watch a video about using advanced grammar in explanations

56 Learner Training: Practice building a good paragraph • Practice building a good paragraph.

57 Check your progress — compare essays • Compare what you wrote in ‘Unit preparation — test yourself’ with another piece of work.

Writing an opinion essay

75 Introduction to this section • Watch a video giving an overview of what you will study in this section

76 Unit preparation — test yourself • Test yourself before you get any input from this section

77 Lexis: Crime and punishment • Learn vocabulary related to crime and punishment

78 Lexis: 'make', 'let' and 'allow' • Learn how to use commonly-confused words: ’make’, 'let' and 'allow'

79 Model answer — Analysis • Analyse a band-9 model answer

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80 Lexis: Degrees of opinion • Learn lexis to talk about degrees of opinion

81 Structure: Supporting Arguments & Opinions • Learn about the structure used to support arguments and opinions

82 Writing an introduction for an opinion essay • Focus on techniques to write a introduction to an opinion essay

83 Building a good main-body paragraph • Video: What is a ‘good’ main-body paragraph and how can we build one?

84 Check your progress — compare essays • Compare what you wrote in ‘Unit preparation — test yourself’ with another piece of work.

Writing a discussion essay (a type of opinion essay)

101 Introduction to this section • Watch a video giving an overview of what you will study in this section

102 Unit preparation — test yourself • Test yourself before you get any input from this section

103 Model answer — Analysis • Analyse a band-9 model answer

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104 Grammar: the passive voice and nominalisation • Learn how to make your writing more formal

105 Expressing someone else's opinion • Learn the structures that can be used to express others’ opinions

106 Check your progress — compare essays • Compare what you wrote in ‘Unit preparation — test yourself’ with another piece of work.

Writing another advantages-and-disadvantages essay

125 Introduction to this section • Watch a video giving an overview of what you will study in this section

126 Unit preparation — test yourself • Test yourself before you get any input from this section
 127 Lexis: Employment • Learn lexis to talk about jobs and work

128 Model answer — Analysis • Analyse a band-9 model answer

129 Grammar and Lexis: Hedging II • Practice using more advanced ‘hedging’

130 Grammar: Gerund phrases • Learn about gerund phrases and why they’re important
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131 Lexis: Contrasting linkers — despite / in spite of • Learn about these useful discourse markers

132 Structure: Using pronouns to link ideas • Learn how to use pronouns to link ideas and avoid repetition

133 Grammar: the passive voice II • Learn more advanced passive voice structures

134 Lexis: Strengthening adverbs • Learn about alternative ways to say 'really'

135 Lexis: Comment adverbs • Learn about using adverbs to comment on information

136 Check your progress — compare essays • Compare what you wrote in ‘Unit preparation — test yourself’ with another piece of work.

Writing another problem-and-solution essay

154 Introduction to this section • Watch a video giving an overview of what you will study in this section

155 Unit preparation — test yourself • Test yourself before you get any input from this section

156 Model answer — Analysis • Analyse a band-9 model answer

157 Lexis: Explaining why something is done • Learn lexis to explain how something is done

158 Lexis: More formal structures • Other ways of making your writing more formal
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159 Lexis: Advanced ways to write about solutions • Learn more advanced structures to talk about solutions

160 Grammar & Lexis: Developing a topic sentence • Learn structures to develop a topic sentence further

161 Grammar: The 2nd conditional • Learn how to use the 2nd conditional

162 Learner Training: Getting feedback • Learn how to get feedback from the work you produce

163 Check your progress — compare essays • Compare what you wrote in ‘Unit preparation — test yourself’ with another piece of work.

Writing another opinion essay

181 Introduction to this section • Watch a video giving an overview of what you will study in this section

182 Unit preparation — test yourself • Test yourself before you get any input from this section
 183 Lexis: Qualifying your opinion • Learn lexis to explain your opinion better

184 Lexis: Giving an opinion about future trends • Learn lexis to explain your opinion about the future

185 Model answer — Analysis • Analyse a band-9 model answer

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186 Lexis: Instead (of) • Learn how to use instead (of) properly

187 Grammar: Relative clauses • Learn about relative clauses and how to use them

188 Learner Training: Error checking • Learn how to identify and fix your own errors

189 Grammar: Noun phrases • Learn about and practice using noun phrases

190 Check your progress — compare essays • Compare what you wrote in ‘Unit preparation — test yourself’ with another piece of work.

Task 1: Graphs and charts with a trend (IELTS for Academic ONLY)

208 Introduction to this section • Watch a video giving an overview of what you will study in this section

209 Writing Criteria for Task 1 (Academic) • Learn how your grade is arrived at

210 Unit preparation — test yourself • Test yourself before you get any input from this section

211 Grammar and Lexis: Re-wording the introduction • Learn how to re-word the introduction

212 Writing an overview for a graph • Learn how to write an overview for a graph

213 Lexis: Verbs and adverbs for describing changes • Learn lexis to explain changes that take place
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214 Model answer — Analysis • Analyse a band-9 model answer

215 Grammar and Lexis: Joining two changes together • Learn the structures that can be used to talk about changes

216 Grammar: Prepositions for Task 1 • Practice the commonly used prepositions in Task 1

217 Lexis: Commenting on data in a graph • Learn lexis to comment on the data in a graph

218 Grammar: Writing about graphs with a future trend • Practice the future forms needed for Task 1

219 Check your progress — compare essays • Compare what you wrote in ‘Unit preparation — test yourself’ with another piece of work.

Task 1: Comparative graphs (IELTS for Academic ONLY)

236 Introduction to this section • Watch a video giving an overview of what you will study in this section

237 Unit preparation — test yourself • Test yourself before you get any input from this section
 238 Grammar: Comparative structures • Revise the comparative forms

239 Lexis: Describing numbers • Learn lexis to describe advanced numbering

10 240 Model answer — Analysis • Analyse a band-9 model answer

241 Lexis: Numerical comparatives • Learn lexis to compare numerical data

242 Lexis: Ranking information • Learn lexis to rank information

243 Learner Training: Dealing with more than one graph • Learn how to deal with tasks which have more than one graph

244 Check your progress — compare essays • Compare what you wrote in ‘Unit preparation — test yourself’ with another piece of work.

Task 1: Processes (IELTS for Academic ONLY)

261 Introduction to this section • Watch a video giving an overview of what you will study in this section

262 Unit preparation — test yourself • Test yourself before you get any input from this section

263 Model answer — Analysis • Analyse a band-9 model answer

264 Grammar: The Present simple passive • Practice using the Present simple passive

11 265 Lexis: Linking stages together • Practice lexis to join stages together

266 Grammar: Using relative clauses • Learn to use relative clauses to give extra information about a stage

267 Writing the introduction and overview • Learn how to write an introduction and overview for a process

268 Describing a process: Further practice • Compare your work to another student’s

269 Check your progress — compare essays • Compare what you wrote in ‘Unit preparation — test yourself’ with another piece of work.

Task 1: Maps (IELTS for Academic ONLY)

285 Introduction to this section • Watch a video giving an overview of what you will study in this section

286 Unit preparation — test yourself • Test yourself before you get any input from this section

287 Lexis & Grammar: Describing changes • Learn how to describe changes in physical places

12 288 Lexis: Nominalisation and noun phrases for maps • Practice formal structures to talk about maps

289 Model answer — Analysis • Analyse a band-9 model answer

290 Describing a map: Further practice • Compare your work to another student’s
 291 Check your progress — compare essays • Compare what you wrote in ‘Unit preparation — test yourself’ with another piece of work.

Task 1: Letters (IELTS for General Training ONLY)

309 Introduction to this section • Watch a video giving an overview of what you will study in this section

310 Writing criteria for Task 1 General Training • Learn how your grade is arrived at

311 Letter writing: The task and planning • Learn how to understand the task and plan

312 Letter writing: Paragraphing and salutations • Learn how use paragraphs and the correct salutations

313 Letter writing: Formality and opening statements • Learn how select the correct tone and write opening statements

314 Writing a letter of complaint • Practice writing a letter of complaint

315 Writing a letter of request • Practice writing a letter of request

316 Writing a letter of advice • Practice writing a letter of advice

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317 Writing a letter of instruction • Practice writing a letter of instruction

318 Writing a letter of recommendation • Practice writing a letter of recommendation

319 Writing an application letter • Practice writing an application letter

320 Writing a letter of apology • Practice writing a letter of apology

321 Writing a thank-you letter • Practice writing a thank-you letter

322 Writing a letter of acceptance • Practice writing a letter of acceptance

323 Writing a letter of resignation • Practice writing a letter of resignation

324 Writing a letter to a friend • Practice writing a letter to a friend