A12

Writing an essay

e Writing an essay
Using links and markers
When you are writing an essay that asks you
to discuss a topic or give your opinion on a
question, it is important to organize your
thoughts and present your arguments
clearly and to plan the structure of your
essay before you start to write.

EXERCISE 1

In the list below are phrases that you can

use to guide your readers through your
essay. Which phrases could be used for
each type of paragraph? Put a number
15 next to each of the expressions.

1 Introduce the topic

(say why it is important now)
2 Give one point of view, in support of the
argument, with reasons
3 Give more information or arguments
4 Give a contrasting or different view
5 Conclude (give your own opinion or
interpretation of the facts)

in conclusion (5)
furthermore
recently
moreover
consequently
as a result
therefore
on the other hand

nevertheless
to sum up
however
in addition
finally
while
nowadays (1)

EXERCISE 2

Dont repeat yourself say it another way.

In the lists on the right, you will
find expressions that can be
used to link your ideas together
and give your paper a structure.
Using these phrases will improve
the style of your writing, and
your language will be more
varied as a result. Match up an
expression on the left with one
on the right, so that you have
pairs of phrases with similar
meanings. The first one has been
done for you as an example.

compared with
affect sth drastically
obviously
in particular
appreciate
moreover
whereas
is a significant factor
in contrast
a cross section
as a result
grave difficulties

serious problems
in comparison with
furthermore
plays an important role
especially
have a devastating impact on sth
consequently
while
clearly
on the other hand
a representative group
value

Planning and writing an essay

Read the question or title carefully

to make sure that you understand what

exactly is required.

For many longer essays, you are given

a topic to discuss. For these you should

present more than one point of view on
the subject, and support each point with
arguments or examples.
Now look at the following assignment:
Genetic engineering brings with it more
dangers than benefits and should be
banned worldwide. Discuss.

Brainstorming
Quickly note down some ideas on the topic
as you think of them. Then write down
some vocabulary that you know you will
need to write about this subject. If you are
allowed to use a dictionary, check the
spelling and grammar patterns now so that
you can refer to your list quickly when you
have begun to write your essay. Look at the
next page for an example of brainstorming.

 recent advances in science

new possibilities
unknown dangers
designer babies
new cures for diseases
cloning humans political purposes
religious concerns
interfering with nature
banning impractical impossible to
regulate
cant go back
VOCABULARY

genes
clone
modify
incurable
therapy
hereditary diseases

genetics
scientific
scientists
conduct research
possibility of doing sth
interfere with sth

Genetic engineering brings with it more

dangers than benefits and should be
banned worldwide. Discuss.
___________ , advances in science have
demonstrated to us that things that
once seemed possible only in science
fiction could become a reality. The cloning
of a sheep brought the possibility of
using genetic engineering to create new
organs, or even whole human beings, one
step closer.
Some people consider this to be a
dangerous development, and believe that
all such research should be banned.
Interfering with nature in this way could
bring with it dangers that none of us can
imagine. We have no idea how an
artificially-created person might behave,
or indeed how he or she might suffer.
___________ , we may find ourselves in a
position which we do not like, but which we
are unable to reverse.
___________ , many people would say it is
not for human beings to decide what
other human beings should be like. It is
not only people with deep religious beliefs

EXERCISE 3

A13

Now think about the structure of your

essay. Look at the structure suggested
in Exercise 1 and put the paragraph
number against each of the arguments
in the example above, according to
where you think it fits into the plan
suggested:
recent advances in science
new possibilities
paragraph 1
unknown dangers
paragraph 2

EXERCISE 4

Look at the final version of the essay.

Using the expressions from Exercises 1
and 2, fill in the blanks with
appropriate links.

who feel that it is wrong, for example, for

parents to choose whether their baby will
be a boy or a girl, or have blue eyes or
musical talent. The idea of a political
regime cloning its citizens until it has the
right sort of population for its purposes
is even more horrific.
___________ , the latest research in
genetics has also opened up the
possibility of new treatment for many
diseases which up to now have been
incurable. If it were possible to prevent a
baby from developing a hereditary
disease by modifying genes, should we
stop the scientists? If doctors could
replace a diseased organ with a new one
grown from cells, should it not be allowed?
___________ , I believe that genetic
engineering has the potential to be both
a huge benefit and a terrible curse for
humankind. To make sure we benefit from
it, it will be necessary to control it very
strictly. The real challenge will be to find
ways of monitoring the research that is
conducted in laboratories all over the
world and to make sure that it is only
used for the good of everyone.

Writing an essay

IDEAS

Writing a report

If you are asked to write a report,

for example, analyzing the results of
some research, summarizing articles, or
interpreting statistics, your aim should be
to present facts clearly so that the reader
will understand the main points quickly.

Writing an essay

A14

Look at the report below and notice how

the information is divided up using

headings.
The style of a report is impersonal: it is
not important who the writer is or what
his or her opinion is.
Notice whether you are told who the
reader is. This will help you decide how
much you need to explain.

Aim
The objective of the survey was to find
out whether shopping habits have
changed since the building of the new
suburban mall at Lakewater, and to
identify trends for the future.
Method
The survey targeted four groups of
people: (A) downtown residents, (B)
suburban residents up to three miles
from the center of town, (C) business
owners in the central area of town,
and (D) merchants in the new mall.
Shoppers received one questionnaire,
while merchants received another.
Researchers visited 50 homes in the
center of town and 50 in the suburbs as
well as a cross section of stores in both
locations.
Results
shoppers
75% of all residents said that they had
been to the new mall at least twice
during the last month. Of these, the
majority were from group B. Among the
most popular reasons cited for shopping
at Lakewater instead of downtown were
the ample free parking there compared
with the difficulties of parking in the
center of town and the convenience of
having a large number of stores in one
location in the mall. Families in
particular mentioned the Lakewater
childrens play area as an important
advantage.

In many reports, the important

information involves numbers.

Read the report again and find
out what these expression refer to:
50+50
four
5%
twice

two thirds
75%
a half
three

eight out of ten

the majority
a large majority

Your style of writing will not be personal,

but it need not be boring. Vary your
language so that you do not overuse the
same expressions. Think of other ways
of saying the words and phrases that are
written in dark type in the report below.
Look at Dont repeat yourself in
Exercise 2 if you need help.
In contrast, two thirds of those questioned
in group A reported that they valued the
convenience of being able to walk to the
stores. Eight out of ten of the older
shoppers surveyed said that their daily
shopping trip was their only contact with
other people. Moreover, they preferred
the personal attention of the smaller
stores compared with the anonymous
atmosphere of the larger outlets. They
were, however, concerned that prices
were increasing.
merchants
The merchants in town have seen
business drop off by up to a half, whereas
Lakewater businesses have recorded a
steady increase in sales over the year.
When asked whether they viewed the
future with optimism, a large majority
of group D replied positively, while only
5% of group C said that they expected to
see a growth in their business in the
coming year.
Conclusions
The opening of Lakewater mall has
clearly had a devastating effect on
downtown shopping, and this trend
seems set to continue. Parking problems
downtown have been a significant factor
in changing peoples habits. Mobile,
better-off consumers are deserting the
main street for the new mall, leaving
downtown merchants to rely on the
business of local residents, particularly
the elderly and those without cars. As a
result, many long-established businesses
now face grave difficulties.