ESSAY WRITING
Useful language
Introduction Phrases
 It is often said that ...
 ….is a hotly-debated topic that often divides
opinion.
 ….is a topic that is often discussed but rarely
solved.
 Many people feel that ...
 We live in an age when many of us are…
 More and more families/people are choosing
to …
 The trend nowadays is towards +ing
 Over the past/last ten years or so, …
 Recent research indicates that the number of
…is increasing.
 Statistics indicate that---
 Hardly a week goes by without another
report of .. appearing in the media. This
raises the issue of whether ……………..
 Although most people would generally agree
that …………… few
Language for topic sentences
First Paragraph
 …. clearly/undoubtedly has an impact on…
 It is common knowledge that… plays a
crucial role in…
 It is undoubtedly the case that…
 There is little doubt that…
 … is widely believed to contribute to…
 It is generally considered that…
 Recent research suggests that…
 Studies have shown that… has an
impact/influence on…
 Few people would contest/dispute the fact
that…
Second Paragraph
 Another factor to consider is…
 On the other hand/In contrast…
 It is often claimed that…
 All the evidence suggests that…
Language for supporting ideas
 For example,
 For instance,
 An obvious example of this is…
 A clear example of this is…
 This is illustrated by…
 As a case in point…
Language for conclusions
 In light of the above,
 Taking all this into consideration/account,…
 As far as I am concerned, / in my opinion, /
as I see it, etc.
 … is the most effective way to… due to the
fact that…
 Despite the fact that… undoubtedly plays a
role in… I firmly believe that… is more
effective due to the fact that… its
advantages outnumber/ outweigh those
ADVANCED GRAMMAR
 Inversions: Not only is/do…..but also…
Rarely/seldom do people….
 Conditionals: Were these recommendations
to be implemented/ Had they known about/
if they happen to…/ If he should have any…
 Double comparatives: The cheaper the….,
the more popular…
 Participle clauses: Being a keen shopper
myself,… Having bought many products
online,….
 Subjunctive: It is vital that should be / I
recommend that  should be done…/
would rather/ sooner
 Advanced linkers: Despite the fact that….,
….. due to the fact that, with a view to/ in
the light of …./ given….
 Relative clauses: reason for which…./
students whose work ought to be
assessed/ ,which would be paramount to….
FORMAL VOCABULARY
 Longer words with origins in Latin
eg: is because (+ informal) VS is attributable
to (+ formal) / ask for(+ informal) VS
enquire about (+ formal) VS choose(+
informal) VS opt for (+ formal)
Bear in mind (+ informal) / be taken into
consideration (+ formal)
 Abstract nouns rather than verbs
Make a reservation (instead of book)
Offer assistance (instead of help)
Make a complaint (instead of complain)
Express your dissatisfaction (instead of be
unhappy)
 No idiomatic expressions or phrasal verbs
go up (informal) VS increase ( + formal)
take part in (+ informal) VS participate in (+
formal)
 Replace emotive language
Adore/ be elated be satisfied with
Be great be satisfactory
Feel overwhelmed appear unable to cope/
Handle/ manage/
Fantastic valuable/ profitable/ positive/
beneficial