EXAM FILE: WRITING

Essay useful language

Example question introduction
In your English class you have been talking about whether museums are Is this really true?
important in life today. Now your English teacher has asked you to write an
essay for homework. There are arguments for and against the idea.
Write your essay using all the notes and giving reasons for your point of view. It’s a difficult question to answer.
‘Museums are not necessary nowadays because we can find all information we introducing ideas
need on the internet.’ Do you agree?
One benefit of … is …
Notes
An advantage of … is …
Write about:
On the other hand, …
• bringing history to life
• school trips Of course, not all museums …

• (your own idea) Another potential advantage is …

Write 140–190 words. expanding points
Introduce the One reason for this is that …
Example answer
topic and catch This is because …
the reader’s
Some people say museums are not necessary nowadays In fact, …
interest with
because all the information is on the internet, but is this
a rhetorical Without a doubt …
true? There are arguments on both sides. question. Clearly this is …
Firstly, museums give visitors the opportunity to experience adding and contrasting ideas
Start each new
real things from the past, and it’s impossible to get the
point clearly. Moreover, …
same benefit from looking up facts online. Without a doubt,
museums bring history to life. There are also museums about In addition to this, …
Organise ideas
science, space travel and so on, where visitors can touch However, this is not always true.
and paragraphs
interactive exhibits and get a real understanding of things
well using Although it seems that …
that affect life today. linking words
Despite this …
and phrases.
In addition to this, teachers often organise school trips to writing a conclusion
museums. Clearly this is a very valuable experience for
Make sure you To sum up, …
students, as they learn a lot outside the classroom with their
include an idea
friends, and talking about the trip is very motivating. On balance, …
of your own
in a separate In conclusion, …
On the other hand, museums can be expensive to visit,
paragraph.
although some are free. However, museums are obviously
good value for money, as they provide more accurate
Give your own Over to you
information than the internet, which can be unreliable. opinion in the Now write your own answer to the task. Make sure
conclusion. that you include everything required in the task
On balance, I would say that museums are not only and use the Exam Help to check your work.
necessary nowadays, but are enjoyable places to visit. We
would miss them if they disappeared.

Exam help
• Start your essay with a short paragraph introducing the topic. End with
a conclusion.
• Focus on one idea in each of the three middle paragraphs. Make sure you
include a new idea of your own.
• Use a formal or semi-formal style with a range of vocabulary and linking words.
• Don’t write fewer than 140 words because you won’t be able to include all
the ideas you should. Don’t write more than 190 words because you may
include ideas that are not relevant.
• Make sure you check your work for grammar or spelling mistakes.

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