ESSAY
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General information
Discuss a question or topic.
You're given three areas and you must discuss two
of them, and three opinions which you can use if
you wish.
Organise your answer in a logical way using
paragraphs and linking words appropriately.
Explain which of the two points is more important,
and to give reasons for your opinion
Use a formal style and objective tone
Useful Language
Making statements
It is clear that ... | On the whole, it appears/seems
that ... | We must take into account the fact that
.... | It goes without saying that ... | It is important
to remember that ...
Examples and expanding ideas
This means that ... | This is largely due to ... | For
example/For instance, | In other words, ... | Take,
for example, the situation in ...
Listing arguments
Firstly/In the first place / To begin with, |
Secondly/A second area to consider is | Another
point to remember is | Finally, | In conclusion, |
Last but not least,
Evaluating ideas
I think it is true that ... | I totally disagree/agree with
the point that… | It is questionable whether … | I
doubt whether … | It is true that ... On the other
hand, ... | While nobody can deny that ... , I would
like to point out that … | I agree that …However, ... |
Although it is true that ..., we must remember that
... | It could be argued that … However, I would like
to point out that ... | Despite all the arguments, I still
feel that ... | Notwithstanding the claim that ... , I
would argue that… | It may be true that ... , but all
too often ... | In no way can I agree that ... | Surely it
is completely unacceptable that ...
Taken and adapted from: Gold Advanced, Complete Advanced,
Strategy
Read the task carefully and underline key words.
Deal with two of the three topic areas listed.
Make a plan to make sure you cover all the points.
Brainstorm ways to express your ideas and the quotes (in
your own words) in the task using advanced grammar
Avoid repeating words.
Read your essay for mistakes.
Make sure your opinion is clearly in your answer and that
your arguments support your opinion.
Take about 45 minutes to do the whole task.
Concluding
To sum up, ... | In conclusion, ... | All things considered, ... |
Taking everything into consideration, ... | Weighing up both
sides of the argument, ... | The advantages outweigh the
disadvantages. | On the whole, ... | By and large, ... | In
general, ... | Finally, it is important to remember/must be
remembered that.... | On balance,... | All in all, I think that
... | In conclusion, the facts suggest...
Other structures
X clearly/undoubtedly has an impact on...| It is common
knowledge that X plays a crucial role in... | It is undoubtedly
the case that... | There is little doubt that... | X is widely
believed to contribute to | It is generally considered
that... | Recent research suggests that... | Studies have
shown that X has an impact/influence on... | Few people
would contest/dispute the fact that...
Sample Layout
Title (optional)
Paragraph 1:
State the topic clearly, give a brief outline of the issue,
saying why it is important or why people have different
opinions about it. DO NOT express your opinion.
Paragraph 2:
State the main idea in a topic sentence. Include examples,
controversial or surprising statements, drawbacks + possible
solutions... to support your idea.
Paragraph 3:
State the main idea in a topic sentence. Include examples,
rhetorical questions, controversial or surprising statements,
drawbacks+solutions... to support your idea.
Paragraph 4:
A conclusion: which is better + reasons