Independent Writing Task

For this task, you will read a short prompt and then write a response explaining
whether you agree or disagree with the issue or idea. Unlike the Integrated task,
here you’ll be writing an opinionated response (though you do not have to write
about your actual opinion).

You’ll have 30 minutes to write an essay of at least 300 words. Because this

essay should be longer than the Integrated task, it’s best to use the basic five-
paragraph structure, with an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a
conclusion.

Paragraph 1 (Introduction)

In this paragraph, you’ll introduce the main issue or idea and rephrase the
prompt in your own words. Then, you’ll state whether you agree or disagree with
the statement and why.

1. For your first sentence, you’ll want to come up with a hook that introduces the
topic of your essay in a unique and creative way. Most people start broad and
then get specific. This sentence is also a great opportunity to insert a hypothetical
question.

Examples:

 There is great debate about ...

 It is said that ... But is this always true?
 Many people wonder whether telling the truth at all times is necessary in
order to maintain a healthy relationship with someone.

2. Next, introduce your opinion on the topic. You may list your specific reasons
for your opinion here or in the following sentence(s). Remember, this doesn’t need
to be your real opinion!

Examples:

 In my opinion, …
 I believe that … is important because …
 I agree/disagree with this idea/suggestion because …
 For me, although telling the truth is important, there are many cases in
which it’s OK to lie.
  

3. Here, state how many points (three is ideal) you’ll be discussing in your essay
and then briefly summarize what these reasons for agreeing or disagreeing
are. Your reasons may come from facts, predictions, personal beliefs, experiences,
etc.

Examples:

 In this essay, I will address three potential problems with lying in relationships.

 Lying is never a smart idea because it undermines trust in relationships, causes
feelings of betrayal, and often leads to more lying.

Paragraph 2 (Body)

In this paragraph, you’ll introduce your first key point about the issue and offer
specific examples illustrating why you agree or disagree.

1. For the first sentence, introduce the key point you want to talk about.

Example:

 First of all, lying can make it difficult to trust someone in a relationship.

2. Next, provide an example to explain why you believe this is the case. I

suggest using a hypothetical situation somewhere in your essay to help illustrate
one of your points.

Example:

 For example, if a father lied to his daughter by telling her she was good at drawing,
the daughter might begin to wonder whether her father has lied to her about other things,
too.

3. Continue your paragraph by elaborating on your example. Explain any effect

or consequence of the example and discuss how this outcome supports your
viewpoint.

Example:
 The next time the father praises his daughter for something, she might believe he is lying,
even if he isn’t. In other words, the daughter might find it difficult to trust her father, thereby
damaging their relationship.

Paragraph 3 (Body)

This paragraph will follow a similar structure to that of paragraph 2, only this time
you’ll discuss your second key point. To prevent this paragraph from sounding
too similar to the one before it, vary your word choice and choose a different type
of example on which to focus.

1. In the first sentence, introduce your second key point. Because this is your
second body paragraph (and second point), make sure you employ appropriate
transitions, such as “second,” “secondly,” and “next.”

Example:

 Second, lying can cause feelings of betrayal in relationships.

2. As you did in paragraph 2, use these next few sentences to elaborate on your

point and offer specific examples. Always clarify how your examples support
your stance (agree or disagree) and how they relate back to the issue stated in the
prompt.

Example:

 When I was young, I lied to my best friend about being able to attend her birthday party.
She later told me I’d betrayed her and that we couldn’t be friends anymore. Essentially,
because I’d lied to her, I destroyed our relationship.

Paragraph 4 (Body)

This is the last body paragraph in which you will introduce and explain your third
and final key point.

1. First, introduce your third point. As this is your final body paragraph, make

sure you’re using appropriate transitions, such as “finally,” “last,” “lastly,” and
“third,” to introduce your point.
 Example:

 Lastly, lying often begets more lying. This means that once you tell a lie, you will
become more likely to tell other lies.

2. As you did in paragraphs 2 and 3, elaborate on this point by providing new

evidence, details, and/or examples. Explain why this point is important and how it
supports your stance on the issue.

Example:

 If you lie but nobody knows you’ve lied, you might begin to believe it’s OK to lie. As a
result, you start to lie more and more. However, once people realize how often you
lie, they’ll likely lose all trust in you and might even decide to end their relationships with
you.

Paragraph 5 (Conclusion)

Like the Integrated Writing task, a separate concluding paragraph isn’t always
necessary here. That said, if you have time, I recommend quickly wrapping up
your points in a concise yet effective conclusion. One to three sentences should
suffice.

1. In the first sentence or two, summarize your stance and explain why you feel
this way. You may re-introduce your three main points here. You may
also paraphrase the prompt and explain once more whether you agree or disagree
with the issue and why.

Examples:

 In the end, I believe telling the truth is the most important consideration in a relationship.
 Ultimately, lying can easily destroy relationships because it weakens trust, results
in feelings of betrayal, and often causes more lying.

2. Finally, if you have time, bring together your concluding paragraph with a single
general statement about your viewpoint.

Examples:
 This is why it is imperative we always refrain from lying.
 Thus, the only way to ensure your relationships with others are healthy is to always tell the
truth.

Key Transitions & Phrases

To add information to a point, or to introduce a new (related) point:

 In addition, …
 Additionally, …
 Furthermore, …
 Moreover, …
 Besides, …
 Also, …

To introduce an example:

 For example, …
 For instance, …

To introduce an opinion:

 In my opinion, …
 I believe that …
 I think that …

To start a new body paragraph:

 First, …
 First off, …
 First of all, …
 To begin/start, …
 Second, …
 Secondly, …
 Next, …
 Third, …
 Finally, …
 Last, …
 Lastly, …
  

To add similar or related information:

 Likewise, …
 Similarly, …
 On a related note, …

To restate information in a shorter or clearer way:

 In other words, …
 In short, …
 Simply put, …
 Essentially, …
 In essence, …
 Basically, …

To contrast information:

 However, …
 That (being) said, …
 Nevertheless, …
 Nonetheless, …
 By/in contrast, …
 On the contrary, …
 On the other hand, …

To show cause and effect:

 As a result, …
 Because of this, …
 As such, …
 Consequently, …
 Therefore, …
 Thus, …
 Hence, …

To emphasize information:
 Indeed, …
 Evidently, …
 Clearly, …
 Certainly, …

To conclude information, a paragraph, or your overall response:

 In conclusion, …
 All in all, …
 As you can see, …
 In the end, …
 Ultimately, …

#1: Choose the Side That’s Easier to Support

Although the Independent Writing task asks specifically whether you agree or
disagree with an idea, you do not need to write about your real opinion. What
you should really do is choose the side that’s easier to argue — regardless of
whether you actually agree or disagree with it!

In other words, it’s perfectly OK to make things up for this response and pretend
you support something you don’t actually believe. Remember, you are not being
judged on which stance you choose but on how effectively you support your
stance.

#2: Do Not Copy Sample Sentences Word for Word

For this task’s examples, I’ve primarily supplied you with whole sentences, all of
which were based on the sample Independent Writing prompt used above.
Because our examples refer to a specific prompt, you cannot copy these sample
sentences word for word and use them in your own essay. Failing to
change these sentences means your essay won’t make a whole lot of sense, if any
at all!

Therefore, what you should actually be doing is using these example sentences to

learn what types of details to include in your Independent Writing response. You
may also use our examples to get a feel for how you can change up your
sentences and word choice.

 
#3: Vary Your Supporting Details

For your response, you must come up with specific details and examples to
support your viewpoint. These examples can range from facts and statistics to
experiences and hypothetical situations.

In order to produce a truly compelling response (and get a high essay score), you
must incorporate a variety of effective examples into your essay. This means you’ll
want to avoid using the same types of examples for each point you make. So
if you were to discuss a personal experience for your first body paragraph, focus
on a different type of detail, such as a universally accepted fact or a hypothetical
scenario, for your second body paragraph.