ARE TRAINING COURSES AND EDUCATION A WASTE OF MONEY

2. Are training courses and education a waste of money?

Apparently there is a model essay for this question which only addresses the second

sub-topic. I think that would be a mistake; you should try to answer all parts of the

question.

In this case, the two sub-topics help you because they tell you what you should write

about in your two main body paragraphs. Always study the question carefully, and

make sure you know exactly what it is asking you to do!

The examiners' band descriptor sheet states that a band 7 essay "presents a clear

position throughout the response".

A "clear position" means that your opinion must be clear (if the question asks for it),

and "throughout the response" means from the beginning to the end of your essay.

For this reason, it's a bad idea to save your opinion for the conclusion. We don't like

'surprise conclusions' in English academic writing. Instead, you should state your

position in the introduction, support it in your main paragraphs, and repeat or

summarise it in the conclusion.

In

conclusion'. Look at the following introduction and conclusion for an essay about

whether it is better for students to work alone or in a group:

U

Introduction

U

People have different views about the most effective way for students to work. While

there are some advantages to studying alone, I personally believe that group work is

usually more productive.

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U

Conclusion

U

In conclusion, both individual and group study can be useful under different

circumstances, but I generally prefer to work with others as part of a team.

Notice that my 'position' is clear in the introduction, so the conclusion simply repeats

my view in a different way.

Arnie shared this question about music:

There are many different types of music in the world today. Why do we need music?

Is the traditional music of a country more important than the international music

that is heard everywhere nowadays?

Here's a quick plan to show you how I would approach this question: