A SENTENCE GIVING A GENERAL RESPONSE TO THE QUESTION OR INSTRUCTION...

2. A sentence giving a general response to the question or instruction

Problem & Solution Essay:

It is true that children's behaviour seems to be getting worse. There are various

reasons for this, and both schools and parents need to work together to improve the

situation.

Discussion (& Opinion) Essay:

People have different views about how children should be taught. While there are

some good arguments in favour of teaching children to be competitive, I believe that

it is better to encourage co-operation.

Opinion (Agree / Disagree) Essay:

In recent years it has become more common for women to return to work after having

a child. However, I do not agree that this has been the cause of problems for young

people.

My advice:

Keep your introduction short. Main body paragraphs are more important.

On Wednesday I wrote a lesson about introductions for IELTS writing task 2. Since

then, several students have asked me this question:

"Will my introduction get a good score?"

Answer: your introduction alone will not get you a high score, even if it is perfect.

The introduction is necessary, but the main body paragraphs decide your score.

Write a short, clear introduction. Then spend most of your time on the main body of

the essay.

A student sent me this question:

Some people believe that robots will play an important role in future societies, while

others argue that robots might have negative effects on society.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

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IELTS SHARE

Today my students planned an essay for this topic. The photo below shows the ideas

they had in the lesson:

You have 40 minutes for task 2, so try organising your time in the following way:

First 10 minutes

Read the question and make sure you understand what it is asking you to do. Write a

plan for a 4-paragraph essay (introduction, 2 main paragraphs, conclusion) and spend

most of the 10 minutes thinking of ideas for the 2 main paragraphs.

5 minutes

Write your introduction: 2 sentences are enoug

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20 minutes

Spend 10 minutes on each of your main body paragraphs. These are they most

important part of your essay, and the key to a high score.

Last 5 minutes

Write a quick conclusion

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Please note:

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These are suggestions, not rules.

Students are often surprised by my 10-minute planning time. In my experience, a

good plan helps you to write your essay much faster than you think.

Dana sent me the following question:

Women should have an equal role alongside men in both police and armed forces.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Here is my plan for a 4-paragraph essay: