SPEND SOME TIME THINKING OF IDEAS FOR THE MAIN BODY PARAGRAPHS HERE...

I always tell my students to plan ideas for their main body paragraphs. Let's look at

how to put some ideas together to make a paragraph. Here's the question:

Ideas for one main paragraph:

agree that money is the main reason people work

people look at salary first, they rarely take a salary cut

need to live, pay bills, food etc.

look after our families, save for the future

otherwise, most people would probably choose not to work

Full paragraph using the ideas above:

I agree that the majority of people work in order to earn money. Before taking any

other factors into account, it is normal to first consider the salary that a particular post

offers, and it is rare to hear of a person who happily takes a cut in pay when beginning

a new job. We all need money to pay for our basic necessities, such as

accommodation, bills and food. Many adults also have families who depend on the

wages they earn, and at the same time they are conscious of the need to save for the

future. If we no longer needed money, I doubt most of us would choose to continue in

our jobs.

(116 words)

My students and I followed the advice in

the topic below.

The number of plants and animals is declining. Describe the problem and suggest

some solutions.

Ideas for describing the problem:

over-farming, land needed for crops and animals

cutting down trees destroys natural habitats, animals become extinct

industrial waste in rivers, sea

chemicals kill fish and plants, interrupt natural cycles / food chain

It seemed that we had 2 main ideas, so we wrote a 2-idea paragraph:

There are

^U

two main reasons

^U

why plants and animals are disappearing.

^U

Firstly

^U

, in many

parts of the world trees are being cut down to make way for farmland on which to

grow crops and keep animals. The result of this is that natural habitats are being

destroyed, and in some cases whole species of animals are becoming

extinct.

^U

Secondly

^U

, human activity is also responsible for the destruction of aquatic life

as domestic and industrial waste is pumped into rivers and seas. This chemical waste

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kills plants and fish, interrupting natural cycles and having a devastating effect on

food chains.

(99 words)

My advice for task 2 introductions is to write them very quickly. Just write 2

sentences: one to introduce the topic, and one to give a basic answer. Let's look at

how to do this for a "problem and solution" question:

The number of plants and animals is declining. Describe some reasons for this

problem and suggest some solutions.

Here's my introduction:

It is undeniable that wildlife habitats are being destroyed and whole species of plants

and animals are disappearing. There are several causes of this alarming trend, but

measures could certainly be taken to tackle the problem.

Note:

In the second sentence you don't need to give any causes or solutions; save your ideas

for the main paragraphs.

Last week we looked at a 'problem and solution' introduction. Today I'll use the same

technique (2 sentences: topic + basic answer) to write a 'discussion and opinion'

introduction.

Here's a question (from Cambridge IELTS 6):

Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people in

other important professions. Some people think this is fully justified while others

think it is unfair.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Here's my 2-sentence introduction:

It is true that sports stars often earn huge salaries. While there are some good reasons

why this is the case, I personally believe that it is wrong for these people to be paid

more than other professionals.

Albert sent me this recent exam question:

In many countries nowadays, young single people no longer stay with their parents

until they are married, but leave to study or work somewhere else.

Do you think this trend has more advantages or disadvantages?

Here are some tips to help with this kind of question:

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