UCONCLUSIONU - REPEAT / SUMMARISE YOUR ANSWER IN ONE SENTENCE. I WR...
4.
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Conclusion
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- repeat / summarise your answer in one sentence.
I wrote the following essay with some of my students. We tried to keep it clear,
concise and well-organised, but it's still good enough for a band 9.
Some people believe that hobbies need to be difficult to be enjoyable.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Some hobbies are relatively easy, while others present more of a challenge.
Personally, I believe that both types of hobby can be fun, and I therefore disagree with
the statement that hobbies need to be difficult in order to be enjoyable.
On the one hand, many people enjoy easy hobbies. One example of an activity that is
easy for most people is swimming. This hobby requires very little equipment, it is
simple to learn, and it is inexpensive. I remember learning to swim at my local
swimming pool when I was a child, and it never felt like a demanding or challenging
experience. Another hobby that I find easy and fun is photography. In my opinion,
anyone can take interesting pictures without knowing too much about the
technicalities of operating a camera. Despite being straightforward, taking photos is a
satisfying activity.
On the other hand, difficult hobbies can sometimes be more exciting. If an activity is
more challenging, we might feel a greater sense of satisfaction when we manage to do
it successfully. For example, film editing is a hobby that requires a high level of
knowledge and expertise. In my case, it took me around two years before I became
competent at this activity, but now I enjoy it much more than I did when I started. I
believe that many hobbies give us more pleasure when we reach a higher level of
performance because the results are better and the feeling of achievement is greater.
In conclusion, simple hobbies can be fun and relaxing, but difficult hobbies can be
equally pleasurable for different reasons.
Note:
Notice that we used examples as the basis of both main paragraphs.
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IELTS SHARE
The book I mentioned in Monday's lesson (What are Universities for?) reminded me
of this question from Cambridge IELTS 7:
Some people think that universities should provide graduates with the knowledge
and skills needed in the workplace. Others think that the true function of a
university should be to give access to knowledge for its own sake, regardless of
whether the course is useful to an employer.
What, in your opinion, should be the function of a university?
Here are some ideas:
•It would probably be easiest to argue that universities should fulfil both roles
(providing vocational skills and knowledge for its own sake).
•We could use examples to help us generate ideas: try to make a list of some
vocational degree courses (that provide training for a specific job), and a list of
courses that do not lead to a particular job.
•Write one main paragraph explaining the benefits (to the student and to society in
general) of the two types of course.
In today's lesson I'll try to explain what makes a good paragraph. We'll analyse a
paragraph that I wrote with some of my students.
Paragraph about the purpose of prisons:
On the one hand, criminals do need to be punished in some way. A person
who
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commits a crime
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must learn that
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unlawful actions have consequences
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. Prison
sentences punish
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offenders
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because they
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lose their freedom
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, and are separated from
family and friends. In this way, prison
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acts as a deterrent
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to make people think
carefully before
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breaking the law
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. Last year in the UK, many people were given
a
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prison sentence
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for
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rioting
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, and hopefully this punishment will
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deter them from
similar behaviour
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in future.
Analysis:
•The paragraph contains 5 sentences, with a total of 85 words. This is the kind of
length I suggest aiming for.
•The first sentence is short and simple. We often call this type of sentence a 'topic
sentence' because it introduces the topic of the paragraph.
•Sentences 2, 3 and 4 develop the main idea in a logical, step-by-step way: crime has
consequences - loss of freedom is the punishment - this stops people from breaking
the law.
•Sentence 5 contains a real example.
•Remember that good vocabulary is the key to a high score. I've underlined the best
words and phrases in the paragraph.
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Can you see the difference between the two questions below?
A) Explain the positives and negatives of this development.
B) Is this a positive or negative development?
and these two questions:
A) What are the advantages and disadvantages?
B) Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
A) Discuss both views and give your opinion.
B) To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Answer:
The difference is that for all of the (A) questions you
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must
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explain both sides of the
argument, whereas the (B) questions
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can
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be answered by giving both sides
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or
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by
supporting only one side, depending on the view that you express in your
introduction.
This is still the most common confusion that students ask me about. Make sure you
understand the difference between the questions above; if you're still unsure, look
through all of my task 2 lessons to see further advice and examples.
When the question topic is difficult, planning becomes even more important. If you
start writing your essay straight away, without preparing some ideas first, you will
probably get stuck and start to panic!
Take this recent exam question:
The range and quality of food that we can buy has changed because of
technological and scientific advances. Some people regard this change as an
improvement, while others believe that it is harmful.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
I think you'll agree that this is a tricky question. My advice would be to spend
about
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10 minutes
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