Like a good breakfast sets you up for the day, a good introduction sets you up for writing a great IELTS task 1 or 2 essay. Introductions also let your reader know that you mean business and have a plan.
Look at the IELTS task 2 questions below and match them to the introductions.
I think the answers are quite easy to work out - so I won't tell you.
Think about how the introduction sets out the answer that will come in the rest of the essay. Also notice that the introductions 'paraphrase' the statement - you'll lose marks in your IELTS exam if you repeat the same words as the question.
Process writing is something that comes up on task 1 from time to time and is fairly straightforward to do.
Keep the paragraphs simple and use structures you already know to make your writing sound more academic. Use the passive voice on this one - it will make you sound more academic.
Learning academic sentences is a powerful way to make your language stronger. Like learning karate moves in the dojo, the more times you say or write them the more you will understand how they work. Also like karate moves, once you know how they work, you can use them in the real world!
5 Academic sentences
Employment not only offers us a way to make money for ourselves and governments, it also gives us the opportunity to do something meaningful in the world.
In my opinion, there’s a very strong economic argument for effective primary school education.
As long as free healthcare is managed well, there is no need for it to be wasteful or expensive.
Prices fell by more than 20% last year and as a result, sales increased by 15%.
Teachers have many roles, in addition to educating students they can often act as role models,
Sample essays show you how to write good academic English and give you examples of structure, vocabulary and grammar.
Here are some activities you can do with sample essays and sample answers
Answer the essay questions before you look at the sample answers. Then compare your answer to the sample. Ask yourself these questions:
How did both essays answer the question? What examples did you use? What examples did the sample answer use?
What words and expressions did the essays use? Are there any expressions that sample answer used that you could steal?
How did both answers use paragraphs? Was the sample answer more effective than yours?
What grammatical structures did the answer use? Were they better than yours? How?
Highlight the grammar structures or sentences that you like and learn these.
Cut up the essay into sections and rearrange it.
Read the essay out loud and record yourself on your mobile phone. Listen back to yourself (great for speaking practise and will help you memorise chunks of language that you know sound good).
Read the sample answer with your study partner and then TALK about it!
Language is made up of chunks (see Michael Lewis – The Lexical Approach). Like bricks that you put together, pieces of language fit together to make sentences. This is how we all use language. Learning fixed expressions and how they work will make you a more powerful writer.…and it’s easy.
