Exercise 1
Below are two paragraphs describing the purpose of an IELTS writing task 2 introduction. Choose the paragraph which you feel best describes an introduction for an IELTS writing task 2.
Option B describes the ideal IELTS writing task 2 introduction.
Exercise 2
A very common error that people make is that they do not analyse the question or instructions and so they write about the wrong topic or they misunderstand the instructions, resulting in a reduced band score for task achievement.
Read the following IELTS writing task 2 questions. Choose the most appropriate statement about the structure of the essay based on the instructions.
Read the following IELTS writing task 2 question.
Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?
There are three possible positions that you may have.
- The advantages are greater than the disadvantages
- The disadvantages are greater than the advantages
- There are both advantages and disadvantages and neither is greater
Exercise 3
- Note that the writer doesn’t copy the vocabulary or structure from the question. The writer correctly identifies that the topic of the question is “the appropriate stage in a child’s education to begin studying a foreign language” and so states this. Many IELTS candidates try and think of synonyms for words in the question and copy the question statement but insert synonyms. This often results in very unnatural and often incorrect sentences.
- Note that the writer introduces their opinion with the phrase “Personally, I believe that...” this is a good semi-formal opinion phrase that you can use in opinion essays.
- Note that the writer uses the word “advantages” to directly link with and answer the question in their thesis statement.
Exercise 4
What problems does this cause?
What solutions can you suggest?
Now read the following introduction paragraph and decide if the statements are true or false.
There is a great deal of debate concerning the most appropriate stage in a child’s education to begin studying a foreign language. Personally, I believe that students should receive foreign language tuition from primary school onwards as this has many advantages.
Some young people leave school without having acquired a foreign language. As a result, they may struggle to get into universities or get good jobs, however, there are possible solutions for these problems.
...or continue to the next lesson that looks at how to write a body paragraph.