Writing Planning your essay = How should | organise Your ideas need to be presented in a logical sequence. my ideas? This is done through the use of paragraphing. The examiner will be looking for a clear, convincing argument that supports your position and leads to a logical conclusion. Wir bu Pee el ‘Your examiner will want to know what your view (or position) is on the topic. You can decide on your position at the end of your essay, after you have given all your arguments, but itis often a ev good idea to state your basic position as part of your introduction. Mra od eons 1 Read this opening paragraph to a task on obesity in children. The writer's euler position has been underlined. Can you guess what the wording of the task was? aware - pea ‘his certeinly true that some chichen these days eat too much fat and that this meyheve | Rae anegative effect on their health when they become adialts. However T con't agree that it aie ee is chwoys the faut of the parents Mary axiits heve busy ifestyes and do not have tine to prepare oi proper meal when they get home, 50 they are forced to fum to converiense food 2. Work with a partner. Read the task and opening paragraphs A-C, Underline each writer's position and then explain itin your own words. Although many countries are becoming richer, these societies still have members who are ares ard poor and struggle each day to survive. there Why do you think this happens and what can wealthy societies do to help their poorer citizens? FY 105 aay to ee that per pope are verguhare, Even developed cauntres ike te USA | daa have otc ote ancl afalt te ies feck so ages wth te stint o | petal the task. I the that mary scictesalredy have sstons to lp pec pate bt pores thay do vot run thase wel arcagh B Lt is true that come peeple are comparatively poor, even though they lie tn a rich country, but T think i mag be their own fault Developed countries already doa lot to help poor people, so I think the preblem canot be solved by giving them more state benefitsWriting 8 aCe Soar pee eren Cee ee cee eee eee ey His. | | ny ae there so way poor people in the world? This is a very good qestion md LL think the problem has many differant root eanses. People have to take some responsibility for their onn welfare but, at the same time, Some people camot | Work for good reasons, 50 they veed Some support. 3 With your partner, discuss what you would expect the main argument to be about in each of the three essays, A-C. ‘= When writing your essay, itis important not to copy from the question paper. Your examiner will ignore any sections of copied material and will not include these words in the total word count. 4 How many of the words in paragraph D, below, will the examiner not count as part of the student's answer to the task in exercise 2? OY] there are 4 lt of rich countries in the world whose meubers are yoor and struggle to survive each day. Ht is hard for these to survive, They have to lock for Food and Sometimes they can't Gnd anywhere to sleep. | think it is hard for them and sometimes nothing is done to help them 5 Read paragraph D again and see if you can identify the student's position, Orman ‘Many childhood diseases can now be prevented through the use of vaccines. ‘Should parents be made by law to immunise their children against common diseases or should individuals have the right to choose not fo immunise their children? 128 (Do not start the second paragraph until you know which main ideas you are going to use in each paragraph to develop your position. How to approach the task '= Select two to four main ideas to form the paragraphs that come between your introduction and your conclusion, '= Think of some supporting points for each main idea. = Decide which order the ideas should go in "= Consider whether you can add any examples from your own experience of the topic. 6 Work with a partner. Together, discuss the task below. Think of some different positions you could take when answering this task. 7 Read the introduction and paragraphs on the next page which form part of an answer to the task in exercise 6. As you read, complete the table by making notes on: = the writer's position on the immunisation of children = the writer's main ideas = the writer's supporting points and examples.Writing 8 Ge Siu ns A nok male pavents immunise their ckildven, ese diseases could return andl therefore, 5 there | Some peopte ar hate without vaccinations al ould be vase forcing pave wtative medicine has proved to be tine racst effective way of reducing the mscneber o {fatal childhece dicenses. Az a vecult of the widecprend practice of innaus children, mau lives lave been. , such as polio, haw medical practices like immunisation are part of human progress. tm previous centuries some diseases were the result of poor hygiews but wowadays water is cleaner awd siltation is better, Nobody would suogest that we should reverse this good pra | Whig woul we step ng children? 8 (2) Think of another main idea for the fourth paragraph of this essay. Take ten minutes to write the paragraph. 9 Read the alternative answer to the task in exercise 6 in the key. This answer presents the opposite point of view to the essay above. Underline the mai and supporting points and make notes, as you did for exercise 7. Pare hs ‘Many tasks invite you to produce a belanced argument showing that you are aware of both sides of an issue ideas 10 Work with a partner. Together, discuss the task below. What does this view refer back to? ‘Many people docide on a career path early in their lives and keep to it. This, they argue, leads to ‘a more satisfying working life, To what extent do you agree with this view? ‘What other things can people do to try and have a satisfying working life? 11 Read the notes below, which show the position and a main idea of a student. uy pesition: “The View applies to comme people but wot ethers ~ doesn’t affect job satisfickion. Pavoaraph 2 roy Waus to be an engineer until visit a Ihespital “go ona school trip 125Writing 8 = You can use a counter-argument to present an opposing view. In this way, you can show that you see both sides of the argument. If you choose to write a counter-argument, itis @ good idea to use concessional language (see page 128). Countev-arquauent Support / exounsl Same penple do wot Famous deters onal sin change their minas often say tic 12 Use the student's notes in exercise 11, to fill in the gaps in the essay below. Young children are oftew asleed what they wont te be wher they grow up andl mest of ‘hem. have avs answer. However while sovne people do not change their minds avout th over the course of tir lives, many others do. Yet this dces wot man that thebr jobs are wot. The main veason why people's anubitions chage (s that. as they grow up, the fficted by their 2 Foy exavaple, a child may want to be on engineer until he goes ova school trip to m hospital aml then decidles he would rather be a Sivnilarty the people we meet as children can have a big impact on our goals ana anubitions, ov seid thot, there are come people whe = Having said the, ... is @ useful linking phrase to introduce a counter-argument. 13 Use the student's notes above to complete the counter-argument in the third, paragraph of the essay. 14 ©) Take ten minutes to think of a main idea that relates to the second que in the task in exercise 10 and then write the fourth paragraph. Compare your finished paragraph with the model answer in the key. Writing a conclusion ace Coen nes cone ers 126 Your conclusion should summarise your position for the reader and, if appropriate to the task instructions, present your final decision on @ question. You can also be impartial, ie. take no side, or state thet you have no conclusion to drew. ‘= Phrases like those in the box below can be useful in a conclusion. To sum up, people are all different. In conclusion / To conclude Overall Allin all Utimately Inthe final analysis Inthe end Clearly Taking everything into consideration 15 Write a conclusion to the student's essay that began in exercise 12. Compare your finished conclusion with the model answer in the key.