- PRE B FOR IELTS LEARNING METHODS AND EXERCISES SHEET LESSON 1 Student’s name : _____________________________ Date : _____________________________ 2 LESSON 1 – SECTION 2: WRITING TASK 2 PART 1: WRITING TASK 2 QUESTION AND OVERVIEW In many countries, a small number of people earn extremely high salaries. Some people believe that this is good for the country, but others think that government should not allow salaries above a certain level. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. Task: ___________________________________________________________ Types: __________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Time: __________________________________________________________ Number of words: ________________________________________________ Scoring criteria: __________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ LESSON 1 – SECTION 2: WRITING TASK 2 PART 2: WRITING TASK 2 ESSAY STRUCTURE Introduction (__ paragraph) Body (__ paragraphs) Conclusion (__ paragraph) 3 4 LESSON 1 – SECTION 2: WRITING TASK 2 PART 3: WRITING TASK 2 – DISCUSSION ESSAYS Question: 1. In many countries, a small number of people earn extremely high salaries. Some people believe that this is good for the country, but others think that government should not allow salaries above a certain level. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. 2. Some people think that all university students should study whatever they like. Others believe that they should only be allowed to study subjects that will be useful in the future, such as those related to science and technology. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. 3. Some people think that a sense of competition in children should be encouraged. Others believe that children who are taught to co-operate rather than compete become more useful adults. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. Analysis: ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ LESSON 1 – SECTION 2: WRITING TASK 2 PART 4: DISCUSSION ESSAYS – ONE SIDED POSITION SAMPLE ANALYSIS Read the sample essay below and answer the following questions: Some people think that it is important to use leisure time for activities that develop the mind, such as reading and doing crossword puzzles. Others feel that it is important to stay physically active. Discuss both views and give your opinion. The best use of people’s free time is often a topic of debate. While many claim that it is vital to do some form of physical exercise, I personally feel that it is more beneficial for people to work to increase their knowledge. Some people feel that they need to work out after their day at work. They may prefer to play team sports, such as football or basketball, or to spend time alone at a gym. People who have mentally active jobs such as doctors, teachers and engineers may choose these types of activities. Some also believe that it is important for those with jobs that require fitness to keep their bodies in a peak condition. As a result, construction workers may feel it is necessary to spend time lifting weights or doing press-ups after their day at work. On the other hand, I believe it is better for people to keep developing their minds during their time off work. The world is a very competitive place, therefore those who fall behind in terms of knowledge will not be able to complete. Those who do not work to expand their knowledge can become lazy and find it harder to remember new information. To conclude, although it is often argued that it is crucial for people to maintain their fitness whenever they have any time off, I maintain that building a wide range of knowledge is essential in the modern world. (241 words / 250 words) 5 6 LESSON 1 – SECTION 2: WRITING TASK 2 1. What is the topic of the essay question? ___________________________________________________________ 2. What are the two views mentioned in the question? View 1: ____________________________________________________ View 2: ____________________________________________________ 3. What are the functions of each body paragraph? Body paragraph 1: ____________________________________________ Body paragraph 2: ____________________________________________ 4. What the points / examples supporting each view that you can find in the sample essay? View 1: ____________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ View 2: ____________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ 5. How many sentences are there in conclusion? What are the functions of conclusion? ___________________________________________________________ LESSON 1 – SECTION 2: WRITING TASK 2 PART 5: DISCUSSION ESSAY – ONE SIDED POSITION GENARAL STRUCTURE Noun Noun phrase Introduction General Verb (-ing) statement How to V + is often a topic of debate. Whether (1 paragraph) There are conflicting views about [...]. Thesis statement Body Body paragraph 1 While many people claim that [...], I personally think that [...]. It is understandable that some people feel that [...]. (From 3 to 4 more sentences to support this) (2 paragraphs) Body On the other hand, I believe [...]. paragraph 2 (From 3 to 4 more sentences to support this) Conclusion (1 paragraph) To conclude, although it is often argued that [...], I maintain that [...]. How to write introduction quickly and accurately? ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 7 8 LESSON 1 – SECTION 2: WRITING TASK 2 PART 6: DISCUSSION ESSAY – ONE SIDE POSITION PRACTICE WRINTING THE INTRODUCTIONS Rewrite the introductions practiced below: 1. It is thought by some that it is better to live in a city. However, others argue that life is better than in the countryside. Discussion both views and give your opinion. ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 2. There has been much debate over the years about the role of prisons. There are those who claim that they should only serve to punish inmates, while others argue that they hold a much greater responsibility than that. Discuss both views and give your opinion. ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 3. Computers are being used more in education. Some people say that this is a positive trend, while others argue that it is leading to negative consequences. Discuss both views and give your opinion. ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ LESSON 1 – SECTION 2: WRITING TASK 2 4. Some people think that exercise is the key to health, while others feel that having a balanced diet is more important. Discuss both views and give your opinion. ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 5. Success in life is something everybody wants to achieve. Some people think that success comes through hard work and determination. Others believe it has more to do with other factors, such as money and a good appearance. Discuss both views and give your opinion. ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 9