Mid-term Exam Preparation
When? Week 8, Wednesday 17 April
How long? 1 hour
What? Task 1 report (bar chart or line graph, 20 minutes,
150 words) and Task 2 advantages & disadvantages
essay, 40 minutes, 250 words)
Do children always behave well?
How can we stop children from doing bad things?
How can we encourage children to be good?
Smacking is a common way to control children’s behaviour.
Describe the advantages and disadvantages of smacking
children.
Choose words from the sentences to match the meanings.
The issue of how to best discipline children is an important and
complex one.
To control someone’s behaviour = to _____________________
someone (v)
discipline
Not simple = ____________________________
(adj)
complex
I believe that it can be a useful disciplinary technique.
disciplinary
A describing word for controlling behaviour = ___________________
(adj)
technique
A special way of doing something = a ____________________________
(n)
Forms of discipline include taking away privileges and physical
punishment like smacking.
Good things that you are allowed to do = ______________________
(n)
privileges
Something bad that happens to someone because they have broken a rule or
law = ____________________
(n)
punishment
Using part of the body = ______________________
(adj)
physical
Children who have been physically punished may commit violent
crimes in the future.
A describing word for fighting or hurting somebody = _______________
(adj)
violent
1) Smacking is a popular way to discipline children, but it has
its good points and its bad points.
No general statement to introduce the topic. No clear
opinion. Very simple vocabulary
2) Disciplining children is an important topic of discussion in
society at present. Many people say that smacking is bad,
but most people think it can be a good thing. Let’s look at
both sides of this coin carefully.
General statement to introduce the topic is good. No clear
opinion. Very simple vocabulary and informal vocabulary
(too friendly!)
3) The issue of how to best discipline children is an important
and complex one. One form of discipline that is widely used
is smacking. I believe that it can be a useful disciplinary
technique, but it may also cause problems. The following
essay will discuss the pros and cons of smacking.
Number 3 is the best introduction. It is beautiful!
4) There are many different ways of disciplining children, such
as removing privileges, talking with the child, sending the
child to their room or using physical punishment like
smacking. Smacking is often seen as a quick and useful form
of discipline, but there may be some disadvantages. In this
essay I will examine the positive and negative effects of
smacking. This one is good if we remove the list of examples
(from “such as … punishment like smacking.”)
Smacking has some important benefits. Firstly, it gives
children who are putting themselves in danger a clear
message that their actions are wrong. For example, if a
small child is reaching towards a hot barbecue, a smack
on the hand tells the child to stop. The other main
advantage of smacking is that it doesn’t take much time.
This is important because parents these days are very
busy and do not always have enough time to sit down
and explain everything clearly to their children, so
smacking helps parents to control their children quickly.
Topic sentence for advantages paragraph
1st main advantage, example, result
2nd main advantage, explaining, result
However
(1)____________,
smacking may also have some
negative effects. The main one is that it teaches
children that they can use physical force to get what
For instance , if they want their
they want. (2) _____________
classmate’s lunch, they might hit them and take it.
(2)________________,
Because of this when those children grow up,
they may be more likely to commit violent crimes and
use physical force to punish their own children.
In addition
(3)____________,
children who have been smacked
because smacking does
may not understand why (4) _________
As a result they may
not explain anything. (5)___________,
become unhappy and decide to do what they want to
anyway.
However, smacking may also have some negative effects.
The main one is that it teaches children that they can use
physical force to get what they want. For instance, if they
want their classmate’s lunch, they might hit them and take
it. Because of this, when those children grow up, they may
be more likely to commit violent crimes and use physical
force to punish their own children. In addition, children
who have been smacked may not understand why because
smacking does not explain anything. As a result, they may
become unhappy and decide to do what they want anyway.
Topic sentence for disadvantages paragraph
1st main disadvantage, example, result
2nd main disadvantage, explaining, result
In conclusion, there are advantages and disadvantages
to smacking. It immediately shows children that they
but
have done something wrong, (6)__________
it may
teach children to use violence to solve their problems.
Therefore I advise all parents to consider these
(7) __________,
issues carefully when they need to discipline their
children.
In conclusion, there are advantages and disadvantages
to smacking. It immediately shows children that they
have done something wrong, but it may teach children
to use violence to solve their problems. Therefore, I
advise all parents to consider these issues carefully
when they need to discipline their children.
Thesis statement again in different words
Summary of main advantage
Summary of main disadvantage
Advice/Suggestion
Writing Portfolio Task 3
Foreign travel is becoming increasingly easy for more
and more people. In your opinion, what are some of the
advantages and disadvantages of international tourism?
You need to write at least 250 words in 40 minutes.
Advantages
1) ……helps the
economy………jobs………mo
ney……families
2) …learn about other
cultures…good
because…less discrimination
Disadvantages