1. Read the question slowly and carefully.
2. Copy the title exactly onto your answer paper (this can help you to focus on the question and by placing it at the top of your paper, when you are writing you can easily keep checking to make sure you are answering that question).
3. Underline the key words.
4. List some synonyms of the key words - this can help you to gain points in the Lexical Resource part.
5. Identify the type of question, for example, advantages/ disadvantages, problem/ solution, agree/ disagree etc.
6. Identify the separate parts of the question to make sure you are answering ALL of the question.
7. Make a plan.
Here is an example of the approac h.
Question
University lecturers are seeing more and more badly written essays. Many students do not realise the importance of planning, editing and checking their work, yet in order to produce a good, well-structured essay, these three steps are essential.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
1. Read the question slowly and carefully.
2. Copy the title exactly onto your answer paper (this can help you to focus on the question and by placing it at the top of your paper, when you are writing you can easily keep checking to make sure you are answering that question).
3. Underline the key words.
University lecturers are seeing more and more badly written essays. Many students do not realise the importance of planning, editing and checking their work, yet in order to produce a good, well-structured essay, these three steps are essential.
To what extent do you agree or disagree ?
4. List some synonyms of the key words - this can help you to gain points in the Lexical Resource part.
badly written essays - poorly written work - assignments that are badly written - weak writing - a poor piece of writing
importance - how important - essential - extremely important
planning - making a plan - preparing - writing a plan
editing - changing where necessary - adding/ deleting - improving
checking - having a look - making sure - looking again
good - strong - solid - impressive
well-structured - well-organised - logically organised - complete
essay - piece of writing
5. Identify the type of question, for example, advantages/ disadvantages, problem/ solution, agree/ disagree etc.
Agree or disagree - choose which you think and find three strong reasons to support your point of view.
6. Identify the separate parts of the question to make sure you are answering ALL of the question.
University lecturers are seeing more and more badly written essays. Many students do not realise the importance of planning, editing and checking their work,
- make sure you rephrase this problem in your introduction - this is the situation/ background and should be the first thing you write about in your essay.
yet in order to produce a good, well-structured essay, these three steps are essential.
- this is where you should answer the question - whether you think these three steps are needed or not. Do not explain why at this point - simply say if you think they are essential or not.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
- this gives you the structure for your essay. In your introduction, after you have introduced the situation and given your opinion, you should then say that your essay will provide three reasons why you hold such a belief.
7. Make a plan.
Introduction
- describe situation - increase of bad essays, students do not plan and check
- give opinion - agree the three steps are necessary
- explain structure - this essay will provide three reasons for this argument
Main body
Paragraph 1
- Planning: structure, logical order, clear argument
Paragraph 2
- Editing: re-read when writing, reviewing ideas and opinions, allowing others to see
Paragraph 3
- Checking: spelling, punctuation and grammar
Conclusion
- Give your opinion again
- Make a statement about the future
Here is an example essay answering the question above.
Writing Task 2 Example - Essay Writing |