IELTS TIPS - WRITING TIPS - ISSUE 2: Generating Ideas POETIC English ZONE- an institute that helps you to get IELTS success Writing task 2 You have to write an essay giving your opinions on a topic of general interest e.g. education, environmental issues, crime, globalisation. POETIC English ZONE is an institute that helps you to get IELTS success • 250 words • 40 minutes • Must include: ideas, opinions, evidence and examples Many people do badly in this part of the test because they don’t have any opinion about the subject. In order to do well, you have to look at the issue from different angles and explain different points of view. Mindmaps One way of generating ideas is to make a mindmap before you begin. You should brainstorm the topic, and note down as many ideas as you can. This will help you to think of other related ideas. Here is an example Task 2 topic. Dangerous sports such as boxing and sky-diving should be banned. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? Give reasons for your answer and include relevant examples from your knowledge and experience. Look at the partially completed mindmap on this topic. How many ideas can you add? (See the bottom of the page for some more ideas) You do not need to include all the ideas in your essay. When you have noted down a number of points, select the most interesting ones and develop them further in the essay. Now look at another example question. International sports events such as the Olympics and the Football World Cup are just an excuse for nationalism and advertising. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? Give reasons for your answer and include relevant examples from your knowledge and experience. Try and fill in the mindmap below with as many ideas you can think of related to this topic. Think about: • Examples of international sports events • People’s opinion of them in your country • Examples of nationalism • Examples of commercialisation and advertising • Positive aspects of such competitions Read through both of the example answers and note down how many different points the writer has included. Answer 1 Nowadays, international sports events are becoming increasingly popular around the world and often have massive global viewing figures. Although many people enjoy these competitions, there are concerns that the events are often over commercialised and are simply a platform for selling things. There are also real concerns that they encourage nationalism, but do these problems outweigh their overall value? Many people would agree that a lot of events do seem over-commercial, especially when they see the masses of corporate sponsors at such events, which often include seemingly unhealthy brands such as Coca-cola and MacDonald’s. They also feel that corporate sponsors force out real fans by buying up all the tickets at very high prices. It’s also true that some events can be very nationalistic. The Chinese government, for example, is trying to use the coming Olympics to demonstrate its progress and power. And in football competitions, there is often the problem of hooliganism, with groups of fans intentionally setting out to fight supporters from other countries. However, it would be a mistake to overlook the positive sides of such events. For one thing, young people can be very inspired by the positive role models they see, for example the French footballer Zinedine Zidane. And in Taiwan, the national baseball team’s success gives people a sense of national pride. These events can also provide a platform for people from all over the world to meet and celebrate something they all enjoy. In conclusion, I think it would be a shame to do away with international sporting events, as they can inspire people and be very enjoyable. However, it is down to the organisers and governments to curb the uglier side of these events, otherwise they will eventually turn people off them. POETIC English ZONE - an institute that helps you to get IELTS success 290 words Answer 2 Nowadays, there are many international sports events. But are international sports events such as the Olympics and the Football World Cup just an excuse for nationalism and advertising? In this essay I will discuss the extent to which I agree or disagree. Many people say international sports events are too commercial. They say that because they are too commercial, they can make many problems. These problems can only be solved when they become less commercial. This is an incontrovertible truth. People also complain that they are nationalistic. Nationalism generates other problems. This is true all over the world. Nationalism can make people hate the events. However, are nationalism and commercialisation so bad? Some people say they have some benefits. Without these two things, the events would be very different. People say this would be quite boring. In conclusion, many events do have nationalism and, furthermore, commercialisation. However, there are advantages and disadvantages to this. The best thing we can do is pursue a middle course. 169 words Answer 1 includes: • Examples of corporate sponsors Problems caused by this – high ticket prices Two examples of nationalism – the Beijing Olympics and football hooliganism • An example of a role-model for young people – Zinedine Zidane An example from Taiwan – the baseball team • Three clear benefits of these events • A clear opinion in the conclusion Although it is grammatically accurate, Answer 2 doesn’t contain a single developed idea or example. It is therefore a very weak answer. Mindmap 1: More ideas 1. Extreme fighting 2. Scuba diving 3. Base jumping 4. Mountaineering 5. Personal challenge 6. Over-protective nanny state 7. Breath-taking scenery e.g. mountaineering 8. Inspiring for young people 9. Sensible government regulations POETIC English ZONE is an institute that helps you to get IELTS success
Posted on: Mon, 23 Sep 2013 18:58:53 +0000
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