If I have enough time, my essay will be logical and organized for sure. In the last exam, I wrote some sweeping statements in my essay because I am running out of time.
IELTS - Writing - For Band 7 or Above.
- Thread starter H0peAndFa1th
- Start date
Yes time is an issue but it can be managed with practice. You need to train your mind to start thinking and structuring your essay. It won't happen in one day and it may require lots of practice. And when I say lots of practice it doesn't mean you start writing a lot of essays.
This is what I have suggested in the past. See if it works for you.
1. Don't worry about time limit initially and just take as much as time you need to write a good essay. Once you figure out how to go about it you will be able to do it in less time.
2. To help with point 1 above do the following. Read an essay topic. Think about it for 10 minutes and then write your thoughts in bullet points. Do not write full essay.
3. Once you write your bullet points then spend time in organizing those like in what order would you write those points on exam day.
4. Once done with that go online and Google that essay topic. Read a few essays and see if you find better ideas than you could come up with. Think about why those ideas are better. And make a note of those ideas.
5. Repeat steps 2-4. Once you start feeling comfortable with those steps. Go to step 1 again. If you still struggle again follow steps 2-4.
It may sound complicated but it's really not. Also, final tip pick essays on similar topic to think about on a day. For example, one day think and organize ideas on essay topics related to education. Then for next day pick topics related to some other topic.
joconstantine
Hero Member
- Mar 30, 2020
- 555
- Category........
- FSW
- NOC Code......
- 0213
- Pre-Assessed..
- Yes
- AOR Received.
- 01-08-2020
There are some models that you can follow. IELTS essay questions can be categorised into 4 groups. You need a standard approach for each group. Otherwise, you will be lost and won't have enough time to produce an answer with a logical flow.
1. Opinion (Agree or Disagree, To what extent do you agree, ...)
- Pick your side: Agree, disagree or somewhere in between. As much as you can, try to pick either Agree or Disagree. It would be easier to present your stand this way.
- If your choice is Agree or Disagree, you need at least 2 arguments or 2 groups of similar arguments. 1 paragraph for each.
- If your choice is somewhere in between, you can write 1 paragraph for each side. However, this should be carefully handled because you may contradict with yourself by ending up agreeing or disagreeing with both opinions.
2. Discussion and state your opinion (Discuss both views and give your opinion).
- For this type of question, you need to explain both sides. In other words, please don't rebuke either one. You may not agree with the opinion but you still have to explain why some people do so.
- So there should be obviously 1 BP for each view. You may want to incorporate your opinion in one of the BP. Don't need to introduce another paragraph just for this.
- You tend to see this type in GT writing.
3. Causes and Solutions
- Personally, this type is the most straightforward. You need to think of the causes and the solutions. Most importantly, the solutions should aim to at the causes. So ideally, 1 solution per cause.
- There would simply be 1 BP for causes and another for Solutions.
4. 2-part questions
- Similarly to Causes and Solutions type above, you need to answer 2 or more questions using 2 or more BPs. This type is more expansive so hopefully, you don't get to see it in GT writing.
Now, make sure you write all four types when you practise.
1. Opinion (Agree or Disagree, To what extent do you agree, ...)
- Pick your side: Agree, disagree or somewhere in between. As much as you can, try to pick either Agree or Disagree. It would be easier to present your stand this way.
- If your choice is Agree or Disagree, you need at least 2 arguments or 2 groups of similar arguments. 1 paragraph for each.
- If your choice is somewhere in between, you can write 1 paragraph for each side. However, this should be carefully handled because you may contradict with yourself by ending up agreeing or disagreeing with both opinions.
2. Discussion and state your opinion (Discuss both views and give your opinion).
- For this type of question, you need to explain both sides. In other words, please don't rebuke either one. You may not agree with the opinion but you still have to explain why some people do so.
- So there should be obviously 1 BP for each view. You may want to incorporate your opinion in one of the BP. Don't need to introduce another paragraph just for this.
- You tend to see this type in GT writing.
3. Causes and Solutions
- Personally, this type is the most straightforward. You need to think of the causes and the solutions. Most importantly, the solutions should aim to at the causes. So ideally, 1 solution per cause.
- There would simply be 1 BP for causes and another for Solutions.
4. 2-part questions
- Similarly to Causes and Solutions type above, you need to answer 2 or more questions using 2 or more BPs. This type is more expansive so hopefully, you don't get to see it in GT writing.
Now, make sure you write all four types when you practise.
It takes a lot of practice to get used to the IELTS format, but once you learn to understand what each question’s instructions are and how to address those in a structured manner, 7+ will be more than feasible.
In discuss both sides type of essay:
1. If we choose one of the two view:
a. Where we should incorporate our opinion? - Introduction, BP we agree and conclusion And how?
b. Do we have to refute the BP or view we don't agree by giving the reason why we don't agree.
2. In a balanced one where both opinions seems equally important ( worst case scenario)
a. Where to put own view - intro, bp (?) and conclusion
b. Since it's feasible in this type to have 3 bps - two views separate and one for own view. Do we have to refute bp1 and bp2 since we don't agree with that thought.
If you have your own written essay of both types, can you please share?
@marosa also
Hi!
First of all, there is a difference between “discuss both views” and “discuss both views AND give your opinion” types of questions. You only give your opinion if you’re asked to do so. In general, you only do what you’re instructed to in the question, the essay question is the only guide you have at the exam, you know.
1. a. You show your opinion (We’re only talking about the case when the question asks for your opinion):
- in the intro by stating “in my opinion”, “I think”, “I believe”, “I agree”, “I mainly agree”, “I (mainly) disagree” etc.
- in the appropriate body paragraph(s) by using “can”, “there is a high probability of...”, “has proven to ...” etc., while you should use “might”, “there is some possibility...” etc. when discussing the point of view you don’t support.
- in the conclusion restating what has already been written in the intro and BPs by restating with “in my opinion”, “I think”, “I believe”, “I agree”, “I mainly agree”, “I (mainly) disagree” etc.
* I would not advise to use “in my opinion”, “I agree”, “I believe” etc in the BPs, repeating what has already been said in the intro and what will be repeated in the conclusion. Because if your BPs are clear enough, the examiner will understand what’s your opinion in any case. But that’s just my opinion, not a 100% truth.
1. b. You can do that, but you should not devote all your BP to proving why that opinion is wrong. Because the question says DISCUSS both views and only then give your opinion. So you should devote most of your BP to discussing the opinion. However, you may just in one sentence state that this idea is not proven or is not significant. Or bring an example proving the opposite of that opinion.
For example:
Q: Some think automotive translators are more efficient, while others prefer professional translators. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
A: In my opinion automative translators cannot replace humans. BP1 (here I will talk about the side I don’t support) - machine translators are sometimes cheaper than human experts, so businesses might opt for the former (will talk about this for 3-4 sentences). HOWEVER, since the quality of online translators is poor, the money saved in short term can actually lead to spending even more resources in the future.
By this last sentence you make the whole BP1 lose its credibility
2. a. I can’t understand your question.
If the question is balanced in terms of not asking for your opinion, then do not give any opinion anywhere.
If the question asks for your opinion but you personally think both opinions are valid (which is almost never the case for the actual exam questions), well then try to understand which side you can support best and go for that one. Structure-wise, you will do it in the same way described in 1. a.
2. b. Could you give an example question, please?
Absolutely agreeHi!
First of all, there is a difference between “discuss both views” and “discuss both views AND give your opinion” types of questions. You only give your opinion if you’re asked to do so. In general, you only do what you’re instructed to in the question, the essay question is the only guide you have at the exam, you know.
1. a. You show your opinion (We’re only talking about the case when the question asks for your opinion):
- in the intro by stating “in my opinion”, “I think”, “I believe”, “I agree”, “I mainly agree”, “I (mainly) disagree” etc.
- in the appropriate body paragraph(s) by using “can”, “there is a high probability of...”, “has proven to ...” etc., while you should use “might”, “there is some possibility...” etc. when discussing the point of view you don’t support.
- in the conclusion restating what has already been written in the intro and BPs by restating with “in my opinion”, “I think”, “I believe”, “I agree”, “I mainly agree”, “I (mainly) disagree” etc.
* I would not advise to use “in my opinion”, “I agree”, “I believe” etc in the BPs, repeating what has already been said in the intro and what will be repeated in the conclusion. Because if your BPs are clear enough, the examiner will understand what’s your opinion in any case. But that’s just my opinion, not a 100% truth.
1. b. You can do that, but you should not devote all your BP to proving why that opinion is wrong. Because the question says DISCUSS both views and only then give your opinion. So you should devote most of your BP to discussing the opinion. However, you may just in one sentence state that this idea is not proven or is not significant. Or bring an example proving the opposite of that opinion.
For example:
Q: Some think automotive translators are more efficient, while others prefer professional translators. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
A: In my opinion automative translators cannot replace humans. BP1 (here I will talk about the side I don’t support) - machine translators are sometimes cheaper than human experts, so businesses might opt for the former (will talk about this for 3-4 sentences). HOWEVER, since the quality of online translators is poor, the money saved in short term can actually lead to spending even more resources in the future.
By this last sentence you make the whole BP1 lose its credibility
2. a. I can’t understand your question.
If the question is balanced in terms of not asking for your opinion, then do not give any opinion anywhere.
If the question asks for your opinion but you personally think both opinions are valid (which is almost never the case for the actual exam questions), well then try to understand which side you can support best and go for that one. Structure-wise, you will do it in the same way described in 1. a.
2. b. Could you give an example question, please?
If let's say that the essay is on discipline of students. Some say teacher teach them better others say parents.
I agree that having a strong one-sided opinion is the best. However, there are some (few) cases where both sides are true. In that case, how we'll handle BPs.
Another question:
Some say that environment can be protected by governments, others say that individuals also can protect them.
In this case we can choose either government or individuals, but the best is amalgamation of the efforts of both. I am asking about these topics.
I got your point now.
In such cases you can discuss two different situations, where in one situation option 1 would work and in the other situation opinion 2 would be more preferable. In your example if you really think both options are equal (I personally don’t think so though) you can say “In my opinion, while it’s better to receive education from professional teachers in most cases, children with certain psychological disorders may benefit more from receiving knowledge from their parents”. Or in my example I could say “In my opinion, while it’s more beneficial for individuals to use machine translators (as they’re accessible and fast), businesses should opt for professional translators (as they give more quality).” It’s like you bring two situations - healthy children and those with issues; individuals and businesses; youngsters and older generation; metropolitan and rural areas and so on.
BUT this is not an easy task at all, so do this only if you know how you’re going to support your ideas.
You can now try to do the same exercise with your second example yourself.
btw I got exactly the same question during one of my last exams, so ironic)))I randomly picked a topic of this type of essay. I made a plan but stucked in choosing a side for a long time. After analysing that, I discovered that it's simple to choose one side, but if you HAVE to choose both sides, like we are discussing, its very very difficult to stay on topic.I got your point now.
In such cases you can discuss two different situations, where in one situation option 1 would work and in the other situation opinion 2 would be more preferable. In your example if you really think both options are equal (I personally don’t think so though) you can say “In my opinion, while it’s better to receive education from professional teachers in most cases, children with certain psychological disorders may benefit more from receiving knowledge from their parents”. Or in my example I could say “In my opinion, while it’s more beneficial for individuals to use machine translators (as they’re accessible and fast), businesses should opt for professional translators (as they give more quality).” It’s like you bring two situations - healthy children and those with issues; individuals and businesses; youngsters and older generation; metropolitan and rural areas and so on.
BUT this is not an easy task at all, so do this only if you know how you’re going to support your ideas.
You can now try to do the same exercise with your second example yourself.
Well, yes now practicing this type of essay.
Q: Some say that environment can be protected by governments, others say that individuals also can protect them.
A1: In my opinion, while governments are responsible for controlling environmental impact of businesses, in case of the society, it is each member’s duty to reduce their own harm to nature.
A2: In my opinion it is government’s responsibility to protect the environment, since they have appropriate tools in terms of laws and regulations, as well as the needed budget to invest in nature.
A3. In my opinion, while governments are the ones to fix the negative effect of human activity, it is individuals, who can stop the actual cause of the environmental issues.
*A2 won’t work if you’re told to discuss both views.
Some people think that environmental problems should be solved on a global scale while others believe it is better to deal with them nationally. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.
While some people would argue that concerns related to the environment should be solved at a national level, others diasgree and prefer solutions on a global scale. I believe that these problems ought to be solved by mutual understanding globally as they cannot be solved by a nation alone owing to the lack of resources.
On the one hand, since governments have full control in their own country, they can implement better preventive and corrective measures to achieve environmental sustainability. One of the main reasons of this could be that they know what are some main concerns that that require an immediate attention as every nation has its different types of ecological problems. For example, While the problem of water scarcity in India is at dangerous level, there are no issues related to the water in Canada, Australia and the United States. However, since handling of most environmental problems like global warming, energy shortages and climate crisis require abundance of resources, they are beyond the reach of a single country.
On the other hand, lots of men and material are needed to combat environmental problems and this need can be satisfied if countries work on these issues as a team. Working together means better use of workforce and machines that can solve these problems quicker and better by using innovative ideas. The content of carbon is reduced to half in five years when most countries signed a treaty in Paris to make their environment and planet a better place by cutting their emissions from industries and automobiles. Moreover, the principles of global integration and mutual understanding will flourish when developed and developing countries will assist under-developed countries where more lives of people and animals are at risk.
In conclusion, whether environmental problems are addressed at a global platform or at a country level to achieve environmental stewardship attracts many viewpoints. I consider that a global platform is a better choice as this option has more resources to tackle the problem which is not the case when a countries handles these issues themselves.
While some people would argue that concerns related to the environment should be solved at a national level, others diasgree and prefer solutions on a global scale. I believe that these problems ought to be solved by mutual understanding globally as they cannot be solved by a nation alone owing to the lack of resources.
On the one hand, since governments have full control in their own country, they can implement better preventive and corrective measures to achieve environmental sustainability. One of the main reasons of this could be that they know what are some main concerns that that require an immediate attention as every nation has its different types of ecological problems. For example, While the problem of water scarcity in India is at dangerous level, there are no issues related to the water in Canada, Australia and the United States. However, since handling of most environmental problems like global warming, energy shortages and climate crisis require abundance of resources, they are beyond the reach of a single country.
On the other hand, lots of men and material are needed to combat environmental problems and this need can be satisfied if countries work on these issues as a team. Working together means better use of workforce and machines that can solve these problems quicker and better by using innovative ideas. The content of carbon is reduced to half in five years when most countries signed a treaty in Paris to make their environment and planet a better place by cutting their emissions from industries and automobiles. Moreover, the principles of global integration and mutual understanding will flourish when developed and developing countries will assist under-developed countries where more lives of people and animals are at risk.
In conclusion, whether environmental problems are addressed at a global platform or at a country level to achieve environmental stewardship attracts many viewpoints. I consider that a global platform is a better choice as this option has more resources to tackle the problem which is not the case when a countries handles these issues themselves.
While some people would argue that concerns related to the environment should be solved at a national level, others diasgree and prefer solutions on a global scale. I believe that these problems ought to be solved by mutual understanding globally as they cannot be solved by a nation alone owing to the lack of resources.
Just reading your whole essay I think introduction could be better. What you are saying is if issues are local national governments could be better but issues like global warming will take collective effort and you lean towards that. You need to find a way to explain that in introduction itself.
On the one hand, since governments have full control in their own country, they can implement better preventive and corrective measures to achieve environmental sustainability. One of the main reasons of this could be that they know what are some main concerns that that require an immediate attention as every nation has its different types of ecological problems. For example, While the problem of water scarcity in India is at dangerous level, there are no issues related to the water in Canada, Australia and the United States. However, since handling of most environmental problems like global warming, energy shortages and climate crisis require abundance of resources, they are beyond the reach of a single country.
This paragraph is very well written. Why? Because you tell what kind of issues national government can handle better and why? And example is very relatable and not a made up lame example like "Research by UN shows that India has more water issues and hence they need to deal with it themselves blah blah" . Remember this example for future reference. This is how your examples should be. When someone reads it he/she should feel ... yeah that makes sense.
Also you make a good segway for the next paragraph by stating what kind of issues can't be solved at national levels. That gets you points at C&C. You have hit almost all points in this BP.
On the other hand, lots of men and material are needed to combat environmental problems and this need can be satisfied if countries work on these issues as a team. Working together means better use of workforce and machines that can solve these problems quicker and better by using innovative ideas. The content of carbon is reduced to half in five years when most countries signed a treaty in Paris to make their environment and planet a better place by cutting their emissions from industries and automobiles. Moreover, the principles of global integration and mutual understanding will flourish when developed and developing countries will assist under-developed countries where more lives of people and animals are at risk.
Okay this para is the weak link of the essay. Why? There is too much vague and philosophical stuff like the one highlighted in red. That is kind of related to topic but read your BP1 and then read your BP2. There is no impact in BP2.
In conclusion, whether environmental problems are addressed at a global platform or at a country level to achieve environmental stewardship attracts many viewpoints. Waste of a line. You are writing like an intro line. This is conclusion.
I consider that a global platform is a better choice as this option has more resources to tackle the problem which is not the case when a countries handles these issues themselves.
Much better than your previous attempts. Your BP1 and example there should be your template for your future essays.
Fix the introduction. One simple trick is to revisit your introduction when you have finished writing your essay and update it. Don't think introduction can be written only at the beginning. It can be written even in the end to make it more impactful.
You're making huge progress. Just keep at it. All the best!
Last edited: