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How to write an essay in english, by ielts expert, 29 june 2023 - 16:15.
Many students say writing is the worst part of their English, but it’s often just a case of confidence. With practice, and the tips in this post, you can gain the confidence you need to maximise your English and really show it off. This post will look at the three stages of writing - planning, writing the text and reading it back.
If you are preparing for an exam, please be aware that for the latest information on exam format you should always go straight to the source – IELTS website . You can practice free online IELTS Academic Writing tests or General Training Writing tests . You can also practice writing your answer by downloading an IELTS Writing Answer Sheet .
Planning is an integral part of your writing. You might say “I don’t plan”, but somewhere in your subconscious, you do! By raising your awareness of your own planning process you can improve enormously. As a teacher, I see many students who plan and many who don’t. In general, the students that plan produce much better work, so if you are in the “no plan” camp, you should at least experiment with some of the ideas coming up.
Planning 1: Address the question
If you are writing for a class assignment or an exam, it is crucial that you address the question given. Adequate planning (five minutes is better than nothing) will keep you on track.
Start by breaking the question down into its parts. There will usually be two or three aspects to the question. You want not only to cover all aspects of the question, but also make it obvious to your teacher or the examiner that you have done so, and the best way to demonstrate this is to give each aspect its own paragraph.
Planning 2: Brainstorm vocabulary as well as ideas
Once you have identified your paragraphs, think about what vocabulary you have at your disposal. Perhaps you would like to write one paragraph from a particular angle, but when you start planning you might find there are holes in your vocabulary and you are better able to write from a different angle. Choose ideas which best overlap with what you can clearly state in English.
Planning 3: Write chunks of language
Even with all the vocabulary in the world, some ideas are complex to express in writing. Causality, speculation and hypothetical scenarios are all abstract concepts which make it more challenging to say exactly what you want, but these are also an opportunity to push your English ability to the max and show your grammatical range.
Sound out in your head how you will make your arguments, and when you get stuck, try writing this part down in your plan. It might be a whole sentence of just a clause. This will help you decide if you have enough English ability to get across a really impressive idea, or if you need to simplify your thoughts in order to remain clear to the reader.
Writing the text 1: Use your plan!
I have seen many students write logical, competent plans that address the question, only to go off on a random tangent when they start writing!
Of course, you might change some things as you go along, for example if you have a new idea, but keeping an eye on your plan will prevent you from getting distracted and bring you back to the question you must answer. It will also keep you aware of how you are doing for word count and time.
Writing the text 2: Write your introduction last
You should at least consider this idea. The purpose of an introduction is to tell the reader what they are going to read, so how can you write the introduction when you haven’t written the content yet?
Introductions are fiddly to write on a blank canvas, but much easier when we already have the content written in front of us.
If you are writing on paper, it is still possible to write the introduction last - you just need to leave a few lines for it.
Writing the text 3: Make sure your introduction and conclusion match
Your introduction and conclusion should also match the content of your main body paragraphs. This might seem obvious, but I wish I had a euro for every time I have seen an introduction passionately in favour of something followed by body paragraphs and a conclusion that were passionately against.
This problem can be avoided by writing your conclusion last, as suggested above. It will also be avoided by planning, and thinking a little more deeply how you feel about the question before you start. When I say a little more deeply, I’m talking about a minute or so, not hours.
Writing the text 4: Use linkers
Linkers are often misunderstood as simply a way of showing “formal English” but in fact, we use linkers all the time, even when chatting with friends. We use them in speech and in writing to indicate “I’m going to add to what was just said,” “I’m going to contradict what was just said,” and generally to help the listener or reader understand where we are going next.
After writing the text
This is another area where many students are very reluctant - you need to read what you wrote!
Check for spelling errors, missing third person s, capital letters, whatever errors you are prone to make… and if you don’t know what errors you are prone to make, it’s because you aren’t checking your writing, so you need to start today! You can be the expert on your own writing strengths and weaknesses, and this will just make you better and better.
Moreover, you should read back your text because it’s enjoyable to see how skillfully you put your ideas down and how convincing your arguments are. You did it! Well done! Enjoy the moment with some positivity!
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Are you an upper intermediate (CEFR level B2) learner of English? Practise and improve your writing skills with these texts and exercises.
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A blog – The X Games
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A magazine article
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A more formal email
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Look at the short story and do the exercises to improve your writing skills.
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How to Write an Argumentative Essay (Part Three)
By singapore teaching centre, british council, 15 may 2015 - 15:15.
Introducing the British Council’s How to Write an Argumentative Essay animated video series. This is the third of five simple and easy to follow videos that will show you how you can improve your writing.
We will look at:
- Planning and question analysis
- Writing a paragraph
- Introduction and conclusion
- Counter paragraph
This series is a comprehensive online tuition guide, taking you through all the key elements you need for a good piece of argumentative essay writing. This series is particularly relevant to secondary school students struggling with their English curriculum.
Learn more on Secondary English
British Council
Cultural Heritage for Inclusive Growth Essay Collection
Essay collection: these essays explore heritage’s relationship to sustainable development from a variety of different perspectives, through case studies, concepts and practical approaches.
Difficult Conversations
Essay collection: this series looks at how the arts enable reparative engagement with legacies of trauma and conflict.
Crossing Points: UK-Australia / New Zealand / Pacific
Essay collection: islands in the stream – the UK’s relations with Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific region explored.
Reflections on building inclusive and sustainable peace
September 2018: This collection of essays captures the discussions, reflections and recommendations from the 2018 Peace and Beyond Conference in Belfast.
Exploring the Public Realm: How can artistic and cultural participation affect individual and collective experience in the public realm and the city?
Research series: Diba Salem looks at Dubai, its architecture and what is ‘public’ in the middle east.
Exploring the Public Realm: A teenage takeover of libraries
September 2018: This essay explores libraries and youth takeovers in three cities in the North of the UK, with youth challenging who owns ‘public’ – if interior – space.
Exploring the Public Realm: In the city, everyone is an artist
September 2018: Shrirya Malhotra writes about working with collective Partizaning in Moscow and the differences between being a public artist and an activist in Moscow and Delhi.
Exploring the Public Realm: My House is Your House - How Music Venues Enrich Life in a City Where Strangers Meet
September 2018: Dave Haslam examines how music venues provide spaces for new encounters.
Crossing Points: UK-Poland
Essay collection: as Poland celebrates 100 years since the restoration of its independence, the British Council publishes a book of essays of the Anglo-Polish relationship.
Crossing Points: UK-Germany
Essay collection: the new British Council collection of essays, ‘Crossing Points’, has been written by eight authors for the ‘UK/Germany 2018’ season.
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Learn to write in English with confidence. Our online English classes feature lots of useful writing materials and activities to help you develop your writing skills with confidence in a safe and inclusive learning environment. Practise writing with your classmates in live group classes, get writing support from a personal tutor in one-to-one ...
Read the question carefully. Respond to all ideas in it or all parts of it. Plan your ideas first and then choose the best ones. Introduce your essay by restating the question in your own words. Show understanding of both sides of the argument. Use linking words to connect your ideas. Draw your conclusion from the main ideas in your essay.
Learn how to write an opinion essay. Hi kimmie, Thanks for your question. In academic and formal writing, there is a general preference for precision over vagueness, so generally speaking it's better to avoid this usage of so and thing and use more precise and academic terms when they are available (e.g.Therefore, the first factor/issue to consider is ...
This section offers writing practice to help you write clear, detailed text on a wide range of topics related to your interests. Texts include essays, reports, reviews, messages and emails. Each lesson has a preparation task, a model text with writing tips and three tasks to check your understanding and to practise a variety of writing skills.
Are you a learner at C1 English level (advanced)? This section offers writing practice to help you write clear, well-structured texts about complex subjects. Texts include essays, proposals, articles, reports, reviews and emails. Each lesson has a preparation task, a model text with writing tips and three tasks to check your understanding and ...
Writing; B1 writing; An opinion essay An opinion essay. Look at the essay and do the exercises to improve your writing skills. Instructions. Do the preparation exercise first. ... EnglishScore Tutors is the British Council's one-to-one tutoring platform for 13- to 17-year-olds. Find out more. Comments. Submitted by FlowerQueen on Fri, 01/05 ...
Task 1. Write a number (1-5) to put the essay paragraphs in order. Main point - the advantages of using memory over searching online. Main point - the negative social effects of internet use. Introduction - an explanation of the essay question in other words. Conclusion - the internet cannot replace memory.
Planning 1: Address the question. If you are writing for a class assignment or an exam, it is crucial that you address the question given. Adequate planning (five minutes is better than nothing) will keep you on track. Start by breaking the question down into its parts. There will usually be two or three aspects to the question.
Writing a paragraph. Introduction and conclusion. Counter paragraph. Editing. This series is a comprehensive online tuition guide, taking you through all the key elements you need for a good piece of argumentative essay writing. This series is particularly relevant to secondary school students struggling with their English curriculum.
Introducing the British Council's How to Write an Argumentative Essay animated video series. This is the first of five simple and easy to follow videos that ...
introduce focus of the lesson: Writing Task 2 - Essay structures and introductions. give each student a copy of Worksheet 1 and one minute to read the Task 2 question. elicit possible next steps before writing i.e. brainstorming ideas. draw attention to the True / False task and clarify the importance of spending time with the question before ...
Writing about a pie chart. Look at the pie chart, exam question and sample answer and do the exercises to improve your writing skills. 15. Are you an intermediate (CEFR level B1) learner of English? Practise and improve your writing skills with these texts and exercises.
Procedure: introduce focus of the lesson: Writing Task 2 - developing an argument. give each student a copy of Worksheet 1 and one minute to read the Task 2 question. elicit possible next steps before writing i.e. brainstorming ideas. draw attention to the True / False task and clarify the importance of spending time with the question before ...
Free online IELTS General Training Writing practice test - paper. Practise for your General Training IELTS Writing test. Familiarise yourself with the IELTS Writing exams with these free online IELTS Writing practice tests, each with answers to assess your ability.
There are different types of model texts, with writing tips and interactive exercises that practise the writing skills you need to do well at school, get good marks in your tests and exams, and get more out of your free-time activities. Take our free online English test to find out which level to choose. Select your level, from beginner (CEFR ...
Preparation. Reading. Check your writing: multiple choice. Check your writing: reordering. Check your writing: gap fill typing. Worksheets and downloads. Life skills essay - exercises 1.09 MB. Life skills essay - answers 244.03 KB. Life skills essay - text 1.05 MB.
Writing responses are marked by trained and certificated IELTS examiners. Scores may be reported as whole bands or half bands. Below you will find candidates' responses to the two tasks in the sample Academic Writing test. There are two responses for each task. Each response has been awarded a band score and is accompanied by an examiner
Writing about survey results. Look at the pie chart and text and do the exercises to improve your writing skills. 9. Are you an upper intermediate (CEFR level B2) learner of English? Practise and improve your writing skills with these texts and exercises.
This series is particularly relevant to secondary school students struggling with their English curriculum. Learn more on Secondary English. Introducing the British Council's How to Write an Argumentative Essay video series. This is the third of five simple and easy to follow videos that will show you how you can improve.
Essay collection: as Poland celebrates 100 years since the restoration of its independence, the British Council publishes a book of essays of the Anglo-Polish relationship. Crossing Points: UK-Germany . Essay collection: the new British Council collection of essays, 'Crossing Points', has been written by eight authors for the 'UK/Germany ...