IELTS Task 2 Academic: How to Write Task Two Essays by William Sauton / Onlearn Copyright © 2013 Onlearn Smashwords Edition This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.
Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. Table of Contents Overview 1. The Skill of Reading 2. A Caring Society and Pets 3.
English-Medium University Courses 5. The Overuse of Computers 6. Public Libraries and the Internet 7. Schools and Art Appreciation 8.
Citizens of the World 9. Advertising and Society 10. Work Experience and Teenagers 11. Education and Computers 13.
Museums, Galleries and the Internet 14. Electronic Devices and the Young 15. Conversation and Electronic Social Networking For more help with your IELTS Overview How this book can help increase your score This book, IELTS Task 2 Academic: How to Write Task Two Essays has been created for IELTS Academic Exam candidates who want to achieve a high score in the Writing Module. It offers a varied range of Task 2 essay questions, provides you with detailed advice about how you should approach the task, supplies a model response and explains in a commentary the significant features of that response.
Each essay task has a Very Strong Response which shows you how the task should be accomplished and is followed by a detailed Commentary on that response. The Very Strong Response is what is sometimes called a Model Answer but the word “model” is avoided here as it falsely implies that there is only one way of writing a response which is not true. There can be many valid models depending on a writer’s approach to the task, the content supplied and the variety of language used. The Commentary highlights important points in different paragraphs of the response, dealing primarily with language but also with content.
The notes are varied, drawing attention to the significant features of a response and dealing in detail with the language that arises. The 15 Tasks that are given are very typical of the wide-ranging essay tasks that IELTS Academic candidates will meet in their examination. This book will help the reader to understand exactly what is required. Failure to do well in the Task 2 section of the Academic Writing Module can involve a poor focus on the task, the omission of key ideas, poor structuring of information and an inadequate amount of language complexity.
To be forewarned is to be prepared! Working your way systematically through the responses and commentary will enable you to approach any essay writing task with greater confidence. The Essentials of IELTS Academic Writing The 4 main areas of importance are: Addressing the Task: Always respond to all the requirements of the task; candidates will lose marks if they do not do what is required in the task. Cohesion and Coherence: Ideas and information in the text must be organised and structured. It is essential to use paragraphs.
Vocabulary Use: A wide variety of vocabulary suitable to the task should be used in the response. Words and expressions must be used accurately. Grammar Use: Complex sentences – for example, using linking words like “but”, “whereas”, “although” and relative clauses - should be used often in the written response, avoiding too many simple sentence structures. About the author William Sauton is part of a highly qualified team with many years’ experience in IELTS Exam preparation instruction and resource development.
All members of the Onlearn team have Master Degrees in English Language Teaching. Our popular IELTS and ESL websites include: “MyEnglishExam.com”, “esl4free.com/esl4free” & “marktask. The Skill of Reading When the IELTS marker reads the candidate’s essay, he/she must have a very clear idea where the writer stands on the matter of reading being lost. If the essay is read and no clear indication of agreement/disagreement with the statement is clear, then it will be impossible for the candidate to obtain a high band.
The Golden Rule is to focus sharply on the statement and use the final paragraph as an over-arching statement about the writer’s considered view on the statement that is given in the task. A strong, clear final paragraph is absolutely vital so that final paragraph will stick in the examiner’s mind as he/she considers the band that should be awarded. A good technique to use is as follows: early in the essay, state your general agreement/disagreement with the statement, use individual paragraphs to highlight a single topic of your argument and restate, in your final paragraph, your considered view on the matter. Each paragraph in your essay requires a clear, central topic and involves some explanation or discussion, possibly with a well-chosen example to reinforce the point that is being made.
It is essential that the candidate reads the specified task several times to pick up the important points. In this case, there is an implied contrast between reading today and reading in the past. This needs to be explored: in the past, people read books but nowadays there is a range of different types of publications that can be read, both print and digital. It might, also, be wise to explore what the skill of reading really means.
Is surfing web sites still reading? Is checking email reading? Explore the “Very Strong Response”, paying attention to the arguments and paragraphs that are used and learn from the “Commentary on the Response” about the range of vocabulary and the complexity of language that is required to obtain a high band for this task. In many ways, this is a difficult question to answer because it depends on the people in question, where they live, what they do and what age they are. However, as a generalization, I believe the statement is true because people no longer have an awareness of the value of reading as an important skill that is the foundation stone for many other skills that need to be learnt in modern society. In that sense, it is “being lost”.
In the past two or three generations, it was maybe customary for people to be proud of their reading skills and would ask and tell others what they were reading. The latest books were avidly read and discussed as though they were important social events. This, of course, has changed to a marked degree mainly because books are not the only main source of reading. I am thinking now of the vast range of materials that can be read, like magazines and newspapers covering a wide spectrum of interests and tastes.
The point is that people still read but the focus is more likely to be on publications other than books. However, the most important addition in the last two decade has been the rise of digital media. People are actually reading all the time as they surf the web and are not aware that they are reading. However they are consuming large amounts of text as they view social networking sites, attend to their email and navigate through news sites.
I believe that, if people were able to add up all the reading they really do in a day, they would be astonished. Looking at it from that point of view, it is impossible to say that the skill of reading is dying out. What is probably true is that people skim-read instead of spending their time reading in depth because it is so easy in the digital age to flick between items that catch our interest. The sheer volume of material available, I feel, encourages all of us to read widely but to read superficially.
In this deeper sense, the old- fashioned skill of reading for pleasure and reading for deep understanding is in great danger. I think this is inevitable and might have serious consequences in the future for today’s digital generation. Overall, then, I believe that the statement is generally true but it needs to be heavily qualified. Reading, as it was known in the past, will never be the same again owing to the Internet.
In many ways, this is a difficult question to answer because it depends on the people in question, where they live, what they do and what age they are. However, as a generalization, I believe the statement is true because people no longer have an awareness of the value of reading as an important skill that is the foundation stone for many other skills that need to be learnt in modern society. In that sense, it is “being lost”. * This is a clever opening paragraph because the writer explains how difficult it is to answer the statement as it is dependent on a range of factors.
* Note the use of “I believe”. Using personal pronouns is a powerful way of presenting your view on the topic. * The range of vocabulary is good. Note that “in today’s world’ in the task wording is now “in modern society” and commit to memory the expressions “an awareness of the value of …” and “the foundation stone for …”.
In the past two or three generations, it was maybe customary for people to be proud of their reading skills and would ask and tell others what they were reading. The latest books were avidly read and discussed as though they were important social events. This, of course, has changed to a marked degree mainly because books are not the only main source of reading. I am thinking now of the vast range of materials that can be read, like magazines and newspapers covering a wide spectrum of interests and tastes.
The point is that people still read but the focus is more likely to be on publications other than books. However, the most important addition in the last two decade has been the rise of digital media. People are actually reading all the time as they surf the web and are not aware that they are reading. However they are consuming large amounts of text as they view social networking sites, attend to their email and navigate through news sites.
I believe that, if people were able to add up all the reading they really do in a day, they would be astonished. Looking at it from that point of view, it is impossible to say that the skill of reading is dying out. * Observe that a direct style of writing continues “I am thinking now of …” and “I believe that …” but is also mixed with indirect ways of expression “it is impossible to say …” and “the point is that …”. * The richness of vocabulary is evident in the range of verbs (surf, consume, attend to, navigate), the adjectives & adverbs (customary, proud, astonished, avidly) and the noun-adjective combinations (marked degree, vast range, wide spectrum).
This is an area that needs to be accomplished well to obtain a high score. What is probably true is that people skim-read instead of spending their time reading in depth because it is so easy in the digital age to flick between items that catch our interest. The sheer volume of material available, I feel, encourages all of us to read widely but to read superficially. In this deeper sense, the old-fashioned skill of reading for pleasure and reading for deep understanding is in great danger.
I think this is inevitable and might have serious consequences in the future for today’s digital generation. Overall, then, I believe that the statement is generally true but it needs to be heavily qualified. Reading, as it was known in the past, will never be the same again owing to the Internet.