a. Identify the question.

7 minutes b. Outline the topic.

30 minutes

3 minutes
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO BEFORE WRITING?
7 minutes

1. Identify the question: what type of essay should you

write? And underline keywords.
1) Opinion (pick one side/ two arguments)

2) Discussion (discuss both sides)

3) Two questions (answer the both questions)

1) A. OPINION (VERY COMMON)
1. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
2. Is this positive or negative development?
➢ Does travel help to promote understanding
and communication between countries ? why/
why not ?
EXAMPLES
➢ Learning a new language through a teacher is better
than learning through self-study.
To what extent do you agree or disagree? Band (6.5 -7)
➢ I agree .. Why ?
➢ I disagree .. Why?
 WHAT SHOULD YOU DO BEFORE WRITING?
2. DISCUSSION
1. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages.
2. What are the benefits and the drawbacks of this issue ?
3. What are the pros and cons of/the merits and demerits of/gains and
losses/assets and liabilities/opportunities and obstacles
4. Consider both sides of this debate and conclude.
Don’t mention your opinion
1. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
2. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
Mention your opinion in the second body or in the conclusion.
EXAMPLES
➢ Many people decide to further their study and
live abroad.
What are the benefits and the drawbacks of
studying and living abroad?
Advantages
Disadvantages
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO BEFORE WRITING?
3. TWO-QUESTIONS

1. What are the problems associated with this?

What solutions can you suggest?
2. What factors contribute to this? What can be
done to solve this problem?
3. Explain some reasons for this problem and
suggest some possible solutions.
EXAMPLES
➢ Many offenders commit more crimes after
serving their first punishment.
Why is this happening, and what measures can
be taken to tackle this problem? (Band 7.5-8)
1. Reasons
2. Solutions
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO BEFORE WRITING?

2. Outline the topic. Pick a detail or two to include in

your body parts of the essay, based on the type of essay
you identified in the first step.
 HOW IMPORTANT IS OUTLINING?

1 A careful plan will help

your body paragraphs
on the ideas in
your .
 HOW IMPORTANT IS OUTLINING?

2 An outline
When you’re
finished, you will be able
to write the essay quickly.
 HOW IMPORTANT IS OUTLINING?

3 An outline
smoother
transitions, eliminated
drifting.
 STEPS TO OUTLINING

Answer the question

1 or make a choice.
 STEPS TO OUTLINING

Decide on two
2 controlling ideas.
 STEPS TO OUTLINING

Decide on one or two

3 specific details for
each controlling idea.
EXAMPLES
➢ Learning a new language through a teacher is better
than learning through self-study.
To what extent do you agree or disagree? Band (6.5 -7)
➢ I agree .. Why ?
1. Learning correctly
a. Detailed feedback b. practical experience
1. Committed to study
a. Deadlines b. follow-up
EXAMPLES
➢ Many people decide to further their study and
live abroad.
What are the benefits and the drawbacks of
studying and living abroad? Band (6.5 – 7)
1. Advantages
a. Quality education b. well-paid jobs
1. Disadvantages
a. Cultural shock b. homesickness
EXAMPLES
➢ Many offenders commit more crimes after
serving their first punishment.
Why is this happening, and what measures can
be taken to tackle this problem? (Band 7.5-8)
1. Reasons
a. Lack of rehabilitation b. difficult to find a job
1. Solutions
a. Useful skills training b. more supervision
WHAT SHOULD YOU WRITE?
30 minutes
You’re required to write 250 words in 4 paragraphs:
1. Introduction
2. Body paragraph I
3. Body paragraph II
4. Conclusion
1. INTRODUCTION
• You should write about 40 – 60 words.(50 words)
• It has 3 parts:
1) General statement.
2) Paraphrase sentence.
3) Thesis statement.
2. BODY PART I
3. BODY PART II
1) Each paragraph should contain around 90 - 110
words.
2) Write a proper topic sentence.
3) Add the details you thought about before writing.
4) Be specific and thorough.
4. CONCLUSION
1) It should contain around 30 - 40 words.
2) Re-state your thesis.
3) Add future recommendations.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DOUBLE-CHECK?
3 minutes
1) Spelling mistakes.
2) Variety of words/synonyms/antonyms.
3) Grammatical mistakes.
4) Punctuations (commas, full stops, semicolons, upper
case letters.. Etc.)
A. TOPIC SENTENCES
1) It’s the first sentence in every paragraph.
2) They support thesis statements.
3) They control add limitations to a body
paragraph.
B. DETAIL SENTENCES
1) They form the body of each paragraph.
2) They describe, explain and support the topic
sentences.
3) If the promised or claimed topic sentences are
not fulfilled, then the paragraph is NOT fully
developed.
4) Two or three sentences are NOT considered as a
fully developed body paragraph.
C. THESIS STATEMENT
1) It’s mostly the last sentence in the
introduction (introductory paragraph).
2) The entire essay is built on the thesis
statement.
3) It controls the unity and progress of the
essay.
WHAT THINGS ARE EXAMINERS LOOKING FOR?

Will put them in type of essays

WHAT ARE ESSAY TYPES?
1) Opinion (pick one side – two arguments)

2) Discussion (discuss both sides)

3) Two questions (answer both questions)

1) A. OPINION (VERY COMMON)
1. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
2. Is this positive or negative development?
➢ Does travel help to promote understanding
and communication between countries ? why/
why not ?
HOW SHOULD YOU WRITE AN OPINION?
1. Intro: General statement, rephrase the question, tell
the reader your plan-opinion (Reason 1; moreover,
Reason 2).
2. Body paragraph 1: Reason 1: support your opinion
with argument and examples
3. Body paragraph 2: Reason 2: support your opinion
further with argument and examples.
4. Conclusion: summarize key points and restate your
opinion.
EXAMPLES
➢ Learning a new language through a teacher is better
than learning through self-study.
To what extent do you agree or disagree? Band (6.5 -7)
➢ I agree .. Why ?
1. Learning correctly
a. Detailed feedback b. practical experience
1. Committed to study
a. Deadlines b. follow-up
A. INTRODUCTION
B. BODY PART 1
C. BODY PART 2
D. CONCLUSION
 WHAT SHOULD YOU DO BEFORE WRITING?
2. DISCUSSION
1. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages.
2. What are the benefits and the drawbacks of this issue ?
3. What are the pros and cons of/the merits and demerits of/gains and
losses/assets and liabilities/opportunities and obstacles
4. Consider both sides of this debate and conclude.
Don’t mention your opinion
1. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
2. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
Mention your opinion in the second body or in the conclusion.
2) A. DISCUSSION
1. Intro: general statement ,rephrase the question, tell
the reader your plan.
2. Body Paragraph 1: discuss the advantages of the
topic, or one side of argument.
3. Body Paragraph 2: discuss the disadvantages, or the
other side of argument.
4. Conclusion: summarize key points and you do not
need to tell your opinion
EXAMPLES
➢ Many people decide to further their study and
live abroad.
What are the benefits and the drawbacks of
studying and living abroad? Band (6.5 – 7)
1. Advantages
a. Quality education b. well-paid jobs
1. Disadvantages
a. Cultural shock b. homsickness
A. INTRODUCTION
B. BODY PART 1 (ADVANTAGES/PROS)
C. BODY PART 2
(DISADVANTAGES/CONS/DOWNSIDES)
D. CONCLUSION
B. OPINION/DISCUSSION
1. Intro: general statement ,rephrase the question, tell
the reader your plan.
2. Body Paragraph 1: discuss the advantages of the
topic, or one side of argument.
3. Body Paragraph 2: discuss the disadvantages, or the
other side of argument, and mention your opinion.
4. Conclusion: summarize key points and you do not
need to tell your opinion
EXAMPLES
➢ Computers and online learning are being
used more and more in education. Some
people say that this is a positive trend, while
others argue that it is leading to negative
consequences.
Discuss both sides of this argument and then
give your own opinion. (Band 7.5 -8)
A. INTRODUCTION
B. BODY PART 1 (ADVANTAGES/PROS)
C. BODY PART 2
(DISADVANTAGES/CONS/DOWNSIDES)
D. CONCLUSION
3) TWO-QUESTIONS
1. Intro: general statement ,rephrase the question, tell
the reader your plan.
2. Body Paragraph 1: mention a problem or two.
3. Body Paragraph 2: discuss the solutions to the
mentioned problem(s).
4. Conclusion: summarize key points and you do not
need to tell your opinion
EXAMPLES
➢ Many offenders commit more crimes after
serving their first punishment.
Why is this happening, and what measures can
be taken to tackle this problem? (Band 7.5-8)
1. Reasons
a. Lack of rehabilitation b. difficult to find a job
1. Solutions
a. Useful skills training b. more supervision
A. INTRODUCTION
B. BODY PART 1 (ADVANTAGES/PROS)
C. BODY PART 2
(DISADVANTAGES/CONS/DOWNSIDES)
D. CONCLUSION
HOW SHOULD YOU HANDLE ANXIETY?
1. Practice both with and without time constraints.
2. Practice regularly.
3. Practice with and without a clock by your side.
4. Do not worry about perfection.
When you are doing something for the first time,
you should master the technique and the
speed will come naturally.

All great people, who started magnificent ideas,

didn’t know everything about it in the
beginning, but they were sure that they will
learn everything through the journey.
(1) You must write 300 words at least to
score band 9

Writing 300 words is a waste of time.

You do not need to write too many words.
You can score band 9 with 250 words only.
Once you reach 250 words, quality is
much more important than quantity
 (2) Always include your opinion.

Do not include your opinion if you

want to put it in the conclusion, or you
will lose marks for task response.
 (3) Introduction is the most important
paragraph.

You don’t have to waste time trying to

create a perfect introduction.