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Education

Marking Criteria
 Coherence: Refers to the flow of your writing. Your idea should be logically organized and
appropriately sequenced into paragraphs so they are easy to understand and follow.
 Cohesion: Refers to linking words that help you connect ideas and show the relationships
between paragraphs, sentences or parts of sentences.
⟹ This criteria looks at how a writing test answer is organized and how to link information and
ideas.

A. Coherence
Coherence is the logical arrangement of your ideas. All ideas should be logically arranged and one
key point should inevitably follow its explanation. That is what makes a good paragraph.
Usually, students tend to write too many ideas in a single paragraph and that often results in a
incoherent paragraph. Those ideas are not fully developed.

The key to effective coherence is planning – spending a few minutes planning your writing.
STRUCTURE
 Introduction
 2 – 3 body paragraphs
 Conclusion
A simple recipe for effective body paragraphs –
I-E-E (idea, explanation, example).
Example:
Some people believe the aim of university education is to help graduates get better jobs. Others
believe there are much wider benefits of university education for both individuals and society.
Discuss both views and give your opinion.

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B. Cohesion
Cohesion is basically the interconnection of two different parts of sentences, sentences or
paragraphs. How they are related to each other that is called cohesion.
How to make your essay cohesive?
1. Use pronouns
This, that, these, those, he, she, it, they, we are useful pronouns for referring back to something
previously mentioned.
NOTE: Be sure that what you are referring to is clear.
Example
To begin, the majority of people want to improve their future career prospects. Attending
university is one of the best ways to do this as it increases your marketable skills and your
attractiveness to potential employers.

2. Use substitution
Substitutions are words that have essentially the same meaning, and they provide some variety in
your word choices, helping the reader to stay focused on the idea being discussed.
Example
University = Higher education = Further education
To begin, the majority of people want to improve their future career prospects. Attending university
is one of the best ways to do this as it increases your marketable skills and your attractiveness to
potential employers. For example, in Europe, further education is very expensive for many people,
so most would not consider it if it would not provide them with a more secure future and a higher
standard of living.

Example
Benefit (n, v) = Gain from (v)
Firstly, the independence of living away from home is a benefit because it helps the students develop
better social skills and improve as a person… Secondly, society will gain from the contribution that
the graduates can make to the economy.

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3. Use cohesive devices

• There are many words in English that cue readers to relationships between sentences, joining
sentences together. They are called cohesive devices or linking words.
• Don’t over-use or use inappropriately – this could become confusing or irritating for the
reader.
• Also don’t always use linking words at the beginning of sentences – show more variety.

However, there are other benefits for individuals and society. Firstly, the independence of living
away from home is a benefit because it helps the students develop better social skills and improve as
a person. Many students, for instance, will have to leave their families, live in halls of residence
and meet new friends. As a result, their maturity and confidence will grow enabling them to live
more fulfilling lives. Secondly, society will gain from the contribution that the graduates can make
to the economy. We are living in a very competitive world, so countries, especially developing
countries, need educated people in order to compete and prosper.

a. Introducing your opinion

 In my opinion  It seems to me that
 In my view  I hold the belief that
 From my own perspective  I think/ believe/ admit/ concur
 From my point of view  I disagree/ cannot accept
 To my mind
b. Listing
 Firstly  Last but not least
 Secondly  To begin with
 Thirdly  Next
 Lastly  Then
 Finally
c. Adding similar ideas
 In addition  Also
 Additionally  As well as
 Furthermore  And
 Moreover
d. Giving concessions and contrasts
 Admittedly  On the contrary
 However/ Nevertheless/ Nonetheless  But/ Yet/ Still
 Even though/ Although/ Though  While/ whereas
 Despite/ in spite of  In contrast to
 On the other hand
e. Giving examples or evidence
 For example  One clear example is
 For instance  That is
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 Such as  Namely
 Including  To illustrate
f. Explaining results
 As a result  Thus
 As a consequence  Hence
 Consequently  So
 Therefore  For this reason
g. Giving reasons and causes
 For  Because of
 Since  Owing to
 As  Due to
 Because
h. Highlighting and stressing
 Undoubtedly  Particularly
 Indeed  In particular
 Obviously  Especially
 Generally  Clearly
 Admittedly  Of course
 In fact  It is true that
i. Drawing conclusions
 In conclusion  To conclude
 In brief  To reiterate
 In short  All in all
 To sum up  Taking everything into account
 To summarize  To put in a nutshell
Coherence and Cohesion Key Points
• Structure your answers in logical paragraphs
• One main idea per paragraph
• Include an introduction and conclusion
• Support main points with an explanation and an example
• Use cohesive devices accurately and appropriately
• Vary your linking phrases using synonyms

C. Common Questions about Education

1. Some students work while studying. This often results in lacking time for education and
constantly feeling under pressure.
What do you think are the causes of this?
What solutions can you suggest?
2. Children are generally more successful in foreign language studies than adults. Thus, it is
better to learn languages in childhood.

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Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples
from your own knowledge or experience.
3. Online education is becoming more and more popular. Some people claim that e-learning has
so many benefits that it will replace face-to-face education soon. Others say that traditional
education is irreplaceable.
Discuss both views and give your opinion.
4. In contemporary society, everyone should have equal opportunities in education. Therefore,
universities should accept equal numbers of male and female students in every subject.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
5. Everyone deserves to be educated. It's unfair that intelligent people are not admitted to
private universities because of their financial background. University education should be
free for everyone. Do you agree or disagree?
Provide relevant examples if necessary.
6. Some people argue that girls and boys should be educated separately, while others think that
it is more advantageous for children to study at the same school. What is your opinion?
7. Nowadays university education is considered very important for people's future. However,
there are a lot of successful people who didn't get higher education. Do you think that higher
education is necessary to succeed in life?
Justify your opinion with relevant examples.
8. Students should focus on learning in the classroom rather than show their status by wearing
fashionable clothes. Therefore, all students have to wear school uniforms.
Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
9. Discipline is an ever increasing problem in modern schools. Some people think that
discipline should be the responsibility of teachers, while others think that this is the role of
parents. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.
10. Some people think that teachers should be able to ask disruptive children to leave the class.
Do you think it is the best way to deal with a disruptive child in the classroom? That other
solutions are there?
11. The current trend in education is to move away from traditional exams and instead have
continuous assessment over the school year. What do you think of this trend?
12. The gap between education in rich countries and education in poorer countries is a growing
concern. What solutions can you suggest to deal with this situation?
13. Some schools are very strict about their school uniforms and the appearance of their pupils,
while other schools have a very relaxed dress code. What are the advantages and
disadvantages of children of having a school uniform?
14. In some high schools, part of the curriculum requires students to participate in community
work such as helping the elderly or disabled. In what way do children benefit from this? Do
you think it should be part of the curriculum?
15. Some people think that parents have the greatest influence on their child’s academic
development, while others think that a child’s teacher has more influence. Discuss both sides
and give your opinion.

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16. Some people say that the education system is the only critical factor to development of a
country. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
17. Should children be taught sex education in schools?
18. The idea of going overseas for university study is an exciting prospect for many people. But
while it may offer some advantages, it is probably better to stay home because of the
difficulties a student inevitably encounters living and studying in a different culture. To what
extent do you agree or disagree this statement? Give reasons for your answer.

D. Practice
1. Write about the following topic:
Some people think that it is better to educate boys and girls in separate schools. However, others
believe that boys and girls benefit more by attending mixed schools.
Discuss both sides and give your opinion.
Write at least 250 words.
Take a few minutes to plan what you are going to say in your answer. Using the following chart
as suggestion.

Sample
In most countries, there are both single sex and mixed schools. Some people are of the opinion that it
is effective to teach boys and girls in separate schools while others claim teaching the pupils together
is a better way. However, I strongly believe that both models have their own benefits, which will be
illustrated below.
On the one hand, single sex schools offer great benefits. Firstly, there are no gender biases in the
schools. For instance, a boy needs not to feel awkward while choosing a cookery class and a girl might
not feel weird to be part of the boxing club. This helps the individuals to grow and learn things that

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they love irrespective of other people’s opinion. Secondly, studying in a single sex school allows
students to concentrate more on their studies. This can reduce the chance of distractions caused by the
opposite sex.
On the other hand, many educationalist believe that mixed schools prepare children for their future
lives. They play important roles in emotional growth and save them from the awkwardness students
might face in later years when they have to work with the other genders. Even more, children enrich
their knowledge when working with a diversity of classmates. For instance, literature class will be full
of boredom without girls.
To sum up, the two types of schools offer great opportunities for both genders. Choosing which one
to attend depends on the individuals on how well they are able to adapt to their learning environment.

2. Improve your use of linking words by fill in the gaps below with linking words given.
1. …………. some people are of the opinion that the only purpose of a university education is to
improve job prospects, others think that society and the individual benefit in much broader ways.
A. In addition
B. While
C. For example
D. First
2. (1)……….., (2)……….that although a main aim of university education is to get the best job,
there are clearly further benefits.
A. Therefore, for instance
B. In addition, namely
C. Thus, I believe
D. In sum, especially
3. A case in point is that many students will have to leave their families, live in halls of residence and
meet new friends. ……….., their maturity and confidence will grow enabling them to live more
fulfilling lives.
A. As a result
B. However
C. In short
D. Since
4. …………., I believe that a better education system, along with skilled population, better
leadership, international trade and relationship, better lifestyle, freedom of speech, technological
development, enhanced export and utilisation of internal resources can make sure the development of
a nation, not alone.
A. Such as
B. Owing to
C. In conclusion
D. So

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5. They have to work hard to continue their life, (1)......... they prefer avoiding the education (2).........
time spent in schools could be used to earn money.
A. while, due to
B. for, though
C. consequently, because
D. moreover, clearly
6. (1)……, (2)…… education plays an important role in the progress of a nation. (3)…… more and
more people become educated, common society issues will soon be decreasing. (4)…….., in the past,
the percentage of illiterate people in China was around 50%. (5)…….., many of the people were
living in poverty as most of their occupation were low skill workers with low incomes. (6)……then
the government realised these inconvenient conditions and tried to develop the education system.
Some of the programs were giving free educations for the children and providing scholarships for
scientists and engineers. (7)……, the country has experienced a significant increase in the economic
sectors, and now China plays a significant role in the world economy.
Consequently - it is true that – But - On the one hand - For example - As a result - As

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