Practice task and model answer
1 Read the Part 1 task below and answer the
questions.
1 What is the background situation?
2 What is the topic of the essay?
3 Who will read it?
You have attended a panel discussion on ways in
which the needs of an ageing population can be
met. You have made the notes below.
Ways in which the needs of an ageing
population can be met
• more residential care homes
• more jobs available for elderly
people
• more entertainment
Some opinions expressed in the
discussion:
“I’d rather get help in my own home than
move into a care home.”
“Work gives people a way of organising
their day.”
“Too many forms of entertainment are
intended for young people.”
Write an essay for your tutor discussing two
of the ways in your notes. You should explain
which way you think is more important
giving reasons to support your opinion.
You may, if you wish, make use of the opinions
expressed in the discussion, but you should
use your own words as far as possible.
100 writing guide
2 Read this model essay and answer the questions.
1 What style is the essay written in? Give three examples that show
this.
2 How has the writer organised the essay?
3 In the writer’s opinion, which way is more important?
Introduction, As medicine develops, life expectancy rises, increasing
giving the the proportion of the population over the age of 65. This
background presents numerous challenges for society as a whole, in
– why the
areas ranging from healthcare to transport, and no country
population is
ageing – and has fully come to grips with the issues involved.
introducing areas
where the elderly Many more people survive strokes, heart attacks and
might have other diseases than in the past, but they may suffer from
specific needs impaired health and require assistance in some form. One
solution is residential care homes, with trained support
available round the clock. A major drawback, however, is
the shortage of affordable places. Despite the high cost,
governments should provide more homes, and, if necessary,
subsidise the residents. Without this intervention, moving
Reason
to a home would be out of reach of many people, who risk
Good linking ending up without the support they need.
expression (In
connection) In connection with the question of work, for many elderly
indicating new people retirement brings empty days to fill, without the
topic income required to pass the time enjoyably. Having a job
can provide a structure that might once have seemed very
Good words as an
demanding, but is now missed. Some people would rather
alternative way of
expressing second work, perhaps from home, and perhaps part-time. Such
activity could be organised at a local or even national level,
opinion
with employers offering tasks that are suitable for retired
people.
Conclusion Much could be done to meet the needs of an ageing
and writer’s population, and it is hard to prioritise just one area.
opinion, Nevertheless, I believe that having an adequate number of
with reason places in residential care homes to meet demand is probably
the most important, as health is a fundamental need.
Linking word
(nevertheless)
 R.eady for Writing

Models and tasks

On the following pages you will find a model for each of the main task types, together
with an additional task. You should answer the Part 1 task on page 197, and at least
one of the Part 2 tasks. Read the relevant model, then follow stages 1-9 in the Planning
and checking section on page 195. In order to help you demonstrate a good range of
vocabulary you should select appropriately from the Useful language section.

Part 1: Essay
Your class has recently watched a television documentary on ways for governments
to reduce traffic congestion. You have made the notes below:

Ways for governments I

to reduce traffic --~----------------------,
Some opinions expressed in the documentary:
congestion
'Maybe people would use buses if there were more
• public transport
of them.'
• road building
'We need fewer cars on the road, not more.'
• legislation
'There should be limits on where and when you
can drive.'

Write an essay for your tutor discussing two of the ways in your notes. You should
explain which way you think is more important for governments to consider, giving
reasons in support of your answer.
You may, if you wish, make use of the opinions expressed in the discussion, but you
should use your own words as far as possible.

Model answer

Tackling traffic congestion: what should be done?

opening statement
to eng~g~ the - - - - - - At the beginning of the 20th century, a car was a luxury that many
readers mterest could not afford, but since then, the number of vehicles on the streets reasons for the
of industrialized countries has soared. The simple fact is that most - - - - - - - proposition
urban areas were never designed to cope with such high levels of /
traffic. It seems ironic that as car ownership has increased, the quality
oflife for people living in cities has, in some ways, diminished. Traffic
congestion creates stress, pollution and many types of health problem.
It is an issue that governments must address.
clearly separate
paragraphs =----------One approach that policy-makers could take is to introduce more
help with legislation regulating the use of private vehicles. In certain countries,
organization for example, drivers are required to pay a toll once they cross the a range of cohesive
boundary of the city centre. In some cases, car drivers are also devices
restricted to using one lane only, leaving the other lanes for buses or
taxis. Unfortunately, there is evidence that neither of these measures
has reduced traffic to any significant extent.

An alternative approach would be to make public transport more formal register

I
clear indication of
which approach or
method the writer
considers more
important
attractive to potential passengers. According to a recent online poll, with impersonal
it is inconvenience rather than cost which deters people from using
language rather
buses. Local authorities would therefore need to provide a much wider
than first
range of bus routes, and run far more frequent services.
person pronouns
In conclusion, an improved public transport system would certainly
require considerable financial investment, but in the long term,
it might be a cheaper option than borrowing money to fund new
road-building projects. This is the strategy that I would recommend
governments adopt.

196
 Ready for Writing

Task

Your class has attended a panel discussion on ways young people can be encouraged
to keep fit. You have made the notes below:

Ways young people can be I

encouraged to keep fit ~-~-------------------~
Some opinions expressed in the panel discussion:
• school programmes
'Schools should be responsible for kids' fitness.'
• sports clubs
'Maybe kids would do sport if they could choose one
• technology they liked.'
'Young people would be more motivated if a computer was
involved somehow!'

Write an essay for your tutor discussing two of the ways in your notes. You should
explain which way you think is more important for schools to consider, giving
reasons in support of your answer.
You may, if you wish, make use of the opinions expressed in the discussion, but you
should use your own words as far as possible.

Expressing an opinion Saying what other people think

It is probably true to say that ...
There can be no doubt that .. .
It is simply not the case that .. .
Commonly held views
It is widely believed that ...
No one would dispute the fact that ...
Few people would contest/dispute (the
fact) that ...
It is generally agreed that ...
There are those who argue that ...
It has been suggested that ...
It is often claimed that .. .
Opponents/Supporters/Proponents of
(hunting) argue that .. .
Referring to sources
All the evidence suggests that ...
A recent survey proved that ...
Judging by the comments made by ...
Interviews with (students) have
revealed that ...

197
 Writing Guide
Essays
You have just listened to a local radio discussion programme about ways in
which your town could be improved. You have made the notes below.

\'1\J1c\1 facilitieS s\'loula t\'le tO'.'lfl GOUfiCil

su~~o
M ·f tl'le~ are to im~rove our to'.'lf\7.
1 -

• wltural vwues
• s11o~~ifl9 cwtres '5ome op·no
I ns ey.pressed in the d· .
• s~orts clubs , ISGUSSIOn:
Not everyone likes theatre ballet ,
, · or opera.
'5hops are c.ruc.ial if we are .
to the town.' gomg to bring prosperity

'keeping fit should be a top pr·o

1
·t c
n Y10r everyone.'

Write an essay discussing two of the facilities in your notes. You should
explain which facility is more important for the town council to support,
giving reasons for your answer.
You may, if you wish, make use of the opinions expressed in the discussion,
but you should use your own words as far as possible.
Write your essay in 220-260 words in an appropriate style.

1 Make a plan before you start by listing your points and putting them in a
logical order.
2 Summarise the subject clearly in the introductory paragraph.
3 Organise your ideas into paragraphs.
4 Use linkers to make your writing flow.
5 Use a variety of sentence structures.
6 Reword phrases from the input text where possible.
7 Express your opinions clearly and give reasons to justify choosing one
option above the other.
8 Use appropriate phrases to compare and contrast ideas.

11 Writing Guide
 Our town used to be a thriving place but over the past decade it has
become very run down. lt is therefore (4) important that we think
carefully about how to prioritise any planned improvements. (2) (3)
One of the major problems in the town is our lack of good sports
amenities. (6) The presr::nt gymnasium is very small and the equipment
is out of date and very unreliabl e. As I am sure most people would
agree, fitness plays an essential role (6) in the health and happiness of
all the inhabitants of our town and that is why I believe (7) it should be
our top priority. (3)
Of almost equal importance (8) is the need for adequate cultural
venues in our town. Although (4) the town boasts a well-established
theatre, a new art gallery or cultural centre would make a significant
contribution to the educational opportunities available to local people,
as well as (4) offering another place of entertainment and recreation.
Nevertheless, (4) it is likely fewer people will take advantage of these
facilities than will use the sports club and for that reason (7) I believe
they should take second place. (8)
To sum up, to enhance our town we eventually need both the new
sports facilities and the cultural venues. Given the need to prioritise,
however, (4) it seems clear that sport should come first. Having
attend ed to that area , we can later turn our minds to the cultural
venues we so desperately need. (3)

phrase bank
• Sequencing points in an argument
Take, for exa mpl e .. .
justifying opinions
Th e reason I think thi s is beca use

• In th e first pla ce/To start with , .

Secondly, .
Finally, .
. .. and that is wh y I believe ...
. .. and for th at reason I think

Conclusions
Prioritisi ng/compa ring In sum /To sum up, .

• I beli eve X should be our top pri ority.

lt is my opinion th at X should ta ke seco nd place.
lt seems to me th at X mu-st com e first.
In co nclusion, .

Writing Guide l1!iJ