BLOSSOM COURSE

WRITING TASK 2 – LESSON 2

Idea developing techniques in IELTS Writing task 2

❶ Getting to know

A body paragraph in IELTS Writing often consists of 5-6 sentences. It includes a topic sentence,
sub-topic sentences are optional, but supporting sentences are mandatory as every idea
mentioned should be well explained and illustrated. Sometimes, candidates need to write only
1-2 supporting sentence per idea (for multiple idea paragraph). However, in single idea
paragraph, candidates should write around 4 supporting sentences.

Topic Sub-topic Supporting

sentences
sentence sentence(s)

❷ Idea expanding methods.

Read the following paragraph and check if the supporting sentences are coherent or not.
Discuss with your friends to see if you can find better grammatical structures for the phrases in
bold.

Alternative 1: Unsupervised industrialization is causing major environmental problems.

Due to the fact that many companies only care about profit, the environment is being damaged

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by industrialization without proper control. Therefore, it causes many environmental issues like
water pollution.

Alternative 2: Unsupervised industrialization is causing major environmental problems. For

example, the process of industrialization is damaging the air and people’s health. If
industrialization is better supervised, people’s health will be protected.

Common fallacies:
Overlapping ideas:
Wrong use of linking device:
No progression in idea development:
Assumption/ over-generalization:

Check your supporting sentences from the previous class and see if you want to change
anything. Then share your sentences with your class.

Economic growth (A) is one of the causes for environmental degradation.

One of the effects caused by rising pollution levels is the negative impacts on people's health
and at the same time to sea and land productivity.

One of the most practical solutions for environmental degradation is raising the population’ s
awareness.

Method Your sentence Advanced templates

Owing to = Due to + Noun phrase
Owing to = Due to the fact that + SVO.
As a result of + N/ V-ing
For the reason that + clause
Cause
(Room 1) Thanks to
In the light of + something

Since = as + clause

Seeing that + clause

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 lead to
result in
has positive/negative impact on
Effect (Room
2)

if, if not, unless

Hypothesis
(Room 3)

for example
for instance
Example
(Room 3)

fossil fuels are certainly while, meanwhile, whereas, câu trúc so

finite in quantity, whereas sánh( so sánh hơn, ngang bằng),
Comparison renewable energy is effectively
(Room 4) infinite.

❸ Practice

Supporting those sentences below by using the learned technique.

❖ In my opinion, living in big cities will have more benefits for people. (Chi - Yến)

The first reason is that citizens will have more chances to entertain.

→ Obviously, big cities offer a lot of entertainment venues such as gyms, supermarkets, malls,
cinemas, parks or bars, and a lot of places that may not be available in the countryside. . People

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can visit these places after a hard day's work without afraid of the early closing time, which
regularly happens in the countryside.

Yến: One way of explaining this is that there are a large number of recreational places in
bustling cities such as parks, supermarkets or gym centres where people can chill out after a
working day. Therefore, it is easy to find a shop or an entertaining venue whenever people
want, for example, if you feel tedious at night, you can take a stroll in the park or go to the mall
to buy some food, but if you live in rural areas it is hard because almost shop are closed.

The second reason is that children can study with better education. (Huệ Anh - Ngân -
Khánh Linh)

🡪 For the reason that high quality education helps children learn most effectively, the

whole education industry is trying to innovate teaching methods so that students can

access lessons quickly and effectively.

Next, there will be more jobs for graduates. (Huy - Lan Anh)

🡪 One of the major reasons is that graduates often get more chances at jobs than

those does not. As most employers tend to choose employees due to their

educational level which is the fastest way to know their capacity. Therefore, living

in a big city where there are easier to access high-quality education will be a huge

advantage for anyone in their career. Opponents could say that it cost more to

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study in high-class schools in big cities and I must say that is true . However , the

fact that there are not only luxury (flashy) educational centers in big cities but

people still have various options / a variety of options to choose here and will

definitely increase their chances for jobs in the future.

❖ However, living in a metropolis also has a lot of drawbacks. (Sang - Diệp)

The cost of living is higher than in rural areas. (Point)

🡪 Sang: Although the cost of living in urban areas is higher than in the rural areas, the standard
of the life in metropolis still hide a plenty of disadvantages. For instances, living in big cities
people have to face with many respiratory diseases owing to the emissions from the factories,
vehicles,.... Besides, residents will be affected not only physical health but also mental health
by air pollution, noise pollution in the bumper to bumper town. If the government can tackle
these hiding problems, the cost for health problems might be cheaper.

→ Diep: First of all, people assume that the cost of living in a metropolis is higher than in the
rural areas, considering the expensive housing rents and food staples. To be more specific,
there are an increasing number of people settling in cities which contributes to the population
density. Meanwhile, the housing areas of the cities do not grow accordingly. Therefore, this
leads to the rise of accommodation prices. (Point - Explanation - Example)

→ If

→ Comparison: The amount of monthly payment of one individual for rents and food in a
metropolis can easily accommodate that of three people in the rural areas.

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 Life in cities can be extremely stressful. (Siêu - Thư)

🡪 Thư: One of the main problems that life in cities have to deal with pollutants. Since

people face up to traffic congestion and toxic emissions which put everyone at a higher
risk of lung cancer, asthma attacks,..

Sieu: Indeed, city dwellers who dramatically face more noise, more crimes and more
needs on earning money than countryside will always in a state of instability .In fact, the
recent research has shown that urban residents may have a 20% higher susceptibility to
anxiety and mood disorders than those who live in rural areas.

❹ Homework.

Exercise 1: Read the following articles and learn all underlined vocabulary by heart.

Country or the city?

If you live in a city, then you could be sitting dreaming of rolling hills and fresh air as another
speeding car flies past your apartment window. But if you're already living in the country, there's
also a strong chance you could be yearning for the excitement of the city. Us Brits are never
happy, are we? But on a more serious note, there are a host of pros and cons when it comes to
city life or living in the country, so we've taken a look at some of them here...

The decision on whether to live in the country or a city isn't just a choice on pace of life. Many
other factors can come into play.

The pros and cons of living in the country

Peace & quiet

It stands to reason that the further you are away from the hustle and bustle of a city. The quieter
things will be. This is a hugely appealing factor if you have grown out of the noise of city living
and are seeking a more peaceful way of life. However, for some, the 'hear a pin drop' nature of
living in the countryside can be unnerving.

Lower expenses
City living comes at a cost, we all know that. In the UK, the closer you live to a city, generally the

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more you will pay for your utility bills. However, you should also consider how much extra
money you'll be spending to commute to work or drive to the shops twice a week.

Quality life and space

City living can be compact at the best of times, so moving to the countryside can have huge
lifestyle and health benefits. Gardens tend to be larger than in cities or towns, where sometimes
outdoor space is even non-existent, while having the countryside on the doorstep means plenty
of fresh rural air and green covers for great health.

A sense of community and belonging

There may be more people living in cities, but more people usually means less conversation
and communication. City lives are hectic and over-crowding can be stressful, so moving to the
country can be great for getting to know neighbours and local businesses like coffee shops and
butchers. That feeling of community can be hugely beneficial when it comes to settling in
quickly.

Slower pace of life

As we outlined above, city life is busy, hectic and can be stressful. Rural neighbourhoods are
generally safer, with lower crime rates, as well as experiencing fewer traffic congestion and
fewer people on public transport.

The pros and cons of living in the city

More career prospects

If you live in the countryside, there's a strong chance you're still having to commute to work -
depending on what you do, of course. And if your heart is set on working in the countryside as
well as living there, that can mean fewer opportunities or limited options for employment. Big
businesses are, more often than not, based in towns and cities like Bristol and this can mean
better chances of finding a livelihood and securing financial status with many pay prospects for
those choosing an urban life over a rural one.

Better transport links

Living in a town or city will almost certainly give you more options when it comes to transport.
Those living in rural areas often find themselves stranded when it comes to public transport,
meaning a long drive to reach amenities. Trains, trams, buses and taxis are more readily
available in urban areas, meaning far more choice for people living nearby.

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Access to amenities
And you might not even need a transport option to get to amenities if you live in a city. Shops
will almost certainly be within walking distance for city dwellers, meaning ease as well as great
exercise and a positive contribution to their carbon footprint, too. Services like WiFi are also
generally better in cities and towns so if you need online access for work, rural living may not be
for you.
Better choice for social activities
Cities and towns generally have more choice when it comes to restaurants, bars, theatres and
cinemas, meaning far more options for those fun nights out with family and friends. And if you
are into something a little more niche, there's a better chance of finding like-minded people in a
city than a rural area.

Exercise 2: Expand ideas for the following topic sentences.

On the one hand, it is easier to have a healthy lifestyle in the countryside. First,

On the other hand, living in the city can offer more health benefits. Firstly,

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