by Dave | Oct 7, 2017 | Ideas and Body Paragraphs
The key thing IELTS Examiners want you to do is present main ideas and then develop them by ‘extending and supporting.’
By developing an idea, you are giving the reader a clearer understanding of why the main idea is a good or bad idea.
If you want to see how this actually works out with various real questions from the test, you can click here to read my sample answers.
Dave
What are supporting ideas?
Supporting ideas are a combination of explanation and examples (both general and specific).
This may include talking about the result or effect of something, or how a situation is made better or worse by something.
Let’s look at an example question:
In some countries the average weight of people is increasing and their levels of health and fitness are decreasing.
What do you think are the causes of these problems and what measures could be taken to solve them?
For the first body paragraph you should discuss the causes.
Below is a breakdown of the main and supporting ideas for this paragraph:
Main idea: One of the main causes of obesity is unhealthy diets
General example: processed food has become very common
Explanation 1: high levels of sugar and salt
Explanation 2: lots of marketing – especially aimed at children
Result: kids have bad habits – continue when adults
Specific examples: soft drinks e.g. coke, fast food e.g. burgers, pizza
How do I link my supporting ideas?
One way to make your paragraph clearer is to your link ideas using vocabulary phrases, which help the reader follow your idea development.
Phrases include the following:
The main causes of _______ is…
This situation is made worse because…
This results in…
Good examples include…
This has been confirmed by….
Good linking phrases are like landmarks on a map when you’re finding your way around a new city.
They really help the reader to know exactly what kind of idea they are reading and where they are in your discussion.
With practice they will help you to logically organise your supporting ideas into clear, cohesive body paragraphs.
Here is the sample paragraph with the ideas and linking phrases all together:
One of the main causes of obesity and poor health is unhealthy diets. In many parts of the world, processed food, which contains high levels of sugar and salt is readily available. This situation is made worse because this food is supported by large advertising campaigns, which are increasingly aimed at children. This results in young people developing bad habits at an early age, which continue into adulthood. Good examples include soft drinks such as Coke, as well as fast food e.g. pizza and burgers. This has been confirmed by a recent study in the USA which showed that the majority of obese people had a poor diet containing high levels of junk food.
Should I include fake evidence?
You can see from the above paragraph, that the final supporting idea includes scientific evidence.
Many IELTS teachers suggest including this kind of supporting idea as it makes your argument really clear and strong.
However, you should be careful not to be too specific as some examiners might mark you down if it’s really obvious that you’re just making it up.
Compare the following two examples:
General (good!):
This has been confirmed by a recent study in the USA which showed that the majority of obese people had a poor diet containing high levels of junk food.
Too specific (bad!):
This has been confirmed by a recent study from the University of Michigan which showed that 87% of obese people ate junk food more than four times a week.
Therefore keep your evidence as general as possible. Don’t include any data, just general conclusions.
The IELTS examiner has to be able to accept that you are writing this from memory.
If it’s too specific then the examiner will find it difficult to believe that you were able to remember all this data even though you didn’t know what the question would be.
Now it’s your turn! Put your answers in the comments.
In some countries the average weight of people is increasing and their levels of health and fitness are decreasing.
What do you think are the causes of these problems and what measures could be taken to solve them?
For the above question, plan a body paragraph focussing on the main of a lack of exercise due to people being too busy. Think of examples and explanation.
Main idea: One of the main causes of obesity is a lack of exercise.
Supporting idea 1: People are too busy to exercise.
Supporting idea 2:
Supporting idea 3:
Supporting idea 4:
Supporting idea 5:
Now put it together in a paragraph and put it in the comments!
by Dave | Oct 7, 2017 | Ideas and Body Paragraphs
One of the main reasons why IELTS students lose marks for task response is they present main ideas but they don’t support, extend or develop them.
A lot of my students have good main ideas but the supporting ideas – the explanation, and examples don’t always support the main idea clearly.
As you can see from the table below, if your supporting ideas are missing or aren’t relevant then your Task Achievement score will drop – possibly to a 5!
Dave
Band Score
|
Official IELTS description
(Task Achievement)
|
What it means.
|
8
|
Presents a well-developed response to the question with relevant, extended and supported ideas.
|
Main ideas are supported and extended very well.
Supporting ideas are relevant.
|
7
|
Presents, extends and supports main ideas, but there may be a tendency to overgeneralise and/or supporting ideas may lack focus.
|
Main ideas are supported and extended well.
Supporting ideas may be too general or not totally relevant.
|
6
|
Presents relevant main ideas but some may be inadequately developed/unclear.
|
Main ideas are sometimes not supported and extended clearly.
|
5
|
Presents some main ideas but these are limited and not sufficiently developed; there may be irrelevant detail.
|
Main ideas are sometimes not supported at all.
Some information may not be relevant to the question.
|
How much support do I need to provide?
As you can see in the table below, each body paragraph should clearly focus on your one ‘central topic’, with all the supporting ideas logically organised around that.
If you include an idea that isn’t related to the main topic of your paragraph, then this will lower your coherence and cohesion score.
Also, if your supporting ideas within a paragraph are not logically ordered, then your coherence and cohesion score will suffer because of it.
Band Score
|
Official IELTS description
(Coherence and Cohesion)
|
What it means.
|
7+
|
“logically organises information and ideas…presents a clear central topic within each paragraph.”
|
Body paragraphs have one main idea.
Topic sentences are clear.
|
6
|
“arranges information and ideas coherently…uses paragraphing, but not always logically.”
|
Body paragraphs don’t always have one main idea.
Topic sentences are not always clear.
|
5
|
“presents information with some organisation…may not write in paragraphs, or paragraphing may be inadequate.”
|
Paragraphs are not used well.
Topic sentences are not clear.
|
More than one main idea per body paragraph is risky
A lot of IELTS students have lots of good main ideas so they try to include more than one main idea in a body paragraph.
In fact some students spend nearly the whole paragraph discussing one main idea.
But then near the end, they seem to panic or get overexcited, and suddenly add a second unrelated idea
As you can see from the tables above this is risky for two reasons.
First, your coherence and cohesion score might suffer because your body paragraph isn’t focussed on one topic.
Secondly, you might not have enough time to support each idea clearly. Some ideas always end up being better developed than others, and the less developed idea can seem less related to the main idea.
This is easy for the examiner to notice, and your task response band score will be lower.
Even if all the ideas are developed, this will probably result in a paragraph which is far too long, so again your coherence and cohesion score could be hurt.
So in each body paragraph you should only be supporting ONE main idea. Your body paragraph is married to that main idea. You can’t cheat on it with another one.
So to summarise, IELTS examiners are looking for the following:
– Each body paragraph should have only one main idea – all the supporting ideas in the paragraph must link together around a clear central topic.
– Each main idea must be clearly supported – with suitable and relevant explanation and examples that clearly link to the main idea.
Now it’s your turn! Put your answers in the comments
What should be married to what?
What scores will you get for TA and CC if you cheat on your main ideas?
by Dave | Oct 7, 2017 | Ideas and Body Paragraphs
A lot of students have good ideas but they aren’t explained clearly or well organised with topic sentences.
As a result the examiner can’t follow them clearly, and they lose a lot of marks.
In this article, I will explain why topic sentences are an easy and fast way to fix this.
If you want to see some topic sentences in action, you can read some of my world-famous sample answers here.
Dave
What are Topic Sentences?
The standard essay structure for a IELTS Task 2 essay is four paragraphs – an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion.
The topic sentence is the first sentence of each body paragraph.
It tells the examiner the main idea of the paragraph so it functions like a mini introduction.
Why are Topic Sentences Important?
Good topic sentences help to make your paragraphs clear and easy to read.
As you can see from the table below, clear paragraphs really help your coherence and cohesion score.
Band Score
|
Official IELTS description
(Coherence and Cohesion)
|
What it means.
|
7+
|
“logically organises information and ideas…presents a clear central topic within each paragraph.”
|
Body paragraphs have one main idea.
Topic sentences are clear.
|
6
|
“arranges information and ideas coherently…uses paragraphing, but not always logically.”
|
Body paragraphs don’t always have one main idea.
Topic sentences are not always clear.
|
5
|
“presents information with some organisation…may not write in paragraphs, or paragraphing may be inadequate.”
|
Paragraphs are not used well.
Topic sentences are not clear.
|
How to Write a Good Topic Sentence?
A good topic sentence should be clear and simple, and the good news is they are pretty easy to write.
A basic topic sentence has two parts:
1. The topic.
2. The reason / main idea
Example Question
Global warming/Climate change are pressing problems that every country and the world will have to deal with in the future.
What are the causes of global warming?
What are some possible solutions?
Body paragraph 1 (the main cause of global warming):
Topic: the main cause of global warming
Reason/main idea: mass consumption of fossil fuels
So the topic sentence is:
The main cause of climate change is the mass consumption of fossil fuels.
Body paragraph 2 (a possible solution):
Topic: one possible solution for dealing with global warming
Reason/main idea: higher taxes on automobiles
So the topic sentence is:
One possible solution for dealing with climate change could be higher taxes on automobiles.
Topic Sentences Will Help you to Stay Married to One Main Idea
As we saw in the table above, you should “present a clear central topic within each paragraph”.
This means each body paragraph should be focussed on just one main idea.
Therefore planning for your topic sentence helps you to decide what is the main idea for that paragraph.
After that you should ONLY think of support for that idea. You are married to that main idea. You can’t cheat on it with another main idea.
So for the following topic sentence, you should only discuss the mass consumption of fuels:
The main cause of climate change is the mass consumption of fossil fuels.
A lot of my students spend nearly the whole paragraph discussing one main idea.
But then near the end, they seem to panic or get overexcited, and suddenly add a second unrelated idea e.g. deforestation or methane emissions from animals.
This is a very common mistake but as the table above showed this will lower your coherence and cohesion score.
Remember each paragraph can only have “one central topic”.
As part of your planning stage in the task 2 writing exam, you should write down your topic sentences.
This will make it easier when you start writing your essay to keep your supporting ideas clear, and focussed on your main ideas.
If you accidentally include a second main idea at the end – cross it out. Stay focused.
How to Practise Topic Sentences
Analyse sample essays
1. Look at some task 2 sample essays.
2. Highlight the topic sentence(s) – what is the topic? What is the main idea?
3. Read the body paragraph(s) – do all the supporting ideas relate to that idea?
Practise writing topic sentences for sample essays
1. Look at some task 2 sample essays (like this one on business).
2. Cover up the first sentence of the body paragraph(s)
3. Read the body paragraph – what is the topic and main idea?
4. Write a topic sentence for that paragraph, then compare it with the original one.
Analyse your own writing
1. Look back through your old task 2 essays
2. Are the topic sentences good ? If not, write new ones.
Practise writing topic sentences for new questions
1. Look at some sample task 2 questions (there is one below)
2. Analyse the question and brainstorm main ideas.
3. Choose the main topic and main idea for each body paragraph.
4. Write your topic sentences.
Now it’s your turn! Put your answers in the comments!
Governments should spend money on railways rather than roads.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Brainstorm your main ideas and position – imagine the government has a plan to improve the trains in your country but not develop roads.
Now write your topic sentences and put them in the comments.
by Dave | Oct 7, 2017 | Writing your introduction
A lot of my IELTS students like to start their Task 2 essays with a long and complicated introduction.
This is a really bad idea.
I know a lot of examiners and to be honest they’re not especially clever, and they get tired and hungry like just like everybody else.
So it’s a good idea to make your IELTS essay as simple and clear as possible, and this is especially true for the introduction, as that will be the first thing they read.
So think of the reader (the very tired examiner) and keep it simple.
Dave
The most important part of your introduction
If your opinion is clearly presented in the introduction and then confirmed in the conclusion, then it makes your whole essay clearer.
You can see from the table below, for a band 7 and above, your position should be clear “throughout the response”, which means from your introduction to your conclusion.
Putting your opinion in your introduction won’t guarantee you a band 7 for Task Achievement.
But it makes it more likely because it will make your writing more logical.
So this will also improve your cohesion and coherence score as well
Band Score
|
Official IELTS description
(Task Achievement)
|
What it means
|
7+
|
“Presents a clear position throughout the response.”
|
Your overall opinion is very clear and is well supported by all your reasons and examples in your whole essay.
|
6
|
“Presents a relevant position, although the conclusions may become unclear or repetitive.”
|
Your overall opinion is good but you don’t always clearly support it with reasons or have clear conclusions.
|
5
|
“Expresses a position but the development is not always clear and there may be no conclusions drawn.“
|
You have an overall opinion but you often don’t support it with reasons or have conclusions.
|
4
|
“Presents a position but this is unclear.”
|
You have an opinion but you don’t explain or support it clearly.
|
How to write a clear and simple introduction
A basic introduction has three sentences:
1. A simple paraphrase of the question.
2. Your position (overall opinion).
3. What you will do in the essay. (This sentence is optional.)
Let’s check out some examples on the topic of railways!
Example 1 (agree or disagree question)
Governments should spend money on railways rather than roads.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
For this kind of question you can discuss one or both sides.
But either way you must clearly state which side your opinion agrees with. If you don’t do this you can’t get higher than a 5 for Task Achievement.
As I suggested earlier, it’s best if you include your opinion in the introduction and conclusion.
Introduction for discuss one side e.g. strongly agree
It is often suggested that governments should increase investment in railway infrastructure rather than on new roads. Personally, I agree that the benefits of rail, which include less traffic and pollution, outweigh the apparent benefits of new roads. I will explain my reasons in this essay.
Introduction for discuss both sides e.g. agree
It is often suggested that governments should increase investment in railway infrastructure rather than on new roads. I will discuss both views but personally, I agree that the rewards of investing in trains, which include a reduction in traffic and pollution, outweigh the benefits of building new roads.
Example 2 (discuss both sides question)
Some people think that governments should spend money on railways.
Others believe that there should be more investment into new roads.
Discuss both sides and give your opinion.
For this kind of Task 2 question you need to discuss both sides of the question.
As with agree/disagree question above, you must clearly state which side your opinion agrees with.
The best way to do this is to include your opinion in the introduction and conclusion.
Technically, it’s OK to write a very general introduction and leave your opinion to the end.
But this isn’t as clear, and you might run out of time before you’ve got to your conclusion, so overall it’s a more dangerous strategy.
So here is the example introduction.
Notice that it’s exactly the same as the discuss both sides from the agree/disagree question.
Introduction for discuss both sides e.g. agree
It is often suggested that governments should increase investment in railway infrastructure rather than on new roads. I will discuss both views but personally, I agree that the rewards of investing in trains, which include a reduction in traffic and pollution, outweigh the benefits of building new roads.
Example 3 (two questions)
Nowadays governments are investing more in public transport such as buses and trains rather than in building new roads.
What are the reasons for this?
Is this a positive or negative development?
For this kind of task you need to discuss both questions equally.
The second question requires an opinion so you must clearly state which side your opinion agrees with.
Again, as above the best way to do this is to include your opinion in the introduction and conclusion.
Introduction for positive development:
It is often noted that many governments are adopting policies which invest in public transport rather than in road infrastructure. Personally, I feel the main reasons for this are an increase in congestion and a reduction in air quality in big cities. I therefore feel this is a positive development. I will explain my reasons in this essay.
Why you should include main ideas in the introduction
All of the example introductions above included main ideas as well as a clear opinion.
It is a good idea to include main ideas as it makes your position very clear.
This is especially important for IELTS students aiming for a band 7 or above.
For more information, check out the article below.
Now it’s your turn! Put your answers in the comments
Why should you always include a clear position in your introduction?
If you don’t include a clear position in your intro, what is the highest score you can get for Task Achievement?
by Dave | Oct 7, 2017 | Writing your introduction
Students often ask me what’s the best way to write an introduction if you’re aiming for a high band score.
I always tell them they should include their main ideas as well as their clear opinion (position) in their introduction.
This isn’t necessary for every IELTS student but it’s highly recommended for students who want to improve to get a band 7 or above.
It will make your position and therefore your essay much clearer. This will boost your Coherence and Cohesion score as well as your Task Achievement.
Dave
Example Question
Governments should spend money on railways rather than roads.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Look at the following model introductions.
1. Without main reasons:
It is often suggested that governments should increase investment in railway infrastructure rather than on new roads. Personally, I agree that the benefits of rail outweigh the apparent benefits of new roads. I will explain my reasons in this essay.
2. With main reasons:
It is often suggested that governments should increase investment in railway infrastructure rather than on new roads. Personally, I agree that the benefits of rail, which include less traffic and pollution, outweigh the apparent benefits of new roads. I will explain my reasons in this essay.
Notice the main reasons (less traffic and pollution) tell the reader exactly what will be discussed later.
This is a huge help for your cohesion and coherence!
The standard IELTS Task 2 essay structure is four paragraphs – an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion, with each body paragraph focussing on one main idea.
So for the introduction above the main idea for body paragraph 1 will be traffic, and the main idea for body paragraph 2 will be pollution.
If your essay follows this structure, then the position of your essay is extremely clear.
This will increase your ‘task response’ and ‘coherence and coherence’ scores.
Now it’s your turn! Put your answers in the comments
Brainstorm your main ideas and position for the question above and write an introduction. Put it in comments.
In some countries, governments are making some criminals do voluntary community work rather than being put in prison.
To what extent do you agree with this?
