ielts task 2 academic how to write task two essays

Explore the “Very Strong Response”, paying attention to the arguments andparagraphs that are used and learn from the “Commentary on the Response”about the range of vocabulary and the com

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Overview

For more help with your IELTS

How this book can help increase your score

This book, IELTS Task 2 Academic: How to Write Task Two Essays has beencreated for IELTS Academic Exam candidates who want to achieve a high score

in the Writing Module

It offers a varied range of Task 2 essay questions, provides you with detailedadvice about how you should approach the task, supplies a model response andexplains in a commentary the significant features of that response

Each essay task has a Very Strong Response which shows you how the taskshould be accomplished and is followed by a detailed Commentary on thatresponse The Very Strong Response is what is sometimes called a Model

Answer but the word “model” is avoided here as it falsely implies that there isonly one way of writing a response which is not true There can be many validmodels depending on a writer’s approach to the task, the content supplied andthe variety of language used

The Commentary highlights important points in different paragraphs of theresponse, dealing primarily with language but also with content The notes arevaried, drawing attention to the significant features of a response and dealing indetail with the language that arises

The 15 Tasks that are given are very typical of the wide-ranging essay tasks thatIELTS Academic candidates will meet in their examination

do well in the Task 2 section of the Academic Writing Module can involve apoor focus on the task, the omission of key ideas, poor structuring of informationand an inadequate amount of language complexity To be forewarned is to beprepared!

Working your way systematically through the responses and commentary willenable you to approach any essay writing task with greater confidence

The 4 main areas of importance are:

Addressing the Task: Always respond to all the requirements of the task; candidates will lose marks if they do not do what is required in the task.

Cohesion and Coherence: Ideas and information in the text must be

organised and structured It is essential to use paragraphs.

Vocabulary Use: A wide variety of vocabulary suitable to the task should be used in the response Words and expressions must be used accurately.

Grammar Use: Complex sentences – for example, using linking words like

“but”, “whereas”, “although” and relative clauses - should be used often in the written response, avoiding too many simple sentence structures.

William Sauton is part of a highly qualified team with many years’ experience inIELTS Exam preparation instruction and resource development All members ofthe Onlearn team have Master Degrees in English Language Teaching Ourpopular IELTS and ESL websites include: “MyEnglishExam.com”,

“esl4free.com, “youtube.com/esl4free” & “marktask.com”

1 The Skill of Reading

is read and no clear indication of agreement/disagreement with the statement isclear, then it will be impossible for the candidate to obtain a high band TheGolden Rule is to focus sharply on the statement and use the final paragraph as

an over-arching statement about the writer’s considered view on the statementthat is given in the task A strong, clear final paragraph is absolutely vital so thatfinal paragraph will stick in the examiner’s mind as he/she considers the bandthat should be awarded

A good technique to use is as follows: early in the essay, state your general

agreement/disagreement with the statement, use individual paragraphs to

highlight a single topic of your argument and restate, in your final paragraph,your considered view on the matter Each paragraph in your essay requires aclear, central topic and involves some explanation or discussion, possibly with awell-chosen example to reinforce the point that is being made

It is essential that the candidate reads the specified task several times to pick upthe important points In this case, there is an implied contrast between readingtoday and reading in the past This needs to be explored: in the past, people readbooks but nowadays there is a range of different types of publications that can beread, both print and digital It might, also, be wise to explore what the skill ofreading really means Is surfing web sites still reading? Is checking email

reading?

Explore the “Very Strong Response”, paying attention to the arguments andparagraphs that are used and learn from the “Commentary on the Response”about the range of vocabulary and the complexity of language that is required toobtain a high band for this task

However, as a generalization, I believe the statement is true because people nolonger have an awareness of the value of reading as an important skill that is thefoundation stone for many other skills that need to be learnt in modern society

In that sense, it is “being lost”

In the past two or three generations, it was maybe customary for people to beproud of their reading skills and would ask and tell others what they were

reading The latest books were avidly read and discussed as though they wereimportant social events This, of course, has changed to a marked degree mainlybecause books are not the only main source of reading I am thinking now of thevast range of materials that can be read, like magazines and newspapers covering

a wide spectrum of interests and tastes The point is that people still read but thefocus is more likely to be on publications other than books

However, the most important addition in the last two decade has been the rise ofdigital media People are actually reading all the time as they surf the web andare not aware that they are reading However they are consuming large amounts

of text as they view social networking sites, attend to their email and navigatethrough news sites I believe that, if people were able to add up all the readingthey really do in a day, they would be astonished Looking at it from that point ofview, it is impossible to say that the skill of reading is dying out

What is probably true is that people skim-read instead of spending their timereading in depth because it is so easy in the digital age to flick between itemsthat catch our interest The sheer volume of material available, I feel, encouragesall of us to read widely but to read superficially In this deeper sense, the old-fashioned skill of reading for pleasure and reading for deep understanding is ingreat danger I think this is inevitable and might have serious consequences inthe future for today’s digital generation

Overall, then, I believe that the statement is generally true but it needs to beheavily qualified Reading, as it was known in the past, will never be the sameagain owing to the Internet.

In many ways, this is a difficult question to answer because it depends on the people in question, where they live, what they do and what age they are.

However, as a generalization, I believe the statement is true because people no longer have an awareness of the value of reading as an important skill that is the foundation stone for many other skills that need to be learnt in modern society.

In that sense, it is “being lost”.

* This is a clever opening paragraph because the writer explains how

difficult it is to answer the statement as it is dependent on a range of factors.

* Note the use of “I believe” Using personal pronouns is a powerful way of presenting your view on the topic.

* The range of vocabulary is good Note that “in today’s world’ in the task wording is now “in modern society” and commit to memory the expressions

“an awareness of the value of …” and “the foundation stone for …”.

In the past two or three generations, it was maybe customary for people to be proud of their reading skills and would ask and tell others what they were

reading The latest books were avidly read and discussed as though they were important social events This, of course, has changed to a marked degree mainly because books are not the only main source of reading I am thinking now of the vast range of materials that can be read, like magazines and newspapers

covering a wide spectrum of interests and tastes The point is that people still read but the focus is more likely to be on publications other than books.

However, the most important addition in the last two decade has been the rise of digital media People are actually reading all the time as they surf the web and

of text as they view social networking sites, attend to their email and navigate through news sites I believe that, if people were able to add up all the reading they really do in a day, they would be astonished Looking at it from that point of view, it is impossible to say that the skill of reading is dying out.

* Observe that a direct style of writing continues “I am thinking now of …” and “I believe that …” but is also mixed with indirect ways of expression “it

is impossible to say …” and “the point is that …”.

* The richness of vocabulary is evident in the range of verbs (surf, consume, attend to, navigate), the adjectives & adverbs (customary, proud,

astonished, avidly) and the noun-adjective combinations (marked degree, vast range, wide spectrum) This is an area that needs to be accomplished well to obtain a high score.

What is probably true is that people skim-read instead of spending their time reading in depth because it is so easy in the digital age to flick between items that catch our interest The sheer volume of material available, I feel,

encourages all of us to read widely but to read superficially In this deeper sense, the old-fashioned skill of reading for pleasure and reading for deep

understanding is in great danger I think this is inevitable and might have serious consequences in the future for today’s digital generation.

Overall, then, I believe that the statement is generally true but it needs to be heavily qualified Reading, as it was known in the past, will never be the same again owing to the Internet.

* The direct style continues: “I feel …”, “I think …” and “I believe …”.

* Complex sentences are vital for high bands Avoid to a large extent simple sentences with only one subject and a verb Attempt instead sentences that have linking words, even if they are simple linkers like “but” (Also, note the use of “however”, “because” and “if” sentences throughout the essay).

* Note that the concluding paragraph directly addresses the set task A long final paragraph is often not necessary Here the summing up is achieved more than adequately in two sentences.

2 A Caring Society and Pets

to strongly disagree with the view expressed, as long as you argue your point ofview clearly You will be given credit for the quality of your writing and thelogicality of your arguments so it is irrelevant whether the examiner is

sympathetic to your ideas or not In this task, you might completely disagreewith the idea that a caring society involves treating pets well You should offercounter-arguments that explain and reinforce your view For instance, you couldargue that the care of children is more important than pet welfare in consideringwhat “a caring society” means

You will need a few short examples to explain your views so you might refer tocats & dogs and their value to humans, comparing this with other animals thathave a very different relationship to people

The technique of stating how far you agree with the task statement in your

opening paragraph and repeating that view in your concluding paragraph is veryuseful Bear in mind that all paragraphs in the body of your essay must lendweight to your particular viewpoint

Explore the “Very Strong Response”, paying attention to the arguments andparagraphs that are used and learn from the “Commentary on the Response”about the range of vocabulary and the complexity of language that is required toobtain a high band for this task

if all people in a community were “caring”, such a society would be an excellentplace to live However, I believe there are certain assumptions which underliethis idea which I do not agree with and which, I think, need to be challenged

It is, of course, wonderful that some people in many societies love and care foranimals which they keep as pets This benefits both the owners themselves asmuch as it does the pets because it affords companionship and often, in somecases, a reason for living However, this is not true of all societies where animalsare not regarded in a sentimental way but merely as important “tools” to enable ajob to be completed; for example, hunting dogs or horses used for transportinggoods The fact that in many developed countries there are organisations that aredevoted to the welfare of animals should not blind us to the fact that for manypeople in developing countries animals exist to enable human beings to producefood In such countries, organisations like “Feline Friends” are very alien Why,then, should a society be characterized as “caring” only if it looks after animals?

There is no direct connection, in my view, between a caring society and caringfor animals A society can be considered caring for more important reasons like,for example, its attention to the welfare of children Some would even argue that

it is impossible to speak well of a society that permits the disposal of hundreds

of thousands of unborn children through abortions I think that some peopleforget that children are far more important and deserving of love and attentionthan animals so shouldn’t that be considered the mark of a truly caring society?

To sum up, I think the statement is wrong Although it might be true in somecircumstances, it is by no means universally true A caring society can be

measured in many different ways without reference to pets

I can understand how some people can believe that treating their cats and dogs well is a reflection of how caring and concerned they are as individuals and how,

if all people in a community were “caring”, such a society would be an excellent place to live However, I believe there are certain assumptions which underlie this idea which I do not agree with and which, I think, need to be challenged.

* It is a useful technique to state that you can understand somebody else’s point of view but then question their assumptions.

* Notice once again the use of personal pronouns: “I can understand …”, “I believe…” and “I do not agree …”.

It is, of course, wonderful that some people in many societies love and care for animals which they keep as pets This benefits both the owners themselves as much as it does the pets because it affords companionship and often, in some cases, a reason for living However, this is not true of all societies where animals are not regarded in a sentimental way but merely as important “tools” to enable

a job to be completed; for example, hunting dogs or horses used for transporting goods The fact that in many developed countries there are organisations that are devoted to the welfare of animals should not blind us to the fact that for many people in developing countries animals exist to enable human beings to produce food In such countries, organisations like “Feline Friends” are very alien Why, then, should a society be characterized as “caring” only if it looks after animals?

* Ensure that you use less common items of vocabulary, which is something the IELTS examiner is looking out for All attempts at using idiomatic or less common words will ensure your mark for “lexical content” is high Here, “companionship”, “sentimental way” and “very alien” will be noticed.