TABLE OF CONTENTS

PRE-IELTS
LISTENING/READING/SPEAKING ........................................................... 1
Lesson 1 ............................................................................................................... 4
Lesson 2 ............................................................................................................. 13
Lesson 3 ............................................................................................................. 24
Lesson 4 ............................................................................................................. 33
Lesson 5 ............................................................................................................. 44
Lesson 6 ............................................................................................................. 53
Lesson 7 ............................................................................................................. 64
Lesson 8 ............................................................................................................. 73
WRITING ......................................................................................................... 84
Lesson 1 ............................................................................................................. 85
Lesson 2 ............................................................................................................. 98
Lesson 3 ........................................................................................................... 115
Lesson 4 ........................................................................................................... 130
Lesson 5 ........................................................................................................... 150
Lesson 6 ........................................................................................................... 167
Lesson 7 ........................................................................................................... 187
Lesson 8 ........................................................................................................... 201
ANSWER KEY................................................................................................ 215
Practice Test .................................................................................................... 294
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Writing

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 LESSON 1 VOCABULARY TO DESCRIBE TRENDS
TENSES - HOW TO BUILD A SENTENCE
DESCRIBING DYNAMIC CHARTS

I. OBJECTIVES
This lesson will provide you with essential vocabularies which are often used to describe
dynamic graphs with trends (changes overtime) in IELTS Writing task 1.
In addition, the lesson also refreshes your mind about the forms of some common tenses
for describing dynamic charts and then you will be given a detailed instruction about
common sentence structures that help you write basic and expanded sentences in Writing.
Finally, it is essential to develop your describing skills for a line graph or bar chart with
time mentioned by using correct vocabularies and grammar.

II. OVERVIEW
Normally, in IELTS Writing task 1, you are required to write about dynamic graphs that
show trends over the period of time. Some common charts of this type can be named as
line graphs and bar charts.
For these dynamic charts, you will see a certain time-period in the title of the graph.
Examples:
- The graph below shows the number of visitors to three museums between 2000 and
2005.
- The graph below shows the popularity of holiday types since the year 1990 and
predicted time up to 2020.
- The line graph below gives information about the number of visitors to three London
museums between June and September 2013.
- The line graph shows the past and projected finances for a local authority in New
Zealand.

III. LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

A. Vocabulary
1. Language to describe changes
Here are some useful words that you might use to describe graph trends.
❖ Going up ❖ Going down
• rise • decrease
• increase • fall
• go up • drop
• grow • decline
❖ No change ❖ Up and down
• stay the same • fluctuate
• remain unchanged/ • vary
stable • recover
• level off/out • return
• stabilize

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 Exercise 1: Complete the table with the correct simple past forms and any
matching nouns of the verbs below.
Infinitive Past simple Noun
rise
increase
go up
grow
decrease
fall
drop
decline
stabilize
fluctuate
vary
recover
2. Adjectives and adverbs
You can describe changes by using adjectives and adverbs as follows.
strong Adjective Adverb
sharp sharply
rapid rapidly
dramatic dramatically
considerable considerably
significant significantly
high highly
steady steadily
gradual gradually
slight slightly
slow slowly
weak
3. Time expression
There are some useful time expressions as follows:
• in (1995)/ in the first (five years)
• for (three years)
• over the next/ following...(five years) / over the period/ through the year
• from ... to/ between... and (from June to August... between June and August...)
• during (during the first three months...)

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Examples:

- Sales rose gradually through the - Sales fluctuated from January to

year. June, and then leveled off over the
period.

B. GRAMMAR
1. Dates and tenses
Here are some common tenses that you might use when describing dynamic graphs.
- Use the Present simple tense to describe if the graph deals with facts or no time
mentioned.
 S+ VERB (S/ES)
Ex: The graph shows…, we can see…
The percentage of visitors to Australia increases each year and becomes the highest.
- Use the Past simple tense to describe if the graph refers to the past period of time.
 S+ VERB (ED)
Ex: The number of visitors to museum decreased slightly in 2018.
- Use the Present Perfect to describe the graph if there is a connection between the
past and the present. For example, if the graph gives information about events
/changes that have come up to the present, you need to use Present perfect when
describing.
 S+ HAS/HAVE+ PAST PARTICIPLE
Ex: The use of the Internet has risen enormously since the 1990s.
- Use the Simple Future tense to describe or make predictions for future events/
things if the graph includes future times.
 S+ WILL+ VERB
Ex: It is predicted that the number of people using the internet will increase in the next ten
years.
- Use the Future perfect tense to state that a particular category in the graph will
change by a particular time in the future.
 S+ WILL HAVE+ PAST PARTICIPLE
Ex: The amount of borrowings in New Zealand will have reduced 700 million USA by 2020.
Exercise 2: The table shows what the class of 2009 did after they left school. Use
the correct number and verb tenses to fill the sentences below.

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 Boys Girls
University 12 14
Local college 7 2
Work 5 8

1. ……..girls…………… (go) to university after leaving school.

2. ……girls……………(start) college.
3. ………..boys and………..girls……..(start) work straight after school.
4. ..............school leavers…………..(continue) studying after leaving school.
5. Only………..school leavers………………. (not go) to university or college.
6. ……….school leavers…………. (decide) to go to college.
Exercise 3: Look at the chart and fill in the gaps with the past simple and present
perfect simple of the verbs in brackets to complete the sentences.

1. The chart shows the percentage of British adults who ……………….(use) the
Internet since 1995.
2. The number of women who have ever used the Internet………………….. (increase)
by more than 60% since 1995.
3. The percentage of men who have accessed the Internet………………. (rise) to 60%
in 2005.
4. The number of women to have accessed the Internet……………. (rise) each year.
5. The percentage of men who used the Internet…………….. (be) greater than the
percentage of women from 1995 to 2005.
6. However, British women……………… (overtake) British men in Internet usage
since 2005.
7. The total number of people accessing the Internet…………….. (grow) each year
although the most significant rise………………….. (occur) between 1995 and 2000.
2. Sentence structure
There are two basic structures that can frequently be used to describe changes of dynamic
graphs as the following.
❖ (Time)+ Subject+ Verb + Adverb
- From 1890 to 2006, the rate increased dramatically.
- The consumption of chocolate fell steadily.
❖ There is/ was + a/an + (Adjective)+ Noun + in + noun phrase

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 - In 1990, there was a rapid rise in the rate of using private car.
- There has been a dramatic rise in the production of films over the period.
Look at examples below to see how to use adjectives, adverbs and time expression to
describe graph trends.

There was a dramatic decrease in the There was a sharp increase in the number
number of tourists from 1980 to 2010. of tourists between 1980 and 1990.
The number of tourist declined The number of tourist increased sharply in
dramatically over the period. the first ten years.

NOTE: Remember that adjectives come before nouns and adverbs come after verbs:
- a rapid (adjective) + decrease (noun)
- climb (verb) + upward (adverb)
Some adverbs such as fast, hard, upward, downward are irregular. (not fastly/
hardly/ upwardly/ downwardly)

Let’s take a look at some more cases below and see how to write sentences when analyzing
the line graphics.
Different degree of Basic sentences
raising or falling

- X: The rate rose/increased/went up rapidly.

- Y: The rate rose/increased/went up steadily.
- Z: The rate rose/increased/went up slightly.

- X: The rate decreased/declined/went down sharply.

- Y: The rate decreased/declined/went down gradually.
- Z: The rate rose/increased/went up slowly

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 Basic sentences Expanded sentences

Falling then rising - The number of… fell, and - The number of …fell/decreased/
then increased gradually. went down slightly at first, and then
- The number of… went began to rise/increase/go up
down, and then went up sharply.
significantly. - At first, there was a slight
- The number of … downward trend in the number of…,
recovered from a a fall. and then it turned into an upward
trend.
- In the beginning, the number of…
decreased slightly, and after a while,
there was a sharp increase.
Note: You can look at III.A.2 to see how to use adjectives and adverbs in regard to the strong
or weak levels when describing changes of the line graphs.

Example: Write two sentences to describe the

chart.
1. Sales dropped dramatically in the first five
years.
2. There was a gradual increase towards the
end of the decade.

Exercise 4: Write sentences to describe the charts.

1. .....................................................................................
.....................................................................................
.....................................................................................
.....................................................................................

2. .....................................................................................
.....................................................................................
.....................................................................................
.....................................................................................

1. .....................................................................................
.....................................................................................
.....................................................................................
.....................................................................................

2. .....................................................................................
.....................................................................................
.....................................................................................
.....................................................................................

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 Exercise 5: Complete the sentences about the graphs. Use suitable verbs, adverbs,
adjectives.
1. There was a …………………………in holidays to France between 2006 and 2007.
2. The number of long-haul flights………………… for four years.
3. The money spent on holidays ………………….between June and July.
4. The price of skiing holidays………………. from 2005 to 2006.
5. There was a..................... in the number of holidays to France in 2008.
6. The number of travellers on long-haul flights……………. between 2006 and 2012.
7. There was a ....................in the amount of money spent on holidays in August 2009.
8. The price of skiing holidays………………………. in 2008.
Exercise 6: Using verbs, adverbs or adjectives to rewrite the following sentences.
1. The development of new products fell gradually.
=> There was................................................................................................ ............ . .............................
2. The purchases of tickets dropped significantly last month.
=> There was ....................................................................................................................................... .
3. There was a sudden decrease in the sale of mangos.
=> The sale ...........................................................................................................................................
4. At the theme park, there were very sight fluctuations in the number of visitors.
=> The number ....................................................................................................................................
5. There was a gradual decline in sugar imports.
=> Sugar .................................................................................................................................................
6. The quality of food in supermarkets has increased slowly.
=> There has ..........................................................................................................................................
7. The number of air travellers fluctuated significantly.
=> There ..................................................................................................................................................

IV. SKILL DEVELOPMENT

1. Describing line graphs
- A line graph shows how the value of something changes over time.

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 - The vertical axis shows quantities, e.g. numbers, percentages. The horizontal axis
shows different points in time, usually months or years.
- Different quantities measured at different points in time can be joined by using a
continuous line to show a trend or how these quantities change, e.g. increase,
decrease, or stay the same.
- More lines (different colours or styles) can be used for different categories. The key
explains which categories are being measured.
Examples:
“The graph below shows predictions about the number of people who will study three major
world languages between 2020 and 2030.”

- There will be a steady rise in the number of people who study English.
- It is predicted that the number of students of Mandarin will rise considerably.
Exercise 7: The graph below shows the popularity of holiday types since the year
1990 and predicted time up to 2020.

Look at the line graph above to complete the table and then answer the questions
below.
- what is being measured
- units
- categories
- years
- time period

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 1. What does the line graph show?
........................................................................................................................................................................
2. How did the number of city breaks change from 1990 to 2010?
........................................................................................................................................................................
3. How was the popularity of skiing holidays from 1990 to 2000 and the next ten
years?
........................................................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................................
4. How will the number of people who go on skiing holidays change from 2010 to
2020?
........................................................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................................
5. How to describe the figure of beach holidays makers over the period?
........................................................................................................................................................................
2. Describing bar charts
- Bar graphs, also known as bar charts, are similar to line graphs in that they have two
axes and are useful for showing how something has changed over a given period of
time, especially when there are significant changes.

Examples:
- From 2002 to 2004, there was a significant rise in attending to course C.
- There was a sharp drop in student numbers for course B between 2002 and 2003.
Exercise 8: The chart below shows the number of travellers using three major
airports in New York City between 1995 and 2000.

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Look at the bar graph above and write down your answers for the questions below.
1. What does the bar chart gives information about?
........................................................................................................................................................................
2. How can you describe the trend of the three categories in general?
........................................................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................................
3. What was the trend of the number of travellers at John F. Kennedy airport from
1995 to 1997 and 1998 to 2000?
........................................................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................................
4. What was the trend of LaGuardia visitors over the period?
........................................................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................................
5. What was the trend of passengers in the Newark airport from 1995 to 1997 and in
the last three years?
........................................................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................................

V. PRACTICE
Practice 1: Look at the line graph and write down sentences to describe two
features by using the correct tenses in two ways.

- Describe cost of flight - Describe cost of accommodation

1. ................................................................................ 2. ……………………………………………………….
.................................................…………………… ………………………………………………………..
………………………………………..……………… …………………………………………………………
……………………………………………..………… ………………………………………………………..

Practice 2: Complete the text below using the phrases from the box. (Put
references i-vii in the correct gaps).

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The line graph shows how people liked to watch films between 1985 and 2005. We can see
that some methods of watching films became less popular, while some other new methods
became very popular. We can also see that watching films on TV has always stayed popular.
Firstly, both video and cinema ..................... Video watching ....................... This is similar to
watching films at cinemas, which ....................Some methods of watching films have become
more popular. Watching films on the Internet and DVD both ........................ There was a
..................... (from 0% to 65%) in DVD watching. Watching films on the Internet ................. to
just under 40%. The high percentage of people who watched films on TV .................... at
around 80%.
i. rose steadily from 0% v. fell steadily by about 20% over this
ii. dropped from nearly 80% in 1985 to time
around 20% in 2005 vi. decreased steadily over the twenty-
iii. increased from 1990 to 2005 year period
iv. remained stable vii. sharp rise

VI. HOMEWORK
Homework 1: Look at the line graph and complete the text with the correct forms
of the verbs in brackets.

The graph (1)…………. (show) how many tourists (2)……………. (visit) three countries in the
summer of 2009. Most tourists (3) ………….. (go) to Singapore (4)…………… June and
September. The number (5)……………… (fluctuate) between 3.5 and 4.5 thousand. Fewer
tourists (6)…………….. (travel) to Japan and Thailand. The number of people who visited
Thailand (7) …………….(drop) gradually from 2.5 thousand to about 1.8 from June to August
then (8) ……………..(rise) to 3 thousand (9)………….September. We can (10) ………………(see)
that the trend for Japan (11)………….. (be) similar. There was a sharp drop in tourists from
June to July. The number (12) …………… (remain stable) in August and then (13)……………
(increase) steadily in September.
Homework 2: Match each sentence (1-10) with the most appropriate description
below (a-h).
1. Sales of audio cassettes fell steadily. …………..
2. Pod sales rose gradually. ………………
3. Plasma TV sales fluctuated wildly, but the trend was upward. …………..

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 4. Sales of video cassettes fluctuated wildly, and the trend was downward. ………….
5. Total digital camera sales dropped slightly. …………….
6. Sales of audio cassettes fell and then leveled off. …………..
7. The sales of MP3-players rose gradually and then climbed sharply. …………
8. Purchases of video cassette recorders declined dramatically. ……………..
9. Sales of game consoles decreased and then leveled off…..
10. CD sales dropped suddenly. ………….

a.
b.

c.

d.
e.

f.
g.

h.

Homework 3: Complete the report with the past simple or past perfect simple of
the verbs in the brackets.

The chart shows the percentage of people aged 65 and over in the United States between
1900 and 2000. In the year 1900 just over 4% of the population 1....................(be) aged over
65. However, by 1960 this figure 2........................ (double).

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The number of people aged between 75 and 84 3.................... (remain) fairly steady
between in 1900 and 1930, making up only 1-1.3% of the population. The figure
(4)........................(begin) to rise more significantly in 1940 and by 1970 it 5.........................
(triple) to reach 3% of the population.
Although there 6 ....................(be) no change in the number of people aged 65-71 between
1960 and 1970. The number of people aged 75 and over 7.................... (increase) during this
time. By the year 2000, 12.4% of the US population 8 .........................(reach) the age of 65 or
more. Although this was slightly lower than in 1990 when it 9................. (peak) at 12.6%.
The chart shows that today people in the United States can expect to Eve longer than in
1900. By the year 2000, more than 12% of the population 10....................... (manage) to live to
the age of 65 and over compared to only 4,1 % in 1900.

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LESSON 2 VOCABULARY OF FRACTIONS, PERCENTAGES
HOW TO USE ARTICLES CORRECTLY
DESCRIBING A PIE CHART
I. OBJECTIVES
This lesson will help you learn essential words in regard to fractions, percentages as well
as appropriate languages when describing the quantities of categories shown in different
graphs and charts in IELTS Writing Task 1.
In addition, the lesson also refreshes your memory about countable and uncountable
nouns before reminding you about some rules to use articles correctly when writing.
Finally, you can develop your describing skills for a pie chart by using accurate languages
and grammar.
II. OVERVIEW
Normally, you are required to describe and compare different categories in pie charts by
using words representing the proportions or the percentages of the total quantity.
Here are examples of pie charts:
The pie charts below show the average The two pie charts below show the
household expenditures in Japan and online shopping sales for retail sectors
Malaysia in 2010. in Canada in 2005 and 2010.

In regard to writing charts, graphs in specific or academic writing in general, it is important

for you to know what articles should be used in different contexts.
However, for some reasons, many students find them confusing and do not use them
correctly in either written or spoken language.

Articles are determiners or noun markers that function to specify if the noun is general or
specific in its reference, which helps readers to understand which person, place, thing, or
concept is being discussed.

There are two categories of article: definite articles (a/an) and indefinite articles (the).

III. LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

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 A. Vocabulary
- Necessary words which are often used to describe the quantities shown in graphs
and charts in Task 1 are described as follows.
- “The percentage/ amount/ number/ proportion/ quantity of” + Noun
Examples:
+ The percentage of people who watch horror films decreased.
+ The proportion of visitors to Australia was larger/ smaller in 2011 than in 2010.
+ The number of people who prefer action films increased.
+ The amount of money spent on travelling this year is higher than last year.
(Note: use “the amount of” with uncountable nouns only.)
1. Describing percentages and fractions
Percentage (%) and fractions (¼ , ½ , etc.) can be both used to describe proportions
of a whole amount as follows.

Here are some more words that you might use to describe the percentages or
fractions of the pie charts.
A third = 1/3 = 33.33% One fifth = 1/5 = 20%
Two thirds = 2/3 = 66.66 % Two fifths = 2/5 = 40%
One tenth = 1/10 = 10% Half = 1/2 = 50%
A quarter = 1/4 = 25% Three quarters = 3/4 =75%
NOTE: You should pay attention to whether the fraction is Singular or Plural.
Singular Plural
a half two halves
one-third two-thirds
a quarter two quarters

Exercise 1: Match the percentages to the fractions.

50 percent 25 percent 75 percent 33 percent 66 percent
two thirds a half a third a quarter three quarters

NOTE: Percent and percentage

Percent is used with a number, e.g. ten percent/ 50 percent
Percentage is used with words, eg. the percentage of people/ a small percentage
Let’s take a look at some patterns that can be used to write the percentages and fractions as
follows.
- fraction + of + noun + verb

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 Examples:
+ A quarter of the people like horror films.
+ Teenagers spent a third of the time watching documentaries.
- percent + of + noun + verb
Examples:
+ Twenty percent of teenagers don't like action films.
+ Ten percent of boys like action films.
Exercise 2: Put the words in the correct order to make sentences.
1. of adults / science fiction / watch / a third / films / do not
............................................................................................................................................................
2. Bollywood / of worldwide film sales / ten per cent / come from
............................................................................................................................................................
3. three quarters of / films / on television / people over 65 / watch
............................................................................................................................................................
4. cartoons / children / on a regular basis / ninety percent of / watch
............................................................................................................................................................
m Exercise 3: Match sentences 1-6 to pie chart A or B. Write A or B next to each
sentence.

1. Fifty per cent of the DVDs sold in 2009 were comedy films. A
2. A third of DVD sales were comedy films. ………..
3. Thrillers were 25 per cent of the total UK DVD sales in 2009. ………..
4. Horror films were about a quarter of DVD sales in the UK in 2009. ………….
5. In 2009 comedy films were half the total DVD sales in the UK. …………..
6. Less than 10 per cent of DVDs sold in the UK in 2009 were documentary films.
…………

2. Approximate language
In Writing Task 1, it is important to present the numbers or data given in a pie/ bar/ line/
mixed graph in different ways to avoid repetition.
If you do not know precise numbers or quantities, you can use words and phrases that
express approximate amounts.

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Let’s take a look at some necessary words that you might use when describing the
quantity.
just under/ just over/ approximately/ nearly/ almost/ around/ about/
Examples:
+ Almost one third of students preferred studying English.
+ As can be seen from the chart, nearly one fifth of female students in Beijing passed
the test.
+ Just under two thirds of women said they went shopping once a month.
Exercise 4: Write a suitable percentage for each of these descriptions.
a. just over three-quarters 76%
b. Nearly a third of girls said ...
c. Just under a quarter of people asked said …
d. around a third of all passengers
e. almost half of students
f. Approximately two-thirds of parents said ...
Exercise 5: Now match the percentages on the left with the phrases on the right.
1. 53 per cent a. just under a quarter
2. 30 per cent b. almost all
3. 95 per cent c. approximately half
4. 23 per cent d. about a third

B. GRAMMAR
1. Type of nouns
- There are countable nouns and uncountable nouns.
- Countable nouns are for things that we can count with numbers; they have both
singular and plural forms.
Examples:
+ How many candles are on that birthday cake?
+ There are at least twenty Italian restaurants in Little Italy.
+ There’s a big brown dog running around the neighborhood.
Notice that singular countable nouns are used with singular verbs, while plural
countable nouns are used with plural verbs.
For examples:
+ One of my friends studies abroad.
+ How many friends do you have?
- Uncountable nouns are for the things that we cannot count. They may be the
names for abstract ideas, qualities or for physical objects that are too small or
shapeless to be counted (liquids, powders, gases, etc.); they have only singular form.
Examples:

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 + There is no more water in the pond.
+ I need to find information about the computer.
+ Please help yourself to some cheese.
Notice that uncountable nouns are used with singular verbs.
For examples:
+ There is a lot of research into the causes of this disease.
+ My parents’ advice is always good for me.

Let’s take a look at the following table that shows the differences and similarities in the
ways of using countable and uncountable nouns in your writing.

Countable nouns Uncountable nouns

▪ • generally have a singular and plural form: • cannot be plural: advice (not advices),
▪ - a window, lots of windows furniture (not furnitures), knowledge (not
Note: some countable nouns only have a knowledges), etc…
plural form: clothes, trousers, jeans, scissors Note: Some uncountable nouns look
etc. plural with “s”, but they are not, for
example, name of subjects or sciences:
economics, physics, etc.
• take a singular or plural verb form: • take only a singular verb form:
- The window is big. - The natural light is really nice.
- The windows are big.
• can be replaced by a singular or plural • can be replaced by a singular pronoun:
pronoun: - What shall we say about the furniture?
- I'd like that desk; it's better than mine. - It's - Well, it's not luxurious but it is very
got shelves as well. They're really handy. comfortable.
• can be used with a/an • cannot be used with a/an
a desk, an apple information (not an information)

HINT: Both countable and uncountable nouns can be measured with weights and
measures, numbers or with words like a piece of, a cup of, a bit of, a slice of, a lot of
etc…
Examples:
- I have bought two kilos of potatoes/ three kilos of sugar.
- I only know a piece of information about her.
Exercise 6: Fill in the gaps with a word from the box below in the correct form.
If the word is countable, you may need to change it to a plural form.

advice cake challenge electricity information situation size

1. I've faced many ….challenges…. in my life, but none as difficult as this.

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2. Some of the best …………………… I heard while I was a student was to take regular
breaks when studying so that you don't lose concentration.
3. A dictionary is a wonderful source of …………………………. .
4. I've made some little .......................for Claire's birthday party.
5. One hundred years ago, cars all looked the same but these days they come in lots of
different shapes and .................................... .
6. My job as a journalist means I can find myself in difficult .................... at times, but at
least it's never boring.
7. There was no ............................ in the remote cottage, so they had to cook over the
fire.

2. Quantifiers
- A quantifier is a word or phrase which is used before a noun to indicate the amount
or quantity. There are some common quantifiers used for both countable and
uncountable nouns as follows.
Countable nouns Uncountable nouns
some - Some top chefs in the world - Everyone needs to eat some
are men. protein every day.
any - Have we got any tomatoes? - There isn't any salad left in the
fridge.
a lot of/ - A lot of children do not eat - I have spent lots of money on
lots of enough vegetables. buying clothes.
a quantity - Large quantities of illegal - Aid workers have delivered
of/ drugs had been discovered. huge quantities of food to the
quantities of refugee camps.

plenty of - There were plenty of Don’t rush, there’s plenty of time.

strawberries.
However, there are some quantifiers that should only be used with countable nouns
and some that you should only use with uncountable.
• With countable nouns:
many - Many children do not eat enough vegetables.

few/ a few - There are few nutritional benefits in fast food.

- Eating a few nuts every day provides vitamin B.

several - I have read several novels written by famous authors.

a number of/ - A number of people come to Thailand every year.
a majority of - The majority of students come to university after finishing
high school.
• With uncountable nouns:

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 much - We don't eat much meat these days.

little/ a little - Teenagers have little interest in cooking.

- A little milk is good for digestion.

an amount of - I have spent an amount of money on buying clothes.

a great deal of - A great deal of information are available on the internet.

HINT: Remember that a few and a little are used in a positive way, for example:
- There are a few reasons for eating complex fats. (there are some reasons)
- We have a little evidence for consuming more fat in our diet (there is some
evidence)
However, few and little are used in a negative way, for example:
- There are few reasons for eating complex fats. (there are almost no reasons)
- We have little evidence for consuming more fat in our diet. (there is almost no
evidence)

Exercise 7: Put the words from the box in the correct order from 0 (the
smallest amount) to 100 (the largest amount).
all some few a lot of not many not much no

0 100
……………. ……………. ……………. ……………. ……………. ……………. …………….

Look at the Information in the table below and complete the sentences with the correct
quantity words.

1. ……………………………boys like football.

2. …………………………...the students have at least one hobby.
3. ……………………………boys like swimming.
4. ………………………….. students play tennis.
5. …………………………….students go swimming.
Exercise 8: Complete the sentences a-f using the words in the box.

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 a bowl of soup much soup meat some few meats

a. Vegetarianism is the practice of not eating…………………… for either ethical or

health reasons.
b. Many people think that there are…………………… advantages to taking vitamins
pills as vitamins are found in most fruit and vegetables.
c. The company makes…………………………using only organic ingredients.
d. Many………………………… can be part of the British traditional roast dinner,
including beef, pork or chicken.
e. In the winter, I usually heat…………………… and have…………………. bread with it for
my lunch.
f. I don't drink…………………………. water. I suppose I should drink more.

3. Articles
3.1 Indefinite articles
We use the indefinite articles (a/an) when referring to a non-specific or non-
particular member of a group.
Here are some more rules and examples that you should remember when using
indefinite articles (a/ an):
- When the listener/ reader does not know the thing we are referring to
because it is mentioned for the first time or is unspecific/ unimportant:
Examples:
+ I saw a movie yesterday.
+ Researchers conducted a survey of heart disease patients last year.
- When using quantities such as fractions and large numbers to mean “one”:
Examples:
+ A third of the students have passed the test.
+ A million of tourists from over the word visit New York every day.

Use “a”/ “an” with (singular) countable nouns.

Examples:
+ My daughter really wants a dog for Christmas (a dog in general, not specific)
+ An employer must be aware of employment law (any employer, not specific)

3.2 Definite articles

We use the definite articles (the) when referring to a specific or particular
member of a group.

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 Here are some more rules and examples that you should remember when using
definite article (the):
- When the listener/reader knows which noun we are talking about, either
because it has been mentioned before or it is clear which one:
Examples:
+ I saw a movie yesterday. The movie was fantastic.
+ There is a new employment law on retirement ages. In my opinion, the law is
unfair.
- When talking about something or someone specific, or when the noun is only
one in the world (the earth, the internet, the sun, etc.) therefore, it is specific
(everyone knows what/who that is).
Examples:
+ She is going to study at the University of Melbourne next month.
+ The Prime Minister of Canada is visiting Asia.
+ The Statue of Liberty is located in New York Harbor.
- When using with cardinal numbers (the first, the second, etc…) or with
superlatives (the best, the biggest, etc…)
Examples:
+ The first solution to reduce traffic accidents is improving transportation
infrastructure.
+ Everest is the highest mountain on Earth.
+ These results comprise the strongest evidence for this theory.
- With countries that have plural names (the UK, the United States, the
Netherlands), nationalities (the British, the Egyptians), rivers (the Thames, the
Nile), island groups (the Maldives, the Philippines), mountain ranges (the Alps,
the Himalayas), seas and oceans (the Black Sea, the Pacific)
Examples:
+ She has lived and studied in the US for many years.
+ Taking off shoes before entering house is the Japanese‘s tradition.

- Use “the” with both (plural) countable nouns and uncountable nouns.
Examples:
- Your book is on the kitchen table. (a particular kitchen table, not in general)
- The children in the park are playing a game. (a specific group of children)
- The bankers have put this country into a state of crisis. (a well-defined
group)

3.3 No article

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 If we are not talking about specific nouns, or if we are referring to a noun in general,
we do not use an article.
• Plural countable and uncountable nouns
- With plural countable nouns
Examples:
+ It offers everything that scientists could wish for.
+ Jobs are essential if you want to make money.
- With uncountable nouns
Examples:
+ It will deliver information about our changing environment.
+ Children love playing games.
• With most proper nouns (names)
Examples:
+ She works for Google.
+ They have another bank account in Switzerland.
• With meal times or academic subjects/ sports
Examples:
+ She always has breakfast with her children.
+ He doesn’t speak English. I study Biography.
• In common expressions after prepositions (to/at school/university; to/in
class; in prison/hospital, by bus/bicycle/car/train/plane; on foot,..)
Examples:
+ I go to school by bus with my friends every day.
+ She is a first-year student at university in Hanoi.

Exercise 9: Tick (✓)the correct sentence in each pair:

1. Wildlife in Africa is very diverse. 5. The table shows the number of

marriages in Australia.
Wildlife in the Africa is very diverse.
The table shows number of
2. The moon travels around the earth. marriages in Australia.
Moon travels around the earth.
3. You should give more examples in a 6. I think that people should protect
second paragraph of your essay. environment.
You should give more examples in I think that people should protect
the second paragraph of your essay. the environment.

4. We bought a new cupboard. 7. The number of cars on the roads is

increasing.
We bought the new cupboard.

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 Number of the cars on the roads is 8. In my opinion, the movies are more
increasing. entertaining than the computer
games.
In my opinion, movies are more
entertaining than computer games.
Exercise 10: Complete the sentences using articles (a/an/ the) when necessary:

1. A lot of……children are accessing……internet unsupervised.

2. Last night I saw……star and……moon in…..sky.
3. I was born in…….little town, but when I was 12 my family moved to…..capital.
4. According to……graph,……….number of……..working people has doubled.
5. Although Ivan lives in……..Russia and Paul lives in…….Netherlands, they have a lot in
common. Even Paul's favourite football team is……… same as Ivan's!

IV. SKILL DEVELOPMENT

1. Describing a pie chart
- A pie chart is a circle (or 'pie') divided into sections. The whole circle represents the
total quantity (= 100%) and the sections show how the total may be divided into
different shares or proportions.
- These shares or proportions correspond to different categories. Pie charts are useful
for comparing these categories.
Look at the pie chart below to learn how to analyse and describe pie charts in IELTS
Task 1.

The pie charts show the nationality of foreign students on a business course at a
university in the UK in 1991 and 2011.
Firstly, you should notice the following things:
- In a pie chart you are looking at two specific time points (1991 and 2011), so you
have to look carefully to identify (find) the trends/ changes.

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 - The data is organised in six countries – including France, Italy, India, Sweden, Saudi
Arabia and Nigeria.
- You should contrast the data and highlight major changes.
- If there is a lot of data you don't have time to mention all of it, so just pick out the
most important data and the least important data.
- It is essential to group these different foreign countries according to the increases
and decreases in the percentage of students on a business course in the UK
university.
- When describing trends with different proportions in the pie charts, you might use
the words “increase/ decrease by” or “increase/ decrease to.
What is the difference between using these words?
- Increase by 10% means that 10% more of a number has been added to it, eg.
10+1=11
- Increase to 10% means a number was less than 10% and is now 10%., eg. 8% =>
10%
Examples:
• According to the increase:
- In 1991, the largest percentage/ the majority of foreign students came from France at
51%. However, by 2011 this proportion fell by 20% to 31%.
- Similarly, the proportion of Italian students taking the course fell significantly to
nearly a half in 2011.
• According to the decrease:
- The proportion of students from the other four countries increased. The highest
increase was in the proportion of Indian students from 14% to over a quarter.
- There were more Nigerian students in the UK university in 2011 than 1991 at 19%.
- The proportion of foreign students on the course from Sweden and Saudi Arabia
increased by the same amount, from 6% to 7% and 5% to 6%.
Note: In this type of task, you should only describe, compare and contrast the data that is
provided, don’t try to guess why the changes in the data occurred.
Exercise 11: The pie charts below show the average household expenditures in
Japan and Malaysia in the year 2010.

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Read the following model answer. Complete the answer by filling the gaps with a
word from the box below.

main but than higher smallest indicates

in contrast compared with lower higher overall while

The pie charts show the proportion of money spent on various household expenses in
Malaysia and Japan in 2010.
We can see that in Malaysia the greatest proportion of expenditure (34%) was on
housing,(1) .......... in Japan housing accounted for just 21% of the total. (2) .........., in Japan the
greatest single expense was other goods and services at 29%,(3) .......... 26% in Malaysia.
Food came in second place in Japan, at 24%, while in Malaysia the actual proportion
was (4).......... (27%). In Japan another major expense was transport, at 20%, but this was
much (5).......... In Malaysia (10%). In both countries the (6).......... percentage of expenditure
was on health care.
(7).........., the data (8) .......... that in both cases food, housing and other goods and services
were the (9) .......... expenses, (10).......... that in Japan, transport and other goods and services
took up a (11).......... proportion of total expenditure (12).......... in Malaysia.

V. PRACTICE
Exercise 12: Add a/ an, the, or no article (X) to sentences a—h.

a. ......... knowledge about the environment can be found in books and

on……Internet.
b. ..........energy can be generated from bio-fuels.
c. Trees help to protect............soil by conserving water.
d. Newspapers now use.........high percentage of.......... recycled paper.
e. Looking after........nature is important for all of us.
f. It is better to see animals in........wild than in captivity.
g. ………solution to the problem is to fine people for dropping.........rubbish.
h. .........new plastic containers which I bought last week are not harmful for the
environment as they are biodegradable.
Exercise 13: In each text a-f, there is one mistake relating to articles. Correct
the mistakes by adding or deleting a word.
Example: Animals like chimpanzees and apes should not be used for the experiments.
a. Wave power technology is the best answer to the problem of pollution. However,
the introduction of such technology also creates the problem.
b. Governments worldwide should tax the cars more. A measure like this would
make people think more about nature.

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 c. In near future, houses will be more energy-efficient than they are now.
d. Food industry could pay for recycled bottles as was done in the past. The bottles
would then not be thrown away.
e. Insects like the bees, for example, play a vital role in most ecosystems. The bee
pollinates plants and flowers.
f. The facilities like dams and forests are also used for leisure.
Exercise 14: Some of these sentences contain errors in the singular/plural
forms (in bold). Find and correct the mistakes.
1. Many young people has difficulty finding a job these days. =>have
2. Everyone wants to have a good job after university. ✓
3. A large number of people think that immigration is good for the economy.
4. The majority of people prefers to work at home, rather than in an office.
5. One of the biggest problems facing the world are global warming.
6. All of the people in my class speaks really good English.
7. A tiny minority of people fight at football matches.
8. Forty-two percent of the population has a university degree.
9. Most people I know speak good English.
10. Each country have its own laws and rules.
11. I'm going to do this exercise another times.
12. Both of my brothers is married.
13. Few people decides to give up school at 16.
14. There are several problem with this idea.
15. The number of products available in supermarkets has risen sharply in
recent years.
Write the phrases in bold in the correct column of this table.
Singular Plural
Everyone many

Exercise 15: This extract from a student's essay has 12 mistakes with singular
and plural forms. The first one has been done for you. Find and correct the other 11.
In recent years, the number of people who travel to English-speaking countries to learn
English have has increased significantly. Some people think that this is one of the best way
to learn the language quickly, whereas a tiny minority believes that it is better to stay in
your own country, where you will feel more comfortable.

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One of the main advantage of living in English-speaking countries are that all the people
around you speaks the language. Staying for a few months means that you will pick up lots
of words by talking with people, and every days you will come into contact with new
expressions. Most people, therefore, chooses to spend some time in England, Australia, the
USA or other English-speaking country.
Another benefit are that you can learn about the culture. Living in the USA, for instance,
allows you to get to know how the average American lives. Few person can really know
how a country works unless they go and live there for a while. One of the most interesting
thing about living abroad are when you spend time with local people, you realize that none
of the ideas you had about the country before you came are true.
VI. HOMEWORK
Exercise 16: Write sentences describing the pie chart using the words/ phrases
in the box.
approximately just over just under almost nearly

Example: Approximately 10 percent of cinema visitors are between 40 and 50 years old.

.................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................
Exercise 17: Find and correct the mistakes in the following task 1 writing
sample. There are eight mistakes in the use of articles.

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The pie chart shows the main careers of millionaires in the United States in percentages.
We can see that a majority of millionaires are business people, while other jobs such as in
the entertainment or the politics only represent small proportion of the total. However, it
could be said that millionaires are mostly people in the business and entertainment
industries.
In the USA, people who work in a business account for just under two thirds of millionaires.
Next largest group of millionaires on the chart is people who work in film and television.
They account for 15% of the total. This group is closely followed by people who work in
music. This sector accounts for the tenth of all millionaires in the USA.
The smaller groups all make up fewer than ten per cent of millionaires when combined.
These people are sportspeople, politicians and people in other careers. The smallest group
is an 'other' group with two per cent.

Exercise 18: Look at the pie chart below and complete the following sentences,
using suitable words.
The two pie charts illustrate the proportion of five types of energy production in France in
1995 and 2005.

1. The proportion of energy generated by…………………. decreased, while the figure for
the rest of energy sources had………………………. .
2. In 1995, ………………………………………. accounted for the highest proportion, at
……………% of the total energy production in France, whilst……………………………can be
seen in the percentage of…………………, at nearly 5%.
3. The figure for …………………………………. were slightly lower, at…………%
and……………%
respectively.
4. In 2005, the percentage of energy from Coal……………………………………………….but
remained the highest figure in the chart, at 30.93%..

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 5. There was…………………………….to 30.31% in the figure for……………….., while that for
Petrol……………………………………….. .
Exercise 19: Write 5 sentences to summarize the information by selecting and
reporting the main features of the following pie charts, and make comparisons
where relevant.
Hint: your sentences should be complex and compound sentences.
The pie charts below show the average household expenditures in Japan and Malaysia in the
year 2010.

1. ..............................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................
2. ..............................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................
3. ..............................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................
4. ..............................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................
5. ..............................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................

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 LESSON 3 LANGUAGE OF COMPARISONS AND CONTRASTS
HOW TO COMPARE AND CONTRAST
DESCRIBING A BAR CHART, A TABLE
I. OBJECTIVES
This lesson will provide you with vocabularies that are often used to state contrasts and
similarities between different categories when describing static or comparative charts
containing data points in IELTS Writing task 1.
In addition, the lesson also reminds you about the comparatives and superlatives as well
as ways to use them correctly.
Finally, you can develop your describing skills for the two types of chart including a bar
chart and a table with the accurate use of language and grammar structures in your
writing.
II. OVERVIEW
While dynamic charts always show changes or trends (increase, decrease etc.) as we have
learnt in the previous lessons, there are static charts (bar charts, pie charts and tables) that
show differences between parties at a point of time.
It is essential that you need to make a comparison and use contrasting language to describe
them.
Here are some examples of static charts that show a “comparison” rather than a change.
The chart below shows numbers of The pie charts below show the average
incidents and injuries per 100 million household expenditures in Japan and
passenger miles travelled (PMT) by Malaysia in 2010.
transportation type in 2002.

This chart shows the top eight The table below gives information on
honeymoon destinations for newlywed consumer spending on different items in
British couples in 2010. five different countries in 2002.

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III. LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
A. VOCABULARY
1. Language of comparisons
Let’s learn how to compare quantities in a bar chart.

Look at the bar chart above and see how to use some structures to make comparisons.
Ex: St James School had as many boys as girls in 2008.
→ As much/many + noun + as (to show a quantity is the same)
Ex: Percival School didn't have as many girls as St James School.
→ Not as much / many + noun + as + noun (to show that a quantity is less)
Ex: Percival School had more boys than girls.
→ More + noun + than + noun (to show one quantity is larger than another)
Ex: Percival School had fewer boys than St James School
→ Less / fewer + noun + than + noun (to show one quantity is smaller than
another)
(Note: fewer is used for countable nouns, and less for uncountable nouns.)

Exercise 1: Complete the sentences about Roysters and Bilsing schools using
the words in brackets and the expression above.

1. Roysters School had.......more girls than boys...... (girls / boys) in 2008.

2. Bilsing School had........................... (boys / girls).

3. Roysters School had .................................... (boys / girls).

4. Bilsing School had ………………………(students) Roysters School.

5. Roysters School had…………………………(students) Bilsing School.

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 2. Language of contrasts
- In order to compare and contrast charts or graphs in Task 1, you need to learn
some useful linking devices as the following.
in comparison with/ to
compared with/to + noun phrases
whereas
but
while/ whilst + clause (subject +verb)
although

Look at the graph below and see how to use linking devices to show the contrast in
writing task 1.

Examples:
- The arts and crafts society has the highest number of students in the age 18-25, but it
is one of the least popular groups with the older age bracket.
- Only around 25 members of the younger age group join the hiking society while the
figure for 26-35 year-olds is about 50.

Exercise 2: Match sentence beginnings 1-6 with endings a—f to form correct
sentences about the chart.

1. The arts and crafts society has the greatest number of 20-30 year-olds.

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 2. Only 25 people from the younger age group are members of the historical society.
3. Some societies are clearly more popular with one of the age groups.
4. The keep fit and social clubs have slightly more members in the younger age bracket.
5. In general, the 20-30 year-olds are more actively involved in societies
6. The keep fit and social clubs attract a broader range of people

a. whereas the archaeological society is equally popular with both.

b. in comparison with the historical society.
c. but it is one of the least popular clubs with the older age group.
d. compared with the older age group.
e. while the figure for 45-05 year-olds is about 50.
f. although they are fairly popular with both age groups.
B. GRAMMAR
1. Comparatives and superlatives
One of the most convenient method of comparison is using comparative and superlative
forms of adjectives.
The table below helps to remind you ways of using adjectives.
Comparatives Adjectives Superlatives Adjectives
Words with one larger, happier, funnier the largest, the happiest, the
syllable funniest
Words with three more popular, more the most popular, the most
syllables or more expensive, more expensive, the most
interesting interesting
Words ending in- y drier, easier, wealthier the driest, the easiest, the
wealthiest
Words ending with fatter, hotter the fattest , the hottest
vowel + consonant
Irregular better, worse, further/ the best, the worst, the
father furthest/ farthest

Exercise 3: Write these adjectives in their comparatives and superlative forms in

the correct columns of the table below.
small/ large/ popular/ slow/ quick/ fast/ hot/ preferred/ favourable/ dominant/ high/
common/ low/ productive/ wealthy/ attractive
Comparative Superlatives
-Adj + er more/less + adj the + adjective+ est the most/ the
least + adj

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 - Comparatives are used to compare two things.
❖ More/ less + adjective + than
Examples:
- The TV was more popular among males than females.
- Developed countries are less reliant on alternative energy production than developing
countries.
- Superlatives are used to compare one thing against a group of others.
❖ The most/ least + adjectives
Examples:
- The most popular form of communication was the Internet.
- The least favourable way of commuting is walking.

To use adjectives correctly, you need to consider the nouns they are used with. Here are
some suggestions.
ADJECTIVES WORDS FOR QUANTITIES
A greater/ larger/ smaller - number/ amount/ proportion/
The greatest/ largest/ smallest percentage/ quantity/ figure of…

A higher/ lower - rate/ level/ degree of…

The highest/ lowest/ least
Examples:
- Japan had the least number of traffic accidents in 2018.
- A larger amount of money spent on fast food among Americans.
- Teenagers spend a smaller amount / quantity on renting DVDs than older people.
2. Example
Look at the bar chart below and compare main features by using comparatives and
superlatives forms.

119
 - Most of the countries have more mobile phones subscribers than landlines.
- The biggest users of mobile phones are the Italians/The country with the highest
usage of mobile phones is Italy.
- The highest number of landlines in the graph is in Denmark.
- The lowest figures for fixed lines and landlines in the graph are Italy and the UK.
- The mobile phones are more popular in Sweden than in the UK.

Exercise 4: Look at the information about the town of Summerville in the table
and circle the correct options in the sentences below.

1. Summerville had a smaller/ largest/ higher population in 2005 than 2000.

2. Average house prices were the lowest /highest / tallest in 2010.
3. In 2000, the population was the higher /greatest/ lowest.
4. The number of houses/sports centres/ entertainment complexes built was higher in
2010 than 2005.
5. The number of houses built in 2000 was lower / higher/the largest.
Exercise 5: The chart below shows the results of a survey about the most
important inventions in the last 300 years.
a) Fill the gaps below with words of comparisons

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 a. More females…………………… males chose the bicycle.
b. The bicycle was more………………………. than any other invention.
c. The car was……………………… popular among females than males.
d. …………………..invention among both sexes was the TV.
e. …………………. women than men voted for the mobile phone.
f…………………………………………invention among both sexes was the bicycle.
g…………………………. males than females picked the radio.
h. The computer was…………………for women than for men.
i. More people selected the bicycle………...... any other invention.
j. The TV was……………… popular than any other invention.
b) Make comparative sentences based on notes 1-7 below.
1. males/females/choose/the car
...............................................................................................................................
2. women/men/select/the mobile phone
...................................................................................................................... ..
3. the Internet/choose/males/females
...................................................................................................................... ..
4. females/males/pick/the radio
......................................................................................................................
5. males/females/pick/the radio
...........................................................................................................................
6. the computer/choose/females/males
......................................................................................................................
7. the bicycle/select/males/females
......................................................................................................................

IV. SKILL DEVELOPMENT

1. Describing a table
The table below shows the percentage of the population by age groups in one town
who rode bicycles in 2011.
Age group Female Male
0-9 51.3 50.3
10-17 42.2 24.6
18-39 17.1 9.7

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 40-59 12.3 8.0
60+ 18.5 13.2
Firstly, you should notice the following things:
- This chart is not over time - just one year (2012).
- The data is organised in two main ways – gender (males and females) and age (five
groups).
- The figures are proportions of the total number (the percentage of males and
females), not the number of people (males/females).
Secondly, you need to point out the key similarities/ differences between two gender
groups and compare them.
Remember that you need to look across (gender) and down (age) the table. If there is a lot
of data you don't have time to mention all of it, so just pick out the most important data and
the least important data.
Examples:
- In general, the proportion of females who cycled was higher than males.
- While children aged 0-9 years hold the highest position in both male and female
groups, people among 40-59 aged group took the least rate in both two gender group.
Thirdly, you should write about the two different gender groups and include the particular
quantities in your writing as the following:
- In term of female group
+ 51.3% of children among 0-9 age group used bikes, followed by the teenagers
and the elderly with 42.2% and 18.5% respectively.
+ The elderly were more likely to ride bicycles more than the adult and middles-
aged groups.
- In term of male group
+ The percentage of people from 0-9 years old who used bike is 50.3%.
+ The percentage of people who drove bicycles between teenagers and people
over 60 years old are 24.6% and 13.2% respectively.
+ The young adults and middle-aged are lower at just 9.7% and 8.0%
respectively.

Exercise 6: Look at the table and answer questions below, and then complete
the rest of the text by using words from the box.

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 16-20 younger age groups 10-15 shopping older like much
No

In general, there are many differences depending on age group. The table shows that
(1)…………………….. spend a lot of time playing games, but older people do not spend (2)
……………………...time playing games. Younger people spend more time social networking
than older people, especially the age range (3)…………………………… . They spend 51% of
their time on social networking. Most age groups shop on the Internet except for the age
group (4)………………………………. (5)……………………………….. people in this age group shop on
the Internet. Browsing news and sports sites is popular with (6)………………………… age
groups. Overall, young people like playing games and social networking but older people
(7)……………………………reading news and (8)…………………………. on the Internet.

2. Describing a bar chart

- Bar charts are useful for comparing the quantities of different categories (shown in
the form of bars).
- Bar charts usually show the numbers or percentages on the left-hand vertical axis
and the different categories that are being measured along the horizontal or bottom
axis (plural: axes).
The bar chart shows the calorie source for UK males at different age groups.

Firstly, you should notice the following things:

- This bar chart has no time mentioned. – present simple tense.
- The data is organised in two main ways – 4 labels of calorie source (dairy, meat,
pulses, vegetables) and three age groups (0-24, 25-49, over 50 years old).
- It is a multiple bar graph with different colors, you can check every bar graph from
the starting level to the ending level by looking at the horizontal or bottom axes.

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 - At this stage, find out how the bar graph is progressing e.g. the increase or decrease,
in a constant or fluctuating manner, then notice the overall trend of the bar graph as
well.
Next, you can start making comparisons among the bar charts and see if there are some
similarities or differences which are very noticeable.
NOTE: Listing out such features is very important in order to score high. For example, you
may notice that two bar graphs are at the same or different level, etc.
Finally, it is essential to write down different sentences by using language of comparisons
and contrasting as follows:
Examples:
- For the youngest group, dairy is the highest source of calories with over 40% in the
amount of intake, whilst other categories of meat, pulses and vegetables are lower, just
about 20% of each.
- In the next age group, the percentage of dairy falls to around a quarter compared with
a half of the total intake of meat. The consumption of pulses and vegetable is lower, at
10% and 15% respectively.
- The elderly consume the highest intake of pulse, at over 60%, whereas there is a
decline in dairy and vegetable consumption
Exercise 7: Look at the following bar chart, and complete the paragraph about
the girls using the phrases from the box.

60 thousand more 40 thousand English Geography 20 thousand History Art

This bar chart shows the numbers (in thousands) of students with pass grades in different
subject exams in Wales in 2003. The chart groups the students according to subject and
divides these subject groups into boys and girls. There are clear differences between the
boys and the girls.
Similar numbers of girls achieved pass grades in all the subjects. The number of girls with
pass grades ranged from the highest number of just over (1) 60 thousand to the lowest

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number of just over (2)...................., a difference of around (3)........................... Girls did best in
Art, Maths and (4).................................., while their lowest pass rate was in (5) .......................... .
Girls achieved (6).............................. passes than boys in four subjects: English (7)..........................,
History and (8)....................

Exercise 8: Look at the bar chart and complete the summary below by writing
your own words in the gap.

The chart shows (1)………………………………………………………………………………….. . The most

popular activity is walking, which (2)………………..% of people on holiday do. Seventy-five
percent of visitors (3)…………………………….and (4)…….....%.go to see volcanoes. Another
popular activity is boating, which (5)………..% of holiday makers do. Just over (6)…………%
of visitors also like (7)…………………………… . Overall, (8) most visitors enjoy
doing…………………. activities more than………………………. activities.

V. PRACTICE
Exercise 9: Read the description of the chart and choose the suitable word. For
each of 1-4, two options are possible and one is incorrect.

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The chart provides information about how two age groups participate in several clubs at a
centre, for adults.

We can see from the data that the archaeological, keep fit, and social clubs are popular with
both older and younger people. (1) While/However/By contrast, the historical and arts and
crafts societies clearly appeal more to one of the age groups. In the historical society, 50 of
the members are between 45 and 65, (2) but/while/however there are only 25 from the
younger age group.

For the arts and crafts society, the pattern is reversed. There an about 60 members aged
between 20 and 30, (3) but/whereas/in comparison with the number of people in the 45 to
65 age group is far lower. The keep fit and social clubs are popular with both age groups,
(4) however/but/although there are slightly fewer older people. Membership of the
archaeological society stands at 45 for both groups. In general, the younger age groups are
significantly more involved in the various societies than the 45-65 years old.

Exercise 10: Fill in the gaps in the following sentences using the correct form of
the words in brackets and any other words you need.

1. The total number of hours worked by married women with children is………………………..
(great) the total number of hours worked by men.

2. Whilst women aged 45 to 64 may work……………………….. (few) hours inside the home
than younger women, overall they work………………………….. (great) number of hours per
day due to the extra hours of paid work that they do.

3. Men aged 25 to 44 spend only………………………… (slight/more) time working outside the

home than men aged 45 to 64, but this figure is………………………… (significant/high) than
the number of hours of paid work that women of the same age do.

4. Women in the 25 to 44 age group work almost…………………… (many) hours inside the
home as outside, and there is only a slight difference in the 45 to 64 age group.

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5. However, men work on average…………………… (three/long) outside the home than
inside.

VI. HOMEWORK
Exercise 11: Read the description of the table below. Decide if the underlined
comparisons are correct or not. Click (✓) them if they are right and correct them if
they are wrong.

2004 Olympic Games Medal Table

Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 United States 35 39 29 103
2 China 32 17 14 63
3 Russia 27 27 38 92
4 Australia 17 16 16 49
5 Japan 16 9 12 37
6 Germany 14 16 18 48
7 France 11 9 13 33
8 Italy 10 11 11 32
9 South Korea 9 12 9 30
10 Great Britain 9 9 12 30

The table shows the number of medals won by the top ten countries
in the 2004 Olympic Games. The USA won (1) greatest number of 1. the greatest
medals overall with a total of 103. They won (2) more silver medals 2. ………….
as gold and (3) more medals than any other country in both 3. ………….
categories. China had (4) the second high number of medals at 63, 4. ……………
but unlike the USA, China won (5) less silver medals than gold 5. ……………
medals. While Russia’s silver medal total was (6) more good than
Great Britain’s, they did not do (7) well as China in the gold medals, 6. …………..
winning just 27. In fact, China had a (8) more lower overall medal 7. ……………
total than Russia but, as the table is based on the number of gold 8. ……………
medals won, they were placed second. Similarly, Germany was (9)
significantly successful, at winning medals than Japan, with a total of 9. ……………
48 compared to Japan’s 37, but because Japan won (10) two more 10. ……………
gold medals that Germany they were ranked (11) higher. Great
11. ……………
Britain gave (12) the worse performance in this group, winning only
12. ……………
seven gold and sixteen silver medals.

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 Exercise 12: Look at the pie charts below and rewrite the sentences below
using the comparison structure

a. Far more PhD students read over twelve articles a week compared with junior
lecturers.
Far fewer ....................................................................................................................................................
b. The average student reads fewer journal articles than the average junior lecturer.
The average junior lecturer ................................................................................................................
c. The other students at the university do not read as many articles as the average PhD
student.
The average PhD student ..................................................................................................................
d. Junior lecturers do not have as much time to read articles as those students who are
researching for a PhD.
Those students who are researching for a PhD .......................................................................... ..

Exercise 13: Fill the gaps with correct phrases.

The bar chart shows the amount of money spent on two types of electronic items in
country X.

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 1. This chart gives information on........................................................ for X country between
2011 and 2015.
2. According the chart, spending.................on both items.
3. ................................ increased $5 million each year.
4. From 2011 to 2013 smartphone sales ...................... level $10 million.
5. Expenditure on smartphones .................... than on computers.
6. Total spending on these items rose from ...................... to ........................ in the period
described.

Exercise 14: Write 5 sentences to summarize the information by selecting and

reporting the main features of the following table, and make comparisons where
relevant.

Hint: your sentences should be complex and compound sentences.

1. .....................................................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................................................
2. .....................................................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................................................
3. .....................................................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................................................
4. .....................................................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................................................
5. .....................................................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................................................

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 VOCABULARY TO DESCRIBE A PROCESS AND A MAP
LESSON 4 PASSIVE VOICE IN ACADEMIC WRITING
DESCRIBING A PROCESS AND A MAP

I. OBJECTIVES
This lesson will provide you with essential vocabularies as well as a general guide to help you
describe a process and a map in IELTS Writing Task 1. In addition, the lesson also refreshes
your mind about the usage of passive voice, which makes your writing become more academic
and then you will be able to achieve a high score in your writing.

II. OVERVIEW
- The majority of Task 1 questions in the IELTS exam are either a graph with trends or a
graph with comparatives. In addition, there are two other possible types of questions:
• Describing a man-made process (e.g. the process of milk or chocolate production)
or natural diagram (e.g. the life-cycle of an insect such as a butterfly).
• Describing two maps (often of a city in two time periods)
- For the process, you will be given a diagram with a series of pictures. The diagram shows
the stages of how something is made or how something works.
You probably will use the passive when describing manufacturing processes (man-made
processes) or maps.
- The passive voice is extremely useful in formal writing as it mentions the result of an
action rather than the person doing the action, and will make your essay sound more
academic.

III. LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

1. Vocabulary to describe a process and a map
1.1 Describing a process
For IELTS Writing Task 1, you may be required to describe a process. This could be illustrated
in the form of a diagram showing the different steps or stages in the process. Some sequence
words and phrases that you might use to show the order of stages are as follows:
Beginning step Middle step Last step
• First of all/ First/ Firstly, • Secondly/ Thirdly/…, … • Finally, …
… • Next/ Then/ And then, … • The final/last step is …
• Initially, … • Subsequently/ After that, • At the final/last step, …
• To begin with, … … • The process
• The first step (in the • Following this, … ends/finishes/concludes
process) is … • The next/subsequent step with …
• The process begins with is … • At the end of the process,
… • The process/life cycle …
• At the beginning of the continues with …

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 process, …
Example:

- In the first step, cows eat grass in a field.

- After that, the cows taken to a place where they are milked by a special milking machine
twice a day.
- Following this, the milk is stored in large refrigeration tanks in order to keep it fresh.
Then every day, a milk tanker takes the milk from storage and delivers it to a dairy.
- Subsequently, the milk is used in two ways. Some of the milk is pasteurized and packaged
into bottles for sale. On the other hand, some of the milk is used to produce cream, cheese,
and butter
- The last step is that the finished products are taken to stores where they can be purchased
by customers.
Exercise 1: Put these steps in the process of making a cup of tea in order, and then
use sequence words and phrases above to write sentences to describe it.
a. Pour the water into the cup. e. Boil the kettle.
b. Fill the kettle with water. f. Drink the tea.
c. Add milk and sugar. g. Take the kettle off the stove.
d. Leave the tea for two minutes. h. Put a tea bag or tea leaves in the cup.
Example: The first step is that you fill the kettle with water, and then you boil it on a stove.
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
1.2 Vocabulary for describing a map
a. Describing locations and directions
In Writing Task 1, you might see a map that shows changes in a place over time. You might
then be required to describe where things are in maps and describe what changes have
occurred.
Here are some more common words to describe location of a place.

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 Location
on … behind …
in … on the right of …
next to/ beside … on the left of …
in front of … in the middle/ in the centre of …

Example:

- There is a bridge over the river.

- There are some trees next to the bridge.
- Some flowers are growing next to the house.
- On the other side of the house, there is a
barn.
- A boat is sailing on the river.

In addition, you are highly recommended to use words that indicates directions when
describing a map:

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Example:

- The forest to the south of the

farmland was cut down.
- A golf course was constructed to the
north-east of the town.
- The houses in the west of the town
were demolished.
- The fish market in the south of the
town was replaced by apartments.
- More houses were built to the north-
west of the city.

Exercise 2: Look at the maps below then fill in the gaps with appropriate words or
phrases.

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 In 1950, the school was quite small and it was _________________(1) to the south of
_________________(2). There were residential houses in the ____________(3)-west corner,
but those houses __________________(4) in 1980 to make way for a _______________(5) and
a science block. Farmland was also destroyed and _______________(6) by a sports field, while
the playground in the southeast area still _______________(7).
From 1980 to 2010, the car park was dramatically _______________(8), and the sports field had
to move a little to the _______________(9), forcing the playground to become smaller.
Meanwhile, the science block and the main building of the school still remained
_______________(10) the main road.

b. Useful verbs
When describing changes of objects in a map, it is recommended to use the following verbs.
VERB EXAMPLE
A power plant was constructed to the
Built/ Constructed/ Erected
east of the country.
Renovated/ Reconstructed/ The university library was completely
Modernized renovated.
Converted/ Transformed (into The playground was converted into a
something) large car park.
The garden was replaced by a large car
Replaced (by something)
BUILDINGS/ park.
FACILITIES The student hall was relocated to the
Relocated (to somewhere)
(Bridge, east of the university.
airport, The hotel was extended to a total of 70
road, Added/ Extended/ Expanded
rooms.
railway, etc.)
Knocked down/ Reduced/ The warehouse was knocked down and
Removed replaced by a garage.
The area was developed significantly to
Developed/ Improved
become a densely populated city.
A new theme park was opened opposite
Opened up/ Set up/ Established
the shopping mall.
The supermarket has remained
Remain/ Stay unchanged
unchanged until the present day.
Cut-down/ Chopped down
The forest in the north of the town was
TREES/ Cleared (to make way for chopped down to make way for a hotel.
FOREST something)
Many palms were planted around the
Planted/ Grown
villa.

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 Exercise 3: Match the verbs in the box to definitions 1-11.
add remove modernize extend
replace reconstruct expand improve
renovate reduce develop remain unchanged

1. make something bigger: ……………….. or…………………………

2. make something new again: ………………………….
3. make something modern: …………………………..
4. take something away and put something else in its place: ………………………
5. make something better: ……………………….
6. make something smaller: ……………………..
7. have no change: ……………………..
8. build several buildings in an area where there was nothing: ……………….....
9. put in something totally new: …………………..
10. take something away: ……………………..
11. build something again: …………………..

2. Grammar to describe a process or a map

2.1 The passive voice
- The passive voice shows what happens to something. It is preferable in writing because
you want the reader(s) to focus on the result of an action rather than the person who
does the action.
Voice

Active Passive
Focus on the subject Focus on the action
Example:
➢ Active voice: Scientists classify glass as a solid.
➢ Passive voice: Glass is classified as a solid.
From the examples, you can see that the passive sentence focuses on how glass is classified,
rather than on who classifies glass.
- Let’s refresh your mind about the structure of the passive voice:
Subject + be + past participle (V-ed/ V3)
When we put an object of the active sentence into passive, it becomes the subject of the
passive sentence.
Example:
• Active sentence → The professor gave the students the books.

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 object
• Passive sentence → The students were given the books by the professor.
Subject
- To form the passive, you must use the correct form of the verb “to be” in the tense you
want. For example, we use (is/am/are) with the present simple, and (was/were) for the
past simple tense.
The past participle (the third form of the verb), e.g. the past participle of the verb “give” is
“given”.
Sometimes an agent (doer) with “by” is included, e.g. by the professor.
Let’s take a look at the table below to remind some other structures with tenses of the passive
voice.
TENSE PASSIVE FORM: be + past participle + (by + agent)
Present simple The union is run by 7 executive officers.
Present The union is being run by 7 executive officers at the moment.
continuous
Past simple The union was run by 7 executive officers last week.
Past continuous The union was being run by 7 executive officers at 7 p.m. last night.
Present perfect The union has been run by 7 executive officers recently.
Past perfect The union had been run by 7 executive officers before the meeting
ended.
Going to The union is going to be run by 7 executive officers next week.
Will The union will be run by 7 executive officers tomorrow.
OTHER FOMRS
Used to The university used to be run by 7 executive officers.
Modals The university should be run by 7 executive officers.
Need to/ have to The university needs to/has to be run by 7 executive officers.
However, sometimes there is no agent (doer) in the passive sentence, e.g. Seeds are planted in
the fields. (The speaker does not want to mention the “doer” because it is not so important.)
Exercise 4: Write active sentences into the passive voice with correct tenses in the
following table.
Tense Active Passive
Present People speak English all over the English is spoken all over the
simple world. world.
Present
Decorators are painting our house.
continuous
Past simple The police caught the thief.

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 Past
They were taking the dogs for a walk.
continuous
Present The police have arrested the
perfect murderer.
Past perfect I had told her to arrive at 9:00.
Going to They are going to sell the car.
Will He will buy the car tomorrow.
Scientists will have built a space
Future perfect
station by 2050.
The committee should solve the
Modal present
problem.
Modal perfect They may have sold the house.
- We often use the passive voice in the formal or polite sentences because they sound
more impersonal and neutral. On the other hand, active sentences might seem personal
or direct, which may sound too casual or aggressive.
Look at the following examples to see the differences between the active and passive
sentences.
Active sentences
You must do something to change this. (Personal threat)
→
Passive sentences
Something must be done to change this. (Neutral fact)
→
Active sentences
We will mark the exams this weekend. (Personal action)
→
Passive sentences The exams will be marked this weekend. (Impersonal
→ action)
By removing the agent (doer) of the verb, we remove responsibility and relations. The passive
sentences are no longer direct because we do not emphasize “who” does the action, so while it
can still raise a threat, it is not a personal one.

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 Exercise 5: Look at the process below and complete the table of past participle forms
of verbs (regular and irregular).

Verb Past participle Verb Past participle

1. grow 6. deliver
6. sow 7. buy
7. pick 8. boil
8. dry 9. pour
9. load 10. add

Exercise 6: Complete the following sentences with the passive forms of the verbs in
brackets.
1. Oranges…………………… from Spain to colder countries in Europe. (export)
2. Coffee beans…………………… in a machine in order to make coffee powder. (grind)
3. Rice……………………. into bags and then delivered to supermarkets. (put)
4. Coconuts…………………. from the trees, and then exported to other countries. (cut)
5. The bars of chocolate……………………….. in silver paper and put into boxes. (wrap)
Exercise 7: Use the correct form of the verbs in the box to complete the following
paragraph.

deliver grow (x2) load pack

pick put (x2) shine sow
Tea (1)____________ in India and China. In the first stage, the tea seeds (2)____________ by the
farmer, and then the sun (3)____________, and the seeds (4)____________ into large tea plants. At
this point, the tea leaves (5)_____________ and (6)____________ in a basket, and then they
(7)____________ on a tray in the sun to dry. The next step is that the dried tea leaves
(8)____________ into boxes, and then the boxes (9)____________ onto a lorry, and then
(10)____________ to supermarkets where customers buy them.

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 Exercise 8: Form passive sentences from the following active sentences to make
them more formal and less personal.
1. They will do their homework.
.....................................................................................................................................................................
2. I will tell you when the results are ready.
.....................................................................................................................................................................
3. Let the students know we will punish them for cheating.
.....................................................................................................................................................................
4. We will reward whoever hands in the stolen purse.
.....................................................................................................................................................................
5. I will give you a prize if you do well in the test.
.....................................................................................................................................................................
6. We will give assistance to students with learning difficulties.
.....................................................................................................................................................................
2.2 The passive voice
- We use the passive when the object is more important than the subject and the agent
(doer) is either not important, or unknown.
Example: All applications are processed on the spot. (It is obvious that it is the
library staff who process the cards)
- In formal writing, you should use passive voice to make it less personal.
Example: You are advised to return the application form within three days. (indirect
and impersonal)
- When we describe a man-made process.
Example: The tea leaves are put into the boxes and delivered to the supermarket.

NOTE:
We do not generally use the passive for natural (or biological) processes, where people are not
involved. Instead, we use the active voice.
e.g. The sun shines, and the plants grow.

Exercise 9: Look at the life cycle of a butterfly. Circle the correct option in each
sentence, and then number sentences a-d in the correct order 1-4.

139
 a. When it is the right size, the caterpillar grows a hard skin called a pupa.
Inside the pupa the caterpillar loses/ is lost its old body parts and grows 
completely new ones, including wings.
b. A butterfly starts life as a small round egg. This egg lay/ is laid on the
leaves of plants. 
c. Finally, the butterfly releases /is released. After some time, it will fly away
to begin its adult life and start the cycle again. 
d. When the egg hatches, a caterpillar emerges/is emerged. The caterpillar has
to eat as much as possible in order to grow. 
2.3 Impersonal passive – It is said…
In formal writing, the impersonal passive forms are useful for expressing general beliefs or the
topic sentences in the introduction of a report or an essay. Let’s take a look at the following
structures:

• It is thought/ said/ supposed/ believed/ considered/ reported…that + clause

• Subject + is thought/ said/ supposed/ believed/ considered/ reported… to + infinitive

Example:
- It is often thought/argued/said that cycling helps people to keep fit.
- Cycling is believed/thought/ considered to be one of the best ways to keep fit.
Exercise 10: Work in pairs and write sentences about the following topics in two
ways using the passive voice, then compare ideas with your partner.
learning a foreign travelling by
voluntary work the best way to keep fit
language plane
Example:
- Joining a club is thought to be a good way to make new friends.
- It is said that joining a club is a good way to make new friends.
1. ................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
2. ................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
3. ................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
4. ................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
Exercise 11: Rewrite the following passages in the Passive.
a. Somebody has stolen a bus from outside the school. Some children saw the thief. The
police are searching for the bus now. They will use the children’s descriptions to catch
the thief.

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..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
b. Our school is organizing a contest. The teachers will choose the best project about the
environment. The students must include pictures and drawings in their projects. The
students will also have to do all the writing themselves.
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................

IV. SKILL DEVELOPMENT

1. Describing a process
For IELTS Task 1, you may have to describe a physical process. This may be illustrated in the
form of a diagram showing the different steps or stages in the process. In a process
description, some verbs will be in the passive form while others may be formed in the active.
There are other ways to link the stages together as follows.
• When/ After/ Once + Clause
Examples:
- When the apples are ripe, they are picked and packed into boxes.
- After the wheat is harvested, it is taken to the barn.
- One the farmers pick the tea leaves, they put them into the box.
• After + Verb-ing
Examples:
- After being picked, the tea leaves are put into the box.
- After passing the driving test, you will get a driving license.

Exercise 12: Rewrite the sentences using the words in brackets.

1. The tea leaves are picked and then they are put in the sun to dry. (once)
................................................................................................................................................................................
2. The tea leaves are picked from the tea plants and packed into boxes. (after)
................................................................................................................................................................................
3. The boxes are loaded onto a lorry and then they are taken to supermarkets. (when)
................................................................................................................................................................................
4. You put the tea bag in the cup and then you can pour hot water into it. (once)
................................................................................................................................................................................

2. Describing a map

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This type of question often shows you a plan of a city in two time periods, and you have to
describe the main changes between the two periods. The most common time periods are
between:
• a point of time in the past (e.g. 2000) and now;
• two points of time in the past (e.g. 2000 and 2010).

❖ Describing changes: present perfect passive

When writing about changes between a time in the past and now, the main tense is the present
perfect passive.
Example:
- A new shopping mall has been built.
- A train station has been modernized.
However, there are some verbs such as take place, become, change and make way for CAN
NOT BE PASSIVE.
Example:
- A number of important changes have taken place in the last decade.
- The city has become much more modern.
- The cinema was knocked down to make way for a new shopping centre.
Exercise 13: Complete the following sentences with a suitable present perfect form
of the verb in brackets.
1. The city used to be very green, but it …………………..much more industrial. (become)
2. A new sports centre………………………… in the city centre. (construct)
3. The old stadium…………………. and replaced by a new one. (demolish)
4. Many significant changes……………………. in the city in the last ten years. (take place)
5. The old town hall……………….. and replaced by new flats. (knock down)
6. There used to be a park in the north of the city, but it………………… by a supermarket.
(replace)
7. The old houses…………………… to make way for new apartments. (pull down)
8. There didn't use to be many skyscrapers but several ……………………in the last few years.
(build)

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 9. In the last 15 years, the city considerably……………………….. from a quiet market town
into a much busier small city. (change)
10. The disused factory in the south of the city ……………………a shopping mall. (turn into)
Exercise 14: The following maps show the changes of an area between 2005 and
2010.

a) Match the words A-E to the sentences to describe the location of some features in
the first map.
A. surrounded by 1. The farm was ______ of the map.
B. directly opposite 2. The restaurant was ______ the bus stop.
C. on the top right-hand corner 3. The factory was ______ a lot of trees.
D. halfway between 4. The filling station was ______ of the map.
E. on the bottom right-hand 5. The restaurant was ______ the filling station and the
corner hotel.
b) Match the words A-H to the sentences to describe changes in the second map.
A. chopped 1. A warehouse was ______ near the port.
down
B. constructed 2. The bus stop was ______ a car park and ______ a new place near the
church.
C. built (x2) 3. The pine trees opposite the hotel were ______ to ______ a hospital.

143
D. converted 4. The disused railway was ______ and a new railway station was ______ .
into
E. reopened 5. The farm was ______ a golf course.

F. relocated to 6. A new road which leads to the golf course was ______ .
G. make way for 7. A warehouse was ______ near the port.
H. replaced by 8. The bus stop was ______ a car park and ______ a new place near the
church.

V. PRACTICE
Practice 1: Look at the process below and match the sentences to the pictures, then
use the linking words to write the process with the passive voice.
We arrange delivery

We pack the goods

We receive the order

We check the stock

We enter the data

1. First, the order is received.

2. …………………………………………………………………
3. …………………………………………………………………
4. …………………………………………………………………
5. …………………………………………………………………
Practice 2: The following texts are concerned with recycling bottles and the
production of cement. Fill in the gaps with the correct passive voice form of the verbs
given in the blanks.

144
 1. First, used bottles _______ (put) in the plastic recycling bin. Next, the used bottles _______
(collect) and _______ (take) to the factory which will recycle the bottles. Following
transportation, the bottles _______ (heat) and _______ (melt). Then they _______ (form) in to
new bottles. After cooling, the recycled plastic bottles _______ (distributed) to companies
in order that they can _______ (refill) and sold to the public.

2. Cement _______ (make) from a number of ingredients. The primary ingredient of cement
is limestone. Limestone _______ (form) millions of years ago from Dead Sea creatures. It
_______ (extract) from the ground. After extraction it _______ (take) to a factory. After it
arrives, it _______ (crush). Then, it _______ (heat) to a high temperature with various other
ingredients. Following this, cold air _______ (cool) the limestone mixture down into
cement.

Practice 3: The following maps show the changes that have taken place in the centre
of a town since 1700.

Let’s discuss the changes in the map above and then use suitable verbs to describes
some following features.

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 • The hotel has been expanded/extended.
• Steggle Farm .....................................................................................
• The roads ...........................................................................................
• The shops ...........................................................................................
• The houses ........................................................................................
• Goode Farm .......................................................................................
• The house in St Peter's Lane ....................................................
• The stables .........................................................................................

VI. HOMEWORK
Homework 1: Fill in the following with an appropriate form of the verb in brackets.
1. For a long time people ….................... (think) the giant panda was a type of raccoon.
2. At the beginning of the experiment, the chemicals …………………. (place) in the beaker.
3. In medieval times, the earth …………… (believe) to be flat.
4. Up until now, students ………………… (allow) to wear what they want, but the new head-
teacher has decided to introduce a uniform.
5. I can't drive you to the airport because my car …………………….. (service) tomorrow.
6. Next year the new theatre ……………………. (open) by some of Britain's biggest acting
stars.
7. It ……………………. (expect) that the President will resign due to the recent revelations.
8. Chocolate ……………………………… (make) from the bean of the cacao tree.
9. This report ………………………. (claim) that there is corruption throughout the company.
10. Several students …………………………. (know) to have cheated in their exams.
11. People need ……………………………... (encourage) to use public transport if we want to
reduce our carbon emissions.
12. I went on holiday because I really needed …………………… (take) a break.
Homework 2: Complete the following sentences using either active or passive forms
of the verbs in the box in an appropriate tense.
bring up bring up build commute do
eat install share teach
1. All over the world, people .......................... to work by car, train or underground.
2. For example, some children are ................ by their grandparents because they do not
have parents.
3. I believe that in general, too much fast food .............................. these days and that the
government should ................... more to promote healthy eating.
4. In recent years, a lot more houses ............................. to provide cheaper accommodation for
young families.
5. Another advantage of the Internet is that information can ............................. very quickly.

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 6. Personally, I .......................... by my parents to respect the environment and help to protect
it.
7. In contrast, in other schools, boys and girls ............................ separately.
8. In recent years, more CCTV cameras ............................... in our cities to help prevent crime.
Homework 3: Rewrite the sentences below using the passive.
1. Social networking sites create new ways of communicating.
................................................................................................................................................................................
2. Farmers keep animals in fields during the day.
................................................................................................................................................................................
3. Internet companies protect people's personal information.
................................................................................................................................................................................
4. Movement in the Earth's surface causes volcanos.
................................................................................................................................................................................
5. Money, friends and family affect a person's level of happiness.
................................................................................................................................................................................
6. Social networks connect people all over the world.
................................................................................................................................................................................
Homework 4: Complete the sentences using present simple passive forms of the
verbs in brackets.
1. Water……………… (store) in reservoirs and used in the fields.
2. Grass………………………… (eat) by cows and cows………………….. (eat) by people.
3. Many buildings……………….. (destroy) by bad storms in winter.
4. Rainforests…………………….. (inhabit) by thousands of plants and insects.
5. Forests………………….. (damage) by acid rain from factories.
6. Most pollution……………………… (cause) by human activity.

Homework 5: The process below shows the stages in a plant’s life. Write a short
paragraph to describe it, using the following words in the box.

plants grow flowers are picked plant are watered

seeds are planted plants die plants flower

......................................................................................................................................................................................

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 ......................................................................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................................................................

Homework 6: Underline the correct words.

Air pollution in cities is growing at an alarming rate. What measures could be taken to address
this problem?
Air pollution can (1) define / be defined as the addition of something harmful to the air at a
faster rate than it can (2) absorb / be absorbed. Everyone should be concerned about pollution.
It (3) affects / is affected us all, and as it (4) continues / is continued to worsen so the
environmental impact increases.
One of the major causes of air pollution in cities is car use. Cars (5) use / are used for even the
shortest of journeys, and all efforts by government to encourage people (6) to use / to be used
public transport seem to be failing. Industry is another major cause of pollution in our cities,
but
fortunately, new industrial sites (7) are building / are being built away from large urban
centres.
It (8) says / is said that there are too many contributing factors for us to (9) to decide / to be
decided exactly which one is the main problem, but I believe that one of the most serious
problems that needs (10) to tackle / need to be tackled is the use of the car. In some cities laws
(11) have passed/ have been passed concerning car use. Athens, for example, only (12) allows /
is allowed a certain number of cars into the city centre each day. In my opinion, this is a good
idea. With this kind of law, people have no choice and (13) force / are forced to use buses and
trains.

Homework 7: Correct the errors in the passive in these sentences.

1. In many countries, birds is are fed by people in the winter.
2. Chemicals are used farmers to protect plants from insects.
3. Seeds are plant in the spring.
4. Elephants and camels used as working animals in some countries.
5. Volcanoes and other natural disasters is studied by scientists.
6. Fields be watered by a special system called irrigation.

Homework 8: The maps below show recent changes in the town of Kimsville.
Write 5 sentences to summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main
features, using the present perfect passive.
Hint: your sentences should be complex and compound sentences.

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1. ...................................................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................................................
2. ...................................................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................................................
3. ...................................................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................................................
4. ...................................................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................................................
5. ...................................................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................................................

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 LANGUAGE TO EXPRESS OPINIONS
LESSON 5 RELATIVE CLAUSE
MAIN IDEAS & SUPPORTING IDEAS FOR WRITING TASK 2

I. OBJECTIVES
This lesson will provide:
- Common words and phrases for opinion expression.
- A guide to write complex sentences by using Relative Clause.
- An outline including main ideas and supporting ideas for an Opinion essay in Writing
Task 2.

II. OVERVIEW
When writing an opinion essay in Writing Task 2, it is essential to state other people’s
opinions as well as giving your own opinion about a particular statement. Therefore, it is
necessary to learn words and phrases to express opinions.
In addition, the examiner will highly evaluate your ability of using language if you make
complex sentences by using Relative clauses, which makes your writing more fluent,
coherent and academic.
Finally, it is necessary to develop a good paragraph including topic sentences, supporting
ideas as well as examples to clarify your arguments for an essay.

III. LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

1. Vocabulary for expressing opinions
1.1. Other people’s opinion
There are some common words and phrases which are often used to show other people's
opinions:

• According to + a group of people (e.g. parents/ scientists/ politicians)

• Some people think/claim/believe/say/state that …
• Some people would argue that ...
• Many people hold the view that …
• It is widely/commonly believed/argued/stated/thought/said that …
• There is a common belief that …
Example:
According to scientists, smoking is one of the most common and deadliest habits in the
world.
Some people claim that there are more disadvantages of the car than its advantages.
Some people would argue that television is very educational and there are a lot of things
that can be gained from certain TV shows.

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 Many people hold the view that school children should not be given homework by their
teachers.
It is widely believed that obesity is caused by eating too much fast food.
There is a common belief that finding a job these days is becoming harder.
1.2 Writer’s opinion
Normally, after presenting other people’s opinion, you are required to give your own
opinion, answering whether you agree or disagree with the statement. Therefore, it is
important to state your view throughout the whole essay.
Here are some useful opinion expressions that you might use:
Expression Example
In my opinion, a good education is more important than
In my opinion/ view, + clause
a good car.
I believe that schools should encourage students to
I think/ believe that + clause
walk or cycle to school rather than drive.
To my mind, cigarettes and other tobacco products
To my mind, + clause
should be banned.
It would seem to me that + It would seem to me that children learn best when they
clause are feeling comfortable.
I am convinced that studying at university or college
I am convinced that + clause
gives students a better job opportunity.
From my point of view, prison is not an effective way to
From my point of view, + clause
punish criminals.
My personal opinion is that + My personal opinion is that having an enjoyable job is
clause essential for happiness.
I am of the opinion that governments should provide
I am of the opinion that + clause
more financial help to poor people.

Exercise 1: Read the Introduction in the essay below and underline the phrases
used to introduce the writer's opinion and the opinions of other people.
“If people have more money, they are generally happier. To what extent do you agree
with this statement?”
Money is important in life but it does not always bring happiness. Some people say that having
more money makes life less stressful, while other people argue that happiness can be found in
other aspects of life such as work, family or hobbies. In my view, having more money does not
make people happier but it makes life easier.
Answer these questions about the introduction.
1. What do some people say? ..............................................................................................................
2. What do other people argue? ..........................................................................................................
3. What does the writer think? ............................................................................................................

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 Exercise 2: Read the sentences below. Then, tick the box “W” if there is the
writer’s opinion in each sentence, tick the box “O” if there is the opinion of other
people.

W O

1. According to the government, traditional families are the happiest.

There are many things that can make people happy. In my view, family and
2.
friends are the most important.

3. Parents often claim that they need more money.

4. Many people argue that all citizens should pay as little tax as possible.

I am of the opinion that children should learn how to manage money at

5.
school.
Some teachers believe that punishment is the best way to make students
6.
follow the rules.

7. My personal opinion is that having a well-paid job is essential for happiness.

It is widely believed that museums and art galleries are not needed today
8.
because everyone can see historical objects or art works by computer.
Now, underline the phrases that introduce opinions in each sentence.
Exercise 3: Read the sentences below. Then combine them if necessary and add
different opinion expressions to make these sentences become your personal
opinion.
1. Young people often spend their time in the shopping malls. This has negative effects
on society and the young.
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
2. Students today can easily access information online, so libraries are no longer
necessary.
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
3. Money cannot buy happiness.
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................

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 4. It is important to teach children about local culture (history, literature, etc.) than
foreign cultures.
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
5. Taking part in sports which are played in teams is more interesting. However, taking
part in individual sports is better.
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................

2. RELATIVE CLAUSES
2.1. What is a relative clause?
A relative clause is a clause in a sentence that cannot exist independently and describes a
noun (or noun phrase) that comes before it in the main part of the sentence.
We can use relative clauses to combine clauses without repeating information. It is also a
good way to make complex sentences.
Example:
- The woman who I met was wearing a brown hat
In this sentence, “who I met” is a relative clause.
- The restaurant that we went to has closed.
In this sentence, “that we went to” is a relative clause.
- The man that Diana was speaking to was my ex-boss.
In this sentence, “that Diane was speaking to” is a relative clause.
2.2. Relative pronouns
Relative clauses give information about a noun (or noun phrase) that comes before it. They
are linked to the noun (or noun phrase) by a relative pronoun (e.g. who, which, that).
Therefore, relative pronouns introduce relative clauses.
The relative pronouns we use depends on what we are referring to and the type of relative
clauses.
There are some common uses of relative pronouns as follows.
• WHO to refer to people:
Example:
Please welcome Mike Bowers who is going to talk to us about how to look after your
home.
 In this example, “who” refers to “Mike Bowers”.
We don’t know the person who donated this money.
 In this example, “who” refers to “the person”.
• WHICH to refer to things and animals:
Example:
These are dangerous if you live in a flat which is in a large high-rise building.
 In this example, “which” refers to “a flat”.

153
 That’s the dog which doesn’t like me.
 In this example, “which” refers to “the dog”.
• WHOM is used in formal style to refer to people when the person is the object of
the verb:
Example:
She was a celebrated actress whom he had loved almost since her first appearance on
the stage.
 In this example, “whom” refers to “a celebrated actress” and is the object of the
verb “had loved”.
There was only one person to whom the old man spoke.
 In this example, “whom” refers to “person” and is the object of the verb “spoke to”.
It is easily seen that the preposition “to” is put before “whom”.
NOTE:
The most common use of whom is with a preposition. We can use whom as the
complement of a preposition.
We put the preposition before whom.
• THAT is used instead of who, whom, which in relative clauses to refer to people,
animals and things:
Example:
It is better to find a job that we can fulfill our potential.
 In this example, “that” (instead of “which”) refers to “a job”.
We met somebody last night that did the speech therapy course two years after you.
 In this example, “that” (instead of “who”) refers to “somebody”.
• WHOSE to show a possession:
Example:
He’s marrying a girl whose family doesn’t seem to like him.
 We can rewrite this sentence: The family of the girl he’s marrying doesn’t seem to
like him.
• WHERE to refer to places:
Example:
I know a restaurant where the food is excellent.
 In this example, “where” refers to “a restaurant”.
• WHEN to refer to times:
Example:
My friend reminds me about the very first day when I was in high school.
 In this example, “when” refers to “the very first day”.
• WHY after the reason or reasons:
Example:

154
 There are very good reasons why students go to university after they finish high
school.
 In this example, “why” refers to “very good reasons”.
a. Subject relative pronouns
The relative pronoun can be either the subject or the object of the clause.
If the relative pronoun is followed by a verb, the relative pronoun is a subject relative
pronoun. Subject relative pronouns must always be used.
Example: the apple which is lying on the table
Subject relative clauses do not need a new subject as the pronoun represents the object:
Example:
Jacob is the only person. Jacob can feed the lions.
→ Jacob is the only person who can feed the lions.
(Who is the subject of the relative clause referring to Jacob)
b. Object relative pronouns
If the relative pronoun is not followed by a verb (but by a noun or pronoun), the relative
pronoun is an object relative pronoun.
Object relative clauses need a new subject as the pronoun represents the object:
Example: the apple (which) George lay on the table
Subject relative clauses do not need a new subject as the pronoun represents the object:
Example:
The penguins were the best animals. I saw the penguins at the zoo.
→ The penguins were the best animals that I saw at the zoo.
(That refers to penguins, so we must add a subject (I) for the relative clause: I saw
the penguins at the zoo).
Exercise 4: Look at the following sentences and add relative pronouns and
punctuation if needed.
1. Wildlife in Mexico, _________ has flourished for many years is now under attack by the
industrialization of natural habitats.
2. Flightless birds are birds ______ cannot fly.
3. Dian Fossey ______ died in 1985 helped save the mountain gorilla from extinction.
4. London ______ a third of the city is actually open space is home to a wide variety of
wildlife.
5. The wildlife photos _______ my sister took in Borneo were the best photos I had ever
seen.
6. Evolution, ______ is the generally accepted theory of how life on earth developed is
still
disputed by some.
2.3. Types of relative clause
There are two types of relative clause:

155
 a. Defining relative clause
Defining relative clause is to clearly define who or what we are talking about. Without
this information, the sentence does not have enough meaning. Therefore, it is necessary to
the meaning of the sentence, and it cannot be removed.
Examples:
- People who inherit a lot from their parents can become wealthy overnight.
- Animals which live in a non-domesticated environment are called wild animals.
- In the evening, a house that is very dark can really stand out.
NOTE:
Without these defining relative clauses, it is unclear which person, place or thing we are
referring to:
e.g., animals are called wild animals. (This sentence does not have enough information
because not all animals are called wild animals).

Exercise 5: Rewrite these sentences with defining relative clauses.

1. Some people work at home. They often miss discussing ideas with colleagues.
People who ..................................................................................................................................................
2. Some countries spend a lot of money on public transport. These countries often
have less pollution in cities.
...........................................................................................................................................................................
3. Some people live in cities. They normally have to spend a lot of time getting to work.
...........................................................................................................................................................................
4. Students tend to get a well-paid job when they study at universities or colleges.
...................................................................................................................................................................................
b. Non-defining relative clause
Non-defining relative clause gives extra, non-essential information about a person, place
or thing. It can be removed as the sentence would have enough meaning without the
clause and the clause is not necessary.
Examples:
- My former teacher, who had taught me at high school, inspired me to study English
better.
- The Louvre museum, which I visited on holidays, is very interesting.
- Penguins, which have tightly packed feathers to keep warm, live in cold climates.
Non-defining relative clauses are more common in written language than in spoken
language.
With non-defining relative clauses:
• We do not use the relative pronoun “that”:
Examples:
The burglars got in through the kitchen window, that the owners had forgotten to shut.
 Incorrect

156
The burglars got in through the kitchen window, which the owners had forgotten to shut.
 Correct
• We separate the relative clause from the main clause with commas. (There may be
two commas or one comma depending on whether the relative clause comes in the
middle of a sentence or at the end.)
Examples:
- A letterbox can become full of uncollected letters, which is a great help to a burglar.
- Jasmine, the girl who I love, is truly beautiful.
• The relative pronoun can refer to a single noun phrase or to a whole clause:
Examples:
- My neighbour, who lives upstairs, often looks after my flat. (“who” refers to my
neighbour).
- If you run your own company, you can make all the decisions yourself, which means
that you feel in control of your working life. (“which” refers to the whole of the first
phrase).
The following table compares the key differences between defining and non-defining
relative clauses:
Defining relative clauses Non-defining relative clauses
• identify the thing that you are • give additional, non-essential
talking about information
• “that” can replace who or which • “that” cannot be used
• no commas • must have commas
Let’s take a look at the following examples to see how to join two single sentences into a
complex sentence by using the relative “which”.
Examples:
- Single sentences: Global warming is a common topic these days. Global
warming causes environmental problems.
➔ Complex sentences: Global warming which causes environmental problems is a
concerned topic these days.
Exercise 6: Rewrite these sentences with non-defining relative clauses.
1. Some students take a year out before university. This allows them to work or travel.
Some students .............................................................................................................................................
2. My English teacher is leaving. His lectures are very interesting.
My English teacher, .................................................................................................................................
3. I gave my assignment to the faculty secretary. She was not very friendly.
I gave my assignment ..............................................................................................................................
4. My next-door neighbor is very kind to everyone. He is moving to the US next month.
My next-door neighbor ............................................................................................................................
2.4. Shortening relative clauses:

157
There are two ways in which a relative clause can be reduced:
a. Active form
A relative pronoun + verb can be replaced with a present participle (-ING form).
Example:
There are an increasing number of students who study abroad.
→ There are an increasing number of students studying abroad.
b. Passive form
For passive constructions, the relative pronoun + verb to be can be removed to leave the
past participle (-ED form).
Example:
The man who was injured in the tiger attack went to hospital.
→ The man who was injured in the tiger attack went to hospital.

NOTE:
With defining relative clauses, the relative pronoun can be removed if it is an object
pronoun:
Example:
- Some biologists begin to love the animals that they study.
- They should give the money to somebody who they think needs the treatment most.
- Here are some cells which/that the researcher has identified.

Exercise 7: Replace the Relative clause by a Participle Construction (-ing for

active and -ed for passive).
1. The proportion of people who watch films at the cinema is higher than watching at
home.
................................................................................................................................................................................
2. The house that stands at the end of the road will soon be sold.
................................................................................................................................................................................
3. The conference which was planned by non-governmental organizations was about
globalization.
...............................................................................................................................................................................
4. The number of people who travel to the USA is increasing rapidly.
................................................................................................................................................................................
5. A picture that shows the image of a person is a portrait.
................................................................................................................................................................................
6. The problems that were discussed will be essential for your exam.
................................................................................................................................................................................
IV. SKILL DEVELOPMENT
1. Task requirement
In Writing Task 2, Opinion essay is one of the most common types that you might
encounter.

158
The questions are often a sentence followed by one of the following questions:
Do you agree or disagree with this statement? or To what extent do you agree or
disagree with this statement?
These questions mean: How much do you agree or disagree with the sentence?
Here is an example of an Opinion essay:
“University education should be restricted to the very best academic students, rather than
being available to a large proportion of young people. To what extent do you agree or
disagree?”

NOTE:
When writing your opinion statement, do not worry too much about how accurately it
represents your true opinion. The examiners are only interested in seeing how well you can
develop ideas in written English. It does not matter what the actual ideas are.

2. Outline of a paragraph
The next step is to make outline for what you are going to write about in a paragraph.
Below is the suggested outline for an Opinion essay:
1. Topic sentence (main idea)
2. Supporting sentences (explanation/ reasons)
3. Examples
Topic sentence (main ideas) and supporting sentences will make up the body of your essay.
The main ideas support your opinion. The supporting sentences explain your main idea.
You should have two or three main ideas per essay and at least two supporting ideas per
main idea. A clear and easy way to organize your ideas is to make notes in an outline form.
Now let’s write some brief notes for the outline of the following task requirement.
Example:
“University education should be restricted to the very best academic students, rather than
being available to a large proportion of young people. To what extent do you agree or
disagree?”
1. What is your opinion on this topic? Do you agree or disagree?
For example: I totally disagree with this statement.
2. Note down some reasons or explanation that you could use to justify your opinion.
- Everyone has the same right to be educated.
- Promoting further education is a potential way to make young generations more
skillful and well-equipped with professional knowledge.
- Universities are opened for all citizens helps to create a good source of labour for
the economy.
3. Give some examples to clarify your opinion.
- Nowadays, socials have been becoming more and more modern and civilized.

159
 - At universities, students are taught academic knowledge of their major as well as
having a number of opportunities to take part in many social activities, which gives
them valuable experiences and real-life lessons.
Exercise 8: Write some brief notes for the outline of the following task
requirement:
“When choosing a job, the salary is the most important consideration. To what extent do you
agree or disagree?”
1. What is your opinion on this topic? Do you agree or disagree?
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
2. Note down some reasons or explanation that you could use to justify your opinion.
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
3. Give some examples to clarify your opinion.
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
Exercise 9: Below are some sentences in a Body paragraph. Read and number
them in the correct order.
a. The disadvantages of television are that programs tend to be short and interrupted
by advertisements, meaning that information is presented in limited depth.
b. In my opinion, television is the most effective of these three media because it brings
us closer to reality than a book or radio program ever can.
c. For example, we can watch events as they take place on the other side of the world,
or we can see the body language of a politician who is being interviewed.
2.1 Topic sentence
The first sentence of a main body paragraph is often called the “topic sentence”.
Each paragraph should have one main idea only and the topic sentence tells the reader
what this idea is. This makes your paragraph and the whole essay clearer and easier to
read.
We think of topic sentences in an argument (agree or disagree) essay by thinking of ideas
why we support one side or the other.

Exercise 10: Read each topic sentence and the supporting sentences that follow.
Choose the supporting idea that does NOT belong.

160
 1. One obvious issue with an ageing population is that it can create enormous
demands on a nation’s health service.
A. As people live longer into their old age, the chances of them suffering
from serious illnesses increases.
B. Retired people today are generally much healthier than they have ever
been, and often enjoy their lives more than they did when they were
young.
C. A further downside is that living longer might lead to the likelihood of
depression and a deterioration in one’s physical health.
2. Educating people about the history and traditions of a country is the primary
reason we have museums in the first place.
A. Local visitors can learn how people of the past reacted to their
environment and the effects of those reactions to our present.
B. They conserve important cultural specimens, artefacts, artworks and
other items to boast about our past and help researchers dig deeper into
history.
C. Museums should be free of charge to encourage local residents and
students to pay frequent visits.
3. Older workers have a wide range of positive attributes that they can bring to their
working environment.
A. Older people are seen to be more reliable and respectful.
B. The young is more flexible and faster with technology.
C. Generally, they have more work experience than those who are younger.
2.2 Supporting sentence
After writing the topic (main) sentence, you need to explain what you mean and give
relevant examples to clarify for your supporting ideas so that the examiners can
understand your arguments.
Look at the following structure of a good example paragraph and see how to give your
opinion for an argument and supporting sentences.
I believe the family is one of the most 1. Main idea: the family is important
important structures in society. It is within
the family that children can learn how to 2. Supporting idea which explains/
get on with other people and how to adds to main idea: people learn
behave and these things are important for how to get on with others and how
life in the wider world. The family should to behave in a family
also be a stable unit that provides love and
support to children. Without this love and 3. Supporting idea: the family gives
support, children might find it difficult to love and support.
manage in the wider world. For example,
children without loving, supportive parents 4. Giving example: children are
could feel unable to do the things they unable to do things without family
would like to do, like go to university.

161
 Exercise 11: Match the supporting information on the right to the main ideas on
the left.
Ideas Supporting information
1. Parents can easily contact their a. Some parents cannot afford to pay
children. mobile phone charges.
2. The charges for talking on mobile
b. It is expensive to replace them.
phones are very expensive.
3. Children spend too much time talking to c. They do not need to buy other types of
their friends on mobile phones. technology.
4. Mobile phones are often lost or stolen. d. They should focus on their school work.
5. Mobile phones distract children from e. This can stop parents worrying about
studying. where their children are.
6. Children can use mobile phones as f. They should spend less time chatting
cameras and music players. and more time doing other activities.
7. Children have a way of contacting their g. For example, they can learn through
parents in an emergency. playing games.
8. There are many ways mobile phones h. This could help if children have
can help children learn. accidents.

Exercise 12: Write sentences for the following essay topic using given words and
phrases to support your ideas.
“If people have more money, they are generally happier. To what extent do you agree
with this statement?”
Your Opinion: ...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................................................
Topic sentence: Firstly, having more money can help people control over their lives and
plan for the future.
• Supporting sentence 1: Have money → independent when getting old
.....................................................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................................................
Example: elder citizen/ live on their own → no need help from their children
.....................................................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................................................
• Supporting sentence 2: Have money → plan for future (education/ house)
.....................................................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................................................

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 • Supporting sentence 3: These things → unaffordable → if people don’t have strong
financial background.
.....................................................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................................................

V. PRACTICE
Practice 1: Read the statements below and write your opinions for each of them,
stating whether you agree or disagree. Begin by using one of following expressions in the
box.
Nevertheless, In my opinion, ... However, I think ... Personally, I believe ...
a. Many people feel that the young have much more influence in the world than their
counterparts in the past.
.....................................................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................................................
b. According to some people, older workers are just as equipped to deal with the
modern world as young people.
.....................................................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................................................
c. Some people are of the opinion that advertising should not be banned in TV
programs directed at children.
...........................................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................
Practice 2: Choose the most suitable answers to fill in the gaps.
1. She is talking about the author ________book is one of the best-sellers this year.
A. which B. whose C. that D. who
2. He bought all the books __________are needed for the next exam.
A. which B. what C. those D. who
3. The children, __________parents are famous teachers, are taught well.
A. that B. whom C. whose D. their
4. Do you know the boy ________we met at the party last week?
A. which B. whose C. who is D. whom
5. The exercises which we are doing ________very easy.
A. is B. has been C. are D. was
6. The man _______next to me kept talking during the film, _______really annoyed me.
A. having sat/ that B. sitting/ which C. to sit/ what D.
sitting/ who
7. Was Neil Armstrong the first person ________foot on the moon?
A. set B. setting C. to set D.who was
set
8. This is the village in ________my family and I have lived for over 20 years.

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 A. which B. that C. whom D. where
9. My mother, ________everyone admires, is a famous teacher.
A. where B. whom C. which D. whose
10. The old building __________is in front of my house fell down.
A. of which B. which C. whose D. whom
Practice 3: Turn each of these sets of essay notes into two sentences. Use suitable
phrases to introduce the opinion and develop the sentences.
1. television / good for children / educational / helps / learn
 Many people believe that television is actually a good thing for children. They claim
that it is educational and it helps them learn.
2. robots / replace teachers / future / more efficient
...........................................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................
3. sports at school / waste of time / concentrate on key subjects
...........................................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................
4. teachers / able / physical discipline / reduce / misbehavior
..........................................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................
5. take gap year / waste of time / people / become lazy / not want to work / return
...........................................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................

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VI. HOMEWORK
Homework 1: Read each following sentence and decide whether the relative
pronoun is necessary or not. If not, cross it.
1. This is the picture that Jane painted.
2. Do you know the man who is speaking on the phone?
3. We ate the sweets which my mother had bought.
4. Is this the boy who plays the piano?
5. This is the house that was broken into.
Homework 2: Each following sentence has a mistake. Find and correct.
1. She is the most beautiful girl whose I have ever met.

2. She can’t speak English, whom is a disadvantage.

3. The policeman must try to catch those people whom drive dangerously.

4. The person about who I told you yesterday is coming here tomorrow.

5. Mother's Day is the day where children show their love to their mother.

6. Do you know the reason when we should learn English?

7. The woman who she told me the news was not a native citizen here.

8. New Year Day is the day where my family members gather and enjoy it together.
Homework 3: Combine the following separate sentences into single sentences
using relative clauses.
1. The housing bubble in the US burst in 2008-09. The global financial crisis also started
in this period.
..........................................................................................................................................................................
2. Elon Musk is the current CEO of Tesla. He is also the leader of Space X and Solar City.
..........................................................................................................................................................................
3. China has recorded significant rates of economic growth over the past few decades. It is
believed to lead the innovation race of the world in the near future.
..........................................................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................................................
4. Norway has witnessed a massive increase in the number of non-diesel cars over the
past few years. The government of Norway introduced many policies such as free
parking for drivers to encourage the use of electric cars.
................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................

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 5. Many researchers at this university have worked hard in the past few years. They want
to investigate the reasons for failure of many start-up projects.
................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
Homework 4: Write the introduction, including the general opinion and your own
opinion for the following opinion essay questions.
1. Friends and family bring more happiness than money and possessions. Do you agree
or disagree with this statement?
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................

2. Children watch too much television nowadays and this is bad for their education
and development. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
3. All children should learn to play a musical instrument at school. How far do you
agree or disagree with this statement?
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
4. Countries should not replace their traditional culture with modern culture. To what
extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
5. Young people should spend more time on cultural activities such as music and
theatre and less time on sport. Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................

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 CONJUNCTIONS
LESSON 6
LINKING WORDS
CONNECTING SENTENCES IN AN OPINION ESSAY

I. OBJECTIVES
This lesson will provide:
- Types of conjunctions and linking words and how to use them to achieve coherence in
essays.
- Useful ways to connect sentences in an Opinion essay in Writing Task 2.

II. OVERVIEW
In the IELTS Writing, the examiner always expects candidates to use a variety of sentence
structures. One of the easiest ways is to transform simple sentences into compound sentences
or complex sentences using conjunctions.
Using conjunctions effectively in IELTS Writing Task 2, especially in Opinion essays, would
show your ability to use grammar precisely as well as helping with the flow of your essay,
which makes it easier for the examiner to read your essay.

III. LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT: CONJUNCTIONS

Conjunction is a part of a speech that acts as a connector. It links clauses, sentences or words
in writing and serves to combine ideas or words.
There are three types of conjunctions including coordinating conjunctions, correlative
conjunctions and subordinating conjunctions.
1. Coordinating conjunctions
Coordinating conjunctions connect items which are the same grammatical type, e.g. words,
phrases, clauses.
Example:
- I like watching films and listening to music.
In this example, “and” links two phrases “watching films” and “listening to music”.
- Many young people have low income so they cannot afford expensive houses.
In this example, “so” links two clauses “Many young people have low income” and “they
cannot afford expensive houses”.
A coordinating conjunction gives equal emphasis or importance to clauses, phrases, and
words. Therefore, coordinating conjunctions are used when the writer wants to show equality.
There is a mnemonic to help you remember all the coordinating conjunctions easily:
F A N B O Y S
which means:
For And Nor But Or Yet So
The usage of these coordinating conjunctions are as follows:

167
Coordinating
conjunction Usage Example

To introduce reasons
or purposes.
- I do morning exercise every day, for I want to keep
NOTE: When acting as fit.
For a conjunction, “for” is - I cannot see anything, for my eyes are filled with
followed by a clause tears.
and comes after a
comma.
- I do morning exercise every day to keep fit and
To add the relax.
And
information. - Yesterday, she went out, and I stayed at home
alone.
To add a negative idea
- I do not like listening to music nor playing sports. I
Nor to another mentioned
am just keen on reading.
negative idea.
- These shoes are old but comfortable.
But To show the contrast.
- I love her, but she does not love me.
- You can play game or watch TV.
To introduce another
Or - Are you comfortable, or shall I turn on the air-
option.
conditioner?
To show an idea
- I took a book with me on my holiday, yet I did not
which is opposite to
Yet read a single page.
the idea mentioned
- I bought a lot of fruit yet ate nothing.
before.
- I took my umbrella, so I would not get soaked.
To introduce results
So - I have too much homework to do, so I cannot go out
or effects.
today.

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks with for/ and/ nor/ but/ or/ yet/ so. Each gap can be
filled by more than one coordinating conjunction:
1. In my opinion, if children play computer games __________ watch TV instead of reading
books, they will grow small-minded.
2. People were throwing a lot of rubbish on the street, __________ the government decided to
impose a heavy fine on littering.
3. I do not like BTS __________ Black Pink. I am a big fan of Big Bang.
4. A lot of young people like reading online newspaper, __________ I prefer traditional
reading.
5. In order to reduce traffic jams, more roads should be built, __________ more underground
stations should be opened.
6. Do your homework, __________ the teacher will give you a low mark.
7. Vegetarians don't eat meat, __________ they get their protein from other foods.

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 8. Some people complain about social networks, __________ continue to use them.
9. I cannot send you an email, __________ the Internet connection is slow.
10. I want to buy some clothes __________ I have no money.
Exercise 2: Combine the sentences using suitable coordinating conjunctions.
1. Maria likes reading detective novels. She likes reading books about history.
................................................................................................................................................................................
2. The Science Museum is free. I think it is good for families.
................................................................................................................................................................................
3. Animals should not be killed for their fur. Action must be taken if this is still occurring.
................................................................................................................................................................................
4. Computers are used widely in most countries now. They are a sign of progress.
We must ensure everyone has access to them.
................................................................................................................................................................................
5. Computers are important to our lives. They can be dangerous too. We must be careful.

................................................................................................................................................................................
2. Correlative conjunctions
Correlative conjunctions usually come in pairs, and you have to use both of them in different
places in a sentence to make them work.
There are some common correlative conjunctions as follows:
Correlative
Usage Example
conjunction
To show different - I want either the cheesecake or the
Either … or …
options. chocolate cake.
To connect two or
- This book is neither interesting nor
Neither … nor … more negative
accurate.
alternatives.
To emphasize the
Both … and … link between two - I like both Math and Literature.
things.
This is used when
you have two things
Not only … but also and you want to give - Not only Jack but also his friends hate that
… a little extra girl.
emphasis to the
second thing.
- I have been having a crush on him for 3
To show the
Whether … or … years but I do not know whether he loves me
uncertainty.
or not.

Exercise 3: Match the sentence halves to make a complete sentence.

1. Both Peter a. but we also have enough money.
2. Not only do we want to go b. neither true nor realistic.

169
 3. Either Jack will have to work more c. not only wise to listen to your parents but also
hours interesting.
4. That story was d. and I are coming next week.
5. Students who do well not only study e. either his career or his hobby.
hard f. both my laptop and my cell phone on holiday.
6. In the end he had to choose g. but also use their instincts if they do not know
7. Sometimes it is the answer
8. I would love to take h. or we will have to hire somebody else.
Your answer: ..................................................................................................................................................................
Exercise 4: Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
1. She is neither polite _______ funny.
a. or c. not
b. nor d. yet
2. Have you made a decision about _______ to go to the movies _______ not?
a. If/ then c. Whether/ or
b. Either/ or d. What with/ and
3. This salad is _______ delicious _______ healthy.
a. Whether/ or c. Scarcely/ when
b. Both/ and d. Rather/ than
4. _________husband ____________ wife loved going to the cinema.
a. both/ and c. neither/ nor
b. either/ or d. whether/ or
5. What is her name? It’s _____________ Annita _______ Annalisa.
a. both/ and c. neither/ nor
b. either/ or d. whether/ or
6. I’m vegan, I eat ___________ dairy __________ eggs.
a. both/ and c. neither/ nor
b. either/ or d. whether/ or
7. Andrew wasn’t sure __________ to go on holiday ____________ stay at home.
a. both/ and c. neither/ nor
b. either/ or d. whether/ or
8. It snowed ___________ in Barcelona, ____________ in neighbouring cities.
a. both/ and c. neither/ nor
b. either/ or d. not only/ but also
9. ________________ trees ______________ flowers grow colorfully during summer.
a. both/ and c. not/ but
b. neither/ nor d. not only/ but also
10. Summer camp offers ___________ swimming ___________ camping instruction.

170
a. either/ or c. not/ but
b. neither/ nor d. not only/ but also
11. I'll take my vacation __________ in July ____________ in August.
a. either/ or c. not/ but
b. neither/ nor d. not only/ but also
12. Most students are ___________ below ____________ above national academic standards.
a. either/ or c. not/ but
b. neither/ nor d. not only/ but also
13. __________ do students enjoy summer vacation, ____________ they enjoy Christmas break.
a. either/ or c. not/ but
b. neither/ nor d. not only/ but also
14. ___________ teachers are happy _________ they are sad, all are dedicated to students' success.
a. whether/ or c. not/ but
b. neither/ nor d. not only/ but also
3. Subordinating conjunctions
Subordinating conjunctions connect two clauses in complex sentences. One clause is
independent (main clause) and the other clause is dependent (subordinating clause).
An independent clause is a clause that can stand by itself as a complete sentence because
it expresses a complete meaning.
A dependent clause is a group of words with a subject and a verb. It does not express a
complete meaning so it is not a sentence and cannot stand alone as a sentence.
The dependent clause can stand before or after the independent clause, but it always
starts with a subordinating conjunction.subordinating
Example: conjunction
- Students do not need to go to school because it has been raining so hard.
independent clause dependent clause

- Although I studied hard, I couldn’t pass the exam.

dependent independent clause
clause
subordinating
conjunction

NOTE:
When the dependent clause starts a sentence, it will be separated from the independent clause
by a comma.

There are 5 common functions of subordinating conjunctions as follows:

Subordinating conjunctions of Time

171
 until before while/as
after once since
when next/then as soon as
Examples:
- Students can work for multi-national companies after they acquire necessary language
skills.
- Parents always give us useful advice and emotional support whenever we are in
troubles.
- You can ask the landlord questions while he is showing you the apartment.
- I promise I will help you once I finish this assignment.
- I can’t go home until finish all the work.
- As soon as everyone finished their work, they celebrated by going to the club.
Subordinating conjunctions of Reasons
as because since
Examples:
- People should recycle plastic because/since/as it reduces some of the environmental
problems.
- Young people tend to consume fast food or eat out as/since/because they do not have
free time to cook.
Subordinating conjunctions of Purposes
in order to so that so
in order that so as (not) to to
After in order to and so as to, we use a “verb”. After so that, we often use a clause which
includes a “subject” and a “modal verb” as in the following examples:
Examples:
- I study English so as to communicate with my German boss.
- We should have a balanced diet in order to stay healthy.
- It is advised to use public transport instead of using private cars so that we can protect
environment from air pollution.
Subordinating conjunctions of Contrast
although though even though
Examples:
- Although he is very old, he goes jogging every morning.
- I like her, even though she can be annoying at times.
Subordinating conjunctions of Condition
as long as if unless

Examples:

172
 - Unless you have experience, I will stand by you.
- If you need my help, call me.
- I still love him as long as he loves me.
Exercise 5: Match the two halves of these following sentences.
1. He always watches TV ...
2. They played outside ...
3. You can pass the exam …
4. Schools should teach children how to cook ...
5. I learn to speak English well …
6. Instead of going to supermarkets for their food, a lot of people have their shopping
delivered to their house …

a. although it is very hot.

b. because it is raining so heavily.
c. if you study harder.
d. in order to find a better job.
e. so that they will be able to eat healthily when they are older and live by themselves.
f. after he finishes his work.
Exercise 6: Use your own ideas to complete the following sentences.
1. Many young people spend a few months in an English-speaking country after
graduation so as to .......................................................................................................................................
2. In order to reduce air pollution, ..............................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
3. I will come and see you when ...................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
4. It is common for retired people to move out of cities and buy a house in the
countryside. so that .......................................................................................................................................
5. Doing exercise helps people keep fit because.....................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
6. Although he tried hard, ...............................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
7. If you had left earlier, ....................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................

IV. LINKING WORDS

Linking words or phrases are often used to show that you have considered the question
carefully and that you understand different points of view. There are some useful
expressions that you might use to support ideas as follows:
1. Giving causes and effects
Some common linking words and phrases are used when writing about causes and effects:
Causes Because of/ Due to/ Owing to

173
 Therefore/Thus/Consequently, …
Effects As a result/As a consequence, …
For this reason, …
Examples:
- Communication has become much faster due to the invention of the Internet.
- As a result, they can broaden their minds about different exotic destinations in the
world.
NOTE:
“Because of/ Due to/ Owing to” are followed by a noun or gerund (verb-ing), not a clause.

Exercise 7: Combine each pair of sentences by using the linking words.

1. Effect: It is easy to stay informed about current events.
Cause: The Internet is developed.
(Owing to)
..................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................
2. Cause: Many websites contain information that is not suitable for children.
Effect: Parents should control how their children use the Internet.
(Therefore)
...................................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................................
3. Effect: There was a severe drought in that region.
Cause: Many farmers lost their crops.
(Due to)
..................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................
4. Cause: The rents in this district are very high.
Effect: Many people cannot afford to live here.
(for this reason)
..................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................
2. Adding information
To connect two agreeing ideas or give additional information, we can use the following
linking words:
in addition additionally moreover also furthermore
as well/ too similarly likewise besides what is more
Most of these words and phrases are used at the beginning of a sentence or a clause.
Examples:
- Computers give students access to lots of information. In addition, computers enable
them to study and search for information easier and faster.
- Global business has increased international trade. Furthermore, people have more
opportunities to work abroad.
- Country life is more quiet and peaceful than city life. Besides, it is better for our health.

174
 NOTE:
- “also” can be used at either the beginning or the end of a sentence or clause.
- “too”/ “as well” are generally used at the end of the clause.
Examples:
- The best way to manage weight is to exercise regularly. You should pay attention to
your diet as well.
- The best way to manage weight is to exercise regularly. You should also pay attention
to your diet.
Exercise 8: Combine each pair of sentences by using the linking words of adding
information.
1. Telecommuting is very convenient for employees.
It has advantages for employers.
..........................................................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................................................
2. Meals cooked at home are less expensive than restaurant meals.
They are usually more nutritious.
..........................................................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................................................
3. This neighborhood has many houses that are affordably priced.
It is conveniently located close to stores and public transportation.
..........................................................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................................................
4. Electric cars do not cause air pollution.
They are easy and inexpensive to maintain.
..........................................................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................................................
3. Giving examples
Here are some common linking words to give examples for your arguments:
For example,/ For To illustrate this, such as …
instance,… …
Examples:
- Computers give students access to lots of information. For example, there are
dictionaries and reference books online.
- Parents send their children to preschool for a variety of reasons. To illustrate this, they
may want their children to learn to socialize with others.
- There are numerous things that individuals can do to help the environment such as
reducing electricity and water consumption in their households.
NOTE:
- “Such as” may follow the word it explains.
- “For example” and “For instance” are used at the beginning of a sentence or clause.

175
 Exercise 9: Match each sentence or phrase in column A with a sentence or phrase
in Column B. Add capital letters and periods as appropriate. You will not use all the
choices.
A B
1. There are several advantages of A. such as lack of public transportation and
living in this neighborhood poorly designed roads.
2. Zoos provide the public with B. such as high-speed trains and long-
important educational opportunities distance buses.

3. Traffic problems in cities are worst C. for example, they can teach people about
these days due to a number of factors the importance of preserving native habitat.
4. Visitors to a zoo can enjoy a variety D. such as seeing the animals, talking with
of fun activities scientists, and visiting the gift shop.
4. Comparing and contrasting ideas
Some linking words and phrases can be used to compare or contrast ideas. When
comparing ideas, you show how they are similar. When contrasting ideas, you show how
they are different.
Some linking words and phrases to compare ideas are as follows:

• Likewise • in the same way

• Like • just as
• Similarly • also
Example:
Dogs need to be walked and played with daily. Likewise, pet parrots need frequent attention
from their owners.
There are some linking words to contrast ideas as follows:
• but • on the other hand, on the contrary,
• although/even though/though, • unlike
• alternatively/nevertheless/nonetheless, • by contrast,
• however, • in spite of/despite,
• in contrast, • while/whereas,
It is necessary to pay attention to the positions of these linking words in a sentence.

NOTE:
“Although/ Though/ Even though” can come at the beginning or in the middle of two
contrasting ideas. We use a comma between the two clauses.

Examples:
- Although traditional newspapers are reliable to read, they might be slow to keep up
with the latest news.
- Traditional newspapers are reliable to read, even though they might be slow to keep
up with the latest news.

176
It is very common to use these linking phrases to give your opinions in Opinion essay in
IELTS Writing Task 2.
Examples:
- Although it is true that teachers work long hours, I believe that teaching is a very
worthwhile and important job.
- Many people say that living alone can be difficult and lonely. Nonetheless, I think that
there are more advantages of having your own place, such as being able to do
whatever you like.
- Although it is true that exams can be stressful for children, I think that they are the
best and the fairest way to accurately assess students' progress.

NOTE:
“In spite of” and “Despite” are also useful ways to link ideas in your writing. We use in spite of
and despite at the beginning or in the middle of two contrasting ideas. These are followed by
nouns or gerunds (verb + “ing”), not followed by clauses (subject + verb).

Examples:
- Despite the distractions, many people still choose to work at home.
- In spite of these problems, many people still choose to work at home.
- Working from home is becoming increasingly popular, despite having several major
disadvantages.

NOTE:
“While” and “Whereas” are used to contrast two opposite ideas in one sentence. These words
can be placed at the beginning of the sentence or in the middle.
Examples:
- While traditional newspapers are reliable to read, they might be slow to keep up with
the latest news as they take time to be printed and edited.
- Life in the city is fast, whereas life in the countryside is slow.

NOTE:
“In contrast”/ “By contrast”/ “On the contrary”: These words are usually placed at the
beginning of the sentence.
Example:
The majority of people feel that living in an apartment is very convenient. In contrast,
others believe that living in a house is a better option.

NOTE:
“However”: These words can be placed at the beginning or in the middle of the sentence.

Example:

177
 People who believe in animal rights think that we should not wear leather shoes or
animal skin clothes. However, people who think that we are superior to animals believe
we have the right to use them as we wish.

NOTE:
“On the one hand …, on the other hand” is used to introduce different points of view, ideas,
etc., especially when they are opposites.
Example:
On the one hand, some people enjoy reading newspapers online. On the other hand,
others prefer reading traditional ones.
Exercise 10: Choose the correct word to complete each sentence.
1. Buses can carry many passengers at one time, ............................. (also/while) cars can
only carry a few.
2. Taking a walk every day can help you stay strong and healthy ..............................
(Likewise/Nevertheless), bike riding is a good way to get exercise.
3. ............................. (Like/Unlike) cities, small towns generally offer limited job
opportunities.
4. Many people find small towns boring .............................. (Similarly/ However), others
enjoy a small town's slow pace of life.
5. ............................. (Like/Unlike) beach resorts, lakeside resorts offer families the
opportunity to enjoy all kinds of water sports.
Exercise 11: Connect these ideas with “despite” or “in spite of”.
1. still buy a newspaper / advances in wireless Internet connection
..........................................................................................................................................................................
2. is good for your health / people never ride a bicycle to work
..........................................................................................................................................................................
3. millions of students study abroad / language barriers
..........................................................................................................................................................................
4. extremely difficult at times / excitement / starting own business
..........................................................................................................................................................................
5. advantages of owning a pet / cause problems
..........................................................................................................................................................................
Exercise 12: Add some conjunctions to the following sentences with words in the
brackets.
1. Studying IELTS can be stressful but it opens up career opportunities worldwide.
(Even though)
.........................................................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................

2. Occasionally go to the movies but I prefer to download movies from the internet.
(Although)
.........................................................................................................................................................................

178
 .........................................................................................................................................................................
3. My city is really overcrowded and expensive to live in but it has some great
restaurants and bars.
(Nonetheless)
.........................................................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................
4. Obesity is a growing issue in developed countries but there is also a growing
awareness of healthy eating.
(Despite)
.........................................................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................

V. SKILL DEVELOPMENT
In the previous lesson, you have learnt how to express other people’s opinion and your
opinion in the Introduction and how to basically outline a body paragraph. Now, let’s
refresh your memory by looking at the following table:
- Main idea
- Supporting ideas
Body paragraph + Explanation/ Reason
1 + Expansion
+ Example
- Main idea
- Supporting ideas
Body paragraph + Explanation/ Reason
2 + Expansion
+ Example

When using the main ideas and supporting ideas from an outline to write the sentences for
each body paragraph, it is essential to use correct grammar and spelling and show variety
in your vocabulary and structure.
Exercise 13: Read the sample answer below and answer the following questions:
“Some people say that computers are not a necessity. Do you agree or disagree?
Support your opinion with arguments and examples.”
Computers play an important role in the lives of most of us today, whether we realize it or
not. Some people, however, are beginning to ask if we really need them. In my opinion,
computers have become a necessary part of modern life.
Firstly, computers can save a lot of storage space. Storing information on computer disks is
one of the most efficient ways of keeping data. To illustrate this, one computer disk can
hold the same amount of information as several books.
Furthermore, computers save everyone a lot of valuable time. Stored information can be
found at the touch of a button, whereas searching for it manually takes much longer.
Therefore, our everyday lives will become easier, for example, going to the bank or doing
the shopping.

179
Nevertheless, there are those who claim that computers are unnecessary and make our
lives more complicated. They argue that in the past we managed very well using other
methods and that we have become too dependent on computers. However, they fail to
consider that the time saved by using computers for repetitive tasks enables us to use our
own time more creatively and productively.
In conclusion, I strongly believe that computers are a useful tool and they have changed our
lives for the better.
a/ Answer the following True /False statements.
i. All viewpoints are given in one paragraph.
ii. The writer's opinion is presented in the first paragraph only.
iii. Viewpoints should be linked with linking words.
iv. The opposing viewpoint should never be stated.
v. Each viewpoint is supported by a reason.
vi. A topic sentence summarizes each paragraph.
b/ Reread the body paragraphs and identify the viewpoints and supporting
arguments mentioned for each paragraph.
Body Paragraph 1:
- Main idea: .....................................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................................................
- Supporting ideas:
+ Explanation/Reason: .......................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................................................
+ Expansion: ..........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................................................
+Example: ...............................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................................................
Body Paragraph 2:
- Main idea: .....................................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................................................
- Supporting ideas:
+ Explanation/Reason: .......................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................................................
+ Expansion: ..........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................................................
+Example: ...............................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................................................
Body Paragraph 3:
- Main idea: .....................................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................................................
- Supporting ideas:
+ Explanation/Reason: .......................................................................................................................

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........................................................................................................................................................................................
+ Expansion: ..........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................................................
+Example: ...............................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................................................
c/ Underline linking words used in each paragraph.
Exercise 14: Match sentences a-f to paragraph functions 1-6.
a. Today, these phones are used by most people to keep in
1. Main idea contact with friends and work.
b. Mobile phones can help parents find out where their
2. Example children are.
c. For example, if a child is not home on time, their parents
3. Reason can call them and check where they are.

4. Expansion d. In addition, mobile phones make arrangements easier.

5. Supporting idea 1 e. Mobile phones are an excellent tool for communication.

f. This is because people can use their mobile phones to
6. Supporting idea 2 change plans or call people if they are delayed.

VI. PRACTICE
Practice 1: Choose the most suitable conjunctions to complete the following
sentences.
1. The sky was gloomy and cloudy. ____, we went out.
A. Consequently B. Even though C. In spite of D. Nevertheless
2. I turned off the AC ____ the room was freezing.
A. due to B. because C. even though D. despite
3. Sam and I will meet you at the football court tonight ____ we can meet up and play some
football.
A. although B. so C. otherwise D. only if
4. Carol showed up for the meeting ____ I asked her not to be there.
A. even though B. because C. provided that D. despite
5. I must borrow my parents the money for the trip. ____, I won’t be able to go.
A. Consequently B. Nevertheless C. Otherwise D. Although
6. The road will remain safe ____ the flood washes out the bridge.
A. as long as B. unless C. providing that D. since

181
7. The roles of men and women were not the same in the past. For example, men were allowed
to vote. Women, ____ were forbidden to do so.
A. on the other hand B. but C. therefore D. otherwise
8. The windows were all left open. _____, the room was a real mess after the windstorm.
A. Nevertheless B. However C. Consequently D. Otherwise
9. It looks like they’re going to succeed ____ their present obstacles.
A. despite B. because of C. even though D. yet
10. ____ Marge is an honest person, I still wonder whether she’s telling the truth about the
incident.
A. In spite of B. Since C. Though D. In the event that

Practice 2: Fill in the gaps with the linking expressions in the box.
as a result because but firstly for example however moreover similarly
1. Regular exercise increases the blood flow to your heart and keeps your heart healthy.
……………………….., it provides you with a general sense of well-being.
2. In times of recession people stop spending, which can have serious consequences for
the economy. ……………………….., poor sales can lead to closures of some businesses.
3. In this talk, I will outline several possible reasons for melting polar ice caps.
……………………….., it could be because of climate change.
4. These days many famous musicians are getting involved in political causes.
……………………….., famous actors are often seen on television promoting some charity or
other activities.
5. Pets can have a calming effect on their owners. ……………………….., having a pet can
increase stress due to the demands made on the owner to look after the pet properly.
6. Some people believe that we have too many public holidays, ………………………… I believe
they are a good idea …………………………. it is important to find time to celebrate
traditions.
7. In my city, there are too many cars on the road and there are always traffic jams.
…………………………, it is difficult for people to judge how long their journeys will take.
Practice 3: Rewrite the following sentences, using the words in brackets and any
other words you need.
Example:
Despite the rise in profits this year, our company is still losing money. (although)
Although there has been a rise in profits this year, our company is still losing money.
1. The head of my department called an emergency meeting so I had to cancel all of my
afternoon appointments. (because)
................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
2. It is now much cheaper to rent a DVD at home so fewer people are going to the cinema
these days. (due to)
................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................

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 3. The cost of basic foods has risen because petrol prices increased last month. (As a
result)
................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
4. Although there are over 30 girls on this course, the boys still outnumber the girls by
two to one. (but)
................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
5. Although there are some advantages to the pace of modern life, it also has its
disadvantages. (However)
................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
6. The numbers of red deer in the wild increased slightly in the 1980s, although the
increase was not sufficient to take them off the endangered species list. (in spite of)
................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
Practice 4: Complete the following sentences, using the information given with
suitable phrases.

and Additionally more experienced

meanwhile
job therefore get ideas from a wide variety of sources
To illustrate this Thus read books or articles about doing business

“Some people claim that young people are more creative than older people in business or
in the workplace. Do you agree or disagree with this?”
Some people say that older people are less creative in their work than the young. In my
opinion, I do not agree with that statement as young people and older people both have
strengths and weaknesses in their creative processes.
On the one hand, young people are often desired for a (1)……………………, (2)………..they seem
to be open to more new ideas or new ways of doing business. (3)……………………………, this helps
to develop their creative process. In addition, they can (4)…………………………………. .
(5)……………………, a young person tend to surf the Internet or (6)…………………………. .
(7)…………………., an older person might not be interested in such kind of researches or may
never even read it.
On the other hand, older people are not usually as open as young people to new ideas, but
they are (8) ............................... . They have worked for more years and have lived through many
different situations. (9)……………………, an older person knows better which ideas have good
potential and which ideas are dead ends. (10)…………………….. that experience can save the
company from wasted effort.
In conclusion, I believe that both young people and old people can contribute to the well-
being of a business even though their ideas are in different ways.
VII. HOMEWORK

183
 Homework 1: Circle the most suitable coordinating conjunctions to complete each
sentence.
1. Tim usually plays the piano, and/ but/ so today he plays the drum.
2. He is able to ride a bike for/ or/ and play soccer.
3. My family yet/ and/ so I will go on a holiday this weekend.
4. They can’t go swimming, for/ or/ but it is cold.
5. He’s often really kind, yet/ so/ for sometimes he tends to be rude.
6. Linda is a clever and/ but/ so pretty girl.
7. His twin is good at Literature, but/ nor/ or he’s not.
8. Helen likes to cook, or/ but/ for she has a talent for it.
9. You can take the raincoat, nor/ and/ or you can take the umbrella.
10. The singer went to the shopping center, so/ yet/ and she could do the shopping.
11. My sister has eaten a lot, but/ for/ so she is still hungry.
12. You are not to blame for the accident, nor/ or/ and is he.
13. She says that she loves cats, for/ so/ yet she never plays with them.
14. Study for the test or/ so/ and you will fail.
15. My father feels sick, but/ or/ nor he says he can go on to work.
Homework 2: There is one mistake in each sentence below. Find and correct them.
1. Because of feeling very tired, John couldn’t sleep.
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
2. Though Tom was ill, he couldn’t take part in his little sister’s birthday party.
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
3. Before she was washing the dishes, her parents came home.
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
4. I had to wait for him in front of his house because of 9 p.m.
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
5. I am sure they are going to succeed so their difficulties.
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
Homework 3: Rewrite the sentences below, using given conjunctions in brackets.
1. He couldn’t sleep although he was very tired. (in spite of)
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
2. Although he’s got a Vietnamese name, he’s in fact a Cambodian. (despite)
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
3. In spite of her injured feet, she managed to get home before dark. (although)
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
4. In spite of not having eaten for three days, he didn’t feel hungry. (even though)
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
5. He decided to get the job although the salary was low. (in spite of)

184
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
6. They lost the match, although they were the better team. (despite)
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
7. We didn’t go fishing because the water was rough. (because of)
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
8. She stayed at home because of her mother’s sickness. (because)
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
9. Although Mr. David is rich, he couldn’t afford to buy such a villa. (in spite of)
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
10. Despite my like for black coffee, I cannot drink it in the evening. (although)
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
Homework 4: Complete these sentences with suitable endings.
1. Although it is true that studying abroad can be expensive, I think ......................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
2. It is clear that prison is the best punishment for serious crimes, such as murder. However, ...
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
3. To sum up, it is true that working from home has some advantages such as not having to
travel to work every day. Nonetheless, my view is that ..........................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
4. Many people claim that parents should spend time reading with their offspring to prepare
them for school. However, ...................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
Homework 5: Complete the essay below by using suitable opinion expressions,
conjunctions and linking words.
__________________________ (1) that exploring space is a waste of money and that there are more
urgent needs to be addressed on earth, ___________________ (2) reducing poverty and preventing
environmental destruction. ___________________ (3), I completely disagree with this opinion for
two reasons.
First of all, many of the technologies we take for granted today were originated thanks to
space research. Take satellite technology, ___________________ (4), which we depend on for
broadcasting and weather forecasting. Without satellites, we would not be able to follow
global events as they happen, ___________________ (5) give populations any warning of
approaching storms. Space research has also led to the development of new lightweight
materials that offer us heat protection and enable food preservation. ___________________ (6), the
challenge of sending human beings into space has often driven the development of new
technologies that benefit our everyday lives.
Second, we cannot foresee the distant future, so we ought to develop the capability to escape
from the earth. Gradually, we are learning how humans can survive for long periods in space

185
and even travel to other planets in the future. ___________________ (7) space exploration is halted,
this valuable knowledge will never be acquired. It is true that environmental destruction is
also a serious issue, but it is ___________________ (8) true that we remain dependent on our
environment if we never accept the challenge of exploring other worlds.
In conclusion, ___________________ (9) we undoubtedly face serious problems on our own planet,
it is imperative that we continue to explore space. This will promote further technological
advances ___________________ (10) provide a possible means of escape should earth become
uninhabitable in future. Ideally, all nations should cooperate in the advancement of space
research.
Homework 6: Write the supporting ideas and examples for the following essay topic,
using linking words and suggested ideas.
Some families think the best way to take care of their aging parents is to care for them at home.
To what extent do you agree with this statement?
Paragraph 1:
- Main idea: Aging, parents get better and less expensive care at home.
- Supporting details:
+ Families love their parents
+ People feel happiest in their own homes
+ Homes for the elderly are expensive
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
Paragraph 2:
- Main idea: Families do not have time or resources.
- Supporting details:
+ Most people have jobs
+ Young children need time and attention
+ Not enough space in the house for parents
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................

186
 LESSON 7 CONDITIONAL SENTENCES
USING LINKING WORDS TO WRITE ABOUT CAUSES,
EFFECTS AND SOLUTIONS

I. OBJECTIVES
This lesson will provide you with:
- The zero, first, second, third conditionals and other ways to introduce a
condition
- Using linking words to write about causes, effects and solutions to a problem in
IELTS Writing Task 2.

II. OVERVIEW
In Writing Task 2, you might be asked to write about problems which are related to
different social issues and suggest some possible solutions to these issues.
One of the criteria of IELTS Writing Task 2 is Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Therefore,
it is important to show a good understanding of grammar when you write about causes,
effects and solutions of to a problem.
For that reason, an effective way to give solutions to the problems in your essay is to use
conditional structures.

III. LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT: CONDITIONAL STRUCTURES

A conditional sentence describes an action or situation that is necessary (the condition) in
order for another action or situation to occur (the result). A conditional sentence is made
up of two clauses - an If-clause, or condition clause, which refer to the condition, and a
main clause which refers to the consequence.
Example:
If a certain condition is true, then a particular result happens.
[If-clause] [Main clause]
I would travel around the world if I won the lottery.
[Main clause] [If-clause]
NOTE:
As can be seen from the examples above, a conditional sentence can start with the If-
clause or the Main clause.
- When the If-clause starts the sentence, use a comma after the If-clause.
- When the main clause starts the sentence, no punctuation is necessary.
Example:
If it rains, the grass gets wet.
[If-clause] [Main clause]
The grass gets wet if it rains.
[Main clause] [If-clause]

187
There are four main types of conditional sentences including The Zero Conditional, The
First Conditional, The Second Conditional and The Third Conditional.
1. The Zero Conditional
Zero conditional sentences express general truths - situations in which one thing always
causes another. It is also used to talk about what you normally do in real-life situations.
In zero conditional sentences, the tense in both clauses of the sentence is the Simple
Present (Subject + Verb).
The structure of zero conditional sentences is as follows:
If S + present simple, S + present simple

Examples:
- If you mix red and blue, you get purple.
- Plants die if they don't get enough water.
- If you freeze water, it becomes a solid.
NOTE:
In The Zero Conditional, you can replace "if" with "when". The meaning will be
unchanged.
E.g. Nowadays if we communicate across cultures, we usually use English.
= Nowadays when we communicate across cultures, we usually use English.

Exercise 1: Supply the suitable forms of the verbs in brackets.

1. If you _______ (cool) water below zero degrees, it _______ (freeze).
2. When you _______ (visit) a place of worship, you _______ (dress) appropriately.
3. If people _______ (eat) too much and _______ (not do) exercise, they _______ (gain) weight.
4. You _______ (get) burned if you _______ (touch) fire.
5. If I _______ (go) to bed late, I _______ (wake) up feeling tired.
Exercise 2: Match the If-clauses with the suitable Main clauses to complete
sentences.
1. If you expose phosphorus to air, a. you get wet.
2. My father doesn’t sleep well b. it turns to water.
3. If you stand in the rain, c. if you multiply 6 to 8.
4. If you heat ice, d. if you press this button.
5. The machine stops e. it burns.
6. You get 48 f. if he drinks coffee before going to bed.
2. The First Conditional
The first conditional is used to express situations in which the outcome is likely (but not
guaranteed) to happen in the future or something that is generally true or happens
sometimes.

188
Examples:
- If the world continues to focus on international trade, we will need to make our
education systems more global. (future situation)
- You will have an opportunity to work abroad if you speak English fluently.
- If surveillance cameras are installed in the streets, the number of criminals will
reduce.
- The air will be cleaner if smoking is banned in public places.
As can be seen from the examples above, we use the simple present tense in the if-clause.
Here is the structure:
If + S + present tense, S + will/may/can (not) + verb

Exercise 3: Complete the paragraphs by changing the verbs in brackets into the
form of first conditional sentences.
A. In my opinion, talking on a cell phone while driving is dangerous. Therefore, it
should be illegal for drivers to use cell phones. If it ________ (1. be) illegal, then people
________ (2. have) to stop this dangerous habit. If some people ________ (3. continue) to
use cell phones while driving, they ________ (4. have) to pay a fine. Nobody likes to
pay a fine. I also think there should be education about the risks of this habit. People
________ (5. stop) using cell phones while driving if they ________ (6. understand) how
dangerous it is.
B. I think parents should send their children to preschool. There are many advantages
to it. If a child ________ (7. start) school young, she ________ (8. learn) to socialize with
other children. She ________ (9. not have) this opportunity if she ________ (10. stay) at
home all day. Also, she ________ (11. learn) many important skills if she ________(12.
go) to preschool. She will listen to stories, draw pictures, and have fun with blocks
and other toys. These activities aren't just games. They help the child's brain
develop. If a child ________ (13. do) these things in school every day, it ________
(14.help) her later when it's time to learn to read and write.
Exercise 4: Change the verb in brackets into a suitable form of the first
conditional, and then complete each sentence by adding your own ideas.
1. If children (take) more exercise, they ................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................
2. If we (invest) more money in preventative medicine, ...............................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................
3. Many more people (go) to university if ............................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................
4. If air travel (be) more expensive, ........................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................
3. The Second Conditional
The second conditional is used to talk about something which is unlikely or unreal in the
present or future.
This type of conditional structure is a useful way to discuss solutions to problems in IELTS
Writing Task 2.

189
When using The Second Conditional, it is essential to remember that we must use the
Simple Past tense (V2 /V-ed) in the If-clause.
The structure of The Second Conditional is as follows:
If + S + past simple, S + would/might/could (not) + verb
Examples:
- If more people travelled by public transport, there would be less traffic congestion.
- If we didn’t have cheap transport, we wouldn’t have global products.
- If I inherited a billion dollars, I would travel to the moon.
We can use “might” or “could” instead of would to say that something was less certain:
Example: If the teachers went on strike, the government might take the problem more
seriously.
NOTE:
- The past tense is just the structure and it DOES NOT refer to the past time.
E.g. If I went travelling, I wouldn't have any money left over.
- With the verb “to be” in If-clause, we should use “were”.
E.g. That‘s what I would do if I were you.
The number of accidents could reduce if there were not drivers’ careless
driving on the road.

Exercise 5: Complete the following sentences using the second conditional, and
discuss them with a partner to write the missing clause.
a. I could introduce one new law to my country ...............................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................
b. If I got 9.0 in my IELTS exam, I ............................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................
c. If I were president for a day, I ..............................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................
d. If I were a native English speaker, I ...................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................
e. I could change one thing about my hometown .............................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................
Exercise 6: Complete the following paragraph with the correct form of the verb in
brackets.
I live in a small town. If I 1 ________ (live) in a city, I 2 ________ (have) many more
opportunities. For example, cities have museums. If I 3 ________ (be) able to go museums
frequently, I 4 ________ (learn) a lot about science, history and art. I also 5 ________ (have) the
chance to meet a wider variety of people if I 6 ________ (live) in a city. In general, my life 7
________ (be) a lot more interesting if I 8 ________ (have) a home in the city.

Exercise 7: Rewrite the following sentences using the second conditional.

190
 1. University tuition fees are really high, so many poor people can't afford to go to
university.
If university fees ........................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................
2. Many people don't go to the gym, because membership is very expensive.
...........................................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................
3. Teaching is unpopular among graduates because the salaries are so low.
...........................................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................
4. Public transport is really dirty and inefficient, so many people prefer to use their
cars.
...........................................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................
Exercise 8: Use the given notes below to write full sentences with the second
conditional. Keep the information in the order given.
1. Doctors receive better training. Patient care improve.
...........................................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................
2. Junk food not exist. People not be overweight.
...........................................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................
3. People live longer. All diseases cured.
...........................................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................
4. Hospitals free. More people live longer.
...........................................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................
5. No doctors. A lot more illnesses.
...........................................................................................................................................................................
4. The Third Conditional
The Third Conditional describes situations that were not true to the facts in the past. We
use it to explain that present situations would be different if something different had
happened in the past.
Examples:
- If I had bought a second-hand car, I wouldn't have taken out this big bank loan.
= I bought a new car so I did take out a bank loan.
- I would not have suffered from so many illnesses if I had taken care of myself.
- If you had told me you needed a ride, I would have left earlier.
- People would have exchanged ideas much earlier if the government had changed
the laws on information protection during the 1990s.
When using The Third Conditional, we use the Past Perfect tense (had + past participle) in
the If-clause.
Here is the structure:

191
 If + S + had + past participle, S + would/might/could (not) + have + past participle
We can use “might” or “could” instead of would to say that something was less certain:
Examples:
- If I had saved more money, I might have gone on that college trip last week.
- I could have gone to the movies if I had cleaned the house.
Exercise 9: Complete the following paragraph with the correct form of the verb in
brackets.
I didn’t make my hotel reservation early. If I 1 ________ (make) my reservation early, they 2
________ (give) me a better room. As it was, the room they gave me was small, and the bed
was lumpy. If the bed 3 ________ (be) more comfortable, I 4 ________ (sleep) better. Since I
didn’t sleep well, I got up late. I 5 ________ (have) time for breakfast if I 6 ________ (get) up
early. But, I didn’t have time for breakfast, and I was hungry all morning. Next time, I will
make my hotel reservation early.
Exercise 10: Find and correct the mistakes in the sentences below.
a. If I hadn't ate so much I wouldn't have a stomach ache now. ⇒ eaten
b. What would you done if you'd failed the exam?
c. If the government would have kept their promise, taxes wouldn't have gone up last
year.
d. I would have finished my essay on time if I didn't have the accident.
e. If the economic conditions had been better when I bought this house, I might make a
fortune by now.
f. If I didn't go to university, I wouldn't be doing this job now.
5. Other words to introduce a condition
We can use other words such as Unless/ Provided that/ As long as instead of if in
conditional sentences.
• UNLESS: is used to show a negative condition, with a similar meaning to if ... not:
Examples:
- You won't earn much interest if you don't invest it properly.
 You won't earn much interest unless you invest it properly.
- TV companies wouldn't spend money on game shows if they were not popular.
 TV companies wouldn't spend money on game shows unless they were popular.
- If we don’t control globalization, national identity will decline sharply.
 Unless we control globalization, national identity will decline sharply.
• PROVIDED/PROVIDING THAT/AS LONG AS: these phrases can be used instead of
if for emphasis. They are more common in written than spoken English.

Examples:
- You won't lose any money if you think of it as a long-term investment.
 You won't lose any money provided that you think of it as a long-term investment.
- If you get a second-hand car, you should still be able to invest some money.

192
  As long as you get a second-hand car, you should still be able to invest some money.
When we think the situation is possible or likely in the future, we use the structure:

If/Provided that/Providing/As long as/Unless + S + Verb (present simple),

S + will + bare infinitive.
Examples:
- Unless people use public transports, traffic congestion will continue to happen during
rush hours.
- Providing technological progress continues at its current speed, we will be interacting
with a much wider range of nationalities in the near future.
Exercise 11: Complete the spaces in this student essay with conditional clauses.
You can complete the spaces in any way using your own ideas. The first one has been
done for you.

Exam tip: Conditional structures can be useful for the IELTS Writing Task 2 to express facts
or unreal situations based on conditions or to speculate on results or consequences in the
future or past.

“Globalization is creating a world of one culture and destroying national identity. To

what extent do you agree with this statement?”
Globalization has had a considerable effect on the world in the last few decades. While
some people believe that these effects are all positive, it can also be argued that
globalization is destroying the identity of many countries in the world. This is because
some aspects of our lives such as entertainment, communication, products and business
are similar in many parts of the world. This essay will argue that globalization is destroying
national identity for three reasons.
Firstly, in terms of entertainment, young people are less interested in their local culture
and this could have dangerous consequences. If young people do not know about their
cultural heritage, (1) they will not understand the older generation. As a result, there could
be serious communication breakdowns within cultures.
In addition, globalization has produced large corporations which often prevent local
businesses from making money. Many people only want to buy branded products from
these international companies. Unless governments do something to limit the influence of
these companies, (2) _____________________________.
Finally, there is the problem of language. Due to globalization, English has become the most
important language in the world and many languages are beginning to die out. This is a
negative aspect of globalization and could have serious consequences in the future. If
everyone has to speak English in the future and not their own native language, (3)
__________________.
In conclusion, globalization is having negative effects on national identity and people
should focus more on their local culture. If we allow globalization to continue to dominate
local cultures, in the future (4) ______________________.

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 Exercise 12: Complete the following sentences with ideas of your own, using the
first conditional.
1. If there are rapid changes in technology, older people ..............................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
2. If more and more people work from home, workplaces ............................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
3. Provided that we have sufficient food and healthcare, people ...............................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
4. Unless we find alternative energy sources, fossil fuels ..............................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
5. If more and more people do all of their shopping online, shopping malls .........................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
6. Unless we make some efforts to save minority languages, ......................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
Exercise 13: Rewrite the following as conditional sentences, using the given
words.
Example: Public transport is quite expensive so people do not use it much.
If public transport was not so expensive/was cheaper, people would use it more.
1. There isn't much cheap accommodation near the college so most students live
outside the area.
(Use: if)
...........................................................................................................................................................................
2. I'm sorry to phone you so late but I've got some important news.
(Use: unless)
...........................................................................................................................................................................
3. Children behave badly in school because their parents aren't strict enough with
them at home.
(Use: provided/ providing that)
...........................................................................................................................................................................
4. The government spends so much on the army that it can't afford to fund basic
services. (Use: if)
...........................................................................................................................................................................

IV. SKILL DEVELOPMENT: USING LINKING WORDS TO WRITE ABOUT CAUSES,

EFFECTS AND SOLUTIONS
When writing about causes and effects in IELTS Writing Task 2, it is essential to use
linking words and phrases to explain your ideas fully as follows:
• Explaining the main idea:
That is to say,… / In other words,...
Example:

194
 One problem in cities is the cost of public transport. That is to say, in big
capitals like London, the price of using public transport such as the buses or
tube is extremely high.
• Giving reasons:
This is because ... / The reason is ...
Example:
One issue is that a lot of young children don't have a healthy diet. This is
because their parents don't have time to cook, so they end up having
takeaways and processed food.
• Describing facts:
... means that ...

Example:
One issue about living in a big city is the stress of getting from one place to another.
Living in a big city means that it takes at least at hour to get from your house to
where you want to go, which is very tiring and time consuming.
• Describing the results:
As a result,… /As a consequence,... /Therefore,... /Consequently,…/The result could be…
Example:
One problem with working at home is that you don't have contact with colleagues. If
you are at home, you don't pick up new ideas from workmates. As a result, it is
difficult to improve your knowledge and skills.
• Giving examples:
For instance,…/For example,…

Example:
For instance, many teachers get good ideas from other teachers in the staff room, but
if they tutor people in their homes, they don't get any input from others.
• Giving solutions:
Here are some phrases to talk about solutions. These will help your writing to be more
academic and well-structured.
- This problem could be addressed/ tackled/ resolved by + V- ing
- Dealing with this issue involves …
- The solution is for the government to…
- A possible solution/ measure is …
- To tackle/ solve/ address/ cope/ deal with this problem, people should …
- (By) + V-ing, the government might solve the problem of …
Examples:

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 - There is an increasing rate of car accidents nowadays. To solve this problem,
government should ban people from drinking alcohol or using their mobile phones
when driving.
- By charging people more for using water, the government might solve problems of
water shortage.
Exercise 14: Write down a few solutions to each of the following problems, and
then compare your ideas with a partner.
1. Water shortages
 This problem could be tackled by using less water at home.
 Another solution is for the government to repair old water pipes.
2. Violent crime in cities
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
3. Traffic congestion
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
4. Animal extinction
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
5. Air pollution
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
6. Rising cost of housing
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
Exercise 15:
a. Put the following sentences into the correct order to form a good paragraph.
“The number of people who are overweight or obese is far higher than in previous
generations. What are the reasons for this, and how can the problem be tackled?”

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 a. This would hopefully encourage consumers to buy healthier food
and therefore lose weight. 
b. It is common these days for people to eat takeaway food or pick up
a ready meal from the supermarket, rather than cook a healthy 
meal.
c. One of the reasons that so many people are overweight is that they
eat junk food instead of cooking a healthy meal.

d. To address this issue, the government could increase sales tax on
food considered to be unhealthy.

e. For instance, in the UK, sales of pre-prepared meals, which contain
high levels of fat and salt have increased dramatically in the last 
few years.
b. Match each of the following descriptions (1-5) to one of the sentences in the
exercise above.
1. the solution to the problem
2. the main idea of the paragraph
3. an example
4. a supporting sentence, which explains the main idea
5. the result of the solution (i.e. what would happen if we tried the solution)
Exercise 16: Complete the paragraphs below with linking phrases from the box.
As a consequence In other words means that The reason is
One cause of poor student behaviour at school is that many lessons are not very interesting.
In many cases, the subject material is presented by teachers in a dry and uninspiring way. 1
………………………………. that these teachers have not been trained to use the most modem
and dynamic teaching methods. 2………………………………, the pupils do not concentrate on
the lesson, and instead they behave badly in class. One cause of stress in cities is the high
cost of living. 3…………………………………, in today's world, the price of housing, transport
food and entertainment is rising all the time. For instance, living in a big city
4……………………………. you have to spend a large proportion of your salary on your rent or
mortgage, which puts pressure on people to work harder and harder to make ends meet.

V. PRACTICE
Practice 1: Circle the correct words to complete the sentences.
1. Unless/As long as you pay me in advance, I'll buy the tickets for you.
2. I'm going to get fat if/unless I stop eating so much chocolate.
3. You must follow the instructions accurately if/unless you want to risk damaging the
machine.
4. Dear Mr. Brown, I am writing to inform you that your library books are overdue.
Provided that/When you return them immediately, you will not be fined.
5. I wouldn't stay out in the sun too long as long as/if I were you.
6. I don't really like going to parties unless/as long as I know most people there.

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 Practice 2: Read the essay title, then match the causes to the suitable effects in
the table.
“Modern technology is a threat to the health of people all over the world. What are the
main effects of modern technology on our health?”
1. Children spend too much time sitting a. People can develop wrist problems or
playing video games. back pain.
2. Using social media is a common hobby b. They cannot hear cars coming and may
for many people nowadays. get run over.
c. They do not move enough so they
3. Ready meals are easy to buy. become overweight.
4. Office jobs involve too much time d. People don't cook fresh food any more.
working with computers.
5. People in the street listen to music e. Face-to-face activities such as sports
through headphones. are less popular.

Practice 3: Decide on the correct conditional form and finish the sentences using
the verbs in brackets. Decide which conditional matches the meaning of each
sentence.
1. The restaurant…………………… (not go) out of business if that international burger
company…………………….. (not open) last year.
Conditional:
2. As long as international travel…………………… (continue), people……………….. (stay)
closely connected.
Conditional:
3. If more people……………………. (be connected) via the Internet,
communication………………. (be) easier.
Conditional:
4. If people…………………. (raise) their awareness of using eco-friendly items,
environmental problems……………. (be solved).
Conditional:
Practice 4: Use some of the causes and effects from the table above to write a
short paragraph for the same essay. Write approximately 50 words. Start your
paragraph like this:
Many health problems today may be caused by modern technology. For example, ....................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................

VI. HOMEWORK

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 Homework 1: Complete the sentences with your own ideas, using appropriate
conditional structures.
1. If you smoke, ...............................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
2. More people will use public transportation if ................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
3. There would be fewer traffic problems in cities if ........................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
4. If I lived in a bigger apartment, ............................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
5. I would have paid the rent on time if .................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
6. If I had grown up in a small town, .......................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
Homework 2: Read the essay title and the list of problems and solutions below
and match problems 1-4 to solutions a-d.
Many cities suffer from traffic-related problems. What problems does traffic cause in cities
and what are the possible solutions?
Problems Solutions
a. People should pay to drive into cities
1. Traffic jams are caused by too during busy times such as mornings and
many cars and lorries. evenings.
2. Public transport is expensive so b. The government could help reduce train
people do not use it. and bus fares.
3. Air pollution caused by traffic has c. The number of vehicles allowed into city
increased health problems. centres should be limited to reduce the
amount of traffic.
4. Traffic problems in cities increase d. Environmentally-friendly cars should be
journey times to work and school. cheaper.

Homework 3: Read this essay title and expand the notes in the following
paragraphs into full sentences.
Public transport is essential but problematic. Describe some of the problems connected to
public transport and suggest some solutions.
Paragraph A:
• Problem1: poor/ slow service
• Example: too many stops, bad links between buses/ trains; lack of public transport
in countryside

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 • Solution: fast lanes/ route for buses; coordinate bus/ train timetable; cheaper fares
for travelers in country…
.....................................................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................................................
Paragraph B:
• Problem 2: cost/ high fares, people do not use public transport = more cars
• Solutions: reduce fares for some people
• Example: the elderly/ students
................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
Homework 4: Match problems 1-5 with effects a-k in the list below. Some
problems have two or three effects.
Effects:
a. Some people feel lonely. g. It’s hard to find anywhere to park
b. It's hard to find somewhere to live. your car.
c. It takes a long time to travel h. People are afraid to let their
around. children go out alone.
d. Elderly people don't feel safe in i. You may have to accept poor
their homes. quality accommodation.
e. House prices and rents are high. j. Some people suffer from breathing
f. Neighbours don't speak to each or other health problems.
other. k. People don't help each other.
Problems:
1. Air pollution 4. Shortage of housing
2. Traffic congestion 5. Unfriendliness
3. Crime

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 VOCABULARY TO DISCUSS BOTH SIDES OF THINGS
LESSON 8 PRONOUNS AND MODIFIERS
HOW TO WRITE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
ESSAY

I. OBJECTIVES
This lesson aims to:
- Refresh your mind about using pronouns as well as modifiers to link ideas and avoid
repetition
- Help you develop your writing skills to discuss the advantages and disadvantages for
certain topics in Writing Task 2 Essay.

II. OVERVIEW
Firstly, it is necessary for students to learn some common phrases or expression to write
about two sides of a certain tendency or issue in Writing Task 2.
Secondly, an effective way to connect sentences together and make your writing more fluent is
to use pronouns and modifiers.
A pronoun is a word or phrase which is used as a substitution for something that you have
already mentioned.
Examples:
The children were in the garden. They were getting wet.
⇒ In this example, “they” is a pronoun referring to “the children”.
This is my brother.
⇒ In this example, “this” is a pronoun referring to “my brother”.
A modifier is a word or phrase that limits or adds to the meaning of another word or phrase
in the sentence.
Examples:
The little girl ran quickly.
⇒ In this example, the adjective “little” and the adverb “quickly” are modifiers. The word
“little” modifies the noun “girl”. The word “quickly” modifies the verb “run”.
He is a cute baby.
⇒ In this example, the adjective “cute” is a modifier modifying the noun “baby”.
Finally, it is very common to write about advantages and disadvantages in IELTS Writing
Task 2. Not only do you need to discuss both sides of an argument, but you also need to use
linking and contrasting phrases to produce a good writing.

III. LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

1. Vocabulary for discussing both sides of things
a. Useful words using in Advantages/Disadvantages essays
There is a large range of words and phrases which can be used to replace the word
“advantages” and “disadvantages”:

201
 Advantages Disadvantages
Benefits Drawbacks/Downsides/Shortcomings
Strengths Weaknesses
Positive aspects/impacts/sides/effects Negative/Detrimental
aspects/effects/impacts
Plus points Minus points
Pros Cons
b. Topic sentence
Here are some common phrases that you might use as a topic sentence to write about both
sides of a thing.
Positive Negative
- The main advantage of … is … - A major drawback of … is…
- The positive aspect of … is … - A key disadvantage of … is…
- One of the main benefits of … is … - The negative aspect of … is…
- A great advantage of … is that … - The bad thing about … is that …
Examples:
- The great advantage of the electronic dictionary is that it is so light and portable, so you
can carry it everywhere.
- One of the main benefits of having a private car is that it can give people freedom to
travel.
- The bad thing about using technological devices is that it can reduce human efforts to do
things.
- The negative aspect of sitting in front of computers is that it can have a harmful effect on
your eyes.
Exercise 1: Reorder the following clue words and write topic sentences for each one.
a. advantage / overseas / of / living / is / another
Another advantage of living overseas is ...........................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
b. moving / one / of / disadvantages / home / of / away / the / from / biggest / is
.....................................................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................................................
c. is / the / abroad / one / main / of / of / moving / positives
................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
d. of /an / office / one / in/ working/ benefit/ is/ main
................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
c. Transition words or phrases
It is important to compare good points and bad points by using transition words or phrases.
Look at the following transition words and phrases:

202
 • Although … • Having said that …
• However, … • On the one hand …
• Nevertheless, … On the other hand…
• While … • Despite …
• Whereas … • In spite of …
Examples:
- Although humans may be biological organisms, they are social animals.
- In spite of/Despite these political divisions, most Americans want to see the state help the
deserving poor.
- On the one hand, they would love to have children. On the other hand, they do not want to
give up their freedom.
Exercise 2: Use transition words and phrases above to make sentences for
advantages and disadvantages of the following topics:
1. Working for yourself and working for a company
People who work for themselves take a lot of risks, while people who work for a company
have more peace of mind.
2. Living in a big city and living in a small village
................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
3. Living alone and living with others
................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
4. Studying abroad and studying in your country
................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
5. Being single and being married with children
................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
Exercise 3: Complete the sentences about advantages and disadvantages below.
1. There are two advantages of travelling by car. Firstly, ....................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
2. Travelling by plane is fun. However, .......................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
3. Driving a motorbike is dangerous and it is also .................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
4. Cycling has several advantages. First of all,..........................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
5. There are many disadvantages of air travel; for example, ............................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................................

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 2. Using pronouns and modifiers in IELTS Writing.
Using pronouns and modifiers effectively and precisely can help you to improve Grammatical
Range and Accuracy as well as increasing your band score.
2.1. Using pronouns
There are many types of pronouns, but in this lesson, we are going to learn about Personal
pronouns, Possessive pronouns and Demonstrative pronouns.
• Personal pronouns
Personal pronouns are always specific and often used to replace a person/thing or a group of
people/things which has already been mentioned.
There are two main groups of Personal pronouns, including Subject pronouns and Object
pronouns.
Subject pronouns Object pronouns
I Me
You You
We Us
They Them
He Him
She Her
It It

NOTE: “You” can be singular, addressing one person, or plural, addressing a group of people.

Subject pronouns refer to the subject of the sentence while Object pronouns refer to the
object.
Examples:
- My mother phoned to say she was ill.
⇒ “She” is a subject pronoun referring to “my mother”.
- Money is necessary to live. It pays for accommodation, food and clothing.
⇒ “It” is a subject pronoun referring to “money”.
- People who do not have a lot of money can be happy. They can be happy for other reasons.
⇒ “They” is a subject pronoun referring to “people”.
- The Internet has a lot of advantages. However, it can bring us some negative effects.
⇒ “It” is a subject pronoun referring to “The Internet” while “us” is an object pronoun.
- Many people believe that music can help them to release stress.
⇒ “Them” is an object pronoun.
Exercise 4: Fill the appropriate personal in each gap.
1. Who is that woman? Why are you looking at _________?
2. I am talking to you. Please listen to _________.
3. These photos are nice. Do you want to look at _________?

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4. I like that camera. I am going to buy _________.
5. I don't know Peter's girlfriend. Do you know _________?
6. Where are the tickets? I can't find _________.
7. We are going to the disco. Can you come with _________?
8. Alan never drinks milk. He doesn't like _________.
9. Where are the children? Have you seen _________?
10. I can't find my pencil. Can you give one to _________?
• Possessive pronouns
We use possessive pronouns to refer back to a possession of a person/thing or of a group of
people/things which has already been mentioned to avoid repetition.
There are 6 possessive pronouns as follows:
mine yours hers his ours theirs
Examples:
- Susan is my friend.
⇒ Susan is a friend of mine. (Correct)
Susan is a friend of me. (Incorrect)
- Her handbag is much more expensive than my handbag.
⇒ Her handbag is much more expensive than mine. (Avoid repetition)
NOTE:
- “Its” is not used as a possessive pronoun.
- Remember, possessive personal pronouns DO NOT include apostrophes.
E.g. Is that car yours/hers/ours/theirs? (Correct)
Is that car your's/her's/our's/their's? (Incorrect)

Exercise 5: Write the correct possessive pronoun so that the second sentence means
the same as the first.
1. A: Whose book is this?
B: I don't know. It isn't my book.
= I don't know. It isn't _________.
2. This is your toothbrush and this is her toothbrush.
= This is your toothbrush and this is _________.
3. The blue car is George's and the silver car is their car.
= The blue car is George's and the silver car is _________.
4. My dessert was the ice cream and your dessert was the cake.
= My dessert was the ice cream and _________ was the cake.
5. Her university was in Leicester and his university was in Coventry.
= Her university was in Leicester and _________ was in Coventry.
• Demonstrative pronouns
There are four demonstrative pronouns: This, That, These and Those.

205
This/these usually refers to thing/things close to you in distance or time; that/those is
generally thought of as further away. This and that are singular, whereas these and those are
plural.
Examples:
- This was my mother’s ring.
- That looks like the car I used to drive.
- These are nice shoes, but they look uncomfortable.
- Those look like riper than the apples on my tree.
In IELTS, especially IELTS Writing, demonstrative pronouns take the place of a noun or noun
phrase that has already been mentioned.
You can use “this” to refer to whole ideas of the previous sentence.
Example:
The number of wealthy people is increasing in some parts of the world. This is good for the
economy.
⇒ I this example, “This” refers to “The number of wealthy people is increasing in some
parts of the world”.
Sometimes we use this/these + noun to refer to an idea/different ideas.
Examples:
- People who have a negative attitude to life can be very unhappy. This problem can affect
everyone.
- Taxes have increased, salaries have been cut and food prices have risen. These factors
have led to a drop in living standards across the region.
Exercise 6: Complete the sentences with this or these and a suitable noun (singular
or plural) from the box.
approach action problem change
1. When governments raise or lower taxes, the income of citizens can increase or
decrease. ______________ have an effect on the wealth or poverty of a whole nation for
many years.
2. Talking about money problems can help people understand how to manage them better
in the future. ______________ is often used by counsellors.
3. Giving advice or gifts and lending money to friends are common in all cultures.
______________help to increase the bonds between people.
4. It is difficult to know how much money to save for the future. ______________ is common
for many families with children.
Exercise 7: Read the following extracts from student essays for Writing Task 2 and
correct the
mistakes in the use of reference words.
1. In my opinion, politicians should listen to the people that vote for they. People want to
buy healthy food but it is expensive, so them buy fast food instead, which is not good
for his health. Politicians should change it situation.
2. Dieticians suggest vitamins are necessary to combat allergies. It view has been
criticized by scientists who say that this nutrients do not always help to reduce

206
 allergies. Therefore, because they don't agree, people don’t know what advice to
follow.
3. Organic food is not a solution to the health problems of the world. Its is less efficient
than other methods of food production. In addition, that problems are more often
related to less wealthy families in developing countries. Families who live then cannot
afford to buy organic produce so they is not useful for us.
2.2. Using Participle clause
A participle clause normally appears at the beginning of a sentence, using the present (V-
ING) or past participle (V3/V-ED). The information in this clause must relate directly and
obviously to the subject of the main clause.
The participle clause has helped us combine two simple sentences into one complex sentence,
while increasing the degree of formality in our writing. This is the main reason for using a
participle clause.
Let’s take a look at IELTS writing task 2 examples.
Example:
“Many criminals commit crimes shortly after being released from prison. What are
the causes of this problem? What are some solutions?”
To this question, we might use participle clauses in many ways. Here are some examples:
- Discriminated by society, ex-prisoners struggle to make a living.
- Finding life on the outside difficult, these people turn to an easy opportunity for money.
a.V -ING modifier (Present Participle)
Sometimes it is possible to combine two sentences by converting one of them into a modifier
using the V-ING form, e.g. singing, dancing, swimming.
Example:
Original sentences:
Many students study at universities or colleges. They tend to find a well- paid job after
graduation.
⇒ Revised sentence:
Studying at universities or colleges, many students tend to find a well- paid job after graduation.
Present Participle clause Main clause
[Modifier]
NOTE: We use a comma to separate the modifier from the subject of the sentence. It is
important to make sure that the main idea in your revised sentence is contained in the main
clause, not in the modifier.
E.g. Unwilling to move to the cities, many old people live in the countryside with little
financial support.
= Many old people are unwilling to move to the cities.

Exercise 8: Complete the sentences by using present participle clauses.

1. (search) _______________ for her gloves, she dug through the entire wardrobe.
2. (whistle) _______________ a song, she danced through the house with the mop.
3. (sit) _______________ in the shade, we ate cake and drank coffee.
4. The child sat at the desk (paint) _______________ a picture.

207
 5. (run) _______________ to the bus stop, she lost her shoe.
b. V3/V-ED modifier (Past Participle)
In addition to a V–ING modifier, some sentences can be combined using an V3/V-ED verb
form. E.g. stopped, finished, trained.
To use this method, both the revised sentence and one of the original sentences must be in
passive voice (be+V3/V-ED). Then when transferring that sentence into another one using
modifier, we remove “be” and remain “V3/V-ED”.
Example:
Original sentences:
Some people are delayed by a traffic jam in rush hours. They find it really annoyed when
commuting to work or school.
⇒ Now, we combine these sentences by remove “are” and put “delayed” into the
beginning of new complex sentence:

Delayed by a traffic jam in rush hours, some people find it really annoying when they commute to
[Modifier] Main clause
work or school.
Main clause
This forms a modifying phrase (“delayed by a traffic jam”) that can be added to the beginning
or the end of the other sentence according to which fits best.
In participle phrases, the present participle (-ING form) has an active and the past participle (-
ed form) has a passive meaning.
There are several participle forms which we can use to make clauses as follows:
Active participle Passive participle
Simple X (not) repaired
Continuous (not) repairing (not) being repaired
Perfect (not) having repaired (not) having been repaired
Participle phrases have present (active) form and past (passive) form but they do not
indicate a tense. Their time reference is usually clear from the verb in the main clause.
Examples:
- Having a ticket, I will be able to go to the concert tomorrow. (future tense)
- Had a ticket, I was able to go to the concert yesterday. (past tense)
Participle phrases can often operate like clauses of reason, condition, result and time as follows:

Full clause Participle Clause

She will be unable to pass the Not being qualified, she will be unable to
Reason exam because she is not qualified. pass the exam.

If parents allow their children to Allowed to play games without time

Condition play games without time limitation by parents, children will get
limitation, they will get addicted addicted soon.

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 soon.
The corporation shut down the The corporation shut down the plant,
Result plant. As a result, many workers leaving many workers unemployed.
were left unemployed.
As students come to university, Coming to university, students tend to
Time they tend to live independently live independently from their parents.
from their parents.

NOTE: There must be an agreement between the modifier and the subject in main clause.

Exercise 9: Complete the sentences by using past participle clauses.

1. (blind) _______________ by the sun, the driver didn’t see the stop sign.
2. (prepare) _______________ by the chef himself, the dinner will be a real treat.
3. (sing) _______________ by him, every song sounds just wonderful.
4. (misuse) _______________ as a refuse dump, the place became more and more shabby.
5. Though (bear) _______________ in England, she spent most of her childhood in the United
Stated.
Exercise 10: Decide which of the following participle clauses are correct or
incorrect.
1. After reading the original study, the article remains unconvincing.
After reading the original study, I find the article unconvincing.
2. Relieved of your responsibilities at your job, you should be able to relax at home.
Relieved of your responsibilities at your job, your home should be a place to relax.
3. The experiment was a failure, not having studied the lab manual carefully.
They failed the experiment, not having studied the lab manual carefully.
4. Causing a great deal of pollution, people often use cars to drive to work.
Causing a great deal of pollution, cars are still the main choice for people to get to work.
Exercise 11: Use the information in the table to write sentences, using a participle
phrase. Some sentences can be written in more than one way. The first two have been
done as examples.
Action/reason Aim / result / further information
The value of the currency fell. It made foreign holidays more expensive.
⇒ The value of the currency fell, making foreign holidays more expensive.
My friend got a job in a café. She was able to make lots of new friends.
⇒ Getting a job in a café, my friend was able to make lots of new friends.
1. I left my keys at the office. I couldn’t get into my flat last night.
⇒ .....................................................................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
2. If foreigners haven’t got a visa. They can’t travel to the USA.
⇒ ....................................................................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................

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 3. A new dam was built across the river. It flooded thousands of hectares of
farmland.
⇒ ....................................................................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
4. The old house had been restored by It regained its former glory.
experts.
⇒ ....................................................................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
5. I wasn’t very fit. I was unable to finish the marathon.
⇒ ....................................................................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................................

Exercise 12: Rewrite the sentences by replacing the italic part with a suitable
participle phrase.
1. The temple was built in 1496. The temple was dedicated to the king.
2. Since we watch the news every day we know what's going on in the world.
3. I lived abroad myself last year, I understand how important it is to learn about local
customs.
4. They are vegetarians and don't eat meat.
5. Processed food is sold in most supermarkets. Processed food is an unhealthy alternative
to home cooked food.
6. As they didn't have enough money they spent their holidays at home last year.
7. The first season of Big Brother was watched by millions of people. The first season of Big
Brother was the most popular reality show.
8. Since I didn't feel well I didn't go to the cinema.
9. The explosion was heard thousands of miles away. The explosion of mount Krakatoa in
1883 was one of the loudest events in history.
10. He was a good boy and helped his mother in the kitchen.

IV. SKILL DEVELOPMENT: HOW TO WRITE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES ESSAY

1. Task requirement
In Writing Task 2, one of the most common types that you are required to write about is
Advantages and Disadvantage/Positive or Negative essay.
The questions are often a sentence followed by one of the following questions:
- “What are the advantages and disadvantages of this trend?”
- “Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?”
- “Is this a positive or negative development/trend?”
Example:
“Some people believe that studying at university or college is the best route to a successful
career, while others believe that it is better to get a job straight after school.
Discuss both views.”
For a Writing Task 2 essay, you may have to evaluate questions or arguments. To do this, you
will need to consider their advantages and disadvantages in a balanced way to show that you
understand both sides.

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One way of organizing an essay about advantages and disadvantages is to write one
paragraph giving the advantages of an argument/solution and one paragraph giving the
disadvantages.
Exercise 13: Read the essay question and ideas below, then put the ideas into two
groups: advantages and disadvantages.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of social networking?
1. Sometimes people think they are talking online to someone friendly, but it might be a
dangerous stranger.
2. Social networking means we can keep in touch with friends and family easily.
3. If a person has relatives in another country, they can keep in contact using Facebook.
4. Social networking can be addictive, especially for young people.
5. Social networking helps people pass on news.
6. Young people may spend too much time on social networking compared to other
activities.
7. Often when a news story breaks, social websites help us hear the experiences and
opinions of the people where the news is happening.
8. Nobody knows the true identity of some of the people using social websites.
Now, can you think of some other advantages and disadvantages?
2. Outline of an essay
The next step is to make outline for what you are going to write about in a paragraph.
Normally, the outline includes basic sentences as follows:
- Topic sentence (main idea)
- Supporting sentences (explanation/reasons)
- Examples
When describing the advantages and disadvantages of a situation/tendency, it is a good idea to
say which side outweighs the other.
Exercise 14: Use the following suggestion to write short paragraphs for advantages
and disadvantages of the essay question below.
“Nowadays the way many people interact with each other has changed because of technology. Is
this a positive or negative development?”
Introduction: - Technology affects relationship in various ways.
- This has both negative and positive effects.
- I think it has more benefits than drawbacks.
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
Main idea 1: These developments can have negative effects.
+ New communication technologies can lead to isolating people and discouraging real
interaction.
+ Young people make friends online and in virtual world leaving some bad results.

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..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
Main idea 2: Technology has good impacts on relationship, education and social life.
+ Telephone and Internet allow business people to interact without meeting.
+ Other services: Skype creates new possibilities for students to contact with their
teachers.
+ For example: remote learning in different countries, making new friends to share
common interests,…
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
Conclusion: Technology has both positive and negative impacts.
I believe there are far more benefits.
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................

V. PRACTICE
Practice 1: Read the paragraphs from an IELTS Writing Task 2 and write the noun,
sentence or idea that the underlined word matches. The first one has been done for you.
What are the causes and effects of obesity and how does it affect society?
One of the largest causes of obesity is the rising cost of food over the years. Although
nowadays many supermarkets claim that (1) they provide low-cost food, fruit and vegetables
have increased considerably in price. (2) This means that it is more difficult for low income
families to feed their children fresh and healthy food. As a result, we have seen a rise in obesity
and other health related problems. (3) These issues have negative effects on healthcare and
education. For example, my mother worries that (4) she will not be able to cook healthy meals
for her family if food costs continue to increase.
Another cause is the fact that many young people do not know how to cook. Their parents
have not taught (5) them the basic cooking skills. Learning (6) these would help improve
young people's knowledge of nutrition. Cooking is not difficult, in fact (7) it can be fun! At the
moment, often when young people leave home, all [8] they do is eat processed meals. (9)
These do not contain enough nutrition and have too much fat and sugar. Unfortunately many
people in modern society have become addicted to (10) them.
1. they = supermarkets 6. these = _________________
2. This = _________________ 7. it = _________________
3. These issues = _________________ 8. they = _________________
4. she = _________________ 9. These = _________________

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 5. them = _________________ 10. them = _________________

Practice 2: Complete the following topic sentences with your own ideas. You will
need to decide if they introduce positive or negative ideas.
1. One of the main advantages of having a car is that it is a very convenient way of
travelling from A to B.
2. One of the best things about changing your career is ................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................
3. On the other hand, living in a large city...........................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................
4. A key advantage of purchasing things on the internet is that ................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................
5. The positive aspect of having an online meeting is ....................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................................
Practice 3: Put the ideas 1-6 into two groups: advantages and disadvantages.
1. fast and easy way of communicating socially
2. volume of e-mails increases workload
3. allows viruses into IT system
4. allows people to send attachments with different sorts of information
5. fast responses expected — this increases pressure
6. makes communication between companies cheaper and easier
Write a short paragraph about advantages and disadvantages of using e-mail in the
workplace, using transitional words and phrases
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................

VI. HOMEWORK
Homework 1: Look at the following extract from a Writing Task 2 and choose the
most appropriate pronoun referencing.
Schools need to prepare (1) their/them students for adult life and a rapidly changing world.
One subject (2) it/which could usefully be taught in schools today is time management. (3)
It/This is one aspect of adult life in which students are not well prepared for, and yet (4) it
is/they are often the greatest pressure that (5) they/these will have to deal with. Lessons could
focus on simple strategies like making lists and prioritising things, and using diaries to keep
track of deadlines and exam dates. (6) These/Which would encourage the students, who will
be the workers and managers of the future, to take control of (7) their/our own lives. In (8)
the/this way, the next generation may not suffer the same levels of stress as adults experience
today.

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 Homework 2: Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the
first sentence, using participle phrases.
1. Martin always becomes the life and soul of any party because he is so charming.
⇒ Being so charming, Martin always becomes the life and soul of any party.
2. I took a short computing course following my graduation from college.
.......................................................................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................................................................
3. My brother is having a lot of trouble finding a decent job as he hasn’t had the benefit of
a college education.
.......................................................................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................................................................
4. Sophie was a demanding boss because she was such a perfectionist.
.......................................................................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................................................................
5. It is not easy for students to speak English or other languages fluently.
.......................................................................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................................................................
Homework 3: Read the following essay about using social networking sites at work
and complete paragraph 3 with your own ideas, including reasons and examples.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of social networking in the workplace?
Social networking is common nowadays. There are few people who do not have an account on
sites like MySpace, or Facebook. However, whether people should use these sites at work is
debatable. Some people say that these sites should be banned at work, while others say that
these sites can be an advantage. I believe these sites should be used in the workplace.
Firstly, many people say social networking sites should be banned in a work environment
because staff spend too much time using them when they should be working and this can have
a negative effect on a company's productivity. People use these sites at work in order to keep
up-to-date with news and gossip. However, many people have lost their jobs because they
have used these websites too frequently or because they have said something negative about
their company or their bosses on such sites.
On the other hand, these sites can also have positive aspects in the workplace ..............................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
In conclusion, I believe that, although there are disadvantages to social networking in the
workplace, people should be able to do it.

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KEY: LESSON 1
Exercise 1:

rose – rise (n) fell - fall (n) fluctuated – fluctuation

(n)
increased – increase (n) dropped – drop (n)
varied – variation (n)
went up declined – decline (n)
recovered – recovery (n)
decreased – decrease (n) stabilized – stability (n)

Exercise 2:

1. fourteen girls 3. five boys and eight 5. Only 13 school

went to University girls started work leavers didn’t go to
2. two girls started 4. 35 school leavers 6. nine school
college continued leavers decided

Exercise 3:

1. have used 5. was (from 1995 to 2005)

2. has increased (since) 6. have overtaken (since 2005)
3. rose (in 2005) 7. has grown (each year); occurred
4. has risen (each year) (between 1995 and 2000)

Exercise 4:

1. The number of visitors to the 1. The exam pass rate remained

museum increased steadily from stable for the first five months (at
1000 thousand in 1990 to nearly around 60%), and then increased
1200 thousand in 2000, and then dramatically to 80% between May
fell dramatically to under 500 and June.
thousand in 2005. 2. However, the figure remained
2. There was a slight increase in the stable/ there was no change in the
number of people visiting museum figure of pass rate over the period.
in the next five years/ in 2010.
Exercise 5:

1. a slight increase 4. rose slightly

2. fluctuated
3. remained stable 5. sharp increase/ rapid (sharp) rise

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 6. fluctuated 8. rose sharply/ increased rapidly
7. sharp decrease/ drop/ fall
Exercise 6: 4. The number of visitors at the theme
park fluctuated slightly…
1. … a gradual fall in the development
5. Sugar imports declined gradually
of …
6. There has been a slow increase in
2. … a significant drop in the purchase
the quality of food in supermarkets.
of…
7. There was a significant fluctuation
3. The sale of mangos decreased
in the number of air travellers.
suddenly.
Exercise 7:

1. The graph shows the popularity of three different types of holiday from 1990 to 2020
in millions of travellers.
2. City breaks increased gradually from 2 million travellers in 1990 to 3 million in 2010.
3. There was a slight increase in skiing holidays from 1990 to 2000, and then they
remained stable in the next ten years/ for about ten years.
4. From 2010 to 2020, it is predicted that there will be a sharp decrease in the number
of people who go on skiing holidays.
5. Beach holidays have decreased gradually from over 4 million to 3.5 million travellers
over the period.

Exercise 8:

1. The bar chart gives information about how many people visited New York City
through three major airports, over a six-year period between 1995 and 2000.
2. Overall, while the number of passengers travelling to John F. Kennedy airport
fluctuated, there was an increase in the figure for other two airports.
3. The number of travellers at John F. Kennedy airport rose gradually to 47 million in
1997 before falling in the next 2 years. After that, it increased sharply at the end of
the period.
4. There was a steady rise in the number of visitors at LaGuardia airport from 25 million
in 1995 to 50 million in 1999, and then it increased sharply to nearly 70 million over
the period.
5. The figure for passengers in the Newark airport went up gradually to around 40
million between from 1995 to 1997 before its stability in the last three years.

Exercise 9:

1. Between 1990 and 2000, the cost of flights dropped rapidly to 2.5 million, and then it
increased steadily over the period.

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 2. The cost of accommodation went down gradually from over 4 million in 1990 to 2.5
million in 2010. It is predicted that the cost of accommodation will stay the same from
2010 to 2020.

Exercise 10:

1.vi 2.ii 3.v 4.iii 5.vii 6.i 7.iv

Exercise 11:

1. shows 6. travelled 11. was

2. visited 7. dropped 12. remained
3. went 8. rose stable
4. between 9. in 13. increased
5. fluctuated 10. see
Exercise 12:

1.g 2.c 3.d 4.a 5.b 6.h 7.f 8.e 9.h 10.e

Exercise 13:

1. was
2. had doubled
3. remained
4. began
5. had tripled
6. was
7. increased
8. had reached
9. had peaked
10. had managed

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KEY LESSON 2
Exercise 1:
25 per cent = a quarter; 75 per cent = three quarters; 33 per cent = a third ; 66 per cent = two
thirds
Exercise 2:
1. A third of adults do not watch science fiction films.
2. Ten per cent of worldwide film sales come from Bollywood.
3. Three quarters of people over 65 watch films on television.
4. Ninety per cent of children watch cartoons on a regular basis.
Exercise 3:
2.A 3.B 4.A 5.B 6.A

Exercise 4: d. around 33%

b. just over 33% e. almost 50%
c. nearly 25% f. approximately 66%
Exercise 5:
1. c 2. d 3. b 4. a
Exercise 6:
1. advice 3. information 4. cakes 5. sizes 6. situations 7. electricity
Exercise 7:
2. All 3. No 4.Some 5. Few

Exercise 8:
a. meat
b. few
c. soup
d. meats
e. a bowl of soup; some
f. much
Exercise 9:
1. in Africa
2. The moon
3. The second paragraph
4. a new cupboard
5. the number of
6. environment
7. the number of car
8. movies

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Exercise 10:
1. children; the internet
2. a star; the moon; the sky
3. a; the
4. the; the number of; no article
5. no article; the Netherlands; the same
Exercise 11:
1. while 5. lower 9. main
2. In contrast 6. smallest 10. but
3. compared with 7. Overall 11. higher
4. higher 8. indicates 12. than

Exercise 12:
a. no article, no article e. no article
b. no article f. the
c. the g. The, no article
d. a, no article h. The
Exercise 13:
a. a problem d. The food industry
b. the cars e. the bees
c. the near future f. The facilities
Exercise 14:
• singular: everyone; one of the biggest problems; each; another; the number of
• plural: many; a large number of people; the majority of people; all of the people in my class;
a tiny minority of people; 42 per cent of the population; most people; both; few; several

Exercise 15:
the best way => ways country => countries
a tiny minority believes => believe Another benefit are => is
one of the main advantage => advantages Few person => people
the people around you speaks => speaks One of the most interesting thing => things
every days => every day are => is
chooses => choose

Exercise 16:
Suggested answers:

Just over a third of cinema visitors are between 25 and 39.

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Almost 25 percent of cinema visitors are young people aged 13 to 24 years old.
Just under a quarter of people who visit the cinema are between 13 and 24 years old.
Nearly a third of people who visit the cinema are over 55 years old.

Exercise 17:
a majority=> the majority a business account
in the entertainment The next largest group
the politics a tenth of all
a small proportion the other group

Exercise 18:
Suggested answers:
1. Petrol; an increase
2. energy produced by Coal; 29.80%;
the lowest figure; other sources
3. Gas and Petrol; 29.63% and
29.27%
4. went up slightly
5. a slow rise; Gas; fell dramatically

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KEY: LESSON 3
Exercise 1:

2. as many boys as girls 4. fewer students than

3. fewer boys than girls 5. more students

Exercise 2:

1. c 2. e 3. a 4. d 5. b 6. f
Exercise 3:

Comparative Superlatives

-Adj + er more/less + adj the + adjective+ the most/ the least +

est adj

smaller more popular the smallest the most popular

larger more preferred the largest the most preferred

slower more favourable the slowest the most favourable

quicker more dominant the quickest the most dominant

faster more common the fastest the most common

hotter more productive the hottest the most productive

higher more attractive the highest the most attractive

lower the lowest

wealthier the wealthiest

Exercise 4:

1. smaller
2. the highest
3. the lowest
4. houses
5. the largest

Exercise 5:

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 a. than
b. popular
c. less
d. The least popular
e. More
f. The most popular
g. Fewer
h. less important
i. than
j. less

1. More males than females chose the car.

2. More women than men selected the mobile phone.
3. The Internet was chosen by more males than females.
4. More females than males picked the radio.
5. Fewer males than females picked the radio.
6. The computer was chosen by fewer females than males.
7. The bicycle was selected by fewer males than females.

Exercise 6:

1. younger age groups 4. 10-15 7. like

2. much 5. No 8. shopping
3. 16-20 6. older
Exercise 7:

2. 40 thousand

3. 20 thousand

4. English

5. History

6. more

7. Geography

8. Art

Exercise 8:

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 1. holiday activities preferred by international visitors in New Zealand
2. 85 percent
3. go sightseeing
4. 45 percent
5. 50 percent
6. 40 percent
7. going to museums
8. outdoor activities

Exercise 9:

1. However/ By contrast
2. but/ while
3. but/ whereas
4. but/ although

Exercise 10:

1. greater than 4. as many

2. fewer; the greatest 5. three times longer
3. slightly more; significantly higher
Exercise 11:

2. more silver medals as 6. more good better than 10. two more gold medals
than gold that than
7. as well as
3. ✓ 11. ✓
8. more (much) lower
4. the second high highest 12. the-worse worst
9. significantly more
5. less fewer silver medals successful
than gold medals

Exercise 12:

a. Far fewer junior lecturers read over twelve articles a week compared with PhD
students.
b. The average junior lecturer reads more journal articles than the average student.
c. The average PhD student reads more articles than the other students at the
university.
d. Those students who are researching for a PhD have more time to read articles than
junior lecturers.

Exercise 13:

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 1. spending on smartphones and computers.
2. increased
3. Spending on computers
4. remained
5. still less
6. $40 million; $95 million

Exercise 14:

Suggested answers:

1. The USA won greatest number of medals overall with the total of 104. They won more
gold medals than silver and more medals than any other country in both categories.
2. China had the second number of medals at 88, and like the USA, China won fewer silver
medals than gold medals.
3. While Russia’s silver medal total was better than Great Britain’s, they did not do as well
as Great Britain in the gold medals, winning just 24.
4. Similarly, Germany was significantly more successful at winning medals than South
Korea, with a total of 44 compared to South Korea’s 28.
5. Australia had the worst performance in this group, winning only seven gold and sixteen
silver medals.

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Exercise 14:

Suggested answers:

6. The USA won greatest number of medals overall with the total of 104. They won more
gold medals than silver and more medals than any other country in both categories.
7. China had the second number of medals at 88, and like the USA, China won fewer silver
medals than gold medals.
8. While Russia’s silver medal total was better than Great Britain’s, they did not do as well
as Great Britain in the gold medals, winning just 24.
9. Similarly, Germany was significantly more successful at winning medals than South
Korea, with a total of 44 compared to South Korea’s 28.
10. Australia had the worst performance in this group, winning only seven gold and sixteen
silver medals.

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KEY: LESSON 4
Exercise 1:
Suggested answer b, e. h. g, a. d. c. f
Exercise 2: 6. reduce
1. extend/ expand 7. remain unchanged
2. renovate/ modernise 8. develop
3. modernise/ renovate 9. add
4. replace 10. remove
5. improve 11. reconstruct
Exercise 3:
Tense Active Passive

Present simple People speak English all over the English is spoken all over the
world. world.

Present Decorators are painting our Our house is being painted by

continuous house. decorators.

Past simple The police caught the thief. The thief was caught by the
police.

Past continuous They were taking the dogs for a The dogs were being taken for a
walk. walk.

Present perfect The police have arrested the The murderer has been
murderer. arrested by the police.

Past perfect I had told her to arrive at 9:00. She had been told to arrive at
9:00.

Going to They are going to sell the car. The car is going to be sold.

Will He will buy the car tomorrow. The car will be bought
tomorrow.

Future perfect Scientists will have built a space A space station will have been
station by 2050. built by 2050 by scientists.

Modal present The committee should solve the The problem should be solved
problem. by the committee.

Modal perfect They may have sold the house. The house may be sold.

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Exercise 4:
Verb Past participle Verb Past participle

1. grow grown 1. deliver delivered

2. sow sown 2. buy bought

3. pick picked 3. boil boiled

4. dry dried 4. pour poured

5. load loaded 5. add added

Exercise 5: 3. is put
1. are exported 4. are cut
2. are ground 5. are wrapped
Exercise 6:
1. are sown 5. are picked 9. are loaded
2. are grown 6. (are) put 10. (are) delivered
3. shines 7. are put
4. grow 8. are packed
Exercise 7:
1. Their homework will be done.
2. When the results are ready, you will be told.
3. Let the students know they will be punished for cheating.
4. Whoever hands in the stolen purse will be rewarded.
5. If you do well in the test, a prize will be given.
6. Students with learning difficulties will be given assistance.
Exercise 8:
1. b - is laid 2. d – emerges 3. a - loses 4. c – releases
Exercise 10:
1. A bus from outside the school has been stolen. The thief was seen by children. The
bus is being searched by the police now. The children’s descriptions will be used to
catch the thief.
2. A contest is being organized by our school. The best project about the environment
will be chosen by the teachers. The pictures and drawings must be included by the
students in their projects. The writing will also have to be done by the students
themselves.

Exercise 11:
1. Once the tea leaves have been picked, they are then put in the sun to dry.

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 2. After the tea leaves have been picked from the tea plants, they are (then) packed Into
boxes.
3. When the boxes have been loaded onto a lorry, they are then taken to supermarkets.
4. Once you have put the tea bag in the cup, you can then pour hot water into it.
Exercise 12:
1. has become 5. has been knocked 9. has changed
2. has been down 10. has been turned
constructed 6. has been replaced into
3. has been 7. have been pulled
demolished down
4. have taken place 8. have been built
Exercise 13:
a)
1. C 2. B 3. A 4. E 5.D

b)
1. built/ constructed 4. reopened; built/ constructed
2. replaced by; relocated to 5. replaced by; converted into
3. chopped down; make way for 6. constructed/ built
Exercise 14:
1. First, the order is received.
2. And then the data is entered.
3. Following this, the stock is checked.
4. The next step is that the goods are packed.
5. Finally, the delivery are arranged.
Exercise 15:
1. are put 1. is made
2. are collected 2. was formed
3. taken/are taken 3. is extracted
4. are heated 4. is taken
5. melt/are melted/melted 5. is crushed
6. are formed 6. is heated
7. are distributed 7. cools
8. be refilled

Exercise 16:
 The hotel has been expanded / extended.
 Steggle Farm has been replaced by a road.

263
  The roads have been modernised and traffic lights, a roundabout and zebra crossing
have been added.
 The shops: There are more shops / They have been extended.
 The houses: There are more houses and they are smaller.
 Goode Farm have been replaced with a car park.
 The house in St Peter's Lane has been replaced with a supermarket.
 The stables are replaced with a block of flats.
Exercise 17:
1. thought 7. is expected
2. are (were) placed 8. is made
3. was believed 9. claims
4. have been allowed 10. are known
5. is being serviced 11. to be encouraged
6. will be opened 12. to take
Exercise 18:
1. commute 5. be shared
2. are brought up 6. was brought up
3. is eaten/ do 7. are taught
4. have been built 8. have been installed.
Exercise 19:
1. New ways of communicating are created by social networking sites.
2. Animals are kept in fields (by farmers) during the day.
3. People's personal information is protected by Internet companies.
4. Volcanos are caused by movement in the Earth's surface.
5. A person's level of happiness is affected by money, friends and family.
6. People all over the world are connected by social networks.
Exercise 20:
1. is stored 5. are damaged
2. are eaten 6. is caused
3. are destroyed
4. are inhabited
Exercise 21:
1. seeds are planted 4. plants flower
2. plants are watered 5. flowers are picked
3. plants grow 6. plants die
Exercise 22:
1. be defined
2. be absorbed
3. affects

264
 4. continues
5. are used 6
6. to use
7. are being built
8. is said
9. to decide
10. tackling
11. have been passed
12. allows
13. are forced

Exercise 23:
Suggested answer:
1. Kimsville was green residential city with lots of trees but today it has become much
more industrial with new apartments and software companies.
2. First of all, two areas which have been big improvements are the north-west and
south-west of the city. These areas used to be full of trees but the trees were chopped
down and new apartments and a football stadium have been built.
3. Also, a new train station has been constructed between them. Another change is the
expansion of the shopping centre in the north of the city.
4. In addition, in 2002, there was an old cinema in the south of the cit. In recent years,
it has become a pub.
5. Also, the factory near city centre has been knocked down and replaced by a software
company.

265
KEY LESSON 5

EXERCISES

Exercise 1:

1. Having more money makes life less stressful.

2. Happiness can be found in other aspects of life such as work, family or hobbies.
3. Having more money does not make people happier but it makes life easier.

Exercise 2:

1. O 2. W 3. O 4. O 5. W 6. O 7. O 8. O

Exercise 3:

Suggested answers:

1. Young people often spend their time in the shopping malls. Many people hold the
view that this has negative effects on society and the young.
2. Students today can easily access information online, so some people believe that
libraries are no longer necessary.
3. I am of the opinion that money cannot buy happiness.
4. It is widely believed that it is important to teach children about local culture
(history, literature, etc.) than foreign cultures.
5. Some people would argue that taking part in sports which are played in teams is
more interesting. However, it would seem to me that taking part in individual sports
is better.

Exercise 4:

1. Which
2. Which/that
3. Who
4. Where
5. Which/that
6. Which

266
Exercise 5:

1. People who work at home often miss discussing ideas with colleagues.
2. Some countries which spend a lot of money on public transport often have less
pollution in cities.
3. Some people who live in cities normally have to spend a lot of time getting to work.
4. Students who study at universities or colleges tend to get a well-paid job.

Exercise 6:

1. Some students take a year out before university, which allows them to work or travel.
2. My English teacher, whose lectures are very interesting, is leaving.
3. I gave my assignment to the faculty secretary, who was not very friendly.
4. My next-door neighbor, who is very kind to everyone, is moving to the US next month.
OR My next-door neighbor, who is moving to the US next month, is very kind to
everyone.

Exercise 7:

1. The proportion of people watching films at the cinema is higher than watching at
home.
2. The house standing at the end of the road will soon be sold.
3. The conference planned by non-governmental organizations was about globalization.
4. The number of people travelling to the USA is increasing rapidly.
5. A picture showing the image of a person is a portrait.
6. The problems discussed will be essential for your exam.

Exercise 8:

Suggested answer:

1. I totally disagree with the statement.

2. Reasons:
- A safe and healthful working environment is more crucial.
- Salary is not as important as job satisfaction.
- It is more essential that the job supports personal and professional growth.
3. Examples:
- Poor working conditions can make employees suffer from health problems.
- Being stressful at a high paying job is worse than being happy at a job with lower
salary.
- It is demotivated to work for a job where you cannot improve your skills or
advance your career.

267
Exercise 9:

B–C–A

Exercise 10:

1. B
2. C
3. B

Exercise 11:

1. E 2. A 3. F 4. B 5. D 6. C 7. H 8. G

Exercise 12:

Suggested answers:

Your Opinion: I totally disagree with the statement.

 Supporting sentence 1: Having more money helps people become more

independent when getting older.
Example: Elder citizens who live on their own don’t need help from their children.
 Supporting sentence 2: If people have more money, they can make careful plans for
the future, for example, providing good education for their children or buying a
house.
 Supporting sentence 3: These things are unaffordable, if people don’t have strong
financial background.

268
PRACTICE

Practice 1:

Suggested answers:

a. In my opinion, I totally agree with the statement.

b. Personally, I believe the young are more educated and updated with technology,
therefore, I disagree with the statement.
c. However, I think advertisements should be completely prohibited in children’s TV
channels, thus I strongly disagree with the statement.

Practice 2:

1. B 2. A 3. C 4. D 5. C

6. B 7. C 8. A 9. B 10. B

Practice 3:

Suggested answers:

1. It is commonly believed that robots will replace teachers in the future. They are
expected to be more efficient when it comes to giving lessons.
2. Some people argue that sports at school is a waste of time. They believe that students
should concentrate on key subjects.
3. Many people hold the view that teachers should be able to use physical discipline. It
is said to reduce misbehavior.
4. Some people think that taking a gap year is a waste of time. People are thought to
become lazy and won’t want to work or return.

HOMEWORK

269
Homework 1:

1. That 2. Who 3. Which 4. Who 5. That

Homework 2:

1. Whose -> that

2. Whom -> which
3. Whom -> who
4. Who -> whom
5. Where -> when
6. When -> why
7. She -> she

Homework 3:

1. The housing bubble in the US burst in 2008-09, when the global financial crisis also
started.
2. Elon Musk, who is the current CEO of Tesla, is also the leader of Space X and Solar
City.
3. China, which has recorded significant rates of economic growth over the past few
decades, is believed to lead the innovation race of the world in the near future.
4. Norway, whose government introduced many policies such as free parking for drivers
to encourage the use of electric cars.
5. Many researchers at this university, who have worked hard in the past few years,
want to investigate the reasons for failure of many start-up projects.

Homework 4:

Suggested answers:

1. It is undeniable that everybody wants to be happy and there are many arguments
what makes a person happy. Some people think that happiness can come from their
family and friends, while other people believe that happiness comes from many and
possessions. In my view, happiness comes both from close friends and family and also
having enough money and possessions.
2. In recent years, due to the strong development of new advanced technologies,
children in big cities have a great opportunity to be exposed to it from an early age.
Therefore, most people assume that there are broad and serious aspects not only to

270
 education, but also to children's development. In my opinion, TV has an impact on
both.
3. Music ignites all areas of child development and skills for school readiness. It is
thought by some educational experts that learning playing a musical instrument
should be included in every child’s studying list. From my perspective, I strongly
agree with this idea because of its advantages
4. Societies are continuously evolving and traditional culture is eventually often lost or
transformed. Countries are expected to preserve their traditional culture, for which
not to be altered by modern culture. In my perspective, I totally agree with this
statement.
5. How the youths should spend their time is a great concern for many. Some are more
involved in cultural activities than sports, while others prefer sports over the cultural
activities. No doubt cultural activities are important, but in my opinion, sports are
more important and that is why I partially disagree with this statement.

271
KEY LESSON 6

EXERCISES

Exercise 1:

1. Or 6. Or
2. So 7. But
3. Nor 8. Yet/but
4. But 9. For
5. And/or 10. But

Exercise 2:

1. Maria likes reading detective novels and she likes reading books about history.
2. The Science Museum is free, so I think it is good for families.
3. Animals should not be killed for their fur, so action must be taken if this is still
occurring.
4. Computers are used widely in most countries now, for they are a sign of progress, so
we must ensure everyone has access to them.
5. Computers are important to our lives, but/yet they can be dangerous too, so we must
be careful.

Exercise 3:

1. D 2. A 3. H 4. B 5. G 6. E 7. C 8. F

Exercise 4:

1. B 2. B 3. B 4. A 5. B 6. C 7. D

8. A 9. C 10. D 11. A 12. A 13. D 14. A

Exercise 5:

1. F 2. A 3. C 4. E 5. D 6. B

Exercise 6:

272
 1. … learn to speak English like a native speaker.
2. … many people commute to work by bikes instead of motorbikes.
3. … the pandemic is over.
4. … they can enjoy the relaxing and fresh air every day.
5. … it burns calories.
6. … he failed to achieve the championship.
7. … you would have caught the bus.

Exercise 7:

1. It is easy to stay informed about current events owing to the development of the
Internet.
2. Many websites contain information that is not suitable for children. Therefore,
parents should control how their children use the Internet.
3. Due to a severe drought in that region, many farmers lost their crops.
4. The rents in this district are very high. For this reason, many people cannot
afford to live here.

Exercise 8:

1. Telecommuting is very convenient for employees. It has advantages for employers as

well.
2. Meals cooked at home are less expensive than restaurant meals. Furthermore, they
are usually more nutritious.
3. This neighborhood has many houses that are affordably priced. Besides, it is
conveniently located close to stores and public transportation.
4. Electric cars do not cause air pollution. What is more, they are easy and inexpensive
to maintain.

Exercise 9:

1. B 2. C 3. A 4. D

Exercise 10:

1. While 4. However
2. Likewise 5. Like
3. Unlike
Exercise 11:

1. Many people still buy a newspaper despite advances in wireless Internet connection.

273
 2. In spite of the fact that biking is good for your health, many people never ride a
bicycle to work.
3. Millions of students study abroad despite language barriers.
4. Despite being extremely difficult at times, there is great excitement of starting one’s
own business.
5. In spite of advantages of owning a pet, it can cause many problems.

Exercise 12:

1. Even though studying IELTS can be stressful, it opens up career opportunities

worldwide.
2. Although I occasionally go to the movies, I prefer to download movies from the
internet.
3. My city is really overcrowded and expensive to live in. Nonetheless, it has some
great restaurants and bars.
4. Obesity is a growing issue in developed countries despite a growing awareness of
healthy eating.

Exercise 13:

a/ True/False

i. True
ii. False
iii. True
iv. False
v. True
vi. True

b/ Body Paragraph 1:
- Main idea: computers can save a lot of storage space.
- Supporting ideas:
+ Explanation/Reason: Storing information on computer disks is one of the most
efficient ways of keeping data.
+ Expansion: N/A
+Example: One computer disk can hold the same amount of information as several
books.

Body Paragraph 2:
- Main idea: computers save everyone a lot of valuable time.
- Supporting ideas:

274
 + Explanation/Reason: Stored information can be found at the touch of a button,
whereas searching for it manually takes much longer.
+ Expansion: Our everyday lives will become easier
+Example: going to the bank or doing the shopping
Body Paragraph 3:
- Main idea: There are those who claim that computers are unnecessary and make our
lives more complicated.
- Supporting ideas:
+ Explanation/Reason: They argue that in the past we managed very well using
other methods and that we have become too dependent on computers.
+ Expansion: However, they fail to consider that the time saved by using computers
for repetitive tasks enables us to use our own time more creatively and
productively.
+Example: N/A

Exercise 14:

1. E 2. C 3. F 4. D 5. A/B 6. B/A

275
PRACTICE
Practice 1:
1. D 2. B 3. B 4. A 5. C
6. B 7. A 8. C 9. A 10. C

Practice 2:
1. As a result
2. Moreover/Similarly
3. Firstly
4. For example
5. However
6. But – Because
7. As a result

Practice 3:
1. Because the head of my department called an emergency meeting, I had to cancel all
of my afternoon appointments.
2. Due to the fact that it is now much cheaper to rent a DVD at home, fewer people are
going to the cinema these days.
3. Petrol prices increased last month, as a result, the cost of basic foods has risen.
4. There are over 30 girls on this course, but the boys still outnumber the girls by two
to one.
5. There are some advantages to the pace of modern life, however, it also has its
disadvantages.
6. The numbers of red deer in the wild increased slightly in the 1980s, in spite of the
insufficient increase to take them off the endangered species list.

Practice 4:
1. job
2. and
3. Therefore
4. Get ideas from a wide variety of sources
5. To illustrate this
6. Read books or articles about doing business
7. Meanwhile
8. More experienced
9. Additionally
10. Thus

276
HOMEWORK
Homework 1:
1. but 2. and 3. and 4. for 5. yet
6. and 7. but 8. for 9. or 10. so
11. but 12. nor 13. yet 14. or 15. but

Homework 2:
1. Because of -> In spite of
2. Though -> because
3. Before -> when
4. Because of -> until
5. So -> despite

Homework 3:
1. He couldn’t sleep in spite of feeling very tired.
2. Despite having a Vietnamese name, he’s in fact a Cambodian.
3. Although her feet were injured, she managed to get home before dark.
4. Even though he hasn’t eaten for three days, he didn’t feel hungry.
5. He decided to get the job in spite of the low salary.
6. They lost the match, despite being the better team.
7. We didn’t go fishing because of the rough water.
8. She stayed at home because her mother was sick.
9. In spite of being rich, Mr. David couldn’t afford to buy such a villa.
10. Although I liked black coffee, I cannot drink it in the evening.

Homework 4: suggested answers:

1. the experience is well worth all the investment.
2. for less serious types of crime, other alternatives to imprisonment, such as fines,
community service or probation, act effectively as deterrents to would-be offenders.
3. there are more disadvantages of remote work, such as lack of team work,
demotivation and risk to productivity.
4. other people argue that parents should take part in fun activities with their children
instead.
Homework 5:
1. There is an argument
2. Such as
3. However
4. For example
5. Nor
6. Therefore
7. If
8. Also

277
 9. While
10. As well as
Homework 6:
Paragraph 1:
Nowadays, aging parents get better and less expensive care at home. Families love their
parents, therefore, they dedicate a significant amount of time and effort to take great care of
their parents, while in nursing homes, parents have to share nurses’ time and effort with
many other residents. Besides, people feel happiest in their own homes, which will have
positive impacts on their health. What is more, homes for the elderly are expensive for many
people. For example, elderly care costs about 7 million VND/month, depending on the senior
citizen’s health status and choice of accommodation.

Paragraph 2:
Many families do not have time or resources to look after their old parents. Most people have
full-time jobs, which they could hardly spare any time for their parents at home. Additionally,
in 3-generation families, young children definitely need time and attention from their
parents. It is incredibly difficult for working adults to take care of both the old people and
young children in the family. Furthermore, for many middle-class families, there is probably
not enough space in the house for parents to comfortably live, while in qualified nursing
homes, there are usually parks or other facilities for old people to enjoy.

278
KEY: LESSON 7
EXERCISES
Exercise 1:
1. cool – freezes
2. visit – dress
3. eat – do not – gain
4. get – touch
5. go – wake
Exercise 2:
1 – a, 2 – f, 3 – a, 4 – b, 5 – d, 6 – c
Exercise 3:
A. 1. is – 2. will have – 3. continue – 4. will have – 5. will stop – 6. Understand
B. 7. start – 8. can learn – 9. will not have – 10. stays – 11. can learn – 12. go – 13. do – 14. will
Exercise 4:
1. If children take more exercise, their health will improve significantly.
2. If we invest more money in preventative medicine, more people will be protected from
diseases.
3. Many more people can go to university if the fee is affordable.
4. If air travel is more expensive, less people will travel by airplane.
Exercise 5:
a. I could introduce one new law to my country if I had a right to do so.
b. If I got 9.0 in my IELTS exam, I would hold a big party in a luxury resort.
c. If I were president for a day, I would provide more support for children in adversity.
d. If I were a native English speaker, I would teach other people how to pronounce English
words correctly.
e. I could change one thing about my hometown if I had a chance.

Exercise 6:

279
1. lived
2. would have
3. was
4. could learn
5. could have
6. lived
7. would
8. had
Exercise 7:
1. If university fees were not high, so many poor people could afford to go to university.
2. If membership was not very expensive, many people would go to the gym.
3. If the salaries were not so low, teaching would not be unpopular among graduates.
4. If public transport was not dirty and inefficient, so many people would not prefer to use
their cars.
Exercise 8:
1. If doctors received better training, patient care would be improved.
2. If junk food did not exist, people would not be overweight.
3. People would live longer if all diseases were cured.
4. If hospitals were free, more people would live longer.
5. If there were no doctors, there would be a lot more illnesses.
Exercise 9:
1. had made
2. would have given
3. had been
4. would have slept
5. would have had
6. had gotten
Exercise 10:
b. would you done -> would you have done

280
c. would have kept -> had kept
d. didn’t have -> hadn’t had
e. might make -> might have made
f. didn’t go -> hadn’t gone
Exercise 11:
2. local businesses will continue to disappear.
3. the way we communicate could start to change in a negative way.
4. in the future we will have a better world
Exercise 12:
1. If there are rapid changes in technology, older people may not catch up with the modern
society.
2. If more and more people work from home, workplaces might become deserted and
gloomy.
3. Provided that we have sufficient food and healthcare, people will have a decent standard
of living.
4. Unless we find alternative energy sources, fossil fuels will be soon used up.
5. If more and more people do all of their shopping online, shopping malls will have to close.
6. Unless we make some efforts to save minority languages, they may be likely to disappear
in the future.
Exercise 13:
1. If there was much cheap accommodation near the college, most students would not live
outside the area.
2. Unless I had not got some important news, I’m sorry to phone you so late.
3. Provided that children do not behave badly in school, their parents will not be strict with
them at home.
4. If the government did not spend so much on the army, it could afford to fund basic services.

Exercise 14:

281
2. Violent crime in cities
=> Dealing with this issue involves educating people about the consequences of committing
a crime.
=> To tackle with this problem, people should be responsible for their own safety and make
wise choices.
3. Traffic congestion
=> By limiting the number of vehicles per lane during rush hour, the government might solve
the problem of traffic congestion.
=> A possible measure is that people should be informed especially about traffic and be
warned about the use of vehicles.
4. Animal extinction
=> This problem could be addressed by protecting the places where endangered species live.
=> Dealing with this issue involves not purchasing products made from threatened or
endangered species.
5. Air pollution
=> The solution is for the government to encourage citizens to buy cars that have greater
fuel efficiency.
=> To tackle this problem, people should try to make a habit of turning off the lights when
not in use.
6. Rising cost of housing
=> A possible solution is moving to a smaller place.
=> This problem could be resolved by getting a roommate to split the costs.
Exercise 15:
a.
Correct order: c – b – e – d - a
b.
1–d;2–c;3–e;4–b;5–a

Exercise 16:
1. The reason is

282
2. As a consequence
3. In other words
4. means that

283
PRACTICE
Practice 1:
1. As long as
2. unless
3. unless
4. Provided that
5. if
6. unless
Practice 2:
1–c;2–e;3–d;4–a;5–b
Practice 3:
1. would not have gone – had not opened
Conditional: Type 3
2. continues – will stay
Conditional: Type 1
3. are connected – will be easier
Conditional: Type 1
4. raise – will be solved
Conditional: Type 1
Practice 4:
Many health problems today may be caused by modern technology. For example, children
nowadays spend too much time sitting playing video games. They do not move enough so
they can become overweight. In addition, due to the fact that using social media is a common
hobby for many people, face-to-face activities such as sports are less popular that make
people’s body weaker. Finally, office jobs involve too much time working with computers so
people can develop wrist problem or back pain.

284
HOMEWORK
Homework 1:
1. If you smoke, you might be likely to get lung cancer.
2. More people will use public transportation if the government limits the use of cars.
3. There would be fewer traffic problems in cities if more people were aware of their
surroundings while driving.
4. If I lived in a bigger apartment, I would buy more furniture to satisfy my needs.
5. I would have paid the rent on time if I hadn’t had to replace my laptop.
6. If I had grown up in a small town, I would not have to be in a hectic life right now.
Homework 2:
1–c;2–b;3–d;4–a
Homework 3:
Paragraph A:
The first problem connected to public transport is that its service is still poor and slow. For
example, there are bad links between buses and trains, and also a lack of public transport in
countryside. This problem can be tackled by installing fast lands for buses and reducing fares
for travelers in the country.
Paragraph B:
Another problem is the high cost of travel fares. As a consequence, instead of using public
transport, people prefer to use cars. By reducing fares for some people especially students
and the elderly , the government might solve public transport issue.
Homework 4:
1. Air pollution: j
2. Traffic congestion: b, g
3. Crime: d, h
4. Shortage of housing: b, e, i
5. Unfriendliness: a, f, k

285
KEY: LESSON 8
EXERCISES
Exercise 1:
a. Another advantage of living overseas is that it provides people with opportunity to meet
new people and make new friends from all over the globe.
b. One of the biggest disadvantages of moving away from home is that some people may
experience loneliness and homesickness.
c. One of the main positives of moving abroad is the chance to fully immerse in a foreign
culture and its language.
d. One main benefit of working in an office is the ability to manage time efficiently.
Exercise 2:
2. Despite the fact that living in a small village has certain benefits, I believe that it would be
more advantageous to live in a big city.
3. Living with others helps stimulate social interactions. However, living alone gives people
more personal space and privacy.
4. Although studying in one’s natal country is more affordable, studying abroad opens you
up to a world of more excellent opportunities.
5. Whereas being single has a significant financial advantage, being married with children
provides a wide range of physical and mental health benefits.
Exercise 3:
1. There are two advantages of travelling by car. Firstly, it helps reduce environmental
pollution. Secondly, it helps save considerable commute time compared to motorbikes.
2. Travelling by plane is fun. However, plane ticket price is not always affordable to some
certain people.
3. Driving a motorbike is dangerous and it is also detrimental to the environment due to gas
emissions.
4. Cycling has several advantages. First of all, cycling helps improve physical and mental
health. Moreover, it contributes to environment protection.
5. There are many disadvantages of air travel; for example, it may involve higher costs than
other options and flights are sometimes subject to delay and cancellation.

286
Exercise 4:
1. her
2. me
3. them
4. it
5. her
6. them
7. us
8. it
9. them
10. me
Exercise 5:
1. mine
2. hers
3. theirs
4. yours
5. his
Exercise 6:
1. These changes
2. This approach
3. These actions
4. This problem
Exercise 7:
1.
Line 1: vote for they -> vote for them
Line 2: so them buy -> so they buy
Line 3: not good for his health -> not good for their health
should change it situation -> should change this situation

287
2.
Line 1: It view -> This view
Line 2: this nutrients -> these nutrients
Line 3: them don’t agree -> they don’t agree
Exercise 8:
1. Searching
2. Whistling
3. Sitting
4. Painting
5. Running
Exercise 9:
1. Blinded
2. Prepared
3. Sung
4. Misused
5. born
Exercise 10:
1.
After reading the original study, the article remains unconvincing. -> incorrect
After reading the original study, I find the article unconvincing. -> correct
2.
Relieved of your responsibilities at your job, you should be able to relax at home. -> correct
Relieved of your responsibilities at your job, your home should be a place to relax. ->
incorrect
3.
The experiment was a failure, not having studied the lab manual carefully. -> incorrect
They failed the experiment, not having studied the lab manual carefully. -> correct

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4.
Causing a great deal of pollution, people often use cars to drive to work. -> incorrect
Causing a great deal of pollution, cars are still the main choice for people to get to work. ->
correct
Exercise 11:
1. Leaving my keys at the office, I couldn’t get into my flat last night.
2. Not having got a visa, foreigners can’t travel to the USA.
3. A new dam was built across the river, flooding thousands of hectares of farmland.
4. The old house had been restored by experts, regaining its former glory.
5. Not being very fit, I was unable to finish the marathon.
Exercise 12:
1. Being built in 1496, the temple was dedicated to the king.
2. Watching the news every day, we know what’s going on in the world.
3. Living abroad myself last year, I understand how important it is to learn about local
customs.
4. Not eating meat, they are vegetarians.
5. Being sold in most supermarkets, processed food is an unhealthy alternative to home
cooked food.
6. Not having enough money, they spent their holidays at home last year.
7. Watched by millions of people, The first season of Big Brother was the most popular reality
show.
8. Not feeling well, I didn’t go to the cinema.
9. Heard thousands of miles away, the explosion of mount Krakatoa in 1883 was one of the
loudest events in history.
10. Being a good boy, he helped his mother in the kitchen.
Exercise 13:
Advantages: 2 – 3 – 5 – 7
Disadvantages: 1 – 4 – 6 – 8

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Exercise 14:
Introduction:
It is true that technology affects relationship in various ways. Although this has both negative
and positive effects, I think it has more benefits than drawbacks.
Main idea 1:
On the one hand, these developments can have negative effects. Firstly, new communication
technologies can lead to isolating people and discouraging real interaction.
Main idea 2:
However, technology also has good impacts on relationship, education and social life.
Technology and Internet allow businesspeople to interact without meeting in person.
Moreover, other services such as Skype creates new possibilities for students to contact with
their teachers. In addition, technology encourages remote learning in different countries and
social interaction among friends in order to share common interests with one another.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, although technology has both positive and negative impacts, I believe that
there are far more benefits.

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PRACTICE
Practice 1:
1. they = supermarkets
2. This = Although nowadays many supermarkets claim that they provide low-cost food, fruit
and vegetables have increased considerably in price
3. These issues = a rise in obesity and other health related problems.
4. she = my mother
5. them = young people
6. these = basic cooking skills
7. it = Cooking
8. they = young people
9. These = processed meals
10. them = many people
Practice 2:
2. One of the best things about changing your career is …
3. On the other hand, living in a large city …
4. A key advantage of purchasing things on the Internet is that …
5. The positive aspect of having an online meeting is …
Practice 3:
Advantages:
1. fast and easy way of communicating socially
4. allows people to send attachments with different sorts of information
6. makes communication between companies cheaper and easier
Disadvantages:
2. volume of e-mails increases workload
3. allows viruses into IT system
5. fast responses expected – this increases pressure

Short paragraph:

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E-mail has had a huge impact on professional and social communication but this impact has
been negative as well as positive.
One disadvantage of using e-mail in the workplace is that it causes extra work. It also
increases pressure on workers. Another disadvantage is that people spend too much time
online. Using e-mail can also allow viruses to get into your computer system.
One advantage of using e-mail is that it is a fast and easy way to communicate. It is easy to
stay in contact with family and friends.

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HOMEWORK
Homework 1:
1. their
2. which
3. This
4. it is
5. they
6. These
7. their
8. this
Homework 2:
2. Following my graduation from college, I took a short computing course.
3. Not having had the benefit of a college education, my brother is having a lot of trouble
finding a decent job.
4. Being such a perfectionist, Sophie was a demanding boss.
5. Speaking English or other languages fluently is not easy for students.
Homework 3:
On the other hand, these sites can also have positive aspects in the workplace. Social
networking isn’t limited to sites like Facebook or BeBo. There are also workbased social
networking sites which can be beneficial to companies. For example, Linkedln lets
professional people link up with other business people and develop their work contacts. This
may bring benefits to a business. In addition, social networking can make people happier at
work. Without access to things like Facebook or MySpace, experienced staff might become
unhappy in their jobs and decide to leave.

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