Writing Part 1: a.

Article giving your opinion

Exercise 1 Organising ideas into paragraphs
a. Look at the recommended structure of an article giving your opinion.

Introduction
 Paragraph 1: introduce the subject and state your opinion
Structure

Main Body
 Paragraphs 2 and 3: present one or two viewpoints (if two in 2 different paragraphs)
supported by reasons/examples
 Paragraph 4: give the opposing viewpoint supported by reasons/examples

Conclusion
 Paragraph 5: restate your opinion using different words

b. Now read the SAMPLE EXAM QUESTION

You have had a class discussion about the following statement:

Fast food is a good alternative to cooking for yourself.
Your teacher has asked you to write an article expressing your opinion
and giving reasons for your point of view.

Read a sample answer written by a student. The language is very good but there is only one paragraph.
Following the suggested structure, divide the text into logical and coherent paragraphs. Ignore the
underlined words.

Nowadays, fast food has widely replaced traditional eating habits. In my opinion, although it may be
an easy alternative to cooking, it can never be a really good one. To begin with, fast food is very
unhealthy. For example, it is extremely high in fat and salt and it is not fresh. Moreover, many of the
ingredients used in fast food are genetically modified. Furthermore, fast food is expensive for both the
consumer and the environment. Money spent on fast food for a week is enough to buy groceries for at
least two weeks. In addition to this, fast food packaging is non-biodegradable and therefore it damages
the environment. On the other hand, it can be argued that fast food is an easy solution for people with
busy lives. For instance, ordering fast food saves time and energy. People who work long hours can
simply pick up the phone and order a takeaway. All things considered, it seems to me that fast food
cannot be a suitable substitute for cooking for yourself. Perhaps we should reconsider our eating habits,
especially if “we are what we eat.”
(186 words)
Exercise 2 Linking devices
Linking words and phrases are used to show relationships between ideas. They can be used to join two
or more sentences or parts of a sentence. Look at the underlined words in the sample answer and
write them in the corresponding category according to their function.

To list points To add more points To introduce opposing viewpoints

Firstly, … … also … _______________ …
_______________, … _______________, … _______________, …
For one thing, … Apart from this, … However, …
Secondly, … In addition, … Nonetheless, …
Lastly, … _______________, … … while … / While …
_______________, …

To introduce examples To introduce reasons To conclude

_______________, … … _______________ … To sum up, …
_______________, … … because … _______________, …
Such as … Since / … since … Taking everything into account, …
In other words, … In short, …
In particular, … In conclusion, …
Especially, …

To give your opinion

I believe / think / feel (that) … As far as I am concerned, …
I strongly believe, … I (do not) agree that / with …
_______________ / view … I (completely) agree that / with …
The way I see it, … I (strongly) disagree that / with …
It appears / _______________ … I am totally against …
To my mind, … I couldn’t agree more that / with …
My opinion is that … I couldn’t disagree more that/ with …

Exercise 3 Structure
Put the five paragraphs on the next page in the correct order to have a sample answer to the following
task. Complete the notes in the column on the right.

SAMPLE EXAM QUESTION

You have had a class discussion about the following statement:

English and Maths are more important subjects than Art and Music.

Your teacher has asked you to write an article expressing your opinion
and giving reasons for your point of view.
Para English and Maths are more important subjects Notes
Nº
than Arts and Music
Furthermore, it is essential to have a good knowledge of Paragraph 1
English and Maths in order to find the simplest job. Subject:
Reading, writing and mathematical skills are the minimum
requirements that most employers demand. Opinion:

Isn’t it unfortunate that in today’s society there are so Paragraph 2

many people who cannot read, write or even do 1st viewpoint:
arithmetic? I strongly believe that, although subjects such
as Arts and Music are important, English and Maths are Reasons/examples:
the most fundamental part of education.

Taking everything into account, though, it appears to me Paragraph 3

that English and Maths are vital subjects. Without learning 2nd viewpoint:
to read, write and do basic arithmetic, people may have
difficulties coping with even the simplest tasks in daily life. Reasons/examples:

In the first place, when you know how to read, write and Paragraph 4
do simple calculations, you have the tools required to deal Opposing view:
with everyday matters. For example, being able to read
and write can help you communicate and express yourself
clearly. Moreover, you need basic maths for such daily Reasons/examples:
chores as doing your shopping, paying your bills and
managing your money.

On the other hand, it can be argued that Art and Music are Paragraph 5
just as significant as English and Maths. For instance, Restate opinion:
learning how to draw or play an instrument can introduce
a child to a whole new world. In addition to this, subjects
such as Art and Music can provide children with a well-
rounded education rather than just basic kills.
 Writing Part 1: b. Article suggesting a solution to a problem
Read the SAMPLE EXAM QUESTION and the sample answer. The sample answer was written
following the structure below.

Introduction
SAMPLE EXAM QUESTION
 Paragraph 1: state the problem(s) and/or
the cause(s)
Structure

A university e-magazine has asked its

Main Body readers to write an article entitled “How
 Paragraphs 2 – 4: suggestions and can we make our city a better place to
results/consequences live?” write your article suggesting ways to
improve your city.
Conclusion
 Paragraph 5: summarise your opinion

Sample answer: Ignore the gaps in the text.

How can we make our city a better place to live?

Heavy traffic, air pollution and litter are among the most serious problems modern cities face nowadays. Ours
is no exception. What can we do, then, to help make our city more pleasing to its residents?
First of all, (1) _________________________ encourage people to use public transport instead of their cars,
especially when commuting to work. (2) _________________________ fewer cars on the road, and therefore
fewer traffic jams.
Secondly, (3) _________________________ in order to solve the problem of air pollution. (4)
_________________________ if factories were moved out of the city. If this happened, the air would not be
so polluted.
Finally, efforts should be made to make our city a cleaner and healthier place to live. (5)
_________________________ put more litter bins in the streets. (6) _________________________, people
would stop dropping their rubbish on the ground, and our city would be cleaner.
There are many ways to make our city a better place to live. Adopting some of these measures would definitely
result in better conditions for everyone.

Now complete the gaps in the sample answer with the phrases in the Useful Language box. There are
different possible answers.

Useful Language
To make suggestions To present results and consequences
A useful suggestion would be to … This would …
Another solution … Then …
… could be solved by … By doing this, you / we / etc would …
Measures / Steps should be taken in order to solve / If … The result would be …
deal with … The effect / consequence / result of …
The situation could be improved if / by … would be …
It would be a good idea to … In this way …
It would help if I /we / etc …