IELTS Writing Task 2: introduction and conclusion

In last week's lesson, I explained why you shouldn't save your opinion for a 'surprise conclusion'. Look at the following introduction and conclusion for an essay about whether it is better for students to work alone or in a group:

Introduction
People have different views about the most effective way for students to work. While there are some advantages to studying alone, I personally believe that group work is usually more productive.

Conclusion
In conclusion, both individual and group study can be useful under different circumstances, but I generally prefer to work with others as part of a team.

Notice that my 'position' is clear in the introduction, so the conclusion simply repeats my view in a different way.

Comments

[Preeti]

Hi Simon,
Could you please clarify.
In "AGREE / DISAGREE" essay we have to give conclusion in introduction whereas in description essay, conclusion should be disclosed at the end after describing all the points.

Thanks for sharing all the valuable tips and strategy. It's very useful.
Have a great day!!

[Kamal]

Hi Simon,

I always prefer Group Study.

[Aileen]

Hi Simon,

I presume this is a "Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?" kind of essay, please correct me if I'm wrong.

Thanks

Regards,

Aileen

[murali603]

http://ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/2010/09/ielts-writing-task-2-education-topic.html#comments

In this question they not mentioned that whether school should learn practical skills to children or not. They just asked whether children should learn or not.

plz correct me

[Arnie]

Hello,

Good day. I am thankful that I found this website of yours and it's very helpful. I would like share some essay topics and I hope you can enlighten me about these three. Can you please help me on how to put an introduction for them? Do I need to put an opinion for these three essays?
Hope you can help me :)

These are the topics:

Should wealthy nations be required to share their wealth among poorer nations by providing such things as food and education? Or it is the responsibility of the governments of poorer nations to look after their citizens themselves?

And this is the second one:
There are many different types of music in the world today. Why do we need music? Is the traditional music of a country more important than the international music that is heard everywhere nowadays?

Third:
The idea of having a single career is becoming an old fashioned one. The new fashion will be to have several careers or ways of earning money and further education will be something that continues throughout life.

Thanks and more power to you :)

[masha]

Hi everyone,

can anyone pls send me simon e book by email.

i will really apperciate your help as i can't buy it due to financial reasons .

if anyone can send it to [email protected]

i will be very thankful..

good luck with ielts ..

thanks

[Dan]

Masha

I understand where you coming from and it is really hard on your part not to have simon e-book as the e-book is of great help in preparing for the writing task 2. However, I personally believe that there are plenty of ways studying and preparing for the exam. Most importantly, it would be unfair on simon part because he had put so much time and effort in creating such a good e-book. As far as I am concern, I would like to help you as much as I could but please do think of simon's work reputation and credibility. Helping is not bad not on expense of others though.

Cheers!

[Kendy]

Hi Simon, i am a new comer, i am very bad at writing skill. Could you help me to correct my essay. Thanks

[masha]

Hi Dan,

i do understand that but i was asking help from the students ,who have learnt from this site and achieved their targets . i am using this website regularly but as simon can't check individual work so i am unable to know my mistakes and i heard simon ebook is really worth reading so i thought sumone who already used that , will give me some tips . But if u think its unfair for simon and also for me as i can't read that ebook because of some reasons , No worries.I will try my best to follow the rules which simon has provided here ..

thanks

[Louis]

Hi Simon
Do i start the 2nd paragraph with "on the other hand", explaining why studying alone is good......and also starting the 3rd paragraph with "however", explaining why team work, in my opinion, is better?

[amy]

Where shal I post my recent exam qs

[Mia]

Hi
With reagrds to the introduction-("People have different views about the most effective way for students to work. While there are some advantages to studying alone, I personally believe that group work is usually more productive.")it is stated that 'there are some advantages to studying alone'
So should we write anything baout in the mainpara later or mention only about groupstudy throughout?
Mia

[Saadia]

can u please explain why have u written "advantages to studying" instead of "advantages of studying"

thanks

[Simon]

Saadia,

I think you have learnt the normal grammar rule, but it isn't always correct.

Here's a lesson about this:

https://ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/2017/05/ielts-grammar-to-with-ing.html