« IELTS Writing Advice: questions with 'strong' words | Main | IELTS Reading: keywords (book 9, test 2) »

August 23, 2015

Comments

Feed You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

Thank you sir... i will keep this in mind....

i first post a comment. i`m sorry for asking you a rudimentary question in spite of you being tied up everyday. Should i write INTRODUCTION including my opinion? i realize you should say to do so, but it`s anxiety for me because the in the text i have sample essay which all have `opinion` not in introduction but in body.

Thankyou so much simon....i had always been finding these kind of questions difficult to handle before i got to know about this technique from your precious website. Thanks alot.

Ch

The marking descriptors say essays should have a clear opinion 'throughout' the essay to achieve a minimum 7. 'Throughout' means in all parts, so it's best to include your opinion in the introduction, body and conclusion.

Thank you Simon! I am overjoyed right now that you considered my answer! Actually I learned that from your previous lessons when I was still preparing for the IELTS. May Jesus bless you abundantly as you continue to help other people in this website! :-)

Dear Simon,

In a question like "Parents are the best teachers. Do you agree or disagree?", if your opinion is "Agree", can you write the introduction thus: "Some people argue that parents may not be the best teachers. However, I have reasons to believe they are the best."?

Dear Simon,
Thanking for your tips with regard to the introduction of this kind of questions.
However, if one's opinion was that other means were more important than punishments, how would he/she plan this essay(especially the main ideas of the following two body paragraphs)?

Dear simon,
I am confused that if I strongly agree or disagree the idea, can I mention two sides in the paragraph?

Thank you so much again, sjm.

Your advice always serves as a best reminder of what we're neglecting!

I find it truly hard to gain improvement from 6.5 to 7 regarding writing and speaking. Where on earth is the problem?

This has been a very valuable discussion, with some very useful contributions in the 'Comments'.

Here is a recent exam question, which contains the words 'all employers'. I hope that my effort to answer it will also illustrate the point that Simon has raised in the blog:

‘Teleworking’, or the use of telecommunications to allow people to work from home, should be adopted by ALL employers in order to improve the quality of life of their staff.
 To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?


my answer

The current trend towards teleworking is a positive one in many respects. However, I strongly disagree with the idea that it should be introduced in all work contexts.

It is true that teleworking may improve the quality of life enjoyed by the staff of a company which adopts this practise. Commuting to work is undoubtedly time-consuming and costly. In the UK, for example, many employees drive to work and have to contend with traffic jams and bad weather conditions on the roads, so that they arrive at work already exhausted. It can be equally stressful travelling to work using public transport and both options involve considerable costs. Working at home may also be more comfortable, as staff can manage their own break times independently, and are able to be around the house if workmen call to do repairs or if a delivery is expected.

However, it is impracticable for all employers to introduce teleworking. Firstly, many jobs simply cannot be done by working from home. We have only to imagine a car assembly plant or a biscuit company to realise that heavy machinery and the coordination of some industrial processes rule out any other option than the factory system. Secondly, without a dedicated space for working at home, the result may be chaos, since children may be constantly disrupting the work or there may be constant distractions as family members insist on chatting about household chores or the events of the day! Thus, for some people it is a relief to be able to separate their working life from their home and family commitments.

In conclusion, teleworking cannot be introduced by all employers. It depends both on the necessary social organisation of labour and the individual circumstances of employees.
289 words

@Walton: Really informative and explanatory about both side aspects.

even thought disagree is'nt only answer ,or best one it is possible answer to come out the another ,alternative !?

strong opinion means harsh

Thanks Pete! Your example really helps!

Speak soon

Simon

I have no idea how to write this essy ,however i do not think the best way to eliminate the traffic accident is to introduce the stricter regulation to punish the bad drivers ,there must have other good approches as well .

Following the 'disagree' response, we can also write about the shortcomings of 'stricter punishment' measure, such as issues with reoffenders and a post-mortem approach.

Thank you simon for this very helpful website! I just saw the result of the ielts exam that I took last augusy 13 and I passed! I scored 8 in speaking, 8 in listening, 8.5 in reading and 7 on writing! God bless you!

Congratulations tm! I'm glad my lessons helped you to pass!

Thx Simon!

But I am just wondering it is really hard to express and prove in writing that there are other ways could have 'equal' effect like striker penalty.

Regards

Evan

"Sometimes you need to disagree in order to be able to discuss both sides e.g. 'I disagree with the idea that punishments are the best way to improve road safety; several other measures can be equally effective.'"

With the above introduction, how would the punishments for road safety be discussed in the essay?

It would be great if Simon could give a full essay with this introduction.

dear Simon,
in this topic, when we choose the position to disagree(like your post), I wonder what will be included in the two main paragraphs? It seems confusing and difficult to me when i disagree in "strong opinion" question and word such as "the only".
And again, I am also confusing as :
- last lesson u mentioned not to write both point of view, right?
- but as i understand, do you mean iit is posible to include both views?
Could you please explain to me more?
Regards,


like a refutation style?

This is my introduction.

It is certainly true that punishing the drivers who often break traffic rules is an effective way to enhance the safety of road.I disagree with the view that it is the best rule because I believe that adopting a stricter punishments cannot solve problems entirely.

It is certainly true that punishing the drivers who often break traffic rules is an effective way to enhance the safety of road.I disagree with the view that it is the best method because I believe that adopting a stricter punishments cannot solve problems entirely.

There is a typo in above post.

The comments to this entry are closed.