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IELTS Academic Writing Part Two- Longer Phrases

A LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS

More complex and higher level phrases for IELTS Writing Task 2 essays.

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Lesson Plan Content:


Longer IELTS Writing Task Two phrases card games

Instructions for teachers

Cut up one set of cards per group of students, keeping the middle cards (with writing in bold) separate. Shuffle the other cards and give one pack to each group of two to four students to join together to make basic IELTS Writing Task Two phrases. When the students think that they have finished or they have got stuck, give them the bold cards to add to the middle of their phrases to check and expand on their answers. If they can’t fit those cards in the middle of the phrases that they have made, then they have probably made a mistake with the basic phrases.

Give out un-cut-up copies for students to check their answers with. They can then test each by reading out parts of the phrases and eliciting the missing bit, by doing the gap-filling task below and/ or by doing the brainstorming task at the bottom. When they seem to know the phrases well, ask them to deal out the cards between them and use phrases with those words when they work together to say what they would write to answer the exam questions that you give them.

 

Cards to cut up/ Suggested answers 

 

Many people

 

 

my age/ in my country/ who I know

 

 

believe that…

 

Recently there has been

 

 

quite a lot of/ a lot of/ some/ passionate/ bitter

 

 

(online) debate/ controversy over…

 

In

 

 

today’s/ modern/ Japanese/ our globalised

 

 

society,…

 

There are

 

 

two/ some/ very/ two very/ several

 

different points of view on the topic of…

 

 

I will examine both sides

 

 

of the argument/ below

 

before giving my opinion./ and then give my own view.

 

 

After looking at this

 

 

(controversial) matter/ topic/ subject/ debate

 

from both sides, I will…

 

 

 

I feel

 

exactly/ just/ more or less

 

 

 

the same way (about…)

 

I

 

partially/ mostly/ more or less/ totally/ don’t (really)

 

 

agree (with/ with the opinion/ that…)

 

I will give

 

two/ three/ the main

 

reasons for my opinion below.

 

 

One of the

 

chief/ main/ most relevant

 

 

advantages/ arguments for/ good points/ benefits…

 

 

In my

 

 

personal/ limited/ own

 

 

 

experience,…

 

A(n)/ One

 

 

good/ famous/ relevant/ well-known/ recent

 

 

example of this is…

 

I saw a TV programme on/ I read an article about

 

 

exactly

 

 

 

this topic in which…

 

This is

 

 

 

obviously/ clearly/ almost certainly/ probably/

 

due to/ because of/ caused by/ the result of…

 

It is also possible to argue the

 

 

opposite/ different/ opposing

 

point of view that…

 

Turning

 

 

 

our attention

 

to the other side of the argument,…

 

As I said/ As I have shown

 

 

 

in the introduction/ above

 

, I am totally convinced that…

 

For

 

 

all (of)

 

the reasons given above,…

 

 

 

Despite/ In spite of

 

 

all (of)

 

these disadvantages, overall I feel that…

 

 

Although there are

 

both

 

pros and cons, for most young people in this country

 

 

In the modern world, the benefits of this approach

 

 

far/ easily/ generally/ slightly/ could be said to

 

 

outweigh the drawbacks

(for society) because…

 

Because of this, the government should put

 

 

much/ far/ considerably/ substantially

 

more effort/ investment into tackling/ ameliorating…

 

Without looking above, put as many options into each gap below as you can. Answers not above are also often possible. 

 

 

 

 

my age/ in my country/ who I know

 

 

believe that…

 

Recently there has been

 

 

quite a lot of/ a lot of/ some/ passionate/ bitter

 

 

 

 

In

 

 

 

 

 

 

society,…

 

 

 

two/ some/ very/ two very/ several

 

different points of view on the topic of…

 

 

 

 

of the argument/ below

 

before giving my opinion./ and then give my own view.

 

 

After looking at this

 

 

 

 

from both sides, I will…

 

 

 

I feel

 

exactly/ just/ more or less

 

 

 

 

 

I

 

 

 

 

 

agree (with/ with the opinion/ that…)

 

I will give

 

 

 

reasons for my opinion below.

 

 

 

 

chief/ main/ most relevant

 

 

advantages/ arguments for/ good points/ benefits…

 

 

In my

 

 

 

 

 

 

experience,…


 

A(n)/ One

 

 

 

 

 

 

example of this is…

 

I saw a TV programme on/ I read an article about

 

 

exactly

 

 

 

 

 

This is

 

 

 

 

 

due to/ because of/ caused by/ the result of…

 

It is also possible to argue the

 

 

 

 

point of view that…

 

Turning

 

 

 

our attention

 

 

 

As I said/ As I have shown

 

 

 

 

 

, I am totally convinced that…

 

 

 

 

all (of)

 

the reasons given above,…

 

 

 

 

 

 

all (of)

 

these disadvantages, overall I feel that…

 

 

Although there are

 

both

 

 

 

 

 

In the modern world, the benefits of this approach

 

 

far/ easily/ generally/ slightly/ could be said to

 

 

 

 

Because of this, the government should put

 

 

 

 

more effort/ investment into tackling/ ameliorating…

 

Use the mixed answers below to help, then check as a class or with the first worksheet.


Mixed answers

  • above
  • almost certainly
  • clearly
  • considerably/ substantially
  • controversy over…
  • (online) debate
  • despite/ in spite of
  • different
  • don’t (really)
  • famous
  • far
  • for
  • good
  • I will examine both sides
  • in the introduction
  • Japanese
  • limited
  • many people
  • (controversial) matter
  • modern
  • more or less
  • mostly
  • much
  • obviously
  • one of the
  • opposing/ opposite
  • our globalised
  • outweigh the drawbacks (for society) because…
  • own
  • partially
  • personal
  • probably
  • pros and cons, for most young people in this country
  • recent
  • relevant
  • subject/ topic
  • the main
  • the same way (about…)
  • there are
  • this topic in which…
  • to the other side of the argument,…
  • today’s
  • totally
  • two/ three
  • well-known


Brainstorming stage

Without looking above for now, brainstorm as many suitable phrases as you can into the gaps below. Many phrases not above are also possible.

Introduction

Background to the topic/ question

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Optional, strong) opinion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Structure of your essay/ Organisation of your essay/ Topic of each body paragraph

 

 

 

 

 

 

Body of the essay

Supporting your opinions

Personal experience

 

 

 

 

 

 

Examples

 

 

 

 

 

 


Information from elsewhere/ Quoting

 

 

 

 

 

 

Logical arguments (cause and effect, etc)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Changing topic/ Starting the next body paragraph

 

 

 

 

 

Ending

Summary (probably referring back to the introduction)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion (linking it to the arguments in the body of the essay, including weak opinions)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recommendations or prediction leading on from the summary or conclusion (if an extra sentence is needed)

 

 

 

 

Use the mixed middle sections on the next page and/ or the mixed answers above to help.

Look at the previous worksheets for some phrases, brainstorm more, then compare as a class.

 

Mixed middle sections to help with the brainstorming task

  • all (of)
  • all (of)
  • almost certainly/ probably/
  • both
  • chief/ main/ most relevant
  • exactly
  • exactly/ just/ more or less
  • far/ easily/ generally/ slightly/ could be said to
  • good/ famous/ relevant/ well-known/ recent
  • in the introduction/ above
  • (controversial) matter/ topic/ subject/ debate
  • much/ far
  • my age/ in my country/ who I know
  • of the argument/ below
  • opposite/ different
  • our attention
  • partially/ mostly/ more or less/ totally/ don’t (really)
  • personal/ limited/ own
  • quite a lot of/ a lot of/ some/ passionate/ bitter
  • today’s/ modern/ Japanese/ our globalised
  • two/ some/ very/ two very/ several
  • two/ three/ the main

 

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