Writing UNIT 9
Defining is particularly useful when you want to make your argument clearer or
when you are using terms that may have many possible interpretations. The
structures below can be helpful in doing this:
By... I mean In other words To be more precise
By this I mean That is to say Here I'm (not) referring to
Add another sentence to the following arguments using an expression from above:
a In my opinion, extended families are more successful than nuclear families.
b It is often said that young people are more tolerant than old people.
с I am convinced that an element of choice is important in the school curriculum,
d Job commitment is not always the key to success.
Read some of your sentences aloud and discuss their structure and content.
Read
the
following introduction
to an
IELTS
question
on the
topic
Examinations
serve no useful purpose and identify the writer's techniques in explaining his/her
argument:
1 How strong are the writer's views?
2 How would you develop this argument?
For further practice, do the Supplementary activity on page 119.
Writing
UNIT 10 Developing an argument
In Writing Task 2, your examiner will be looking for main arguments that are clearly well supported.
You are even reminded of this in the instructions to the task.
MAKING THE MAIN ARGUMENT CLEAR

UNIT 11 Writing your answer
Remember that the purpose of the IELTS Writing
Task 1
interpreting graphs/charts/tables and
other graphic information (Academic)
- writing about facts/trends
- comparing and contrasting information
OR
engaging in personal correspondence (GT)
- explaining a situation
- communicating a message
test is to assess your skill in the following areas:
Task 2
writing a well-structured argument
- planning carefully
- demonstrating a well-organised answer with
good paragraphing
presenting a clear point of view
- clarifying main ideas
- supporting arguments
- giving personal experience/reasons
organising information
- selecting important points/information
- linking statements
writing accurately
- using appropriate structures and vocabulary
- demonstrating good spelling and punctuation
WRITING COHERENTLY
The IELTS exam assesses your ability to write clearly and link your ideas well. On
page 121 there is a table which gives a range of linkers and indicates how often

Credit is given in the IELTS test for the successful control of complex sentence
structures. A complex sentence is basically a number of simple sentences linked
together using appropriate words and structures. Read the following sets of
sentences and see if you can link each set together into one complex sentence.
5 The graph is about student numbers in the UK.
The number of students in higher education has risen.
The rise has taken place over the last five years.
6 Students were asked how much they expect to earn when they start work,
40 per cent of them expect to earn about £21,000.
2 per cent expect to earn £40,000 or more.
7 A typical police force in Britain has 2500 officers.
A typical town has a population of 180,000.
At any one time, there are only 10 officers patrolling the streets of a typical town.
8 Drink-driving laws vary from country to country.
In Poland it is illegal to drive with more than 20 mg of alcohol in your blood.
In Italy it is illegal to drive with more than 80 mg of alcohol in your blood.
Writing UNIT 11
9 The percentage of one-person households in France has risen over the past
10 years.
In 1989, 27 per cent of households in France belonged to single people.
In 1999, 30 per cent of households in France belonged to single people.
10 The enrolment of students in first-degree courses has changed since last year.
The biggest change has taken place in the Biological Sciences.
9 per cent more students have enrolled in the Biological Sciences this year.
55,000 students enrolled in the Biological Sciences this year.
11 Read the following paragraph which describes the results of a survey. There are
no grammatical mistakes in the paragraph, but the ideas could be more clearly
explained and linked. See whether you can improve it with the help of some of the
words and phrases you have learnt so far.
For further practice, do the Supplementary activity on page 121.