Trong bài học này chúng ta sẽ tìm hiểu về tính thống nhất – tức là sự hợp lý về mặt ý tưởng trong từng đoạn, từng câu xét trong tổng thể chung của toàn bài; và tính mạch lạc - tức là việc vận dụng ngôn ngữ một cách có tổ chức, giúp các câu nối tiếp nhau một cách hợp lí, trôi chảy. Đây chính là những tiêu chuẩn để đánh giá bài thi Viết.

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1) Clip 1: Coherence and Cohesion in Writing 

2) Clip 2: Vocabulary Exercise

3) Printable Documents

     a) Notes for Study

IELTS Tip

Organise your ideas into paragraphs and remember to connect each paragraph with the previous one.

Each paragraph should have a topic sentence, and supporting and developing sentences.

Use transition words or phrases to connect your ideas. 

COHERENCE AND COHESION IN WRITING

Coherence refers to the logical organisation of your ideas through paragraphing and the logical sequencing of ideas within paragraphs.

Cohesion refers to the organisation of your language, which shows how your sentences are connected and related. These are criteria by which your writing tasks are assessed.

 

Coherence

A number of features make an essay coherent and thus flow smoothly. These features include the following:

          • essay structure – paragraphing

          • paragraph structure

          • transition words and phrases 

 

Essay Structure – Paragraphing

Your ideas need to be logically organised into paragraphs and structured, for example in the following manner:

Introductory Paragraph             • Topic             • Thesis Statement or Statement of Purpose

 

Body Paragraph 1             • Development of Main Idea presented in the Thesis Statement

 

Body Paragraph 2             • Development of Main Idea presented in the Thesis Statement

 

Concluding Paragraph             • Summary             • Recommendation

 

Paragraph Structure

Topic Sentence (TS)

Each paragraph should have one idea which is clearly expressed in a topic sentence. This idea is in support of the thesis statement of the essay presented in your introductory paragraph.

Supporting Sentences (SS)

These sentences support the topic sentence or the main idea of the paragraph.

Developing sentences (DS)

Developing sentences further develop the idea in the supporting sentence by providing an example, a reason or an explanation.

Here is a Writing Task 2 question topic and task.

IELTS Writing Task 2

_________________________________________________________________

The ageing populations of more developed countries are going to cause social and economic problems for society in the future, especially for the younger generation.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement.

_________________________________________________________________

Here is a sample introduction addressing the question.

Introduction

In the modern world today, people are expected to live longer because of better health care resources, the availability of better quality foods and the higher standards of living. While the changing age structure of society might be problematic, it should not always be viewed as something threatening.

The second sentence in the introductory paragraph gives the thesis statement. The two main arguments are as follows.

BP1	BP2
Agree	Disagree
the changing age structure of society might be problematic	it (the changing age structure of society) should not always be viewed as something threatening

 

These two arguments are developed in body paragraphs in the essay below.

Each main idea is developed in a separate paragraph. The argument is developed logically and the ideas follow a sequence.

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Body Paragraph 1

There is no denying that constraints of time, money and space are placed on modern industrial societies with growing aged populations and declining birth rates. The most obvious would be the costs associated with caring for the elderly, funding their retirement pensions and providing residential care accommodation. Governments cannot be expected to carry this burden alone. They would need to impose additional taxes on the younger population and shift some of the caring responsibilities onto the extended families.

 

This body paragraph is agreeing with the topic. The first sentence in the paragraph – the topic sentence (TS) – states the topic and what the paragraph will be saying about the topic. The supporting (SS) and developing sentences (DS) explain the main idea.

The main idea is developed as follows:

	Sequencing of ideas	Development of main idea
TS	main or controlling idea - reasons	There is no denying that constraints of time, money and space are placed on modern industrial societies with growing aged populations and declining birth rates.
SS1	explanation	The most obvious would be the costs associated with caring for the elderly, funding their retirement pensions and providing residential care accommodation.
DS1.1	statement (opinion)	Governments cannot be expected to carry this burden alone.
DS1.2	Justification (reason)	They would need to impose additional taxes on the younger population and shift some of the caring responsibilities onto the extended families.

 

Transition Words and Phrases

Transition words and phrases are used to link ideas between paragraphs and sentences.

Here are some of the more common transition words and phrases.

Type	Transition Words or Phrases
Addition	in addition, furthermore, moreover, also
Listing	first, first and foremost, firstly, second, secondly, the most important, the most obvious
Similarity	similarly, in the same way, likewise
Contrast	however, in contrast, on the other hand, on the contrary
Example	for example, for instance
Result	therefore, as a result, consequently, hence, thus, accordingly
Emphasis	indeed, in fact, above all
Conclusion	in conclusion, to conclude, in summary, to summarise, in short

 

The second body paragraph (BP2) presents arguments which support the opposite view. The relationship between the two paragraphs is shown using the contrasting transition phrase on the other hand.

Body Paragraph 2

On the other hand, the kinds of valuable contribution which healthy, mobile and enthusiastic retirees can make should not be underestimated. First and foremost, they carry a wealth of skills and work experience. Employers should look to take advantage of this and recruit or even retain mature age workers. Their expertise would be invaluable. Second, seniors being upwardly mobile tend to travel extensively, usually to discover their own country. This can only stimulate the economy. The revenue that would be generated for the hospitality industry by these “grey nomads”, as they are affectionately known, would be significant.

 

The ideas between sentences within the paragraph are connected using the following transition words and phrases.

	Type	Sentence
TS	contrast	On the other hand, the kinds of valuable contribution which healthy, mobile and enthusiastic retirees can make should not be underestimated.
SS1	listing	First and foremost, they carry a wealth of skills and work experience.
DS1.1		Employers should look to take advantage of this and recruit or even retain mature age workers.
DS1.2		Their expertise would be invaluable.
SS2	listing	Second, seniors being upwardly mobile tend to travel extensively, usually to discover their own country.
DS2.1		This can only stimulate the economy.
DS2.2		The revenue that would be generated for the hospitality industry by these “grey nomads”, as they are affectionately known, would be significant.

 

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Cohesion

In addition to the use of transition words and phrases, cohesion can be achieved using the following language devices:

          • reference words and agreement

          • linking

          • synonyms

Reference words point back or refer to words or phrases in previous sentences. They need to agree in number and person with the word or phrase they are replacing.

Here are some of the more common referents.

Language devices	Examples
pronouns
personal, possessive	it, she, his, them, their
demonstrative	this, that, these, those
relative	who, which, that
definite article	the

 

Body paragraph 2 uses a variety of referents which are illustrated below.

Body Paragraph 2
First reference	Later reference
On the other hand, the kinds of valuable contribution which healthy, mobile and enthusiastic retirees can make should not be underestimated.	First and foremost, they carry a wealth of skills and work experience.
agreement: 3rd person plural
First and foremost, they carry a wealth of skills and work experience.	Employers should look to take advantage of this and recruit or even retain mature age workers.
Employers should look to take advantage of this and recruit or even retain mature age workers.	Their expertise would be invaluable.
agreement: possessive plural
Second, seniors being upwardly mobile tend to travel extensively, usually to discover their own country.	This can only stimulate the economy.
Second, seniors being upwardly mobile tend to travel extensively, usually to discover their own country.	The revenue that would be generated for the hospitality industry by these “grey nomads”, as they are affectionately known, would be significant.

 

Linking

Coordinating and subordinating conjunctions and other parts of speech link ideas within and between sentences.

Some of the more common conjunctions are on the following page:

linking ideas	conjunctions		other parts of speech
	coordinating	subordinating
equal ideas	and, both … and		another, as well as
alternative ideas	or, either … or
contrasting ideas	but, yet	although, even though, though, while	despite, in spite of
reasons	for, so	because, as, since	as a result of, because of, due to
condition		if, provided that
subordinating words
referring to humans			who, whom
referring to nonhumans and things			which, that

 

Examples of coordinating and subordinating conjunctions in body paragraph 2 include:

          • linking equal ideas

Employers should look to take advantage of this and recruit or even retain mature age workers.

          • linking alternative ideas

Employers should look to take advantage of this and recruit or even retain mature age workers.

An example using subordination is:

On the other hand, the kinds of valuable contribution which healthy, mobile and enthusiastic retirees can make should not be underestimated.

Synonyms

Using synonyms avoids the repetition of key words and helps the reader to see how the sentences in a paragraph are linked.

In body paragraph 2, the following synonyms are used for aged individuals.

On the other hand, the kinds of valuable contribution which healthy, mobile and enthusiastic retirees can make should not be underestimated. First and foremost, they carry a wealth of skills and work experience. Employers should look to take advantage of this and recruit or even retain mature age workers. Their expertise would be invaluable. Second, seniors being upwardly mobile tend to travel extensively, usually to discover their own country. This can only stimulate the economy. The revenue that would be generated for the hospitality industry by these “grey nomads”, as they are affectionately known, would be significant.

 

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     b) Learning Activities

Practise and consolidate your learning about coherence and cohesion by completing our activities. The answers for all activities are on the last page.

ACTIVITY 1

Complete the blank spaces with one of the transition words or phrases from the box below.

First                Similarly         Overall           For example              In spite of this In my opinion            Consequently           On the contrary        In addition     In fact

1. Vegetarians can get good sources of protein from plants. __________, there are legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains which all supply high levels of protein.

2. John was not discouraged that he didn’t get the overseas posting.

 ___________, he was determined to work much harder to be successful in the next round.

3. Applying for a job requires some preparation. _________, it is important to update your resume.

4. Bad investments caused the downfall of the company. ____________, there were many job loses.

5. The victims of the tsunami were in desperate need of fresh water.

_________, they urgently needed basic medical supplies.

6. The plane hit some turbulent weather crossing the Atlantic. ___________, we managed to land safely.

7. Did you know there is another Study English series being produced?

__________, it’ll be launched in January.

8. There has been a lot of discussion about his behaviour. ___________, he has been treated unfairly.

9. The renovations to the staff room were quite extensive. ___________, the teachers were satisfied with the results.

10. The monsoon season can bring about disastrous floods because of the heavy rainfall. ___________, the dry phase can also devastate crops.

 

ACTIVITY 2

Join the two halves to form a complete sentence.

	Part 1			Part 2
1	There is a risk of developing dietary deficiencies		A	the reduction in its demand would be a far better solution.
2	I’ll send a text message		B	it is important that all nutritional requirements are met.
3	While reducing the consumption of energy would slow global warming,		C	but by declining birth rates as well.
4	The biggest cost increase for city dwellers is housing		D	when we arrive in Singapore.
5	Though sky diving can be a lot of fun,		E	but on younger generations as well.
6	Modern societies will not only be affected by ageing populations		F	and therefore slow the effects of global warming.
7	Reducing fossil fuel consumption will help reduce greenhouse gases		G	these do not outweigh the fun.
8	While a vegetarian diet can provide many health benefits,		H	if nutritional requirements aren’t met.
9	Although there are risks involved in sky diving,		I	there are risks involved as well.
10	Ageing populations are going to be a financial burden not only on governments		J	which now consumes 15% of peoples’ wages.

 

ACTIVITY 1 ANSWERS

1. For example                                  6. In spite of this

2. On the contrary                            7. In fact

3. First                                                8. In my opinion

4. Consequently                              9. Overall

5. In addition                                     10. Similarly

  

ACTIVITY 2 ANSWERS

1. H                             6. C

2. D                             7. F

3. A                             8. B

4. J                              9. G

5. I                               10. E

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     c) Transcript

Hello, and welcome to Study English, IELTS preparation. I’m Margot Politis.

Today we’ll look at writing an essay on ageing populations and how to organise ideas about it in a paragraph.

Let’s begin by listening to a young woman talking about her grandmother:

She does mainly the cooking and looking after us, you know, making sure that we turn out right, being strict with us. But I think part of her being here, like, allowed us to have respect for like, you know, older people. Yeah, I think from her, I’ve learned a lot – like, the Buddhist belief, how to be a good person, how to be honest and respectable person to everyone around you.

She talked about the valuable contributions an elderly person can make. The grandmother has positively influenced the children, teaching them respect and honesty, and cooking. Let’s see how this sort of positive view about older people is developed in a paragraph as part of an essay.

The paragraph starts with a sentence that establishes the main point:

The valuable contributions that active and healthy aged individuals can make should not be overlooked.

This is called the topic sentence. The main idea is valuable contributions that active and healthy aged individuals can make.

The writer then goes on with two sentences that support the main idea that old people make valuable contributions by saying what the contributions are.

Firstly, these retired people could take on the role of carers for their grandchildren, allowing both parents to work longer hours and save on day care expenses.

Notice the linking word ‘firstly’. It means there will be more than one supporting sentence.

What linking word should follow ‘firstly”?

Secondly, the retirees could volunteer their services as drivers for the very old and sick.

To further develop the supporting ideas, the writer provides an example.

For example, they could deliver meals directly to their homes or assist with transportation to and from specialist appointments or hospital.

The sentence is logically related to what has just been said and linked by ‘for example’. This sentence is called a developing sentence.

How you refer back to things you have just written is an important way of creating a natural flow to your language. The examiners call it cohesion.

You do this with words called referents which help make links within and between sentences and paragraphs:

For instance, look at these sentences:

‘These retired individuals’. ‘These’ refers back to ‘aged individuals’ in the preceding sentence. And ‘their’ grandchildren are the grandchildren of the same ‘aged individuals.

Referents are used all the time and not just in essays. Listen to the way the man in the next clip uses ‘the’ and ‘those’ to refer back:

The car's driven by four inhub motors. And the inhub motors directly drive the four wheels. The power source is the batteries. Those batteries are sort of charged by literally plugging it in at home or by the solar cells.

He doesn’t just repeat himself. He says the car is driven by inhub motors. To say what the motors do, he refers to them again, but as the inhub motors:

The car's driven by four inhub motors. And the inhub motors directly drive the four wheels.

Next he says that the power source is the batteries. He’s already said ‘the’ batteries so he refers to them again as ‘those batteries’:

The power source is the batteries. Those batteries are sort of charged by literally plugging it in at home or by the solar cells.

Using referents helps you avoid using exactly the same words too often.

You can also use synonyms - words that have similar meanings - in much the same way.

Let’s look at our paragraph about aged people again.

'Aged individuals is not repeated in the same form in the paragraph, but as Retired individuals, retirees and in specific roles as carers and drivers.

Using referents and synonyms skilfully is not just for essays. Let’s look at the way synonyms and referents create cohesion and meaning in the next clip on an entirely different topic, the ruined city of Angkor Wat:

Right now we're at Angkor, which is a collection of temples in the north of Cambodia, which, about a thousand years ago, was the centre of a huge empire which stretched across most of South-East Asia. The true significance of the place is that it's probably the world's most amazing collection of religious monuments. What you see here is a scale of engineering and aesthetic beauty and a complexity that isn't really seen at any other collection of monument sites around the world.

First he calls Angkor by its name:

Right now we're at Angkor…

He then refers to it and says what it is:

…which is a collection of temples in the north of Cambodia

Refers again and explains its function:

…which, about a thousand years ago, was the centre of a huge empire which stretched across most of South-East Asia.

He goes on to refer to Angkor again as ‘the place’ and ‘it’, and finds another way of saying ‘collection of temples’: collection of religious monuments:

The true significance of the place is that it's probably the world's most amazing collection of religious monuments.

Now let’s look at coherence. What is coherence?

When writing an essay you need to organise and develop your argument logically using paragraphs, starting with an introduction, 2 or 3 body paragraphs and finishing with a conclusion. There should be a clear transition from one paragraph to the next, linking the ideas between paragraphs. The paragraph we looked at earlier was the first body paragraph of an essay answering this question:

The increasing number of older people will cause economic problems for the young.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

For this sort of essay you have to write about different things in each body paragraph. The first paragraph disagreed - it said what positive things older people contribute. So the next body paragraph has to look at the negative effects of an ageing population. Let’s look at what its opening sentence or topic sentence should be like:

However, the increasing proportion of older people no longer contributing as much tax as younger people will put a strain on the nation’s budget.

Notice that the sentence begins with the word ‘however’. However is a linking word that is used for contrasting. It shows the writer is moving on to develop the other side of the argument.

To recap, you should know how to structure an essay. Using paragraphs correctly in your essay is important. You need an introduction, which gives some background information about the topic, followed by what you are going to write about.

You start the first body paragraph with a topic sentence that establishes the main idea you will write about. You follow this with some supporting sentences that give reasons and provide examples that develop your ideas further.

You do something similar with the next body paragraph, but from the opposite point of view and finish with a conclusion that summarises the main points and makes it clear what you think.

And you should link sentences with transition words.

This gives your essay coherence.

Using referents and synonyms as we’ve seen will help you achieve cohesion.

That’s all for today.

You’ll find more detail about today’s program at our website at: australianetwork.com/studyenglish.

Good luck with your studies.

  

(Nguồn UTS: Insearch and Australia Network)

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Trong phần này, chúng ta sẽ xem xét phần thi Viết của cả hai hạng mục: IELTS học thuật và IELTS phổ cập. Những đề tài cho bài thi viết thường là các chủ đề được đông đảo công chúng quan tâm hoặc những vấn đề liên quan trực tiếp đến hiện trạng xã hội đương thời.

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1) Clip 1: Writing Task Response

2) Clip 2: Vocabulary Exercise

3) Printable Documents

     a) Notes for Study

IELTS Tips

It is good practice to spend approximately 3-4 minutes analysing and brainstorming the topic before you start writing your essay.

Remember to state your position on the topic in the introduction or conclusion.

Practise writing 150 and 250 words within the times allotted, so you become familiar with the time constraints for Task1 and Task 2.

 

WRITING TASK RESPONSE

It is important when answering an IELTS Writing Task 2 to address all parts of the question and write at least 250 words.

Your ideas must be relevant to the topic and appropriately developed and supported in the body of your essay. You will need to state your own position or view on the topic. The introduction and conclusion need to be clear and relevant to the topic. These are the features that will be assessed under the criterion Task Response.

 

Analysing the Task

Analysing the writing task will help you understand what the requirements are so that you focus on all parts of the task.

IELTS Writing Task 2 questions are presented in the following format.

IELTS WRITING TASK 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic.

Question Topic: 

The ageing populations of more developed countries are going to cause social and economic problems for society in the future, especially for the younger generation.

Question Task:

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

This is one of the questions analysed in the Study English, Series 3, Episode Two. Follow the strategies below when analysing Writing Task 2 IELTS questions.

Strategies for Analysing Writing Task 2
i	Read the question topic and question task carefully.
ii	Identify the key words in the question topic. Think of synonyms and other word forms of these key words. This begins the process of paraphrasing and helps you get started with the writing, especially the introductory paragraph.
iii	Identify viewpoints expressed in the question topic. These can be paraphrased as follows: The younger generation will experience social and economic difficulties because people are living longer.
iv	Identify the stakeholders, i.e. the people, group or organisation who or which are directly relevant to, or affected by the issue or topic you will be writing about.
v	Identify the question task key words, i.e. what you will need to write about and how many parts.

 

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Introduction

The purpose of the introductory paragraph is to provide some background information on the topic and state the purpose of the essay, i.e. what you will be writing about.

Here is a sample introduction answering the above task.

In the modern world today, people are expected to live longer because of better health care resources, the availability of better quality foods and the higher standards of living. While the changing age structure of society might be problematic, it should not always be viewed as something threatening.

 The first sentence provides background information, leading into the subject of the essay and referring back to the main stakeholder – the ageing populations – which is paraphrased as ‘people are expected to live longer’.

The second sentence provides the purpose of the essay and refers back to the two parts in the question task: agree and disagree.

Agree:            While the changing age structure of society might be problematic …

Disagree:       …it should not always be viewed as something threatening.

Guidelines for Writing the Introduction

          • The background information must be relevant to the topic.

          • The statement of purpose should relate to the question task.

          • Main ideas should not be previewed in the introduction.

          • It is sufficient to write 2-3 sentences for an introduction.

Presenting two sides of an issue

The question task requires you to present two sides of an issue: agree and disagree.

You will need to consider ideas on both sides and present a balanced argument.

Issue The younger generation will experience social and economic difficulties because people are living longer.
Agree	Disagree

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Brainstorming

You should spend about 2-3 minutes brainstorming the main points. They will form the body of your essay. There are two sides to this issue, so your essay will consist of two body paragraphs:

BP1	Body Paragraph 1: reasons why you agree and include supporting examples
BP2	Body Paragraph 2: reasons why you disagree and include supporting examples

 

Here are two body paragraphs answering the task.

BP1 There is no denying that constraints of time, money and space are placed on modern industrial societies with growing aged populations and declining birth rates. The most obvious would be the costs associated with caring for the elderly, funding their retirement pensions and providing residential care accommodation. Governments cannot be expected to carry this burden alone. They would need to impose additional taxes on the younger population and shift some of the caring responsibilities onto the extended families.   BP2 However, the valuable contributions that active and healthy aged individuals can make should not be overlooked. Firstly, these retired individuals could take on the role of carers for their grandchildren, allowing both parents to work longer hours and save on day care expenses. The extra earnings and savings could be used to improve the family’s living standards. Secondly, the retirees could volunteer their services as drivers for the very old and sick. For example, they could deliver meals directly to those who are very elderly and infirm or assist with transportation to and from specialist appointments or hospital.

 

Body Paragraph 1 presents arguments agreeing with the topic. This is clearly indicated in the topic sentence of the paragraph.

There is no denying that constraints of time, money and space are placed on modern industrial societies with growing aged populations and declining birth rates.

Body Paragraph 2 presents arguments disagreeing with the topic. This is clearly stated in the topic sentence of the paragraph.

However, the valuable contributions that active and healthy aged individuals can make should not be overlooked.

 

Conclusion

The purpose of the concluding paragraph is to provide a summary of the main points made in the body of the essay and to state what your position or view on the topic is.

The conclusion should give the reader a clear understanding of what the essay was about.

You can also state your position as part of your introduction, but be careful that your view doesn’t change later in your essay and contradict what you have said.

Here is a sample conclusion answering the question.

In conclusion, there are both positive and negative issues associated with ageing populations. It is best to take a balanced approach. People need to work together and recognise that all members of society contribute in many diverse ways to the well-being of the whole community.

 

Position

You need to take a position and state it clearly. This writer’s position is to take a balanced approach, i.e. recognising the contributions that both ageing populations and the younger generations make. The last sentence states this in the form of a recommendation.

People need to work together and recognise that all members of society contribute in many diverse ways to the well-being of the whole community.

Remember: The concluding paragraph should never introduce new information.

Use the sample Writing Answer Sheets at:

http://www.cambridgeesol.org/teach/ielts/academic_writing/data/Pages%20from%20ielts_specimats_80_83_test.pdf to practise your writing.

 

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     b) Learning Activities

Practise and consolidate your learning about how to respond to the Writing Task by completing our activities. The answers for all activities are on the last page. 

ACTIVITY 1

In the two body paragraphs below identify the stakeholders used to write about the topic of ageing populations. The first one has been highlighted for you.

BP1

There is no denying that constraints of time, money and space are placed on modern industrial societies with growing aged populations and declining birth rates. The most obvious would be the costs associated with caring for the elderly, funding their retirement pensions and providing residential care accommodation. Governments cannot be expected to carry this burden alone. They would need to impose additional taxes on the younger population and shift some of the caring responsibilities onto the extended families.

BP2

However, the valuable contributions that active and healthy aged individuals can make should not be overlooked. Firstly, these retired individuals could take on the role of carers for their grandchildren, allowing both parents to work longer hours and save on day care expenses. The extra earnings and savings could be used to improve the family’s living standards. Secondly, the retirees could volunteer their services as drivers for the very old and sick. For example, they could deliver meals directly to those who are very elderly and infirm or assist with transportation to and from specialist appointments or hospital.

 

ACTIVITY 2

In the two body paragraphs below there are 4 words or phrases which are synonymous with the main stakeholder ageing populations. Write them in the spaces below.

1. ________________________

2. ________________________

3. ________________________

4. ________________________

BP1

There is no denying that constraints of time, money and space are placed on modern industrial societies with growing aged populations and declining birth rates. The most obvious would be the costs associated with caring for the elderly, funding their retirement pensions and providing residential care accommodation. Governments cannot be expected to carry this burden alone. They would need to impose additional taxes on the younger population and shift some of the caring responsibilities onto the extended families.

BP2

However, the valuable contributions that active and healthy aged individuals can make should not be overlooked. Firstly, these retired individuals could take on the role of carers for their grandchildren, allowing both parents to work longer hours and save on day care expenses. The extra earnings and savings could be used to improve the family’s living standards. Secondly, the retirees could volunteer their services as drivers for the very old and sick. For example, they could deliver meals directly to those who are very elderly and infirm or assist with transportation to and from specialist appointments or hospital.

 

ACTIVITY 3

Complete the table by identifying the key points (KP) for each side of the issue on ageing populations, the supporting (SI) and developing ideas (DI) in the two body paragraphs given below. The first point and supporting idea are listed.

Issue: The younger generation will experience social and economic difficulties because people are living longer.
Agree	Disagree
KP constraints of time, money and space	KP
SI costs associated with caring	SI1
DI1.1	DI1.1
DI1.2	SI2
	DI2.1

 

BP1

There is no denying that constraints of time, money and space are placed on modern industrial societies with growing aged populations and declining birth rates. The most obvious would be the costs associated with caring for the elderly, funding their retirement pensions and providing residential care accommodation. Governments cannot be expected to carry this burden alone. They would need to impose additional taxes on the younger population and shift some of the caring responsibilities onto the extended families.

BP2

However, the valuable contributions that active and healthy aged individuals can make should not be overlooked. Firstly, these retired individuals could take on the role of carers for their grandchildren, allowing both parents to work longer hours and save on day care expenses. The extra earnings and savings could be used to improve the family’s living standards. Secondly, the retirees could volunteer their services as drivers for the very old and sick. For example, they could deliver meals directly to those who are very elderly and infirm or assist with transportation to and from specialist appointments or hospital.

 

ACTIVITY 1 ANSWERS

BP1

There is no denying that constraints of time, money and space are placed on modern industrial societies with growing aged populations and declining birth rates. The most obvious would be the costs associated with caring for the elderly, funding their retirement pensions and providing residential care accommodation. Governments cannot be expected to carry this burden alone. They would need to impose additional taxes on the younger population and shift some of the caring responsibilities onto the extended families.

BP2

However, the valuable contributions that active and healthy aged individuals can make should not be overlooked. Firstly, these retired individuals could take on the role of carers for their grandchildren, allowing both parents to work longer hours and save on day care expenses. The extra earnings and savings could be used to improve the family’s living standards. Secondly, the retirees could volunteer their services as drivers for the very old and sick. For example, they could deliver meals directly to those who are very elderly and infirm or assist with transportation to and from specialist appointments or hospital.

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ACTIVITY 2 ANSWERS

1. aged populations

2. the elderly

3. retired individuals

4. the retirees

BP1

There is no denying that constraints of time, money and space are placed on modern industrial societies with growing aged populations and declining birth rates. The most obvious would be the costs associated with caring for the elderly, funding their retirement pensions and providing residential care accommodation. Governments cannot be expected to carry this burden alone. They would need to impose additional taxes on the younger population and shift some of the caring responsibilities onto the extended families.

BP2

However, the valuable contributions that active and healthy aged individuals can make should not be overlooked. Firstly, these retired individuals could take on the role of carers for their grandchildren, allowing both parents to work longer hours and save on day care expenses. The extra earnings and savings could be used to improve the family’s living standards. Secondly, the retirees could volunteer their services as drivers for the very old and sick. For example, they could deliver meals directly to those who are very elderly and infirm or assist with transportation to and from specialist appointments or hospital.

 

ACTIVITY 3 ANSWERS

Issue: The younger generation will experience social and economic difficulties because people are living longer.
Agree	Disagree
KP constraints of time, money and space	KP valuable contributions of active and healthy aged individuals
SI costs associated with caring	SI1 role of carers
DI1.1 governments can’t carry burden	DI1.1 extra earnings and savings
DI1.2 impose taxes and shift caring responsibilities	SI2 volunteer services
	DI2.1 deliver meals or assist with transportation

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     c) Transcript

Hello, and welcome to Study English, IELTS preparation. I’m Margot Politis.

Today we’ll look at the Writing Task in the essay section of both the general and academic IELTS tests.

IELTS essay topics are of general interest and relate to current issues in society.

You can expect to be asked about:

The Media… Education… Environment… Health… Communication… Technology… and Society.

Being familiar with issues in these general areas is important.

Listening to English language media will help you develop a bank of ideas on topics like this.

An issue in health could be about children eating too much and not exercising enough. You could be asked to discuss a statement such as:

Children’s eating habits and lifestyles today are more likely to be harmful than beneficial.

You should know the essay instructions. These tell you how much time you have and how much you need to write.

You are instructed to spend about 40 minutes writing the essay, which has to be at least 250 words.

With practice you’ll know without counting what your 250 words look like.

You will also be asked to give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.

This is one of the instructions, so you need to follow it.

Reasons are saying why you think something is true or not. You could write:

An increasing number of children are becoming obese because they are eating too much junk food.

Reasons are supported by examples, like this:

For example, aggressive marketing of such foods towards children is one of the contributing factors.

Relevant examples are examples like this that are clearly connected to the question.

Now let’s look at an essay question, and how to analyse it before you write your answer. How well you do this will help with your task response, which is one of the criteria used to assess the essay.

Let’s look at a question topic. Here’s a typical statement:

The ageing populations of more developed countries are going to cause social and economic problems for society in the future, especially for the younger generation.

With this is something called the question task:

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

The essay question is always presented in this way as a statement followed by the question task.

First, let’s look at the statement. Read it carefully.

The ageing populations of more developed countries are going to cause social and economic problems for society in the future, especially for the younger generation.

You should ask yourself ‘who or what must I write about?’ Here, you have to say something about ageing populations, developed countries, society in the future and the younger generation.

Highlight these and any other key phrases, such as ‘cause social and economic problems’.

Think about what these phrases mean. Thinking of synonyms or words that mean something similar can help you do this. And you will need these synonyms later in your essay.

Synonyms for ageing populations are: the elderly, retired people, the aged and pensioners. They’re the people living longer or ageing.

Developed countries - refers to modern industrial societies that have to financially support retired people. Synonyms are: western countries, first world countries and advanced economies.

Social and economic problems are two kinds of problems. Social problems are problems that affect people, perhaps in areas such as health and education.

Economic problems are problems to do with the economy of a country and its ability to pay for the services it provides.

Society in the future means the country or nation or state in the future.

And the younger generation are younger people or people who work. They’re the people who are not yet part of the ageing population. So you can rephrase or paraphrase the question like this:

The younger generation will experience social and economic difficulties because people are living longer.

The next thing to look at is the question task:

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

‘To what extent’ means by how much.

Here you’re being asked to give your opinion about the statement. You might agree with it or you might think it is wrong.

It’s a good idea to reword this type of question into a ‘yes/no’ question like this:

Do you agree that the younger generation will experience social and economic difficulties because people are living longer?

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Yes or no?

You could think, yes, I agree completely or perhaps yes, I agree with some of this, but disagree with other parts of it.

But keep in mind that asking how much you agree or disagree tests your ability to look at 2 sides of an issue and present a balanced argument. Even if you say yes and agree completely, you still have to look at the other side of the argument and think about why someone would disagree.

You would need to write two body paragraphs in an essay of this type, one saying what you agree with and one saying what you disagree with.

In the conclusion of your essay you would state your position on the topic.

Let’s look at another question.

Internet access should be under government control to avoid any potential harm to children.

Who or what must you write about? The internet, government and children. Now highlight other key phrases – under government control, avoid any potential harm.

Let’s think of synonyms.

We know what the internet is, but what other words can we use? – The net, the web, online, cyberspace.

Under government control means controlled by the government. Other words for government are the state or the administration.

Potential harm means bad things that might happen. Synonyms for potential are possible or likely. And other words for harm are: damage and hurt.

So we could paraphrase this statement as:

The state should control access to the web to avoid possible damage to children.

The same question task we looked at earlier can be used:

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

You are being asked for your opinion. What you need to do here is say what you think.

The state should control access to the web to avoid possible damage to children. Yes or no?

Now you should think about reasons for your point of view and why you don’t agree with the opposite view.

So, to recap.

The way you respond to the question and the instructions is part of what you are being marked on. The examiners call it task response.

Make sure you follow the instructions and write the correct number of words.

That’s all for now.

Don’t forget to visit our website at: australianetwork.com/studyenglish for more.

I’ll see you next time on Study English.

 

(Nguồn UTS: Insearch and Australia Network)

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Writing

Task 1:  PIE CHART

Task 2:

The fact that people nowadays are living longer has some effects on both individual and society. What are the impossible effects of living longer?

Đây là chương trình hợp tác giữa Australia network và học viện UTS:Insearch. Chương trình được soạn và dẫn nhập bằng tiếng Anh dành cho đối tượng bậc Trung cấp trở lên. Hy vọng các bạn có thêm nguồn tham khảo cho việc học và luyện thi IELTS của mình.

Phần 1: Các tiêu chí đánh giá của cuộc thi IELTS  

Trong bài học này, chúng ta sẽ tìm hiểu về những tiêu chí mà người chấm thi căn cứ vào đó để chấm điểm hai kỹ năng Đọc và Nói trong kỳ thi IELTS. Khi biết rõ những yêu cầu này, bạn có thể tập trung luyện tập những kỹ năng đó nhiều hơn và nhờ vậy đạt kết quả cao hơn.

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1) Clip 1:  IELTS Assessment Criteria

2) Clip 2: Vocabulary Exercise

3) Printable documents

     a) Notes for Study

IELTS ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

IELTS is a proficiency test which assesses your English language ability in four language skill areas – listening, reading, writing and speaking. Depending on your need – whether it’s for tertiary or secondary study, professional recognition or immigration purposes – you can choose to do either the Academic or General Training module.

Writing and Speaking are productive skills and test your ability to produce written and spoken language.

 

IELTS Tip

Familiarise yourself with all the different question types in the Listening and Reading Modules and possible question topics and tasks in the Writing and Speaking Modules of the IELTS Test. For Speaking and Writing understand what the examiners are looking for. Familiarise yourself with the criteria for Writing – Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. For Speaking understand what is required for Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy and Pronunciation.

 

Writing

Two tasks requiring different types of writing are given so that you can demonstrate your writing skills.

	Academic	General Training
Task 1	summarising/describing factual information	letter
Task 2	well-structured essay

 

Speaking

In the Speaking Test there are three different parts so that you can demonstrate how well you can express yourself on a variety of different topics ranging from the personal to the more abstract and using both formal and informal language.

 

Assessment Criteria

Four criteria are used to assess your written and spoken language.

CRITERIA
WRITING	SPEAKING
Task Response
Coherence and Cohesion	Fluency and Coherence
Grammatical Range and Accuracy	Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Lexical Resource	Lexical Resource
	Pronunciation

 

Three of the criteria overlap: Coherence, Grammatical Accuracy and Range, Lexical Resource.

Each criterion assesses specific aspects of your language. These are spelt out below and can be used as a checklist when reviewing your writing or practising your speaking.

 

Task Response

Task response refers to the content of your answer. It assesses how well you’ve understood and answered the question.

Criteria: Task Response		Checklist
Writing Task 1
Academic	General Training
Have I provided an overview of the general trends?	Have I stated the purpose of my letter?	√
Have I summarised or described the key features in the graph or diagram?	Have I addressed the 3 bullet points in the question?	√
Have I provided supporting evidence or information?	Is the tone of my letter correct, i.e. formal or informal?	√
Have I written at least 150 words?	Have I written at least 150 words?	√
Writing Task 2
• Have I answered all parts of the question? • Are my ideas relevant and appropriate to the topic? • Have I developed and supported my ideas? • Have I stated my position on the topic? • Is my conclusion relevant to the topic? • Have I written at least 250 words?		√ √ √ √ √ √

 

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Coherence and Cohesion

Coherence and cohesion refer to the organisation of your answer. More specifically, coherence looks at the logical organisation of your ideas and sentences in both your paragraph and essay as a whole. Cohesion focuses on the organisation of your language, showing the relationship between your ideas.

Criteria: Coherence and Cohesion	Checklist
• Have I developed my answer logically? • Have I organised my ideas logically into paragraphs? • Have I used appropriate linking words to show the relationship between my ideas and sentences? • Have I used appropriate reference words?	√ √ √ √

 

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

Grammatical range assesses the variety of sentence types used, while accuracy measures the number of errors in your written and spoken language.

Criteria: Grammatical Range and Accuracy		Checklist
Writing and Speaking
• Have I used a variety of simple, compound and complex sentences? • Have I used a range of structures to convey modality, conditionals, active/passive, cause/effect and tenses?		√ √
Writing	Speaking
• Have I used correct punctuation? • Have I used the correct tense? • Does the subject agree with the verb?	How well can the assessor understand me even though I’ve made some errors?	√

 

Lexical Resource

This criterion, which is also known as vocabulary, assesses how well you choose and use a range of vocabulary items for a particular topic.

Criteria: Lexical Resource		Checklist
Writing and Speaking
• Are the words and expressions I use appropriate and accurate? • Do I have a good range of vocabulary to cover the topic? • Have I used correct word forms? • Have I used some idiomatic language?		√ √ √ √
Writing	Speaking
• How accurate is my spelling?	• How well can I talk about personal and familiar topics? • How well can I discuss more abstract topics?	√ √

 

Fluency and Coherence

How well you communicate demonstrates your fluency and coherence. Your ability to speak without too much hesitation shows how fluent you are, while logically organising and linking your ideas show how coherent your speech is.

Criteria: Fluency and Coherence	Checklist
• Can I speak at length on a topic? • Have I organised my ideas logically? • Have I used appropriate linking words? • Do I speak clearly and smoothly?	√ √ √ √

 

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Pronunciation

How easily you can be understood is what pronunciation is about.

Criteria: Pronunciation	Checklist
• Have I pronounced my words correctly? • How appropriately have I used stress and intonation? • How well can the interviewer understand me? • Is my voice strong and clear?	√ √ √ √

 

IELTS Band Scores

The four criteria are used to assess your level of English on a scale from 1-9 not only for writing and speaking, but listening and reading as well. Each module is weighted equally but you can get a half band score for any of the sections.

The language level of a user is generally described as follows:

Band	User
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0	expert very good good competent modest limited extremely limited intermittent non user did not attempt the test

 

To move to a higher band score, for example from a band 5 to a band 6, will take at least 400 hours of learning English.

Grammar control, for example, is one of the descriptors assessed under the criteria: Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Comparing the descriptors that refer to grammar control in bands 7, 6 and 5, the following differences can be noted:

Band	Grammatical Range and Accuracy
7	has good control of grammar and punctuation but may make a few errors
6	makes some errors in grammar and punctuation but they rarely reduce communication
5	may make frequent grammatical errors and punctuation may be faulty; errors can cause some difficulty for the reader

 

Reference: http://www.ielts.org/PDF/UOBDs_WritingT2.pdf

In order to improve your score, it is necessary to reduce the number of grammatical errors.

 

Grammar Practice

One of the areas requiring attention is the accurate use of quantity words such as amount, number, less and fewer. The general rule is that amount and less are used with uncountable nouns and number and fewer are used with countable. Do Activity 1 for practice.

 

Vocabulary Practice

Another area requiring attention is spelling and word formation. These features are assessed under the criteria: Lexical Resource. The level of difference between bands 7, 6 and 5, for example, is as follows:

Band	Lexical Resource
7	may produce occasional errors in word choice, spelling and/or word formation
6	makes some errors in spelling and/or word formation, but they do not impede communication
5	may make noticeable errors in spelling and/or word formation that may cause some difficulty for the reader

 

Reference: http://www.ielts.org/PDF/UOBDs_WritingT2.pdf

Do Activity 2 for practice.

 

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     b) Learning Activities

Practise and consolidate your learning about correct word forms by completing our activities. The answers are on the last page.

 

ACTIVITY 1

Choose the correct quantity word to complete the following sentences:

amount          number          less          fewer

1. Since the restructuring of the department, there seem to be _________ complaints and problems.

2. One of the solutions to reducing the _________ of traffic on the roads is to provide better public transport.

3. The figures for the last decade show that there were __________ marriages.

4. Reducing the _________ of errors in your writing will help you achieve a better score.

5. The newer cars are designed to take ___________ petrol.

6. He still owes a huge _________ of money to creditors.

7. It is predicted that the __________ of unemployed will increase steadily over the next year.

8. The __________ mistakes you make, the more you will gain.

9. Families spend _________ time together these days because of the overwhelming presence of computer-related technology.

10. The __________ of interest generated from the public was enormous.

 

ACTIVITY 2

Complete each sentence with the correct form of the word in brackets. Watch your spelling.

1. The issue was not about _________ (safe) but rather informing the public about the technology.

2. ____________ (consume) of processed foods has increased significantly over the last decade.

3. It was __________ (regret) that the benefactors weren’t acknowledged.

4. There are many ___________ (difficult) facing foreign students apart from living expenses.

5. The newly appointed counsellor was not only competent, but __________ (rely) as well.

6. My ____________ (understand) of the issue is that the minister’s request was vetoed.

7. Restructuring the company was wrought with problems and highly _____________ (controversy).

8. She was ____________ (courage) in her battle with cancer.

9. There were three ________ (Mary) in the class and two __________ (James).

10. There were many species of ___________ (fish) in the new aquarium.

 

ANSWERS ACTIVITY 1

1. fewer                                  6. amount

2. amount                              7. number

3. fewer                                  8. fewer

4. number                              9. less

5. less                                    10. amount

 

ANSWERS ACTIVITY 2

1. safety                                               6. understanding

2. Consumption                                 7. controversial

3. regrettable                                      8. courageous

4. difficulties                                       9. Marys, Jameses

5. reliable                                           10. fish

 

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     c) Transcript

Hello, and welcome to Series 3 of Study English, IELTS preparation. I’m Margot Politis.

In this series we’ll look at some of the criteria for the assessment of the IELTS test, and some of the skills you’ll need to practice for the test.

The IELTS test has four modules: Writing, Speaking, Reading Listening

There are two different tests – the academic test for tertiary students and professionals and the general training test, which is for immigrants and people going on to vocational training.

Both tests have the same speaking and listening modules, but different reading and writing modules.

Knowing what the examiner is looking for can help improve your results because you will know what to focus on when practising.

Here are the features the examiner looks at in your writing and speaking. These are the things that are marked:

• Task Response
• Coherence and Cohesion
• Grammatical Accuracy and Range
• Vocabulary
• Fluency
• Pronunciation

What do these criteria mean?

Task response means how well you’ve understood and responded to the question or task.

For example, in the essay you must make sure you have answered all parts of the question and followed the instructions.

The next thing the examiner looks for is coherence and cohesion.

This is how you organise your answer.

For example, in the essay, coherence means that the essay works in its overall structure, making sense in the way it is organised.

Cohesion means that the essay flows well from one part to the next.

Another feature being assessed is grammatical range and accuracy.

When assessing grammatical range, the examiner is looking at the variety of sentence types you are able to use. You can’t rely on just using simple sentences and structures.

Grammatical accuracy simply refers to the number of errors in your language. That includes things such as punctuation.

The final feature assessed for writing is vocabulary.

The examiner looks at the accuracy of your spelling and the range of words you use to cover a topic.

You need to use the correct word forms and demonstrate that you can use them appropriately. You should also be aware of when to use formal or informal language. The essay needs to be formal, but you can use less formal language in the speaking test.

The speaking test is designed for you to show how well you can express yourself on a general topic.

It tests your vocabulary, the accuracy of your language and your ability to use a range of sentence forms. It also tests your coherence, by looking at how you organise and link your ideas while speaking.

Vocabulary, coherence and grammatical range and accuracy are criteria that also apply to the speaking test.

The remaining two criteria are only for the Speaking test: fluency and pronunciation.

Your ability to speak without hesitating or pausing too often shows how fluent you are. Fluency is the ability to speak smoothly and easily.

Now we’ll look at the last criterion for speaking - pronunciation.

How easily you can be understood is what pronunciation is about.

Aim to pronounce words correctly and use appropriate stress and intonation; and your voice needs to be strong and clear.

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Pronunciation is speaking clearly and at a natural pace.

To illustrate some of these criteria, next we’ll show you a short piece about the sport of gymnastics. Sport is a common topic in the speaking test and it’s important to be familiar with the words used to talk about it.

I do gymnastics at the Australian Institute of Sports. I was about 5 when I started and I started just fun gym. My mum was a coach, so I got into it from that. We train about 36 hours a week, which is pretty tough, but it’s worth it in the end. We don’t have a lot of school. We do usually 3 and a half hours of school in between our training. We have our main coach, who is the head coach of the AIS. He coaches my group for bars, floor and vault. But we have another coach for beam.

Notice she says I do gymnastics. Different verbs are used for different sports.

You say that you play football… or play basketball… but do gymnastics. … And you go fishing….

Some sports and activities have their own verbs. You don’t say "I do swimming", you say "I swim".

Now listen to how she uses the words train and coach:

My mum was a coach, so I got into it from that. We train about 36 hours a week, which is pretty tough, but it’s worth it in the end. We don’t have a lot of school. We do usually 3 and half hours of school in between our training. We have our main coach, who is the head coach of the AIS. He coaches my group for bars, floor and vault. But we have another coach for beam.

A coach is a teacher of sport.

Coach can be a noun, like this:

We have our main coach, who is the head coach of the AIS.

Coach can also be used as a verb. Here it’s used in the singular form 'coaches':

He coaches my group for bars, floor and vault.

She uses the word for practising a sport, train:

We train about 36 hours a week, which is pretty tough, but it’s worth it in the end.

The –ing form, training, can be used as a noun:

We don’t have a lot of school. We do usually 3 and a half hours of school in between our training.

And a coach can also be called a trainer.

You should watch English language TV to help build your vocabulary in this fashion because you will be marked on how well you use words and their various forms.

And you should think about things such as sentence forms. Even just talking about gymnastics, it’s possible to use quite complicated structures.

Listen to her again:

We train about 36 hours a week, which is pretty tough, but it's worth it in the end.

She uses a complex sentence - a clause combined with a relative clause:

We train about 36 hours a week, which is pretty tough

She then makes it into a complex/compound sentence by using the conjunction 'but' to add another clause.

We train about 36 hours a week, which is pretty tough, but it’s worth it in the end.

Thinking about and noticing sentence types will help with your grammatical range.

Listening to the way people talk for an extended period will help prepare you for the speaking test where you will be required to talk about a topic for 2 minutes.

So let’s recap. These are the things the markers are looking for:

• Task response – your ability to answer the question and correctly respond to instructions.

• Coherence and cohesion – how well you organise your language.

• Grammatical range and accuracy – the range of grammatical structures you use and how accurately you use them.

• Vocabulary – how well you use words and their forms.

And for the Speaking Test there is:

• Fluency – your ability to speak without hesitating; and finally,

• Pronunciation – how easily you can be understood.

In the coming episodes we will look at these criteria in more detail and explore ways of meeting them.

Remember that IELTS is testing your language skills so take every opportunity to practise your Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking to improve your accuracy, extend your vocabulary and develop your fluency. You will be building your confidence as well.

That’s all for now. To find more information about assessment and Band Scores, visit our Study English website at: australianetwork.com/studyenglish

Good Luck with your studies.

 

(Nguồn UTS: Insearch and Australia Network)

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