Unit Title

Topic

Exam focus

Introduction

Page number
4

Gender roles

Family matters

Diet &
nutrition

Health and fitness

Educational
goals

Education

Describing a chart;
Selecting and organising ideas;
Comparing contrasting quantities and
numbers

24

Biodiversity

Nature and the

environment

Describing a process;
Signposting a sequence of events

32

Global
English

Language and
communication

Writing an introduction and

40

1
2

Understanding visual prompts; Analysing

the question
Describing a line graph;

8
16

Generating ideas for an essay; Presenting

arguments

conclusion; Describing a diagram

6

The Internet

Science and
technology

Interpreting a table;
Signposting main points; Modifying
statements

48

Consumer
spending

Employment and
finances

Working with two visual prompts;

56

Children and
parents

Youth

Developing and linking supporting

An ageing
population

People and places

10 Fame

11 The car

Making correlations;
Developing supporting examples
64

examples;
Writing the conclusion

Culture and
modern society
Holidays and
travel

12 Practice test
Additional model essays
Answer key

Using cohesive devices;

Using punctuation effectively; Writing
topic sentences
Using appropriate vocabulary;

72

80

Avoiding repetition by use of synonyms

Learning how to correct errors;
Practising proofreading

88
96
98
110

Introduction
Who is this book for?
Writing for IELTS w\[l prepare you for the IELTS Academic Writing
test whether you are taking the test for the first time, or re-sitting
the test. It has been written for learners with band score 5-5.5
who are trying to achieve band score 6 or higher.
The structured approach, comprehensive answer key and model
answers have been designed so that you can use the materials to
study on your own. However, the book can also be used as a
supplementary writing skills course for IELTS preparation classes.
The book provides enough material for approximately 50 hours of
classroom activity.

Content
Writing for IELTS is divided into 12 units. Each unit focuses on a
topic area that you are likely to meet in the IELTS exam. This helps
you to build up a bank of vocabulary and ideas related to a variety
of the topics.
Units 1-11 cover the key stages of the writing process: everything
from analysing the task to proof-reading a completed response.
Every exercise is relevant to the test. The aims listed at the start
of each unit specify the key skills, techniques and language
covered in the unit. You work towards Unit 12, which provides a
final practice IELTS Writing test.
Additionally, the book provides examination strategies telling you
what to expect and how best to succeed in the test. Exam
information is presented in clear, easy-to-read chunks. Exam tips'
in each unit highlight essential exam techniques and can be rapidly
reviewed at a glance.

Unit structure
Each of the first 11 units is divided into 3 parts.
Part 1 introduces vocabulary related to the topic as well as a
selection of the most common academic words and expressions
needed for the writing functions covered in the unit. A range of
exercises gives you the opportunity to use the vocabulary - clearly
and effectively - in a variety of contexts. The vocabulary is
presented using Collins COBUILD dictionary definitions.
Part 2 provides step-by-step exercises and guidance on the key
stages of the writing process. Both writing Task 1 and Task 2 are

covered in each unit. There are guided questions and worked

examples to show you what an effective IELTS response looks like.
Useful expressions and grammatical forms are highlighted, and
there are exercises to help you to develop good range and
accuracy in your writing. You are encouraged to apply what you
have learnt while at the same time writing your own responses to
task questions.
Part 3 provides exam practice questions for Task 1 and Task 2 in a
format that follows the actual exam. You can use this as a means
of assessing your readiness for the actual exam.

Answer key
A comprehensive answer key is provided for all sections of the book

including recommended answers and explanations for more openended writing tasks. There are model answers for all of the writing
questions. For one of the practice exam questions in each unit, two
model answers are given - one of them annotated. This shows you that
a variety of approaches to each writing task can be taken.

Using the book for self-study

If you are new to IELTS, we recommend that you work systematically
through the 12 units in order to benefit from its progressive structure.
If you are a more experienced learner, you can use the aims listed at
the start of each unit to select the most useful exercises.
Each unit contains between three and four hours of study material.
Having access to someone who can provide informed feedback on
writing practice exercises is an advantage. However, you can still learn
a lot working alone or with a study partner willing to give and receive
peer feedback.
Ideally, you should begin each unit by working through the Part 1
vocabulary exercises. Try to answer the questions without looking at a
dictionary in order to develop the skill of inferring the meaning of
unfamiliar words from context. This is important because dictionaries
cannot be used during the actual exam. Avoid writing the answers to
vocabulary exercises directly into the book so that you can try the

exercises again once you have completed the unit.

Work through the Part 2 writing exercises from beginning to end. It is
important to study the examples given in order to become familiar
with the type of writing required. Doing this will also help you become
a perceptive - and critical - reader of your own work. The grammar
points covered should be thoroughly mastered so that during the
actual exam you can focus on the higher order skills of planning and
effectively communicating your response. All learners, including those
who are working on their own, should attempt the writing tasks as
writing is a skill that can only be improved through extensive practice.
At the same time, you should aim to become well-informed about a
wide variety of subjects, not just those covered in the book.
The IELTS Writing test can cover almost any topic considered to be
within the grasp of a well- educated person.
Part 3 contains exam practice with timed questions. This gives you the
opportunity to practise writing to a time limit. If you find this difficult
at first, you could focus first on writing a high- quality response of the
correct length. Then you could start to reduce the time allowed
gradually until you are able to write an acceptable answer within the
time limit. You should become familiar enough with your own hand
writing so that you can accurately estimate the number of words you
have written at a glance. Model answers should be studied to identify
the underlying approach and effect on the reader. Try not to memorise
essays or reports or to attempt to fit a pre-existing response around
another exam question. If you work systematically through the book,
you should develop the skills and language to effectively express your
own responses to unseen exam questions on the day.

The International
English Language
Testing System
(IELTS) Test
IELTS is jointly managed by the British Council, Cambridge ESOL
Examinations and IDP Education, Australia. There are two versions of the
test:

Academic
General Training
Academic is for students wishing to study at undergraduate or postgraduate levels in
an English-medium environment.
General Training is for people who wish to migrate to an English-speaking country.
This book is primarily for students taking the Academic version.

The Test
There are four modules:
Listening
Reading
Writing
Speaking
30 minutes, plus 10 minutes for transferring answers to the answer sheet
NB: the audio is heard only once.
Approx. 10 questions per section
Section 1: two speakers discuss a social situation
Section 2: one speaker talks about a non-academic topic
Section 3: up to four speakers discuss an educational project
Section 4: one speaker gives a talk of general academic interest
60 minutes
3
texts, taken from authentic sources, on general, academic topics. They may contain
diagrams, charts, etc.
40 questions: may include multiple choice, sentence completion, completing a diagram, graph
or chart, choosing headings, yes/no, true/false questions, classification and matching
exercises. Task 1: 20 minutes: description of a table, chart, graph or diagram (150 words
minimum)
Task 2: 40 minutes: an essay in response to an argument or problem (250 words minimum) 1114 minutes
A three-part face-to-face oral interview with an examiner.
The interview is recorded.
Part 1: introductions and general questions (4-5 mins)
Part 2: individual long turn (3-4 mins) - the candidate is given a task, has one minute to
prepare, then talks for 1-2 minutes, with some questions from the examiner.
Part 3: two-way discussion (4-5 mins): the examiner asks further questions on the topic from
Part 2, and gives the candidate the opportunity to discuss more abstract issues or ideas.
Timetabling Listening, Reading and Writing must be taken on the same day,
and in the order listed above. Speaking can be taken up to 7
days before or after the other modules.
Scoring Each section is given a band score. The average of the four scores produces
the Overall Band Score. You do not pass or fail IELTS; you receive a
score.

IELTS and the Common European Framework of Reference

The CEFR shows the level of the learner and is used for many English as a
Foreign Language examinations. The table below shows the approximate
CEFR level and the equivalent IELTS Overall Band Score:

CEFR description
Proficient user
(Advanced)

Independent user
(Intermediate - Upper Intermediate)

CEFR code
C2
C1
B2
B1

IELTS Band Score

9
7-8
5-6.5
4-5

IELTS Band Scores

9
Expert user
8

Very good user

Good user

Competent user

Modest user

Limited user

3
2

Extremely limited user

Intermittent user

Non user

Did not attempt the test

Has fully operational command of the language: appropriate, accurate and fluent with
complete understanding.
Has fully operational command of the language, with only occasional unsystematic
inaccuracies and inappropriacies. Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar situations.
Handles complex detailed argumentation well.
Has operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies,
inappropriacies and misunderstandings in some situations. Generally handles complex
language well and understands detailed reasoning.
Has generally effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriacies
and misunderstandings. Can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in
familiar situations.
Has partial command of the language, coping with overall meaning in most situations, though
is likely to make many mistakes. Should be able to handle basic communication in own field.

Basic competence is limited to familiar situations. Has frequent problems in understanding

and expression. Is not able to use complex language.
Conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations. Frequent
breakdowns in communication occur.
No real communication is possible except for the most basic information using isolated words
or short formulae in familiar situations and to meet immediate needs. Has great difficulty
understanding spoken and written English.
Essentially has no ability to use the language beyond possibly a few isolated words.
No assessable information provided.

Marking
The Listening and Reading papers have 40 items, each worth one mark if
correctly answered. Here are some examples of how marks are translated
into band scores:
band score 5 band score 6 band score 7
band score 5 band score 6 band score 7
Listening:
16 out of 40 correct answers
23 out of 40 correct answers 30 out of 40 correct answers
Reading 15 out of 40 correct answers 23 out of 40 correct answers 30 out of 40 correct
answers
Writing and Speaking are marked according to performance descriptors.
Writing: examiners award a band score for each of four areas with equal weighting:

Task achievement (Task 1)

Task response (Task 2)
Coherence and cohesion
Lexical resource and grammatical range and accuracy
Speaking: examiners award a band score for each of four areas with equal weighting:
Fluency and coherence
Lexical resource
Grammatical range
Accuracy and pronunciation
For full details of how the examination is scored and marked, go to: www.ielts.org

Aims:

Understanding the task I Understanding visual prompts

Overview of the writing task and process I Analysing the
question

Parti: Vocabulary
Many people believe that men and women are different in
fundamental ways. Decide which words are commonly
associated with men and which words with women.
a
b
c

aggressive
authoritative
competitive
compliant

e gentle
f strong
g vulnerable

A knowledge of abstract nouns is essential for academic

writing. Complete the sentences 1-6 with the noun form
(singular or plural) of the adjectives in brackets.
Example: Aggression is commonly considered a masculine trait.
Iaggressive]

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I

believe

that

men

and

women

have

different

(strong)

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ is not an exclusively feminine characteristic,

(gentle)

3 Many men have difficulty showing____________(vulnerable)

U

Some

people

have

difficulty

working

with

female

________________________________________________________
figures, (authoritative)

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Women

are

often

praised for_____________________________, whereas men are

praised for leadership.
(compliant)

There is some evidence that girls are better at

cooperation, while boys are happier

when they are in__________with one another, (competitive)

a bar chart
b diagram
comparisons

ii axis
iii columns

In IELTS Writing Task 1, you have to summarise

information which is usually presented in a visual form.
Match the figures 1-6 with the headings a-f. Then
complete the descriptions with the words i-ix. The first
one has been done for you.
cflow chart
e pie chart
dline graph
f table
ivtrends

Vpercentage

vivertical

vii segment
viii features
ix stage

This type of figure can be used to show (7) iv . The

horizontal (8)_______often
indicates time, and the
(9)_______axis often shows
what changes over time.
These figures are useful for illustrating (10)
between items or categories of items. This one compares men and women.
You can use a figure like this to show how a whole is composed
of parts. Here, each (11)________
indicates a (12)_______of the
whole.

You should present data like this if you need to give precise numbers. This example
contains four rows and five (13)
This type of figure is useful for representing a process. Each
box represents one (14)________
in the process.

Figures like this are also used to represent a process. They can also illustrate the (15)
__________of an object.

In IELTS Writing Task 2, you have to write an essay discussing opinions and
the reasons
for holding these opinions. Complete the Task 2 essay questions 1-5 with
the words a-e.
a agree

b consider c feel
e view

see

Many people think that boys and girls learn better when they are educated
separately.
How do you___________about this view?

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ In your
of opportunity for men and

, what should be done to promote equality

women?

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Do you

boys to be naturally more aggressive than

girls?

Many people argue that governments should intervene in the labour

market to ensure
that more women are promoted to positions of power. To what extent do
you_____________________________________________________________________________
with this practice?

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ What do you
inequality in the workplace?

as the main reasons for gender

Exam information:
In IELTS Writing Task 1, you have to summarise information which is
usually presented in the form of a table, a pie chart, a line graph, a bar
chart, a diagram, or a flow diagram.

Read the Task 1 instructions below and answer the questions 1-4.

! WRITING TASK 1
: You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
j The chart below shows the numbers of male and female research
students studying six I science-related subjects at a UK university in 2009.
j Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main
features, and make j comparisons where relevant.
j Write at least 150 words.

5 How long should you spend on this task?

6 How many words do you need to write?
7 Will you score higher marks if you include all the information in the
chart?

8 Are you expected to give your opinion about the information?

Your answer to Task 1 should include a brief introductory paragraph, 13 body paragraphs and, if you wish, a brief concluding paragraph. Read
the sample answer on page 11 and answer the questions 1-6 below.

9 What information does the introduction contain?

10 What is the main focus of the first body paragraph?
11 What is the main focus of the second body paragraph?
12 What is the purpose of the first sentence in each of the body

paragraphs?

13 What is the purpose of the second and third sentences

paragraph?

14 What is the purpose of the conclusion?

in eachbody

The bar chart shows the gender distribution of students doing scientific
research across a range of disciplines at a UK university in 2009.
In five of the six disciplines, males outnumbered females. Male students
made up a particularly large proportion of the student group in subjects
related to the study of inanimate objects and materials: physics, astronomy,
and geology. The gender gap was particularly large in the field of physics,
where there were five times as many mate students as female students.
Men and women were more equally represented in subjects related to the
study of living things: biology, medicine, and veterinary medicine. In biology,
there were nearly as many women (approximately 200] as men
(approximately 240). This was also true of medicine. Veterinary medicine was
the only discipline in which women outnumbered men (roughly 110 women
vs. 90 men).
Overall, the chart shows that at this university, science-related subjects
continue to be male-dominated; however, women have a significant presence
in fields related to medicine and the life sciences.

Mealtimes 2 hours
Sleeping 8

Average weekday activities of women in paid employment

Study the pie chart and read the sample answer below. Underline and
correct the mistakes the writer has made.
Exam tip: Always look carefully at what figures represent. If they represent
percentages, you must use expressions such as a targe/small/higher/lower
percentage of men ... If the figures give numbers, you can write
many/more/most/few/fewer men ...
The pie chart shows the numbers of hours devoted to various activities in the
average working woman's day. Women spend the largest proportion of their
waking day working in paid employment (seven hours) and doing domestic
chores (five hours). Women have on average relatively little time for
themselves; only two per cent of their day is devoted to leisure activities and
two per cent to mealtimes. Overall, the chart shows that working women are
busy every day of the week.
Exam information:
In IELTS Writing Task 2, you have to write an essay of 4-6 paragraphs in
answer to a question. The question wilt ask you to evaluate or present an
idea or solution to a problem. Your aim should be to present a strong
argument supported by evidence.

Read the Task 2 instructions below and complete the statements 1-4 by
circling a or b.
: You should spend about 40 minutes on this task, j Write about the following
topic:
j In spite of the many advances women have made in education and
employment, they ! continue to be at a disadvantage when it comes to pay
and promotion. In your view,
I
what should be done to promote equality of opportunity for men and
women in the i workplace?
j Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your
own j knowledge or experience.
; Write at least 250 words.

15 You should spend

a more time on Task 2 than on Task 1. b
the same amount of time on Task 2 and
Task 1.

In your response you should mainly

a explain why women are at a disadvantage, b suggest
solutions to the problem of inequality in the workplace.

To support your opinion,

you should a give reasons
and examples.
b give reasons or examples.

You have to write

a more than 250 words, b fewer than 250 words.

Read the sample answer on page 13 and the explanatory comments in the
boxes. Complete the boxes 1-5 by adding the comments a-e. Then answer
questions 1-5.
a an example
b summary of your
main points c a better
solution
d an acknowledgement that there are
difficulties e advantage of this solution
In many parts of the world, there is
now greater equality between
working men and women.
Nevertheless, women still tend to
earn less and enjoy fewer promotions
than men.

description of
the situation and
problem
an opposing
opinion
an advantage of
this solution
restatement of
your opinion
5______
-Some would argue that this situation
will correct itself overtime. However,
in my view, there is much that can
be done to address the problem
constructively.
One possible approach would be for-----------------governments to force employers to
promote the same numbers of men
and women and to pay them the
same salaries. This would certainly
.------------------------ tackle the problem quickly. However, measures
a disadvantage of like this would probably be seen as
excessive this solution
and difficult to enforce.
another solution

A more feasible approach would be for-------------governments themselves to take the

lead by ensuring that their male and
female employees earn the same for
equivalent work and that women are
promoted fairly. This would help to establish gender equality as a norm
and set a good example for
companies in the private sector.
Countries, such as Sweden and
Iceland, .which have done this are
often regarded by others as sociallyadvanced models.
-To further encourage equality,
companies could be required to
publish figures on the rank and
average earnings of men and women

in their workforce. Evidence of large

inequalities- would create a bad
impression. In order to avoid bad
publicity, companies might consider it
worthwhile to pay fairer wages and
promote more women to
management positions.
It is true that the problem of gender
inequality in the workplace will
probably not be solved quickly.
However, that is not a reason to avoid
taking action. Governments can
encourage change by showing the way
forward and taking- advantage of the
need for companies to present
themselves as fair and reasonable.

16 How long is the introduction?

17 How many body paragraphs are there?
18 How many main points are there?
U In what order are solutions discussed: from strongest to weakest or from
weakest to strongest?
5
What is the main purpose of the conclusion?
Exam information:
There are four types of Task 2 questions (a-d below). The question type wilt determine
how you ptan and write your essay. Each type requires you to do something different.
Question type
Comment and example
a Propose one or more solutions to a problem
b Evaluate one or more solutions to a problem
c Present your ideas about a topic
d Evaluate an idea about a topic
This type of question either contains the word should or it can be rephrased with should.
Example: How can the problem of inequality in the workplace best be addressed? = How
should we solve the problem of inequality?
You will recognise this type of question in the same way as a above.
Example: Many people believe that boys and girls learn better when they are educated
separately. What is your view on this practice? = Should boys and girls be educated
separately?
This type of question usually requires you to make a prediction or write about causes and/or
effects.
Example: What do you see as the main reasons for gender inequality in the workplace?
= What are the causes of gender inequality in the workplace?
This type of question asks you to consider the truth value of a prediction, explanation or statement.
Example: Many people maintain that boys are naturally more aggressive than girls. To
what extent do you agree with this view? = Consider the truth value of the statement that

boys are naturally more aggressive than girls.

6 Read the essay questions 1-5 below and indicate the type of essay (a-d) you need
to write.
(See the Exam information box above.) Underline the words in the essay
question that
helped you decide.

Why do you think women generally hold fewer positions of power?

In many parts of the world, unemployment among men is rising whilst the
number of positions in jobs traditionally held by women is increasing. Do you
think that women will overtake men as the main wage earners?

To what extent should governments intervene in the labour market to ensure

that men and women are paid the same amount for equivalent work?
U Although there has been a large increase in the numbers of women who go
out to work, women continue to do a disproportionate amount of housework
and childcare. What can be done to promote greater equality between men
and women within the home?
5 Some people believe that boys and girls behave differently only because
society teaches them that they are different. What is your view?
Exam tip: You should spend 6-7 minutes on the first 3 stages of writing: analysing the
question, thinking of ideas, and making a plan. You should spend about 30 minutes
writing your essay, and 3-4 minutes checking your essay for mistakes.

WRITING TASK 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The chart shows the percentage of male and female teachers
in six different types of educational setting in the UK in
2010.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the
main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
%

institute

WRITING TASK 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Women and men are commonly seen as having different
strengths and weaknesses. Is it right to exclude males or
females from certain professions because of their gender?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own
knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.

2 Diet & nutrition

Aims: Describing a line graph I Using tense and time expressions I Taking a position
Generating ideas for an essay I Presenting arguments and reasons for your opinion

Parti: Vocabulary

Match the expressions 1-9 with the correct definitions a-i.

1 organic food

a physical weakness resulting from lack of food or poor diet

2 dietary supplement

b fruit and vegetables available at particular times of the year

3 obesity

c food that needs little preparation and can be used at any time

k fast food

d a diet without meat or fish

5 genetically modified food

e food containing genes which have been altered

6 seasonal produce

f condition of being very overweight

7 convenience food

g tablets or foods taken to improve nutrition

8 malnutrition

h food grown without artificial fertilizers or pesticides

9 vegetarianism

i food that can be obtained quickly from a restaurant

The verbs a-h can all be used to describe line graphs. Match each expression
with the
part of the graph it best describes.
Average household expenditure

a
b
c
d
e
f

fall (fell, fallen)

peak (-ed, -ed)
reach (-ed, -ed) its lowest point
level (-led, -led) off
dip (-ped,-ped)
q remain (-ed, -ed) the same

fluctuate (-d, -d)

/week

1996
5Q

40

30
2o
10

on convenience foods (UK)

1998 2000 2002

2006 2008 2010
rise (rose, risen]

2004
60

There be + noun (+ in) can also be used to describe trends.

Example: There was a rise in fast food consumption.
Write the noun form of the verbs 1-7.
Example: rose rise
1 increased
2 peaked
3 decreased
U

5fell
6dropped
7fluctuated

dipped

The adjectives a-g can be used to describe the degree of change represented in a
line graph. Adjectives are placed before the noun.
Example: There was a sharp rise in fast food consumption.
Match each adjective with the line that it best describes.
a gradual b moderate c modest d sharp e dramatic f slight g steep

Adverbs can also be used to describe the degree of change. Adverbs come after the
verb.
Example: Fast food consumption rose sharply.
The sentences 1-5 on the left describe trends using there be + adjective + noun.
Complete the sentences on the right using the corresponding verb + adverb.
Sales of convenience food increased steeply.
Example: There was a steep increase in sales
of convenience food.
The use of dietary supplements
1 There was a dramatic decrease in the use of
dietary supplements.
Levels of obesity
2 There was a modest dip in levels of obesity.
3 There was a slight fall in the production of
genetically modified food.
4 There was a significant drop in levels of
malnutrition.
5 There was moderate fluctuation in the
availability of seasonal produce.

The production of genetically modified food

Levels of malnutrition
The availability of seasonal produce

In order to describe a line graph, you need to understand the time frame

and use the

correct tense. Study the graph below. Then read the passage and draw a
solid line (_______________________________________________________________
)
under examples of the past tense, a dotted line (.......) under examples of
the present
perfect tense, and circle the expressions which refer to the future. Then
answer questions 1-4.
g/person Average consumption of fresh produce

Consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables rose steadily from 1970 to 1990,
and then levelled off.
There was a dip in the early and mid 1990s, and then a further rise until it
reached a peak of 500g per person in 2005. Since then consumption has
fluctuated. Over the next ten years, consumption is expected to fall steadily.
Between 2020 and 2030, it is also projected to decline, but more gradually.

When should you use the past tense in describing a line graph?
When should you use the present perfect tense?
What other expressions can you use for future trends?
When would you use the present tense?
Complete the passage below using verbs, adverbs, adjectives and nouns.
Make sure you use the correct verb tenses. The first one has been done for
you.
%
1970

Malnutrition among the elderly

1980

2
0

1
8
1
6
1
4
1
2
1
0

1990

2000

2010

2020

2030

8
6

4
2

The percentage of malnourished elderly people in the EU fell gradually between

1970 and
1978. Over the following seven years, it (1)____________(2)_____________,
until 1990,
when it (3)____________at 16 per cent. After falling slightly, the rate of
malnutrition
(4)____________for a decade. Since 2000, there (5)_____________a
(6)
_______________fall.
Over the next ten years, it is (7)____________to (8)_____________[9]
________________________________________
When describing a line graph, you should also indicate precisely the time
you are referring to. Use the expressions a-e to complete the passage below.

a over the next.. ./for the following ... b thereafter

c from ... to/between ... and d until e in (x2)

The percentage of children using supplements is at its highest level (1)________________

January____________March. It then falls sharply and fluctuates (2)
__________________two months.
Supplement use continues to fall gradually (3)______________it
reaches
its
lowest point
(4)___________August. (5)____________, it increases gradually during the
autumn months
Exam tip: You can also use from ... to to describe the amount of change.
Example: The percentage of children taking dietary supplements fell from 21 per
cent in January to 6 per cent in March.
Notice that the start and end points are indicated by in (in January... in March]. If
you find this word order confusing, put the time frame at the start of the sentence
and the amount of change at the end.
Example: Between January and March, the percentage of children taking dietary
supplements fell from 21 per cent to 8 per cent.
and more sharply (7) December.

Description 1
The percentage of obese adults rose steadily from 8 per cent in 1950 to 15 per cent in 1970. There
was a slight dip, and then there was a gradual rise until 1990. It rose steeply for the next ten years,
and then it levelled off. It has risen even more sharply, and it is projected to peak at 35 per cent in
2010 and then it will level off.
Description 2
The percentage of obese adults rose steadily from 8 per cent in 1950 to 15 per cent in 1970. There
was a slight dip, followed by a gradual rise until 1990. After rising steeply for the next ten years, it
levelled off. Since then, it has risen even more sharply. It is projected to peak at 35 per cent in
2010, and level off thereafter.

Compare the two descriptions of a graph on obese adults. Underline any

differences that you find.
Now use the expressions: followed by..., after+ -ing and since then to
rewrite the description below. Remove any unnecessary words.

5
6
1
5

Between 1996 and 1999, expenditure on convenience foods fell gradually from
approximately 25 per week to half that amount. It rose sharply over the next
three years and then levelled off at 30 per week. It remained the same for
over two years. It dipped briefly and then rose slightly. Between 2005 and 2007
it fluctuated. It rose sharply and peaked at nearly 50 per week in 2008 and
then started to fall.
Once you have analysed the title, you need to generate ideas. It helps to
begin by identifying how you feel about the topic. Look at the statements 15 below and mark them according to how closely they represent your
opinion. SA (Strongly agree), A (agree),

D (disagree), SD (strongly disagree)

4
Because fast food is generally unhealthy, governments should regulate
the fast food industry in the same way that they regulate the alcohol and tobacco
industries.
Convenience food will become increasingly prevalent and eventually replace
traditional foods and traditional methods of food preparation.
19
We should return to more natural methods
of food production, such as organic farming, even if this means that we
produce food less efficiently.
^
2 In order to improve public health, governments should require food
manufacturers to add nutrients to their products.
3 The problem of rising levels of obesity in many parts of the world is mainly
due to people's tack of knowledge about food and nutrition.
When you write your essay, you must give reasons for your opinions. You
should also show that you have tested your opinion by comparing it with at
least one other opinion and examined the reasoning behind it. Look at the
two opinions below and the reasons a-g. Indicate which reasons support
each opinion by writing letters a-g in the spaces provided. The first one has

been done for you.

20 Some people strongly agree that we should return to more natural methods
of food
production, such as organic farming, even if this means that we produce
food less efficiently. They believe this because:_c_ ,__,
2
Other people strongly disagree that we should return to more natural
methods of food
production, such as organic farming, even if this means that we produce
food less efficiently. They believe this because:_,_____,_____,
Reasons

a More people will need to be employed on farms, and fewer people will be
available to do work that will help the country develop economically, b
Producing food less efficiently could lead to food shortages, c It is better for
the environment to produce food using fewer chemicals such as pesticides and
herbicides.
d Organically produced food is no more nutritious than food produced using
pesticides and artificial fertilisers.
e Naturally produced food tastes better than food produced using more
artificial methods, f Food that has been produced without preservatives is less
likely to stay fresh, so more food may be wasted.
Exam tip: Templates are useful for training yourself to think of a range of points
quickly and write about them in an organised way. However, during the actual
exams, you should spend only 3-4 minutes on this stage, so you will probably have to
do your preparation in your head rather than on paper.
g Man-made chemicals used in modern methods of food production could be
harmful to human health.
1 What can governments do to encourage children to eat a healthier diet?
Templates A and B below can be used for essay questions that involve writing
about solutions to problems. Read the essay questions 1 and 2 and complete
Templates A and B with the missing information a-h below.

Template A: What is the solution? essay questions

What are the
What are the positive
What specific action
possible
consequences?
can be taken?
solutions?

Regulate the Require food

food industry. producers to fortify
their products with
vitamins.
Regulate school 2
meats.

What are the drawbacks?

This would be unpopular

& expensive for food
producers.
Children would have at This would not stop
least 1 healthy meal per chitdren from bringing
day.
unhealthy packed
lunches or going out for
lunch to fast food
outlets.

Require schools to
teach children to
cook healthy foods.

Children can take pride

in their learning &
transfer these skills to
the home.

2 Should the government regulate the fast food industry in the same way that it
regulates the drug, alcohol and tobacco industries?
a Schools may not have the facilities to teach cooking, b
Children would eat healthier food without having to change
their habits, c Require schools to provide only healthy food and
drink at lunch time, d Educate children about healthy eating.

Template B: Evaluate the solution' essay questions

What are the possible
solutions?
Solution in the question:

What specific action can be Positive

taken?
consequence(s)

Restrict opening hours.

Regulate the fast food
Restrict location, e.g.
industry like drug, alcohol not near schools.
& tobacco industries.

Drawbackls)

Send a clear signalThis would not stop

that fast food is badpeople cooking &
for health.
eating unhealthy food
5
at home.
6

television advertising
public health campaign
showing long-term
explaining the dangers of consequences of
eating too much fast food unhealthy diet
Other possible solution:

Help people change People could ignore

their eating habits government advice. 8
fundamentally.
7

e Reduces peoples access to unhealthy foods.

f Effectiveness of public health campaigns can be difficult to measure, g Allows
freedom of choice.
h Too much government interference is unpopular with business & bad for the
economy.
2 The problem of obesity is mainly due to peoples lack of knowledge about healthy
eating. To what extent do you agree with the statement above?
Similar templates can be used for Task 2 essay questions that require you to
discuss ideas. However, instead of listing positive consequences and
drawbacks, you will list evidence for the idea and evidence against.
1 Dieting to lose weight has become increasingly prevalent in the developed world.

Why do you think people nowadays are so concerned with body shape and size?
Read the essay questions 1 and 2 and complete Templates C and D with the
missing information.
Template C: Discuss your ideas essay questions
What are your ideas?

What is the evidence for?

What is the evidence against?

Advertisements
encourage people to
value slim figures.

Advertisements often show Advertisers wouldnt use slim

desirable consumer products models unless the public already
alongside slim models.
had a favourable view of them.
1
People associate slimness People who do not eat too
with positive character much are seen as having good
traits.
self-control.
3

If people diet too much, they

may become malnourished.

Template D: Evaluate an idea' essay questions

What are the ideas?

What is the evidence for?

What is the evidence against?

Idea in the question:

Obesity is due to lack of knowledge
about healthy eating.
Other possible idea: 6

Part 3: Exam practice

WRITING TASK 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The graph shows the percentage of UK adolescents following a vegetarian
diet. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main
features.
Write at least 150 words.
0/

UK adolescents following a vegetarian diet

WRITING TASK 2
You should spend about U0 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Convenience foods will become increasingly prevalent and
eventually replace traditional foods and traditional methods of
food preparation.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own
knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.

3 Educational goals
Aims:

Describing a chart I Expressing language of quantities and numbers

Comparing and contrasting quantities and numbers
Selecting and organising ideas I Writing a basic argument
outline

Parti: Vocabulary

Match the school subjects a-h with the pictures 1-8 above.
a

Mathematics________

Media, Film and Television

Studies

b
c

Biology_______
Chemistry_______

f
g

Physical Education (PE)_________

Health and Food Technology

Art and Design_______

Computing________

(HFT)

Each adjective in column 1 commonly collocates with one of the nouns in

column 2. Complete the sentences 1-6 with one adjective and one noun.
Adjectives
Nouns
rote
critical

standards
education

higher

dishonesty

continuous

learning

formal
educational

thinking
examinations

academic

assessment

Example: Cheating in examinations is one form of academic dishonesty.

If
you
need
to
memorise
large
amounts
of
information,
__________________________________________________________________
is
probably a good method to use.

2
If

you

need

to

evaluate

information,

you

need

skills.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ In

countries, students sit____________________________________in

many
order

to

determined

by

graduate.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Access to is

often

performance in university
entrance examinations.

In
some
countries,
instead of by
end-of-term examinations.
Some
people
will decline.

worry

progress

that

is

without

measured

by

examinations,

The expressions i-vi are useful for describing quantity. Match them with the
percentages a-f below.
i nearly half

a85%

ii the vast majority

b75%

iii a small minority

c46%

iv three quarters

d31%

just under a third

e24%

vi roughly one in four

f15%

The bar chart below shows the results of a survey of how people felt about
examinations. Complete the sentences 1-6, which describe the chart, using
the expressions i-vi from Exercise 3.

Examination survey

21 ______________of those surveyed said they found the challenge exciting.

22 ______________of respondents said they felt anxious.
23 ______________said they felt more competitive.
24 ______________of those surveyed replied that they felt more focused.
25 ______________indicated that examinations made them lose interest in

their studies.
of those who responded said they felt motivated to work harder.The bar
chart below shows the numbers of students sitting examinations in eight
different subjects and the percentage of students gaining top marks. For
this type of data, you are expected not just to describe, but also to
compare and contrast the information. You can use comparative forms to
compare two or more items:

more/fewer/less + noun + than

Overall, more students sat examinations in science-related subjects than
in arts-related subjects.
adjectives of one syllable: -er + than
A higher percentage of students gained top marks in Mathematics than in
Chemistry.
more/less + adjective of two or more syllables +
than Science-related subjects were more popular
than arts-related subjects.
You can use superlative forms to compare one item with the remainder
of the group:
the most/least + adjective

The most popular subject was Mathematics.

adjectives of more than one syllable: -est
The highest percentage of students gaining top marks was in
Mathematics.
You can use as + adjective + as to express similarity: Art and Design
was nearly as popular as Chemistry.

Mathematics Biology Chemistry Art + Design Media, Film + TV Physical Education Health + Food Technology
Computing
20
80

40

60

Complete the sentences 1-6 with a comparative or superlative form.

thousands

26 Nearly____many students sat the Art and Design exam__________did the

2

Chemistry exam.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The percentage of students gaining top marks in Art and Design was slightly____________
than
the percentage of students achieving top marks in Chemistry.
3 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ The popular subjects were Physical Education, Health and Food
Technology,
and Computing.
U The HFT examination was taken by__________students than the PE examination.

However, a____percentage of students taking the HFT exam gained top marks.
The____percentage of students gaining top marks was in Media, Film and

Television
Studies.

Exam tip: Use adverbs to make your comparisons more exact.

To emphasise a difference, you can use: many, much, far, and significantly.
Many more students sat examinations in science subjects.
Science-related subjects were much more popular than arts-related subjects.
For small differences you can use: slightly or nearly as ... as.
The percentage of students gaining top marks in Chemistry was slightly higher than
the percentage of students gaining top marks in Art and Design.
Nearly as many students sat the Art and Design exam as did the Chemistry exam.
You can use expressions such as in contrast to express difference, or the
same to express similarity. Read the sentences 1-4 below. Write S if the
sentence expresses similarity and D if it expresses difference. Underline the
words which helped you decide.

The percentage of top marks was quite high in subjects such as

Mathematics, which are traditionally regarded as difficult. On the other
hand, the percentage of top marks was relatively low in subjects such as
HFT, which are commonly regarded as soft'.

Whereas 45 per cent of Mathematics candidates gained top marks, only

12 per cent of
Media, Film and Television candidates gained top marks--------------

Similar numbers of students sat examinations in Art and Design and in

Chemistry.

Sixteen per cent of students gained top marks in both Physical

Education and
Computing---------To do well in IELTS Writing Tasks, you must show that you can use a range of
expressions and structures for functions like comparing and contrasting. Rewrite the sentences 1-5 using the words in brackets.

27 More girls than boys passed their English examinations, (fewer)

28 The same number of boys and girls achieved a passing grade in Mathematics,
(as... as)

29 Boys did well in Technology; girls, in contrast, did well in language-related

subjects,
(whereas)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The number of passes in Religious Studies was higher for girls than for
boys, (lower)

5
Nearly as many girls as boys passed the Economics exam, (similar)
Read the Task 2 question below.
In order to be truly employable, the educated person
should be able to demonstrate not just knowledge but also the
ability to work independently \
in teams.
How can teamwork best be encouraged
and assessed in ;
educational settings?

Once you have analysed the question, taken a position and generated some
ideas, you need to decide which of your ideas to include and in what order
to include them. You can use an essay outline to do this. Look at the
example below and answer questions 1-4.
Ideas
1

Solutions
Specific action
require students to
assign group research
work on group projects project investigating
outside school
aspect of local history

Positive consequences

group project could be ask students to

done partly in school, periodically present
partly outside school work in progress' in class

3
some teacher
monitoring + student
self- assessment

motivating for students

students would learn to work
as a team
students would make more
friends

Drawbacks

difficult to assess
individual students'
contribution to team
some projects would be
poor quality
some teachers wouldn't
be good at this
time-consuming for large
classes

teacher could monitor

students' work more easily

its better for students to be
in classrooms because thats
what people expect
burden of monitoring and
some students would
assessing progress shared by
students keep a learning
dishonestly claim they
teacher
and
students
journal throughout the
worked harder than they
project
did

Essay outline
Introduction: importance of training students
in teamwork Body paragraph 1:
Solution 1: require students to work on group projects outside of
school Specific action: assign group research project investigating
aspect of local history Positive consequences: motivating for students;
students would learn to work as a team independently
Drawback: difficult to assess individual student's contribution to team
effort Body paragraph 2:

Solution 2: group project could be done partly in school, partly outside

of school Specific action: ask students to periodically present 'work in
progress in class Positive consequences: teacher could monitor
students work more easily Drawback: time-consuming for large classes
Body paragraph 3:
Solution 3: in addition to some teacher monitoring, students assess own
progress Specific action: students write a learning journal throughout the
project Positive consequences: burden of monitoring and assessing progress
shared by teacher and students
Conclusion: teamwork can be taught and assessed but needs to be done in the
right way

What type of question is this: A: propose a solution, B: evaluate a solution,

C: present an idea or D: evaluate an idea?

Which of her ideas has the writer omitted from body paragraphs one

and two? Why?

Why has the writer chosen to list her main ideas in this order?

U Why has the writer included drawbacks in body paragraphs one and two but
not in three?
Read the Task 2 question below and complete the table with your own ideas.
Take a position. Then select the most appropriate ideas and write an outline
using the headings given.

a\
j

Success in formal pen and paper examinations is often seen to be

sign of intelligence.

To what extent do you agree with the view that formal

examinations j
measure intelligence?
\
Ideas

Template D: Evaluate an idea

What are the ideas?
Idea in the question:

Exams measure
intelligence.

What is the evidence for?

What is the evidence against?

People who do well in exams often do

well in other types of tasks, e.g.
assignments.
Exams usually include a range of tasks
to measure different abilities.

Pen & paper exams are often

predictable - students can prepare by
rote learning.
1

Other possible idea:

There are probably

different types of
intelligence - these can
only be measured in
different ways.

Some people express themselves much

better verbally than in writing. 7

Essay outline Introduction;

Body paragraph 1:
Evidence for: Evidence against: Body paragraph 2: Evidence against: Evidence
for: Conclusion:
Exam information:
If you are aiming for an IELTS band 6.0, it is probably sufficient simply to
list your main points along with reasons and examples (Firstly,...
Secondly,... Thirdly,...}. If you are aiming for a band 6.5 or above, you
are more likely to achieve this score if you demonstrate some critical
thinking skills. This means discussing the advantages and disadvantages of
different solutions and ideas.

Read the Task 2 question below and complete the table with your own
ideas. Take a position, select the most appropriate ideas, and write an
outline.
In many countries, students attend private 'cram schools' for extra
coaching in j test-taking techniques.

i
Ideas

Essa
y
outli
ne
Intr
odu
ctio
n:

What is your view of this practice?

Bod
y
para
grap
h 1:
Bod
y
para
grap
h 2:
Con
clusi
on:

Look at Template C Discuss your ideas in Unit 2. Draw up headings for an

outline for this type of question.
Introduction:
Body paragraph 1:
Body paragraph 2:
Conclusion:

part 3: Exam practice

WRITING TASK 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The graph compares the percentage of international and the
percentage of UK students gaining second class degrees or
better at a major UK university.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting
the main features. Write at least 150 words.

I I UK students
30 I International students

UK and international students gaining second

class degrees or better (2009)

WRITING TASK 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Many people believe that formal pen and paper examinations
are not the best method of assessing educational achievement.
What is your view of examinations ?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own
knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.

U Biodiversity
Aims:

Describing a process I Using the active and passive voice

Signposting a sequence of events I Using the language of cause and effect
Overviewing the academic style

Parti: Vocabulary

Match the pictures 1-6 above with the natural habitats a-f.
a
b

estuary
forest

c
d

mangrove swamp
desert

e grasslands
f rainforest

The expressions a-g below describe sources of damage to the environment.

Complete the sentences 1-7 using these expressions. The first one has been
done for you.
a oil spills
b intensive farming
warming
c strip mining

d
e

logging
acid rain

f overgrazing
g global

31 Intensive farming in wheat-growing countries like Canada has led to the loss
of natural grasslands.

32 ____________causes damage to forests as well as limestone monuments.

33 Indiscriminate_____________of tropical hardwoods has contributed to the
destruction of
rainforests.

___________________________________________________

erosion and
desertification.

of grasslands by cattle and sheep is associated with soil

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Off-shore frequently result in damage to mangrove

swamps and the
unique species that live there.
6

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ The

thinning of the arctic icecap has been attributed to____________________

7
3

___________________________________________________

for minerals near river banks is linked to soil erosion and

degradation
of estuaries.
Look again at sentences 1-7 in exercise 2 and answer the questions 1-3.

34 Which sentences express a cause-and-effect relationship?

35 Which sentences express an association (possibly, but not necessarily, causeand-effect)?

36 How is contribute to different from cause?

4, Cause-and-effect relationships can also be expressed using a number of
different words and expressions:
because + dependant clause
Because mangrove swamps have been damaged, many unique species are now
endangered. Many unique species are now endangered because mangrove
swamps have been damaged.
because of+ noun phrase
Because of damage to mangrove swamps, many unique species are
now endangered, due to
Many unique species are now endangered due to damage to mangrove
swamps, therefore/consequently/as a result + clause
Mangrove swamps have been damaged; therefore, many unique species are
now endangered, so
Mangrove swamps have been damaged, so many unique species are
now endangered. so+ that+ clause
Mangrove swamps have been so damaged that many unique species are now
endangered.
Re-write the sentences 1-4 below using the words in brackets. Make any
other changes necessary.
Land has been farmed so intensively that there has been a significant
decline in biodiversity, (contributed to)
Intensive farming----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Loss of vegetation has caused a decline in the insect population,

(consequently)

Vegetation-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Because there are fewer insects, the small animals that feed on them have
moved elsewhere, (so)
There are------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The disappearance of prey species has resulted in a marked reduction in
numbers of predators such as wild cats and owls, (because of)
There has been__________________________________________________________________

Each pair of words or phrases in italics in the sentences 1-5 below expresses
a similar meaning. Underline the word which makes the sentence more
moderate.
37 Acid rain has damaged/destroyed acres of forest.
38 As a result, many woodland species have become extinct/are endangered.
39 The loss/disappearance of predator species has caused an increase in
numbers of prey species.
40 Many forests can no longer be used/expioited for commercial purposes.
41 Governments should ban/limit the burning of fossil fuels, which causes acid
rain.

Part 2: Practice exercises: Task 1

Read the two process descriptions below. Use information from the second
description to complete the flowchart.
Clear cutting
The flow chart illustrates the process of clear cutting, a logging practice which
involves the complete removal of trees from a given area.
Firstly, access roads to the area are cut. Secondly, the entire crop of standing trees is
felled by mechanized harvesters. The trees are then 'extracted', or brought to the road
side.
Once the trees have been extracted, they are processed by chain saw. The limbs and
tree tops are removed. The stems are 'bucked', that is cut into logs of a specified
length. The logs are then sorted by size and loaded onto logging trucks for transport to
the sawmill.
In the final stage, the land is prepared for future harvests. The remaining scrub is
gathered into large piles and burnt. The area is then re-planted.
Forest re-growth
The flowchart illustrates the process of forest re-growth following a period of
widespread deforestation.
The first plants to grow are 'pioneer' plants, which can survive in harsh conditions.
They provide shade, gather moisture, and return organic material to the soil. They
therefore create the conditions for other plants to thrive.
In the second phase of re-growth, shrubs emerge. They quickly cover the ground,
crowding out the pioneers. However, they too eventually die off as young trees push
through the brush. Within ten years, trees finally take over, preventing light from
reaching the forest floor.

unn u

Now look at options i and ii and decide in each case whether you would
normally use the active or the passive voice.

when the process is natural

when there is a human agent

The descriptions on page 34 contain examples of how several stages of a

process can be combined in one sentence. Read the descriptions again and
notice how the groups of sentences 1-5 below have been combined. Study
the examples and then join each group of sentences without looking at the
model texts. The first one has been done for you.
Example: The first plants to grow are pioneer plants. Pioneer plants can
survive in harsh conditions.
The first plants to grow are pioneer plants, which can survive in harsh
conditions.

42 Pioneer plants provide shade. Pioneer plants gather moisture. Pioneer plants
return organic material to the soil.

43 Shrubs quickly cover the ground. Shrubs crowd out the pioneers.
44 However, shrubs too eventually die off. Young trees push through the brush.
45 The logs are sorted by size. The logs are loaded onto logging trucks. They
are transported to the sawmill.

46 The trees have been extracted. The trees are processed by chain saw.

47 The descriptions in Exercise 1 also contain examples of signposting language,

which
mark the stages of the process. Find examples from the texts in Exercise 1
that signpost the following stages:
beginning stages:

Firstly

Exam tip: Do not overuse signposting expressions. One signposting expression at the
start, one or two in the middle and one at the end are sufficient in most cases.
In process descriptions, the most frequently used signpost is the adverb then. It is
normally placed between the subject and verb (Precipitation then increases} or
between the auxiliary verb and the main verb [The trees are then extracted}.

m
i
d
d
l
e

s
t
a
g
e
s
:

e
n
d

s
t

a
g
e
s
:
The process diagram below includes both man-made and natural
phenomena. Complete the sentences 1-10 using an active or passive
verb form. The first one has been done for you.

A dam is constructed at the river head.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ The flow of water

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Floodingless frequent.

down.

U A sand bar___________across the estuary.

The quantity of nutrients on land declines
and agricultural output __________

Salinity in the estuary___________

The human population__________
Fewer fish__________
Mangrove trees___________

Mangrove cover in the estuary__________

Join each pair of sentences a-f below using the structure, word or
expression in brackets. Make any other necessary changes. Then
rewrite the sentences as a passage, adding any signposting expressions
from Exercise 3 that you think are suitable.

a 1 and 2 [-ing clause) Example: A dam is constructed at the river head,

slowing the flow of water.

b 3 and 5 (because) ________________________________________________________________

c U and 6 (as a result) ______________________________________________________________

d6

and 8 (as)

__________________________________________________________

e 7, 8 and 9 (due to) _______________________________________________________________

f 9 and 10 (once)

__________________________________________________________

unu u

Part 2: Practice exercises: Task 2

6

Compare the introductions and first body paragraphs of two responses to the
Task 2 question below. Underline the differences and then answer questions
1-2.
Many species of plants and animals have come and gone
throughout the history of the Earth. From this perspective,
extinction can be seen as part of a natural process. Some people
have argued that we should not, therefore, make heroic efforts to
preserve the natural habitats of endangered plants and animals
when doing so would conflict with human interests.
\

To what extent do you agree with this view?

Response 1
If you look at it that way, it's true that humans and animals have conflicting interests. People have
always exploited animals for food and clothing, and farmers have brought bigger and bigger areas of
land under cultivation. But should we keep on doing this?
In regions of the world where the population is growing, and there aren't enough resources, the
conflict between humans and animals is really bad. If you go to Africa, for example, you can see
large nature reserves alongside really poor human settlements. I love the idea of elephants and lions
living in the wild. But often it's the poor farmer living nearby who's got to pay the cost in terms of
land and lost earnings.
Response 2
Looked at from a broad historical perspective, it is true that humans and animals have conflicting
interests. People have always exploited animals for food and clothing, whilst farmers have brought
ever-increasing areas of land under cultivation. Whether this process should continue is a question
that requires careful consideration.
In regions of the world where the population is growing, and resources are scarce, the conflict
between humans and animals is particularly problematic. This can be seen in parts of Africa, for
example, where large nature reserves sit alongside very poor human settlements. People living

thousands of miles away may value the idea of elephants and lions living in the wild. However, often
it is the poor farmer living nearby who must pay the cost in terms of land and lost earnings.

1
2

What is the main difference between these two responses?

What are the main characteristics of the style of the second response?

Exam tip: If writing in an academic style is new to you, make sure that you do not
write in an overly complicated way. Above all, your writing should be clear and easy
to read. Avoid writing more than one subordinate clause in each complex sentence.
Do not write in a way that is so impersonal that your message is obscured. Do not use
a lot of words to express an idea when a few words would be sufficient.
The table on page 38 outlines four characteristics of academic style.
Complete the table with examples from the texts in Exercise 6.
Characteristics of academic style
Academic style is impersonal. Avoid overusing personal
pronouns (e.g. 1, you, we) and addressing the reader
directly.

Examples from Responses 1 and 2

Informal style

Academic style

If you look at it
that way,...

Looked at from a broad

historical perspective,...

bad

problematic

Academic style is not emotional. Avoid absolute

statements and exaggeration (e.g. totally, perfect],
emotive words (e.g. terrible, adore] and words that
express value judgments (e.g. immoral].
Academic style uses fewer conjunctions [and, but] and and farmers
more subordinators (whereas, because] and sentence
linkers (nevertheless, therefore].
Academic style uses different vocabulary. Avoid colloquial It's
expressions, phrasal verbs (e.g. take up, break out],
double comparatives (e.g. more and more], contacted
forms (e.g. isnt, won't] and the
words get, a lot of and really.

whilst farmers

It is

Re-write the second half of the essay below in the academic style.
But if you think about plants, the advantages of conservation are more
apparent. You have to remember that wild plants aren't just things of beauty;
they're also a really valuable resource. Wild plants have been used throughout
history to make medicines. Take aspirin, for example. And if certain varieties of
crops are prone to disease, you could use wild plants to develop new varieties.
There are lots of plants that we haven't even discovered yet, so you never know
what they might be useful for.
All in all, I'd say its worth trying to preserve natural habitats because wild
animals and plants are really special and they could be life savers. But we've
got to remember that peoples basic needs have to be met too. So, we have to

do it in a fair way.
Re-write the sentences 1-2 below to make them clearer and easier to read.
Remove unnecessary words and divide long sentences if required.
Example: The desirability of avoiding environmental degradation is an idea
that most people probably agree with.
Most people do not want to damage the environment.

48 It could be argued, though the opposite view might be equally true, that the
tendency that many people have to acquire riches and material wealth is
one of several possible factors that may encourage people to exploit the
natural environment excessively.

49 It is possible that some people may believe that environmental degradation

is a process that cannot be avoided in the long term because the countries
of the world do not have a way or means of enforcing environmental
agreements which their leaders may have committed themselves to,
possibly for the wrong reasons, for instance simply to create a favourable
impression in the mass media and television.

unit k

part 3:

Exam practice

WRITING TASK 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The flow chart illustrates the consequences of deforestation.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features.
Write at least 150 words.

WRITING TASK 2
You should spend about U0 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
The importance of biodiversity is being more widely
recognised as increasing numbers of species come under
threat.
What can be done to maintain biodiversity?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own
knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.

5 Global English
Aims:

Describing a diagram I Writing an introduction and conclusion

Parti: Vocabulary
The expressions a-h below are all related to language. Use each
expression once to complete the sentences 1-8.
e mother tongue f non-native g official language h standard form
a bilingual b foreign language c lingua franca d minority languages

50 The majority of people living in the US. the UK, Canada,

Australia,
and
New
Zealand
speak
English
as
their
_____________________________________________________________
2_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ English is a(n) in a further
fifty-three countries, including India
and the Philippines.
3 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ English
is
the most widely taught__________________________________in
the
world.
U Because English is used by so many people around the world for so many
purposes, it is widely regarded as a____________
5 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ The ratio of speakers to native
speakers of English is roughly
three to one.
6
People who can speak two languages fluently are commonly
referred to as

There are many different varieties of English spoken throughout

the world; in fact,
there is no single______________________
8
Many people fear that the spread of English as a global language
will contribute to the
death of______________________
Match the types of words and expressions 1 -7 below with the examples a-g.
1 a loanword

a lol

2 a colloquialism

b thou

3 a dialect of English

c cafe

4 a technical term

d There's more than one way to skin a cat.

5 an obsolete term

e Geordie

6 a saying

f wanna (= 'want to']

7 text speak

g refraction

unn o
3

in IELTS Writing Task 2, you are often required to express more than one
point of view.
You can use reporting verbs to do this. In English, there is a wide
variety of reporting verbs, which can be used:

to express beliefs: believe, maintain, suspect, think

in discussion: argue, assert, claim, insist, say

to show agreement: accept, acknowledge, admit, advocate, agree,

concede, support

to show disagreement: challenge, deny, disagree, dismiss, doubt,

object, question, refute

to give suggestions: imply, suggest, urge

Reporting verbs can be tentative (e.g. suspect, suggest), neutral (e.g.
say, agree), or emphatic (e.g. assert, dismiss). Look at the sentences
1-7 below and underline the stronger of the two reporting verbs.

51 Many people insist/argue that there is one 'best' variety of English.

52 However, I question/refute the idea that one variety of the language is
better than another.

53 Some people doubt/deny the value of a bilingual education.

54 Others accept/advocate the idea of a bilingual education, even for very
young children.
55 I would urge/suggest that educational authorities do all they can to
promote minority languages.
56 Some people suspect/maintain that within a century, there will only be two
or three languages spoken in the world.
57 Other people dismiss/doubt the idea that all but two or three languages will
die out.

Different reporting verbs are followed by different structures:

that + clause: Some people argue that governments should subsidise...
whether + clause: Others question whether governments should
subsidise ...

reporting verb +

preposition + noun/noun phrase: / object to the policy of

government subsidies ...

noun/noun phrase: Most people support the idea of

subsidising ...

gerund: Educators recommend subsidising ...

object + infinitive verb: / would urge the government to

subsidise ...
Some reporting verbs can be followed by more than one type of structure.
For example:

question +

whether + clause: Others question whether schools should

promote ...

noun phrase: Others question the feasibility of promoting ...

Re-write the sentences 1-4 below using the phrases a-d. Make any
changes necessary for a more academic style.
a Some people insist...
c I concede...
b Teachers recommend ...
d I refute the idea ...
58 Maybe making English a mandatory subject in primary schools isn't such a
good idea.

59 The world definitely needs one common language for trade.

60 It is highly unlikely that everyone in the world will speak the same
language at any point in the future.

61 You should practise a foreign language outside the classroom if you

want to become really fluent in it.

Part 2: Practice exercises: Task 1

Sometimes IELTS Writing Task 1 requires you to describe a diagram. Read
the response below, which describes a diagram showing the relationship
between a number of different languages. Sketch the diagram to see how
well you understood the description.
The diagram shows the languages of Europe, Iran, and the Indian
subcontinent and how they are related through a common IndoEuropean root language.
There are seven main branches: three represent the languages spoken
throughout Western Europe, and four represent the languages spoken
further to the east. The Western European branches include the Celtic,
Germanic, and Italic languages. Some of these languages, such as Scots
or Welsh, are spoken by relatively few people, but others, including
German and English (from the Germanic branch) and French and
Spanish (Italic branch) are among the most widely spoken languages in
the world.
The eastern Indo-European branches include the languages spoken in
Iran, the Indian Subcontinent, Greece, and the Slavic countries. The
Indian branch comprises several languages including Hindi, Urdu and

Bengali. The Slavic branch covers languages spoken in Eastern Europe,

such as Russian and Polish, as well as Czech.
Overall, the diagram shows that languages that are commonly regarded
as very different are, in fact, related.
Look at the diagram below and the text on page A3 which describes it.
Put the paragraphs a-d in the correct order. Then answer the questions
1 -A.
ENGLISH

AMERICAN ENGLISH BRANCH BRITISH ENGLISH BRANCH

Anglophone S. Africa

urm a
a The American branch is largely restricted to the American continent. It
comprises the varieties of English spoken in the different regions of the
United States itself, as well as in Canada. Beyond the continent, the extent
of its influence is limited to the Philippines in the Far East and American
Samoa in the Pacific, b In brief, the diagram shows that, like the economic
and political influence of the Anglo- Saxon countries, the reach of English
has extended to virtually every region of the world, c The diagram shows
the varieties of English spoken throughout the world and how they are
related.
d There are two main branches of English: British English and American
English. The British English Branch is geographically wide-spread. It
extends across several continents from the West Indies, through the
British Isles themselves, Africa, the Indian subcontinent, the Far East
and Australasia. In addition to the four varieties of English spoken in the
British Isles (i.e. in Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England), it includes a
large number of other varieties, for instance Jamaican English, South
African English, and Australian English.

62 Which paragraphs refer to the whole diagram and which paragraphs

refer to parts of the diagram?

63 How is the introduction different from the conclusion?

64 Do the body paragraphs give general information first and then specific
information, or vice versa?
U Which expressions from the text would you learn because they will be
useful when writing about categories and classifications?
Look at the Task 1 instructions below. Then read the sentences a-d and

answer the questions 1-3.

The diagram illustrates the percentage of the world
population that speaks minority, mid-sized, and
dominant languages.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main
features.
a The diagram shows the percentage of the world population that speaks
minority, mid-sized, and dominant languages.
b The diagram shows the number of languages classified as minority, mid-sized,
or dominant, and the proportion of people in the world that speak them, c The
diagram shows that although many languages are spoken throughout the world,
the size of their respective speech communities varies enormously, d The
diagram shows that a very small number of languages (approximately 100) hold
a dominant position, whereas more than half of the worlds languages are
spoken by a very small percentage of the world population (0.2%).

Which of the sentences a-d would work well as an introduction?

Which would work well as a conclusion?

What is the problem with sentence a?

U Why might you not want to use sentence d as an introduction or conclusion?

Exam tip: Do not copy the exact words of the task instructions. Re-phrasing the
instructions in your own words shows that you have range and flexibility. You can
give your response a clear beginning by stating the kind of information the figure
shows, and a clear ending by summarising the overall message conveyed by the
figure.
4 Complete the introductory and the concluding sentences for the figure below.
Percentage of European
Percentage

English

French

Secondary School Pupils Learning Languages

German

Spanish

Russian

1 Introduction:
The bar chart shows ...

2 Conclusion:
In summary,...

unit D *

Part 2: Practice exercises: Task 2

5

In introductions to academic essays, writers often:

a state the topic of the essay: This essay is about... b write something
about the general context: In recent years ... c explain why the topic
is interesting, relevant or important: X is interesting/relevant/
important because
d present a viewpoint that they go on to challenge: Some people believe
that... e present their own viewpoint: In my view,... f state the purpose
of the essay: The aim of this essay is to ... g outline the structure of the
essay: This essay will firstly..., secondly..., thirdly...
Read the Task 2 question below and the introduction that follows. For
each section of the introduction, indicate which of the functions a-g
above is being addressed. Then answer the questions 1-2.

As the English language becomes more widespread, some speakers

of other languages fear that English loanwords are gradually replacing
perfectly adequate i native words.
i
To what extent do you believe that people should seek to protect the
'purity' of
j
their language from the influence of English ?
There is no doubt that English is becoming increasingly
important as a language of
---------------international communication in the fields of
science, trade, entertainment, and international relations.
Not surprisingly, English words have

1 ......

appearea in many omer lanyuaycb iniuuynuui the world

from Japanese to French. This has
---------------prompted some people to seek to defend their
languages from this type of change. I would armip hnwpvpr
that thpcip pffnrtc; arp likplvtn
prove futile.

65 How would you describe the overall organisation of the introductory

paragraph? Does it begin with the writer's opinion and then explain the
context, or vice versa?

66 Why has the writer presented his/her own view last?

Read the Task 2 question below and the sentences 1-5 on page 46. For
each sentence, indicate its function a-g, listed in Exercise 5 above. Then
arrange the sentences in the most effective order.
With regard to foreign language learning, the effectiveness
of out-of-class learning is well-established. What are the best ways of
learning a foreign | language outside of a classroom situation?
I _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ believe the success of out-ofclass learning suggests that not all language learning needs to be
classroom-based___________________

However, in many cases, additional languages are learned not in

the classroom, but
through exposure to a language in day-to-day activities________

Around the world, people who speak only their mother tongue
are probably
outnumbered by those who speak one or more additional languages
______________________________________________________________
U In this essay, I will outline what I believe to be the three most effective
ways of independent language learning

Many people assume that the classroom is the best place to learn a
foreign language

Exam tip: Academic writing values modesty and tolerance of others' views.
Therefore, when expressing your opinion, it is often more effective to use the more
tentative or neutral reporting verbs. Rather than writing: / insist that governments
do more to protect
minority languages, write: / believe that governments should do more__Use
the
more
emphatic verbs for expressing viewpoints that you wish to challenge: Some people
insist that there can only be one officially recognised variety of a language. I would
argue, however, that no single variety should be favoured.
Complete the introduction below with the expressions a-f.
Many education systems throughout the world
recognise the value of j learning a foreign language and
are seeking to improve the way foreign
i
languages are taught.
What in your view is the best way of
teaching a foreign language in !schools and
universities?
a
b
c

right approach
the most effective methods
therefore

d
e
f

the world becomes

increasingly important
I will outline

As (1)_____more integrated, the ability to speak a foreign language is

becoming (2)_________________________________________________________________
,
not just for individuals, but also for nations. The teaching of foreign
languages is labourintensive and (3)_____costly, so it is important that the (4)______is taken. In
this essay,
(5)____what I consider to be (6)_____of language teaching in a classroom
context.

Write introductions for the Task 2 questions below.

67 As English becomes more widespread as a lingua franca, there

is concern that the values and culture of the English-speaking
world will displace native values and cultures. To what extent
is this fear justified?

Sometimes misunderstandings occur among people from different cultures, even those
who can communicate in a common language. What factors can contribute to the
breakdown of cross-cultural communication?Part

3:

Exam practice

WRITING TASK 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The diagram shows the main systems of writing used
throughout the world. Summarise the information by
selecting and reporting the main features.
Write at least 150 words.

WRITING TASK 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
As languages such as English, Spanish and Mandarin
become more widely spoken, there is a fear that many
minority languages may die out. Some countries have
taken steps to protect minority languages.
What is your view of this practice?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own
knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.

6 The Internet
Aims:

Interpreting a table I Making effective main points I 'Signposting'

main points
Planning an essay I Organising an essay I Modifying statements

Parti: Vocabulary

What are the a-f activities below called when you do them online?
Match them to the images 1-6 above.
a

b
c

accessing the news

downloading films
Internet shopping

online banking
e searching for information
f social networking

In IELTS Writing Tasks, it is important to highlight key points. The words a-f
below can be used to do this. Match them with the correct definitions i-vi.
a distinctive

iaffecting many people or places

b main

iieasy to see

c noticeable

iiiimportant

d significant

ivmost important

e underlying

Vreal

and basic but not obvious

f widespread
viunique, special or characteristic
Complete the sentences 1-5 with the best adjective from Exercise 2.
Notice how they form common collocations with the nouns in italics.
Example: There was a significant correlation between age and number of hours
spent
gaming online.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ At first glance, the most change was in

the growing popularity of social

networking; however, on closer examination, it is clear that other changes
were more fundamental.

The graph shows that the spread of wireless technology

regional
pattern. In fact, this pattern is characteristic of the spread of new
technology generally.

has

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

While there was some variation in the use of online auction sites, the__________________
trend
has been upward.
U Although price is undoubtedly a factor, the_______________reason customers
chose the
newer mobile devices is because of their wide range of applications.
5 The_____________distribution of towns in that region made investment in
telecommunications infrastructure worthwhile. Less populated regions
attracted less investment.

1
2
3

The words in italics in the passage below are useful for writing about scienceand
technology-related topics. Read the text and match the words in italics a-f
with the
definitions 1-6.
arrival
Amake possible
development
5speeded/sped up
gradual change
tools
6
It is often said that the technological (a) advance that had the greatest
impact on everyday life in the early twentieth century was the
telephone. This is not surprising given the effect (b) devices, such as
the telephone, have had on social relationships. When first developed,
the telephone was marketed as a practical tool for conducting business;
however within a few decades, it was being increasingly used to meet
peoples emotional and social needs. This (c) trend has (d) accelerated
with the (e) advent of a new generation of wireless devices, which (f)
enable users to stay in touch with friends and family virtually twentyfour hours a day.
The paragraph below comes from an essay written in response to the Task 2
question:
Which new technology of the last fifty years has had the greatest
impact on daily life? Complete the paragraph with the correct form of
the words in italics a-f in Exercise A.
Although
there
have
been
many
important
technological
(1)
___________________________________________________________________
over the last five
decades, the (2)____________of the Internet has probably had the most
significant effect
on everyday life. The Internet (3)______________people
to
access
more
information than ever
before. This (6)_____________is (5)____________as whole libraries are being
made available
online. Moreover, with instant messaging and social networking, it is cheaper and
more convenient to communicate with others via the Internet. Within the next
decade, the
Internet will probably replace the older generation of telecommunication (6)---------------------,
such as the telephone.

Part 2: Practice exercises: Task 1

Study the table below which shows the percentage of time Internet
users spent on the eight most popular online activities in 2007 and
2009. Compare the two responses and answer the questions 1-3.

68 Which response do you think is more satisfactory? Why?

69 Which sentences in the two responses contain main points? How are
these signposted? Underline the signposting.

Response 1

The table shows that there were significant changes in how Internet users spent their time online over a twoyear period.
The percentage of time spent on social networking sites increased sharply from fourteen per cent to twentyfour per cent. The proportion of time devoted to watching videos also increased, but only by a small amount
(from ten per cent to eleven per cent). There was also a twenty per cent increase in time spent downloading
music. The time spent on email, on the other hand, dipped significantly (sixteen per cent to nine per cent). This
was also true of instant messaging, which fell from eleven per cent to six per cent. The other activities listed
(searching for information, online banking, and accessing the news) all remained constant at four, three, and
two per cent respectively.
Overall, the way that users spent their time on the Internet varied significantly, with some activities, such as
social networking, becoming more popular and others becoming less popular.

Response 2
The table shows that there were significant changes in how Internet users spent their time online over a twoyear period.
The most significant change was in the way users communicated online. The use of social networking
increased significantly from fourteen per cent to twenty-four per cent. However, this appears to be at the
expense of other forms of online communication, namely email and instant messaging, which both declined
sharply to only nine per cent and six per cent respectively of total activity.
Another noticeable trend was the relatively small increase in entertainment-related activities, such as
watching videos and downloading music, with each climbing one percentage point. Other activities, which can
be seen as more practical, such as searching for information, online banking, and accessing the news remained
constant at a relatively low four, three, and two per cent respectively.
Overall, in 2009 users continued to spend a large share of their time online interacting with others (nearly
forty per cent in total); however, their preferred way of doing so had changed.

70 In each response, where is the detailed information in relation to the

general statements?

Rank

Activity

Share of time 2007 (%)

Share of time 2009 (%)

1
2

Social networking
Watching videos

1A
10

2A
11

3
A

E-mailing
Instant messaging

16

11

Downloading music

Searching for information

Online banking

Accessing news

Other

36

36

Exam tip: To find patterns in the data more easily, try grouping similar items
together and looking for associated trends. If you can't see a pattern immediately,
switch your focus. In the second response above, the writer started by grouping
online activities into themes: communication, entertainment, practical needs.
Alternatively, she could have started by grouping items according to type of change
(positive, negative, or neutral) and then looked for other connections within each
group.
Study the table below and follow steps 1-4.

71 Focus on the bottom row. What general points can you make from the data shown?
Which figure seems to be the most important?

72 Now focus on the regions listed in the first column. How might you group these
regions into different categories? Think about developed and developing regions.

73 Switch your focus to the percentages listed in the third column. Which regions
have the largest percentages of Internet users? Which regions have the smallest?
How does this information relate to the categories of regions you have identified?

74 Switch your focus again to the last column. Notice the biggest and smallest
changes. How does this information relate to the information in column 3? What
connections can you make?
World regions

Number of Internet

Internet

users

as

ofGrowth in Internet use

users (millions)

population

2000 - 2010

2,421%

Africa

109

10%

Asia

921

24%

59

30%

Europe

473

59%

Latin America

199

33%

North America
Australia

271
20

78%
60%

137%
181%

2,052

29%

455%

Middle East

TOTAL

602%
1,785%
353%
1,123%

Exam tip: You should 'signpost' general statements, i.e. introduce them with
expressions such as The tabte/pie chart/graph/e tc. shows ... The most significant
change ... Another noticeable trend... Overall... You must also support general
statements with detailed information from the table/graph/etc.
Write three general statements about the information in the table above. Then
develop each of your general statements with one or two supporting details.
Example: The table shows that over the last ten years there has been an exponential
increase in Internet use worldwide. The number of Internet users expanded nearly

five-fold, with the proportion of the world's population enjoying Internet access now
standing at nearly thirty per cent.

Part 2: Practice exercises: Task 2

Study the Task 2 essay question and essay plan below. What are the strengths
and weaknesses of this plan?

To what extent does the Internet increase social cohesion?

Essay outline
Introduction: Internet very important in modern life; two sides to this debate

75 Internet can increase social isolation

a Shy teens always surfing net - losing social skills & real friends?
b Couple addicted to online gaming, arrested for child neglect
c At work spend all morning reading emails, no time for
meeting - bad for teamwork?

However, Internet can also bring people closer together

Stuck at home with injury, used net to keep in touch with friends

e Used net to stay in touch with family when studying abroad phone calls too expensive
f Through social networking can meet friends of friends
g Email & instant messaging more useful than phone for collaboration if
written record needed
Conclusion: Internet can create more togetherness if used in right way

Look at an alternative essay plan below. Write the topic sentences 2-3 by
expanding the notes. Then indicate where you would place the supporting
points a-g from Exercise U above. What are the advantages of this plan?
Essay outline
Introduction: Internet can affect how relate to family, friends, and colleagues in
both good & bad ways

76 The Internet has the potential to diminish family life but also to enhance it.
Supporting points: b,_____

Similarly, the Internet can ... friends; however, it can also ...
Supporting points: a,_____,____,____,____

...work...
Supporting points:_____,____

Conclusion: Internet can create more togetherness if used appropriately

Read the sentences below and answer questions 1-2.

Excessive Internet use leads to social isolation.
Excessive Internet use can lead to social isolation.

77 Which of these sentences is more appropriate for an academic context? Why?

78 In what other ways could you modify the first sentence to make it less
sweeping?
Quantifiers:
some
many
most
Expressions:
It is said that...
It is possible ...
In some circumstances ...

Verbs:
appear
seem
tend
Modal verbs:
can
could
may

Frequency adverbs:
sometimes
often
rarely
Probability adverbs:
possibly
probably
perhaps

Example:
Rapid technological change destroys traditional values. Rapid technological
change can weaken traditional values.
Exam tip: It is important not to make absolute or sweeping statements. You can do
this by using a range of modifiers and softer vocabulary.

Modify the statements 1-6 so that they are more appropriate.

79 People over the age of fifty cannot grasp new technology.

2 Everyone wants to own the latest gadget.

Children are corrupted by the Internet.

U People do not like new technology because they do not understand it.

Too much technology makes people lazy.

The world's problems will be solved by advances in science and technology.

Look at the Task 2 essay question and essay plan below. The candidate has
written the introductory paragraph and notes (a-i) for the question:
To what extent has information technology reduced social inequality?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own
knowledge or experience.
Complete the body of the essay by following steps 1-3.
Step 1: Write G next to the notes which can be expanded to form general
statements and S next to those that give specific supporting information.
Step 2: Put the notes in a logical order. Think about the best sequence of
general statements and make sure that each is followed by one or two
supporting details.
Step 3: Write your essay and remember:

Expand the notes into sentences.

Add 'signposting' expressions to emphasise important points.

If necessary, add modifiers or use softer' vocabulary to make statements

less sweeping.

People who live in highly developed countries often take access to information
technology for granted. They find it hard to imagine a world in which this
technology does not bring greater prosperity. However, as the IT revolution
moves forward in some parts of the world, in other parts of the world the poor
are falling further and further behind. Indeed there are many barriers to wider
IT access and its potential benefits.
a In some countries, fewer than 50% population able to read
b Use of blocking software & firewalls common
c Electricity supply irregular
d Government censorship of Internet widespread
e Even where IT access available, governments fearful of well-informed public f
Broadband access only in major cities g Illiteracy a major obstacle h Basic
infrastructure inadequate i Women & the poor especially likely to be illiterate

unu o

Part 3: Exam practice

WRITING TASK 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The table shows the average length of video
advertisements on the Internet and the average length of
time viewers spend watching them.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the
main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Average online video ad length and time viewed
Type of advertisement

Average

Public service
Automotive
Financial services
Travel
Entertainment

45.8
27.2
20.5

Home furnishings
Consumer electronics
Pharmaceuticals
Clothing
Other retail
Overall

17.3
15.3

length

(seconds)

of

advertisementAverage time viewed (seconds)

18.0
27.8

16.6
14.6
21.0
22.4

WRITING TASK 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
New technologies and ways of buying and selling are
transforming the lives of consumers.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

18.5
14.7
16.3
13.0
10.8
10.0
7.1
6.3
6.0
4.5
10.7

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your
own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Match the expressions a-h to the segments 1-8 of the pie chart below.

7 Consumer spending
Aims:

Working with two visual prompts 1 Making correlations Developing

supporting examples

Part 1:

Vocabulary

e housing f dining out g utilities h home furnishings

a food and drink b transportation c clothing and footwear d entertainment
The words below can be paired to form common collocations. Complete
the sentences 1-5 on page 57 by choosing one word from each list.

80 consumer, goods, disposable, personal, household

debt, expenditure, income, confidence, servicesis the amount of money left after you
have paid for all of the
1
things that you need.
2

Over the last two decades, many people spent more money than they earned,
resulting
in high levels of______________________

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Spending on____and , such as clothing and financial

advice has
slowed down because of the economic crisis.
4

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ When people
feel more secure in their jobs,_____________________________________grows
and
people
begin to spend money more freely.
5

______________________________________________________________________________________

domestic unit
spends.

is another way of saying the amount of money each

Replace the words in italics in the sentences 1-6 with the more precise expressions
a-f.
a

their necessities

products

their possessions

take action

aspects of

advantages

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ People

often buy things, even when they do not need them______________________

One of the interesting things about consumer behaviour is that it is often

irrational.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ People can do things

to avoid getting into debt__________________________________

81 One of the good things about shopping online is the convenience.------------82 Often peoples income barely covers the cost of the things that they need------------83 People are often very attached to the things that they own__________
The following paragraph comes from an essay written in response to the Task 2
question:
How do people learn to manage their money? Complete the text with the words a-g.
a on credit
ebehaviour
b quantity
fsaved
c financial
d criteria

gcostly

Learning by example is one important method. From their early years, children can
observe how their parents make (1)_____________decisions. They may notice, for
example,
whether money is (2)____________for (3)___________purchases, or whether purchases
are
bought (4)___________Children can also see what kinds of (5)______________parents
use when
choosing what to buy, for instance, whether quality or (6)______________is
more
important. It
is important, therefore, that parents model sensible purchasing (7)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------and explain
what they are doing and why. However, in many circumstances, this may not be
sufficient.

Part 2: Practice exercises: Task 1

Exam information:
IELTS Writing Task 1 sometimes requires you to describe two figures. Before
writing your response, it is important to ask yourself the following:

1
2

What do both figures relate to?

What kind of relationship is evident?
a a similarity
b a difference

c a cause and effect relationship

d some other type of relationship

Once you have answered these questions, you are then in a better position to
answer questions 3 and 4:

3
4

Which aspects of each figure should be highlighted?

a Should the figures be described in separate paragraphs or b, should
different aspects of the figures be compared within a series of
paragraphs?

Answer the questions 1-4 in the box above in relation to the two figures
below.

/week

Disposable income by age (UK)

250
2000

01

02

03

----------15-24

04

05

............ 3544

06

07

--------- 65-74

200

150
100

50

Percentage increase or decrease in sales

2001

2004

2007

08

2010

Trainers

1%

5%

3%

-1%

Business suits

-2%

5%

7%

-6%

Video games

2%

6%

4%

1%

09

2010

Reading glasses

0%

-1%

1%

-1%

Books

1%

4%

10%

-6%

Childrens toys

1%

5%

8%

-8%

Read the response below and answer questions 1-6.

The line graph shows average disposable income for three different age
groups from 2000 to 2010. The table gives the percentage increase in
sales for six different products at three-year intervals from 2001 to
2010. Seen together, the figures suggest a link between the disposable
income of different age groups and how wetl certain products sell.
The disposable income of young people in the UK between the ages of
fifteen and twenty-four peaked in 2004 and reached another high point
in 2007 before falling sharply. Sales of products typically enjoyed by
young people, trainers and video games, showed a similar pattern with
sales of both products increasing sharply by 2004 (5% and 6%
respectively).
The disposable income of the 35-44 age group peaked in 2008 after
reaching its second highest point in 2004. Sales of business suits, books
and children's toys - all items that people of this age group might be
expected to buy - also peaked in the third quarter of the decade, with
particularly strong growth in sales of toys (8%).
For people aged 65-74, disposable income remained roughly constant.
Not surprisingly, sales of reading glasses also remained steady
throughout the period.
Overall, the figures show that the sales performance of different types
of products may be influenced by the disposable income available to
different sectors of the population.

84 Look at the three sentences of the introduction. What information is given

in each of them?

85 What type of relationship between the two figures is identified and how is
this expressed?

86 How is each of the three body paragraphs structured?

87 What specific information has the writer chosen to highlight? Why?
88 What expressions has the writer used to highlight the similarities in the
trends represented?

89 What expression is used in the conclusion to express the relationship

between the two figures?

j Exam tip: If you are presented with two figures which appear to show a
cause and j effect relationship, it is helpful to take note of this. It will enable
you to highlight the j information more effectively. However, you should be
cautious about expressing a cause j and effect relationship too directly. This is
because IELTS Writing Task 1 does not ask j you to interpret the table or refer
to anything outside of it. If you use a cause and effect ! expression (e.g.
causes, leads to), use a hedging expression to make the claim less ; sweeping,
(e.g. appears to cause, may lead to), or use one of the expressions in Exercise
3.

Look at the two figures below. The two italicized expressions in

sentences 1-2 can be used to describe relationships between data sets.
Indicate what each of them means by rephrasing the sentence.

90 The two figures show that there is a positive correlation between the
availability of cheap credit and levels of consumer spending.

91 The two figures show that the rate of taxation correlates negatively
with levels of consumer spending.

5
4
3
2

1
Food S House hold appliances 0 Clothing
Consumer spending UK
Percentage change in taxation and consumer credit
95
2000
05
2010
-10

-20
-30 1990

Now rephrase each sentence in three different ways using the

expressions a-f below.
a

inversely proportional

appear to

proportional

d when

...

falls,...

...
e the

less

...

the

f the

more

...

the

more ...
c

when ... rises, ... also appear to ...

more ...

Write a description of the two figures in Exercise 3 using the following

prompts. Introduction:

State what figure 1 shows.

State what figure 2 shows.

Body paragraph 1:
Describe the overall relationship between the availability of credit and
consumer spending using one of the phrases from Exercise 3.

Give a more detailed description of the trends.

Body paragraph 2:
Describe the overall relationship between taxation and consumer
spending using one of the phrases from Exercise 3.

Give a more detailed description of the trends.

Conclusion:

Rephrase

the

relationship

between

credit,

taxation

and

spending.

Part 2: Practice exercises: Task 2

Study the Writing Task 2 question below. Compare the two responses and answer
the questions 1-5.
Response 1
Sometimes people are more likely to buy products because celebrities have been employed to advertise them.
The famous people used in these advertisements make these products more attractive, so people want to
purchase them. Therefore, the influence of celebrities can be a powerful reason for some purchasing decisions.

Response 2
Sometimes people are more likely to buy products because celebrities have been employed to advertise them.
In buying the product, the consumer may feel 'closer' to a person they admire. An example of this is when
famous sportsmen or women endorse a particular brand of trainer or sportswear. Indeed, the powerful influence
of this type of advertising on consumer behaviour is reflected in the large sums of money such celebrities are
often paid for their advertising work.

What influences our purchasing decisions? Do we mainly buy

things because we need them, or are other factors involved?

92 Which response do you think is more satisfactory? Why?

93 What is the purpose of the first sentence in Responses 1 and 2?
94 What is the purpose of each of the remaining sentences in Response 2?
U What expression is used to signal that the writer is giving an example?

Exam tip: You can use a range of expressions to signal to the reader
that you are giving an example to illustrate your point:

Famous sportsmen and women, for example/for instance, may endorse a

particular brand of trainer or sportswear.

An example/Another good example of this is when famous sportsmen and

women endorse a particular brand of trainer or sportswear.

And to signal that you are supporting your point with evidence:

Indeed/ln fact the powerful influence of this type of advertising on consumer

behaviour is reflected in the large sums of money such celebrities are often
paid for their advertising work.
The experienced academic reader will normally assume that successive sentences in
a passage support or illustrate the points made. For this reason, it is not necessary
to use many of these particular signpost expressions to make your passage clear. Two
or three in your response will be sufficient in most cases.

95 What expression is used to signal that the writer is supporting the main
point with evidence?

Complete the text below with signpost expressions.

It is often the case that consumers buy products on impulse simply because of
the way
they are displayed. In supermarkets, (1)________, snacks are often situated by
the checkout
to tempt those who are tired and bored with queuing. (2)_______is
when
necessities such
as clothes are displayed with matching accessories, such as jewellery. (3)
_____________________________________________________________________
shoppers
are often surprised at how much more they spend than they had intended.
When thinking about developing a body paragraph, it is useful to ask yourself
the following questions:
a What main point do I want to make?
b Have I seen, heard, or experienced something that makes me want to say
this? How can I express this as an example to illustrate my main point?
c If someone were to disagree with me, what could I say to persuade them that
my point is valid? What evidence can I give to support my main point?
Develop each statement 1-3 below into a paragraph by giving examples and
supporting evidence:

96 Some people buy products that they do not really need because they feel
empty and unhappy.
97 People often buy products they do not really need because they want to
display their status or wealth.
98 Sometimes people buy products they do not really need because they want
to use them in a positive way to make their lives more enjoyable or
interesting.
The increased availability of consumer credit in some countries has contributed to
the problem of debt. Who is responsible for high levels of indebtedness: the financial
institutions that lend money or the individuals who borrow money?
Look at the IELTS Writing Task 2 question below and write a body paragraph
explaining how financial institutions may be responsible for high levels of
indebtedness. Remember to make a main point and to give examples to
illustrate and support your idea.

part 3: Exam practice

WRITING TASK 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The figures give information about economic growth

and household expenditure across a range of
categories.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the
main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Figure 1: Economic Growth
Figure 2: Breakdown of Household Expenditure
unviiaimiu.m

(- Travel

Food

Other/

Housing1995

FoodAC1thinS

. Entertainment Travel
Clothing
Entertainment
Travel
HousingHousing

Write at least 150 words.

WRITING TASK 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:
Learning to manage money is one of the key aspects of adult
life. How in your view can individuals best learn to manage
their money?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own
knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.

8 Children and parents

Aims:

Developing and linking supporting examples I Reviewing verb forms

Writing the conclusion

Parti: Vocabulary

Match the words a-e with the words i-v, then indicate which pair of words
goes with each of the pictures 1 -5 above.
a
b
c
d

adult
adolescent
infant
pensioner

i old age
ii childhood
iiiadolescence
ivadulthood

e child

infancy

All of the words listed above are nouns. What is the difference between
those in the column on the left and those in the column on the right?
The expressions a-j can be associated with rights or responsibilities. Decide
which of them are rights and which are responsibilities.
a be entitled to
f be allowed to
b
c
d
e

have a duty to
be obliged to
be empowered to
be committed to

9
h
i
j

be
be
be
be

authorized to
permitted to
required to
held accountable for

99 Underline the verb in each of the sentences 1-5 which expresses the right or
responsibility more emphatically.

The children were forced/obliged to sit still throughout the lesson.

Adolescents generally appreciate being allowed/empowered to make

their own decisions.
3
In some companies, once employees reach the age of sixty-five, they
are compelled/ required to retire.
U Parents are committed to doing/have a duty to do their best for their
children.

The young men were required to join/coerced into joining the army.

U The sentences 1-8 alt contain common set expressions requiring one or more
prepositions. Complete the sentences using the prepositions a-h below.
a for b from c in d into e of f on g over h with

100__________________________________________________________Parent
s sometimes want to exercise too much control_______________________their
children.

101________________________________________________________________
Young

people

often

perceive

their

parents

as

interfering

too much

their lives.

102_________________________________________________It is often better

to negotiate responsibilities_______________________________adolescents than

to impose
responsibilities____________them.
U Children must learn to cooperate______________others in order to achieve
goals.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ In

some

countries such as Scotland, the age________________________criminal

responsibility is as low
as ten.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ When setting standards behaviour, the

childs level of maturity needs to be

taken___________account.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ In order for children

to distinguish right__________________________________wrong, they need to
be held
accountable___________their actions.
8

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Parents do not always behave

the best interests_______________________their children.

Complete the sentences 1 -5 below with expressions from Exercise U.

103_____________________________________________It

is

unethical

if

professionals do not act_____________________________their clients.

104_____________________________________________If

child

has

disability, this has to be_____________________________when deciding on a

programme of
education.

If you are applying for a job which requires teamwork, you need to
demonstrate that
you are able to____________
U When governments impose too many rules and regulations, people often
complain that the state is
5 If managers_____________their employees, workers may never develop the
ability to take
initiative.

Part 2: Practice exercises: Task 1

Study the table below, which shows the results of a survey of 200
adolescents and their parents. Compare the two responses and answer
questions 1-4.

105
106

Which response do you think is more satisfactory? Why?

Why do you think the writer of Response 2 has chosen to include certain
supporting details and not others?

107

How are supporting details in Response 2 signposted and linked with the
rest of the text?

108

Are any supporting details supplied without being explicitly signposted?

Response 1
The table shows the results of a survey of 200 adolescents and their parents in which they were
asked whether parents should exercise some control over a range of adolescent life choices.
Overall, parents said that they wanted more control over their children than did the adotescents
surveyed. For some decisions, the difference in opinion was quite large.
In addition, fathers reported wanting more control than mothers over all except one of the choices.
Boys were also prepared to accept more parental control than girls in four of the six choices.
Response 2
The table shows the results of a survey of 200 adolescents and their parents in which they were
asked whether parents should exercise some control over a range of adolescent life choices.
Overall, parents said that they wanted significantly more control over their children than did the
adolescents surveyed. The areas where parents wanted most control were 'how adolescents spend
their free time' and what friends they make. Roughly three out of four parents wanted to place
restrictions on these areas, whereas only approximately one in five children felt this was needed.
The biggest conflict of opinion concerned young people's choice of friends, with nearly 80 per cent
of mothers believing they should exercise control and only 17 per cent of adolescent girls agreeing.
In addition,...

Parents and Adolescents Views of Parental Restrictions on Adolescent DecisionMaking

Parents should place restrictions on:

Fathers

how adolescents spend their free time

what subject(s) they study

72%
68%

how they spend money they have earned

Mothers

Adolescent
girls

Adolescent
boys

67%
60%

23%
33%

19%
45%

34%

23%

12%

9%

what occupation they pursue

55%

53%

18%

21%

what friends they make

76%

78%

17%

19%

Expressions that are commonly used to signal supporting detail include:

superlatives: most control; the biggest conflict of opinion

focusing expressions: particularly, in particular, especially
expressions indicating uniqueness: only, sole

expressions indicating example: for example, for instance.

Words used to link supporting detail to main clause include:

prepositions: with
relative pronouns: where, in which

Look again at the body paragraph in Response 2 on page 66 and at extracts

1-3 below, which are from sample Task 1 responses from previous units.
Underline examples of the features listed above.

109 Women predominated in schools for children. This was particularly true of
schools for very young children. Over 95 per cent of nursery school
teachers, for example, were female. The situation was similarly one-sided
in primary schools, where over 90 per cent of teachers were women.

110 In Arts and Social Science-related subjects, UK students tended to do

better. The biggest gap in performance was in International Law, where
three-quarters of
UK students gained a second-class degree or better. In contrast, fewer than
half of the international students attained this level.

There are four types of writing system in which characters represent

sounds. The oldest of these is 'Abjad', in which each character
represents a consonant sound. Arabic, for instance, uses this type of
system.

Complete the paragraph below with expressions from Exercise 2. For some
gaps, there may be more than one correct answer.
Fathers generally reported wanting more control than mothers, the (1)_______________
exception being control over what friends their children make, [2]
_____________________________________________________________________
76 per
cent of fathers, as opposed to 78 per cent of mothers, wanted a say. In addition
to choice
of friends, fathers were (3)____________keen to exercise control over how
adolescents
spend their free time and what they studied. The (A)_____________gap
between fathers' and
mothers views was over how children spend their self-earned money. Over a
third of
fathers wanted to place restrictions on this area, whereas (5)______________23
per cent of
mothers wanted to do so.

Choose supporting detail from the table in Exercise 1 to complete the

paragraph below.

The adolescent boys surveyed also indicated a greater acceptance of parental

control than did the adolescent girls ...

Part 2: Practice exercises: Task 2

In order to frame your ideas effectively, you need to use the correct verb
forms. You have to choose the correct tense, the correct voice (active or
passive) and, where appropriate, the right modal verb. Study the example
Task 2 response below to the question: What can society do to ensure that
the rights of young people are respected? Match the verb forms 1-9 in the
text with the functions a-h below. Then answer questions 1 -U.
a verb form used when making a promise or prediction______________
b conditional verb form used for describing the consequence(s) of an action______________
c passive voice, often used to describe an action when the agent is unknown or
indeterminate__________
d modal verb used to indicate strong obligation or necessity_____________
e verb tense indicating that the state or action is habitual, general or true now_____________
f modal verb used for making a suggestion and indicating that an action is
possible__________________________________________________________________________
g verb tense used for actions that occurred or were completed in the past_____________
h verb tense linking past and present used to express an experience or an
ongoing situation___
i
modal verb used for tentatively making a suggestion and indicating
possibility _____
In most countries around the world, children (1) are recognised as persons by law.
However, because children (2) do not have the same access to power as adults, they
lack the means to defend their rights. It is therefore important that adults recognise the
rights of young people.
Some argue that this is uniquely the duty of parents. In my view, society as a whole (3)
must bear some of this responsibility. In this essay I (4) will outline three measures that
can be taken to safeguard the rights of young people.
Firstly, government (5) can ensure that its policies take the interests of children into
account. It (6) could, for example, appoint a childrens commissioner to scrutinise new
legislation for compliance with frameworks such as the UN Convention on the Rights of
the Child. This (7) would ensure that young people are continuously represented in the
halls of power.
Secondly, local government and charities can ensure that young people have access to
independent confidential sources of help. Telephone help lines are just one example of
what could be done. One such service in the UK, Childline, (8) answered over 700,000
calls last year, suggesting a strong need for this kind of help.
A third possible measure is to ensure that information about children's rights is widely
disseminated through schools, for example, and the mass media. Children who are wellinformed about their rights are in a better position to seek help to defend them.

In short, society has an obligation to look after young people. Doing so can have benefits
for all. Young people who (9) have felt valued by society are more likely to recognise the
value of society and behave accordingly.

1
Which verb tense is used most frequently in the text?
2
How many examples of the passive voice are in the response?
111Which modal verb is used most frequently? Why?

U Why would you use the modal verb should instead of must, and why would
you use may?

Exam tip: Make good use of modal verbs to frame your ideas. Use:
will to state your intention: In this essay I will outline three measures that can
be taken to safeguard the rights of children.
emphatic modal verbs such as must and should to express a necessity: In my
view, society as a whole must bear some of this responsibility.
can and could to make suggestions: Firstly, the government can ensure that its
policies take the interests of children into account.
would to indicate the consequences of implementing a suggestion: This would
ensure that young people are continuously represented in the halls of power.
Read the partially completed Task 2 response to the question: What can be
done to encourage young people to become responsible members of
society? Complete the text by adding a modal verb to the gaps 1-10. In some
cases more than one modal verb is possible - your choice will depend on
how emphatic you wish to be.
In many societies these days, people are concerned about deteriorating
standards of behaviour among young people. Petty crime, misuse of drugs and
alcohol and apparent tack of respect for others all seem to be on the rise. Some
people maintain that the best way to address this problem is to reinstate firm
discipline within homes and schools.
1(1)__________suggest that although this (2)______________be one solution, we
(3)___________
approach the task of encouraging responsible behaviour among young people in
a variety of ways.
One measure that both parents and teachers (4)_____________take is to involve
young people
in making decisions about what is acceptable behaviour. In schools for example,
teachers
(5)___________draw up a contract with the children in their class. It (6)
_____________need
to be revised periodically as the children mature and are able to handle more
freedom
responsibly. Doing this (7)_____________discourage
children
from
using
misbehaviour as a
means of expressing their independence.
Secondly, young people (8)____________be taught leadership skills by taking
part in
organisations such as the Scouts. Young people who have experienced what it is
like to be
a leader (9)___________probably have a better understanding of the difficulties
involved.
This (10)___________encourage them to cooperate more easily with authority

figures ...

Exam tip: Make sure you complete your essay by writing a conclusion, even if this
consists of only one sentence. If you are running short of time, it is better to shorten
or omit one of your body paragraphs than to fail to complete the task.
In conclusions to academic essays, writers often:
a restate their
opinion b
summarise the
main points c
make a
recommendation
d make a prediction (often stating what may happen if the recommended
action is or is not taken)

Look at the three conclusions below and notice how the functions a-d have been
used.

a The writer gives A more effective approach is to educate the

her opinion._______ public about the benefits of biodiversity.
d The writer makes a prediction.
c The writer makes a
recommendation.
Money should be invested in the research and
development of the world's biological resources. Once
people understand that there are real benefits to
exploiting natural resources in a sustainable way, they
are more likely to make the short-term sacrifices
necessary to preserve natural habitats.
b Here the writer summarises the main points.
In brief, it is not possible to make recommendations
regarding the supervision of adolescents that fit all
contexts. The physical environment, the cultural
context, and the personalities of those involved should
all be considered.
In short, there is little about today's celebrity culture
that is fundamentally more harmful than the types of
celebrity children have encountered in the past. Provided
children are- given appropriate guidance, they are
unlikely to be adversely affected.

Re-read the conclusion to the response in Exercise 5 reproduced below,

then answer questions 1-5.
In short, society has an obligation to look after young people. Doing so can
have benefits for all. Young people who have felt valued by society are
more likely to recognise the value of society and behave accordingly.

112 What expression is used to signal that this is the conclusion?

113 What other expressions can be used for this purpose?
114 Which of the functions a-d above is evident in the first sentence?
U Which of the functions a-d above is evident in the second sentence?

How would you summarise the main points of the essay in a single

sentence?
Complete the essay in Exercise 6 on page 69 by writing a conclusion.
Write one sentence for each of the functions a-d listed in Exercise 7.

Part 3: Exam practice

WRITING TASK 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The figure shows the results of a survey of WOO adolescents in
five different countries. The participants were asked at what age
they believed certain rights and responsibilities should be
granted to young people.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features.
Write at least 150 words.
Age (years)

* age at which person who

commits a crime can be
tried in a court of law

WRITING TASK 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
In many countries, young people are granted certain privileges
and responsibilities at the age of sixteen. Clearly parents have a
responsibility to both care for and prepare their children as they
approach this important milestone.
To what degree should parents intervene in the lives of their U-15year-old
children?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own
knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.

9 An ageing population
Aims:

Using cohesive devices I Using punctuation effectively I Writing topic

sentences

Parti: Vocabulary
115 Overpopulation relates not just to the size of the population but also to the
density of population in relation to available resources.
a the total number of people b the degree to which an area is filled with people

Many people predict that population growth will accelerate over the next thirty
years before leveling off at approximately
12 billion.
a stay the same b speed up

Governments regularly gather demographic data, including information about age,

gender, income, and employment status, in order to plan effectively for the
future.

a relating to population b relating to politics

U The 2001 census revealed that the median age of the population had risen markedly.
a estimate of the population b count of the population

The proportion of the population composed of children has declined, while the
proportion of the population that is aged has grown.
a old b young

The recent jump in the numbers of people aged 60 to 65 in some countries can be
attributed to the boom in births following the Second World War.
a gradual rise b rapid rise

As the population ages, many fear that caring for the elderly will be too great a
burden for the younger generation.
a obligation b privilege

The sentences 1-7 all contain words relating to population and population
growth. Circle the option (a or b) that the words in italics best correspond
to.
Match the expressions 1 -10 with the definitions a-j.

pension

a a person who looks after the elderly or sick b the

longevity

ability to produce children c the middle point in a

nursing home

range of values d serious, recurring and/or long lasting

4
5
6

care-giver
to retire
mortality

e long life
f
a regular payment made by government or former
employer to a person who has stopped working

fertility

g the control of the number of children in a family by

use of contraceptives

median

h to give up work, especially on reaching pensionable

age

family planning

i a hospital or home for people who are old or ill

chronic

j the number of deaths in a given period

10

a increasing public health costs b lower fertility rate c decreasing mortality from
infectious diseases
d increasing incidence of chronic illnesses (e.g. arthritis)
e growing pressure on care givers f family planning g dwindling pension funds h
improved health care
The expressions a-h are either causes or consequences of population ageing.
Decide which of them are causes and which are consequences.
Complete the sentences 1-7 with expressions from Exercise 3. Make any changes
necessary.
1 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ The
increasing
numbers of older people has put________________________________,
especially
women in
their 40s. who are also often responsible for looking after children.
116 _________have been a cause for concern among governments, employers and
financial institutions and led to calls for the working population to save more for
retirement.

_____________________________________________________

health status

has resulted not only in greater longevity but also in better

among the elderly.

_____________________________________________________

such as cholera and polio has been a welcome development.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ As the population ages,

there has been an_______________________________________and type-two diabetes.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Unless measures are taken to

curb____________________________________________. these will almost certainly

result in
higher taxes.

_____________________________________________________
measures have undoubtedly reduced birth rates in some
countries.
In IELTS Writing Tasks, you need to write coherently, that is link points within a
sentence and between sentences. Study the three short sentences a-c and the
longer sentence which combines them. Notice the cohesive devices in italics.
a Something can be seen from the diagram, b Population ageing results from
decreasing birth rates, c Population ageing results from declining mortality.
As can be seen from the diagram, population ageing results from both
decreasing birth rates and declining mortality.
Cohesive devices include:
pronouns
a Many people enjoy retirement, b Many
people find they have the time for
activities they enjoy.
apposition
a Over the last two decades,
population ageing has accelerated in
the UK.
b Population ageing is a common trend
throughout the developed world.
this/ these + a The population in urban areas has
summary
grown particularly quickly.
word
b The population growth in urban

coordinating
conjunctions

areas has put pressure on local

services.
a There are more job opportunities in
cities.

b People migrate to cities from rural

areas.
subordinating a Couples are under pressure to work.
conjunctions b Couples often delay starting a
relative
pronouns

sentence

family.
a Lower mortality is due to increased
longevity.
b Increased longevity results from
improved health care.
a People want to enjoy retirement.

Many people enjoy retirement. They

find they have the time for
activities they enjoy.
Over the last two decades,
population ageing, a common trend
throughout the developed world,
has accelerated in the UK.
The population in urban areas
has grown particularly quickly.
This trend has put pressure on
local services.
There are more job opportunities
in cities, so people migrate to
them from rural areas.
Because couples are under
pressure to work, they often
delay starting a family.
Lower mortality is due to
increased longevity, which
results from improved health
care.
People want to enjoy retirement;

linkers

b People do not always save enough

for a comfortable retirement.

however, they do not always

save enough for a comfortable
retirement.

Read the remainder of the paragraph below and underline the cohesive
devices.
Decreasing birth rates can be attributed to two main factors, namely:
availability of family planning and changes in how people feel about work and
family. These changes include greater career aspirations among women, a
tendency to delay marriage, and a preference for smaller families. Lower
mortality, on the other hand, is due to increased longevity, which results from
improved health care and better living conditions.
Good cohesion requires a good grasp of punctuation. Look again at the
paragraph on page 74 and the longer sentences in the table in Exercise 1.
Circle the punctuation marks. Then correct the text below by adding or
changing the punctuation.
The graph illustrates two trends. Namely the rise in the proportion of the
worlds population aged sixty-five and above and the decline in the proportion
of those under five. As can be seen the proportion of elderly people has risen
gradually from approximately 5 per cent in 1950 to roughly 7.5 per cent today.
Over the next thirty years it is expected to more than double. The proportion
of young children on the other hand has fallen gradually since 1970 from
approximately 1 4 per cent to 9 per cent, it is forecast to continue falling at
roughly the same rate over the next forty years.
Combine each group of sentences 1-4 below into one sentence using a range
of cohesive devices. Make any changes necessary and punctuate each
sentence correctly.

117 The bar chart shows the percentage of people who were over the age of
sixty-five in 2000. The bar chart shows the percentage of people expected
to be over the age of sixty-five in 2030.The bar chart gives figures for seven
different countries.

118 Korea, Mexico, and Turkey are all developing or newly industrialized
countries. Korea, Mexico, and Turkey are all expected to experience
large increases in the proportion of the population that is elderly.

119 The biggest increase is likely to occur in Korea. The proportion of

pensioners in Korea is expected to increase from 10 per cent to 35 per cent.

120 The changes in all three countries will occur from a relatively low base. The
predicted proportion of elderly residents will still be lower than that
expected in developed economies.
Using too many cohesive devices results in writing that is heavy and difficult

to read. Improve the paragraph below by removing unnecessary cohesive

devices, dividing sentences that are too complex, and correcting the
punctuation.
Exam tip: Remember that readers will assume that each sentence in a paragraph
logically develops or supports the preceding sentence unless they are told otherwise.
This means that sentence connectors such as in addition and moreover should be
used sparingly, if at all. On the other hand, logical relationships that are surprising or
indicate a contrast of ideas normally require signposting expressions such as
however.
The figure shows the distribution of the population in terms of gender and age,
and in fact, the age group with the highest percentage of both men and women
is 55 to 59. Moreover, roughly five per cent of the population is in this age
group. In addition, the age groups with the next highest proportion of the
population are 30 to 34 and 35 to 39. Also, it is interesting that until the age of
fifty-nine, the proportion of males and females is roughly equal, however,
thereafter, women make up a higher proportion of the elderly population and
this trend is particularly evident in those aged eighty. For example, over four
per cent of women fall into in this category, whereas only two per cent of men
have reached this age.
One of the best ways of achieving good cohesion is through word choice.
Read the passage below and answer the questions 1-5.
As the population ages, people can expect to spend a longer proportion of
their lives as pensioners. The quality of life among older people has,
therefore, become a focus of attention. A number of measures can be taken
to ensure that the elderly can enjoy life after retirement.
One of the most important measures is to make sure people of working age
are setting aside enough funds for when they retire. This could be done
through a government scheme such as the national insurance system in the
UK, through employer contributions, or through compulsory private pension
plans. Saving sufficient sums of money would ensure that the burden of
looking after elderly people does not fall entirely to the younger generation.
However, savings alone would probably be insufficient to guarantee a good
retirement for all.
Another measure that should be taken is to invest properly in the health care
services so that they are able to cope with the demands of an increasingly
frail section of the population ...

121
122

Which sentence captures the main idea of the text?

123

In which sentences does this repetition occur?

Which key word has the writer repeated in order to make the
organisation of the passage clear?

U What words and expressions has the writer used to avoid

repeating the word pensioners?

What words and expressions has the writer used to avoid repeating the
word funds?
Exam tip: Use repetition of keywords strategically. It can be effective to repeat two or
three times words that link back to the main argument and that make the structure of
your response clear. Use synonyms for other words or expressions that you may need to
repeat throughout your text.
Look at the Task 2 question below and the sample response extract. Notice
how the key word obligations has been repeated.

124

Write synonyms for the expressions younger family members and older
relations in the blank spaces in the response on page 77.
;
What are the obligations of younger family members towards
older relations?
umi 7

In most societies, adults in their prime are expected to care for those who are
becoming more frail due to old age. How one defines the specific
responsibilities of younger family members towards older relations, however,
depends on a number of factors, for example, the family's resources and the
degree of state support available. Nevertheless, I would suggest a number of
core obligations can be identified.
The most fundamental obligation that (younger family members)--------------------------------------have towards (older relations)___________________________is to ensure that
their
physical needs are being met. It is particularly important that (older relations)
________________________have good nutrition, adequate healthcare and a safe
and warm
environment. Whether this is provided in the family home or in an institution
such as a nursing home does not matter.
Another core obligation is to ensure that (older relations)---------------------------------------continue to feel a sense of love and belonging. Whenever possible, they should
be included in family occasions such as birthdays, weddings and funerals. Their
value to the family as a whole should be acknowledged even if they are no
longer able to contribute actively to the family, financially or otherwise.
Finally, (younger family members)___________________________should ensure
that (older
relations)_________________________continue to have the opportunity to grow
and develop
as individuals. As the process of personal development is never complete,
people continue to need stimulation in the form of activities and interests
throughout their lives. Reading aloud, watching a film together or playing a
board game are all things

that (younger family members)__________________________can do with their

(older
relations)_________________________
In short,...
Now look at the Task 2 questions below. For each question, circle a key word
that you might want to repeat and underline any words or expressions which
could be replaced with synonyms.

With improvements in life expectancy, people living today are clearly able
work productively for much longer than in the past. What are the arguments
for and against a mandatory retirement age?
What are the most significant consequences of population ageing?

Exam tip: One of the most useful strategies for linking points between
sentences is i to use the demonstrative this or these. This (or these] can be
used either on its own or | followed by a summary word which captures the
main point of the preceding sentence.
! Study the example below.
| In the past, many people believed that people over the age of sixty-five
were too old to work. I This view is no longer widely held.

Look at the essay extracts below from sample responses you have seen in
previous units.
Link the sentences by filling in the gaps with appropriate summary words.

125 The changes that result from allowing men into female-dominated
occupations and vice versa may be subtle, but they are far-reaching.
However, to benefit the most from
this ______________, it is important not to expect males and females to
approach work in
identical ways.

However, exams also have clear drawbacks. Test-wise candidates can

often perform
well in exams without having good underlying knowledge or skills. On the
other hand, some test-takers perform poorly in exams simply because of
anxiety. Some teachers and learners focus only on those aspects of the
curriculum that are likely to be tested, thus narrowing the educational
experience for all. A number of measures should be taken to address these
_________________________________

Governments could promote greater understanding of plants and animals

by investing in the research and preservation efforts of universities, zoos
and botanical institutes...
However, this_____________alone would do little to protect whole
ecosystems that are
under threat.

U It is true that as the balance of power among groups of people throughout

history has shifted, languages have arisen, changed, and died out. Even
once widely spoken languages, such as Latin, have disappeared. To some
extent, therefore, this may be inevitable.
Study the topic sentences which open the three body paragraphs of the
response in
Exercise 6 (reproduced below). Underline the word or phrase in each that
signals it is
a topic sentence. Circle the phrase that that expresses the main idea
developed in the
paragraph.

126 The most fundamental obligation that younger family members have
towards older relations is to ensure that their physical needs are being
met.

127 Another core obligation is to ensure that older relations continue to feel
a sense of love and belonging.

128 Finally, younger family members should ensure that older relations
continue to have the opportunity to grow and develop as individuals.

Now write topic sentences for three paragraphs in response to the question
below.
What are the most significant consequences of population ageing?
Use repetition and synonyms as appropriate.
Expand the first topic sentence into a paragraph. Make your paragraph
cohesive using this (or these) + a summary word.

Part 3: Exam practice

WRITING TASK 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The figure shows demographic trends in Scotland.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features.
Write at least 150 words.
Demographic Trends (Scotland)

0/

WRITING TASK 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Longer life spans and improvements in the health of older
people suggest that people over the age of sixty-five can
continue to live full and active lives.
In what ways can society benefit from the contribution that
older people can make?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own
knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.

10 Fame
Aims:

Dealing with words often confused I Using appropriate vocabulary

Avoiding repetition by the use of synonyms

Parti: Vocabulary

In IELTS Writing Tasks, it is important to demonstrate that you have a

wide vocabulary by avoiding unnecessary repetition. Match the words 1-9
with the words a-i that have a similar meaning.
1 fame
ashort-lived

2 ambition

bicon

3 achievement

caccomplishment

A shortcoming

dapprove

5 idol

estardom

6 transient

faspiration

7 endorse

gnotorious

8 image

hflaw

9 infamous

iimpression

Knowing which words go together is important. Complete the sentences 1-6

with words from Exercise 1 above to form common collocations. Make any
necessary changes to part of speech or number.

a good

When meeting someone for the first time, it is natural to want to make

2
When starting a new project, it is common to be full of hopes and

129 Many people see celebrities as being all______________and no substance.

I* People often migrate to cities seeking_______________and fortune.

5
Although he is undoubtedly famous, his character is deeply_______________

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ She aspired to being a fashion

Sometimes an idea can be expressed with greater or lesser degrees of strength by

a group of words or phrases with similar meanings. For example: satisfactory good
excellent. Arrange the groups of words below from left to right in terms of strength
of meaning.

admire idolise

famous legendary well-known 3

like

bad imperfect worthless

praise acclaim recognition

The adverbs below can be placed at the beginning of a statement to show your
attitude to what follows. Rewrite the sentences 1-7, beginning each sentence with
an adverb that expresses the sentence in brackets.
fortunately
importantly
inevitably

interestingly
obviously

surprisingly
unfortunately

130Many people who achieve fame as children struggle to live a normal adult life.
(This phenomenon is bound to happen.)

131Many people who become famous as children struggle to live a normal life in
adulthood. (This is not a good thing.)

132Only a small percentage of people become truly obsessed with celebrities. (This is
a good thing.)

133The vast majority of respondents were critical of the amount of celebrity coverage
in the news. (I didn't expect this.)

134

Fame can confer certain advantages. (This is clear.)

135The majority of children surveyed said that they did not want to be famous. (I find
this interesting.)

136Many children were critical of the bad behaviour of people in the public eye. (This
idea is significant.)
Some of the adverbs above can be modified by the use of: more, less, not,
somewhat. Complete the sentences 1-4 below with an adverb and suitable
modifier.
1
Fame can be stressful. (This is not as clear as the previous point.)

The majority of children said they did not want to emulate the bad behaviour of
their idols. (This idea is more significant than the previous one.)

People find notorious criminals quite fascinating. (This is to be expected.)

The children of famous people rarely seek fame themselves. (This is a bit
surprising.)

Part 2: Practice exercises: Task 1

Sentences 1-8 describe information in the table below, which compares
the results of a survey of children's career aspirations in 1980 and 2010.
Each sentence contains two commonly confused words in italics.
Underline the correct word.
rank

1980

1
2
3
4
5

Teacher
Businessman/woman
Doctor/Nurse
Scientist
Lawyer
Vet
Sports star
Astronaut

6
7
8
9
10

Banker
Archaeologist

14
9

2010

6
6
5
4

Sports star
Actor/Actress
Popular singer
Astronaut
Lawyer
Businessman/woman
Doctor/Nurse
Teacher

4
3

Chef
Vet

8
7

%
13
12
11
9
8
8
6
6
5
4

137

Children today appear to have a greater interest in careers associated

with celebrities than did children in the passed/past.

138

Surprisingly, the number/percentage of children wanting to work in

medicine decreased.

139

There were changes in the rankings of all of the occupations

accept/except that of lawyer.

U The percentage of children choosing 'sports star' as one of their top ten
careers rose/ raised.

In 2010, a higher proportion of children wanted to work in entertainment

then/than in traditional professions such as medicine.

A smaller/fewer percentage of respondents opted for 'teacher' in 2010

than in 1980.

In contrast/On the contrary, a much higher percentage of those surveyed

chose 'sports star', which occupies first position in the 2010 list.

140

Some professions that did not appear in the 1980 rankings,

feature/future prominently in the 2010 list.

Now complete the sentences 9-13 below with some of the words in italics
above.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ The

percentage of children wanting to be an astronaut____________________

01
1

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ In 2010, apercentage of children wanted to be a vet.

A smaller percentage of children today want to work in business and

banking than did

children in the_____________

12

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Not surprisingly, 'banker' did

not in the 2010 list.

13

All of the professions in the 1980 list appeared in the 2010 list
scientist,
astronaut and banker.
The paragraph below contains six informal expressions in italics. Replace them
with more appropriate words or expressions.
There were (1) really big changes in the children's career aspirations between 1980
and 2010. (2) Lots of traditional professions either declined in popularity or
disappeared.
(3) E.g. in 1980, 14 per cent of respondents wanted to be teachers whereas thirty
years later, only 6 per cent of those surveyed chose this profession. (4) Amazingly,
scientist, ranked fourth in 1980, (5) didn't even (6) show up in the top ten occupations
of 2010.

141____________________________________________________________________
4 ___________________________

142____________________________________________________________________
5 ___________________________

The passage below contains some unnecessary repetition. Replace the words 1-6 in
italics with synonyms from Exercise 1 on page 82. Make any other necessary
changes to the words.
A number of professions typically associated with celebrities, which were not included
in the 1980 list, appeared among the top ten in 2010. Acting and singing were
particularly popular, ranking second and third respectively. Chef, chosen by five per
cent of respondents, also (1) appeared in the 2010 list. Other (2) professions increased
significantly in popularity. The percentage of (3) respondents (4) choosing sports star
and astronaut more than doubled. The only (5) profession that did not change in the
rankings was lawyer, which (6) appeared in fifth place in both 1980 and 2010.

4
5

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ______________________________________

6
2
3
The words in italics in the extracts 1-7 from unit 2 below are too informal. Rewrite
the sentences using more appropriate words and phrases.
1 One of the biggest steps in civilisation is the development of modern ways of making
and getting food ready.

Convenience foods have now become the done thing in many societies.

Although some people love traditional cooking practices and believe they will be
around for a long time,...

In more traditional societies, where families tended to be big, it made economic

sense for one person to give him/herself to time-consuming jobs at home such as
growing and preparing food.

5 Nowadays, people by and large live in ever smaller family units.

If each family were to spend hours and hours growing and processing food,
this would be a silly use of society's human resource.

... the increase in the number of grown ups, especially women with kids,
who work in jobs all day long.

Celebrity gossip
Political leaders
War/Conflict
Crime
The economy/recession
Sports
Good news
Poverty/Homelessness
Environment
Education
Health
International news

42
10
9
8
8
5
18
11
10
9
8
4

The table below shows the results of an opinion poll of media coverage.
Read the description and circle the most appropriate option in the items 1-7
in italics. Then underline the expressions the writer has used to avoid
repeating the word respondents.
The table presents the findings of a public opinion survey of media coverage.
On the whole, the respondents felt there was too much coverage of individuals
in the entertainment industry and politics, bad news and sports.
Dissatisfaction with the amount of coverage given to celebrity gossip was
particularly high at 42 per cent. Individuals in politics were also seen as (1)
receiving/getting too much attention by one in ten of those surveyed. A similar
(2) number/percentage of respondents said the media focused too much on (3)
awful/negative news stories, war and the recession, for example. At the other
end of the scale, a (4) small/few percentage of people questioned said there
was too much sports news. (5) On the contrary/On the other hand, respondents
said that there (6) wasn't/was not enough coverage of good news, social and
issues and international news. Nearly one in five of those who took part in the
survey felt that there was not enough focus on good news. A relatively high
percentage also felt that there was too little coverage of issues relating to

quality of life: poverty, the environment, education and health. A small

percentage (4 per cent) wanted more international news.
In short, (7) there appears to be/you could say there was a mismatch between
the types of news stories covered and the stated preferences of the survey
respondents.

Part 2: Practice exercises: Task 2

The language required for IELTS Writing Task 2 is often quite predictable.
Listed below are ten common expressions. Write one or two words with a
similar meaning for each.
advantage
6 problem
disadvantage
7 solution
opinion

8 important

however

9 issue

10 situation

people

Study the four introductions a-d to an essay written in response to the

question:
In your view, why have celebrities become such an important feature of
modern life?
Answer questions 1-2.

Which is the best introduction?

What is the problem with each of the other three?

a There are more and more television programmes, magazines, and
newspaper articles about celebrities these days. The 'cult of celebrity' is
one of the one of the things about modern pop culture that really stands
out. Some people say that because there have always been famous
people around, this isn't anything new. But I say that there's something
different about fame today.
b The number of television programmes, magazines, and newspaper articles
focusing on the lives of celebrities has rocketed over the last few
decades. Indeed, the cult of celebrity is the defining feature of
modern popular culture. People say that, because there have always
been famous people, this is not a new phenomenon. However, I insist
that fame today is unique to our times.
c The number of television programmes, magazines, and newspaper articles
focusing on the lives of celebrities appears to have grown considerably
over the last few decades. Indeed, the 'cult of celebrity seems to be
one of the defining features of modern popular culture. Some people
insist that, because there have always been famous people, this is not a
new phenomenon. However, I would suggest that there are aspects of
fame today that are particular to our times.
d The number of television programmes, magazines, and newspaper articles
focusing on the lives of celebrities appears to have grown considerably
over the last few decades. Indeed, the 'cult of celebrity' seems to be

one of the defining features of television programmes, magazines and

newspapers. Some people insist that, because there have always been
famous people, the cult of celebrity' is not a new phenomenon.
However, I would suggest that there are aspects of the cult of celebrity'
that are particular to our times.

Read the first two body paragraphs of the essay on page 86 . Improve the
text by:

changing the informal expressions into more formal language. (The first
one has been
marked for you in italics.)

adding hedges to the statements 1-5 that are too sweeping. Use the
hints to help you.

In the past, people (1)______________became

Add a hedge to show that this is a generalisation.
famous for doing great things. Einstein, Dickens, and Gandhi, for instance, were all
celebrated for what theyd done for science, literature and public life. People
were interested in them (2)______________
because they were rote models. One of the reasons fame today is so different is
because celebrities (3)_____________meet a
range of people's emotional needs, not just the need for rote models. Lots of
people in the public eye today are famous simply for
being famous. The public are (4)______________
interested in them because, when news of scandals comes out into the open, they
15)____________get the satisfaction of feeling
superior to people they've been encouraged to envy.
Read the third body paragraph and the conclusion to the essay below.
Reduce the unnecessary repetition in the text by replacing repeated
words with synonyms.
Another reason fame today is unique is the desire for ordinary people to
explore the nature of fame itself. Many celebrities that have emerged from
reality television programmes, for example, come from the same walks of life
as ordinary people. Reading about or watching such celebrities allow ordinary
people to imagine what it might be like to suddenly find themselves in the
public eye. Celebrities may, therefore, allow ordinary people to indulge in
wish fulfilment fantasies without having to worry about whether they are
capable of significant achievement.
Exam tip: Remember that some repetition is acceptable and can even be effective as
a means of signposting key ideas. If you do not know suitable synonyms for some key
terms, it is better to repeat these words than to use expressions that are a poor
match or inappropriate to the context.
The third and perhaps most significant reason that celebrities play such an
important role in modern life is the fact that commercial pressures encourage
media organisations to focus on information that is immediately attractive to
ordinary people. As we have seen, celebrities appear to tap into powerful
emotional needs, the need to feel superior, the need to imagine oneself to be
the centre of attention; therefore, news about celebrities sells.
10 Read the concluding paragraph below. Make any changes to word choice and
style that you think necessary.
In brief, the nature of fame today is different from fame in the past. There's a
greater need to denigrate, rather than celebrate the actions of people in the
public eye, as well as huge interest in fame itself. Whether the public will
eventually get tired of denigrating people in the public eye or of fame itself
well never know.

Part 3: Exam practice

WRITING TASK 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The table shows the results of a survey of people's perception of celebrity
news coverage..
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main
features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Celebrities receive:

Who is responsible for the

amount of coverage?

too much news coverage 85 news organisations

not enough news coverage
6 the public
right amount of coverage
dont know

7 both
2 don't know

Who gives celebrities the

most coverage?

56
34

television news
Internet news websites

7 newspapers
3 radio news

60
15
12
5

other

dont know

WRITING TASK 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Many people believe that media coverage of celebrities is
having a negative effect on children.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own
knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Match the phrases a-h with the road signs

a cycle route ahead

b frail pedestrians likely ahead c end of motorway d

traffic

queues likely
1-8 above.
e road works ahead f danger
g bus lane at road junction ahead

11 The car
Aims:

speed cameras in the area

Becoming aware of common errors I Learning how to correct errors Practising

proofreading

Part 1:
2

Vocabulary

Use the words and phrases from Exercise 1 above to complete the sentences
1-7. Make any necessary changes.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Unless the government

invests in_____________________________________, the number of journeys
made by
bicycle is unlikely to increase.
2 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Although have been shown to reduce the frequency
of road accidents,
drivers dislike being under surveillance.
3

Faulty traffic lights and inadequate road crossings put the lives of
in

U In spite of the governments expansion of the road network, drivers are still
likely to experience_____during peak travel periods.

___________________________________________________
make travelling long distances much faster; however,
many people feel
they are a blight on the landscape.
6
The need to continually upgrade and repair the road network means
that journeys are
frequently delayed by_____________
7

The number of journeys by public transport increased when the

government invested
in____________and the commuter rail network.

For IELTS Writing, you have to show not only that you have a wide vocabulary but
also that you can use the right form of a word in the right context. Complete the
table below with the correct word forms.
verb

_____________ reduction
_____________________
convert
maintain
_____________ emission
combust
propel

noun

production
---------------------------------------------____________

Use words from Exercise 3 to complete the passage below. Make any changes
necessary.
Electric cars are battery-powered vehicles [1]____________by electric motors. Because
electric cars are more efficient at (2)______________stored energy into (3)---------------they
have the potential to [4)___________C02 emissions. The level of reduction depends on
how
the electricity is generated; however, it can be substantial. In the UK, for example, if
vehicles
with internal [5)__________engines were replaced with electric vehicles, C02 (6)------------------would decrease by 40 per cent. Moreover, because electric cars do not (7)____________
exhaust fumes, they have the potential to reduce urban pollution. Another advantage
of
electric cars is their low (8)__________costs; because electric motors have fewer
moving
parts than petrol-powered engines, they are easier to maintain. One disadvantage,
however,
is that they (9)____________less noise and can therefore be dangerous to pedestrians.
Governments and manufacturers around the world are investing substantial sums in
the development of state-of-the-art electric cars and batteries. Some have predicted
that
electric car (10)___________will increase substantially over the next decade and that
by
2025, 12 per cent of cars on the road will be battery-powered.
Look again at the nouns in Exercise 3 and notice how they all end in: -tion, -sion, or
-ance. Another common ending for nouns which are frequently used in academic
writing is -merit. Write the noun form of the verbs a-g. Use -tion, -sion, -ance, or
-ment and make any other changes necessary to the root form of the word. Then
complete the sentences 1-7 with the correct noun form.
a achieve_______ c
allow_________ e
involve________ g oppose_____________
b appear________ d
explain_______ f
provide________

The local authority was unable to enforce the new parking restrictions because

of

significant public_______________

For many people,

learning to dive is a significant----------------------------------------------3 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ The train operator
could not offer a coherent_________________________________for why the trains
were
frequently late.

When purchasing a new car, people will often consider functionality, price and---------------------5
The new public transport scheme is unlikely to go ahead unless there is
substantial
financial_____________from central government.
6 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ It is important that drivers make
for cyclists on busy roads.
7
Attempts to create pedestrian-only zones in city centres are unlikely to
succeed without
the_____________of local businesses.

Part 2: Practice exercises: Task 1

1

143__________________________Between 2008 and 2009, there

substantial decrease in petrol prices, a was

b has been c is

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Petrol prices

substantially since

2009.
a rose b have risen c are rising

The figure shows that if the price of

petrol___to rise over the next five years,
fewer people will choose to drive.
a will continue b continues c is continuing
U As a general rule, car use______positively
with per capita income, a correlates b is correlating c was
correlating

The percentage of households in the UK

with access to a car____from 50 per cent
to 73 per cent between 1975 and 2000.
a is increasing b was increasing c increased

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ According to the graph, car use

substantially when the oil crisis began, a already rose

b was already rising c will rise
Many of the most common errors in candidates Task 1 responses involve tense.
Complete the sentences 1-6 by selecting the correct tense a, b, or c.

2
3

Another common difficulty with Task 1 responses is knowing when to use the
active voice and when to use the passive voice. Underline the correct form
in the sentences 1-6 below.

Sales of electric cars decreased/were decreased for approximately

three years.

2
3

Over the next ten years, electric car sales expect/are expected to rise.
Petrol consumption correlates/is correlated negatively with population

density.
U Use of public transport varied/was varied in relation to income and average
distance travelled per year.

Public transport accounted/Was accounted for only eight percent of

journeys to work in 2010.
6 When they asked/were asked why they were reluctant to buy an electric
car, the majority of respondents cited the following factors: cost,

maintenance and reliability.

It is important to know when to use the infinitive, the infinitive without to,
or the -ing form
of a verb. For each sentence 1-6, write the correct form of the verb in
brackets.

Three-quarters of the survey participants said that, whenever possible,

they avoided
(drive) at peak times.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

People below the age of twenty-five and over the age of fifty-five tended_______________
(use) public transport more regularly than those aged between twenty-six
and fifty-four.
3 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Consumers
often
postpone
(purchase) a new car during periods of
economic uncertainty.
U Even significant discounts on new car models did not make prospective buyers
____________(change) their minds.

Nearly half the respondents indicated that they would consider

(travel) by
public transport if it were cheaper and more reliable.
6 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Most people said that
they intended___________________________________(reduce) their car use in
future.

unu i
Exam tip: One of the most common errors is that of article use. Often it is difficult to
correct because the rules of article use in English are complex. Most mistakes can be
avoided by following a few basic guidelines:

make generalisations using the plural noun without the: Cars cause pollution.

single countable nouns generally require an article.

use a if you mean one or any: Most people would buy a new car if they could
afford one.
use the if you mean a specific one: The car that I bought last year...

use the with:

ordinals: The first car I ever bought...,
superlatives: The best car on the market...,
words such as only, sole, or same-. The only electric car costing less than
20,000...
adjectives to represent a class of people: The wealthy could afford cars.
Study the Task 1 response below. Complete the text by adding prepositions and
articles a and the. Where no article or preposition is needed write - .
The bar chart gives information about (1)________________modes of transport
used
(2)_____________people
living
in
rural
areas
and
cities
of
(3)
_______________different sizes.
It shows the annual distance travelled by car, bus, train and (A)
______________________________________________________________________
foot per
person.
Overall, the distance travelled is inversely proportional (5)________________the
size of
conurbation. People living in (6)______________large
cities
(over,
50,000
inhabitants]
travelled less than those living in cities (7)_______________fewer
than
50,000
people and
considerably less than those living in rural areas. Inhabitants of (8)
_______________________________________________________________________
largest
cities (over 500,000) travelled the fewest miles (approximately 5,500). In
contrast,
(9)_____________people living in the countryside travelled nearly twice that
distance
each year.
This tendency was particularly evident in relation (10)________________car travel.

For all
of the categories represented, cars considerably outweighed other forms of
transport.
However, people living in (11)______________rural area travelled nearly three
times the
distance (over 9,000 miles) by car as people living in (12)________________large
city. In fact,
car use correlated negatively with (13)_______________size of the conurbation.
Other modes of transport, on the other hand, showed (1 A)
__________________________________________________________________
opposite tendency.
The inhabitants of larger cities tended to travel more by train and bus and on foot
than people in less populated areas.
Exam tip: Make sure that you are familiar with the type of mistakes that you tend to
make. Look at previous texts you have written and draw up a list of your four or five
most common mistakes. Keep them in mind when you check your work.
In short, city living appears to be more environmentally friendly, at least as far as
distance and mode of transport is concerned.

Part 2: Practice exercises: Task 2

Ten of the most common errors found in Task 2 responses involve problems with a-f
below.
a subject-verb agreement
b
c
d
e

articles: a/an/the
countable vs. uncountable nouns
prepositions
part of speech

f
9
h
i
j

relative clauses
verb forms: modal/infinitive/gerund
tenses
run-on sentences
sentence fragments

The sentences 1-10 each contain one of the errors a-j listed above. Identify the
type of error in each sentence and correct it.

The evidences show that wearing a seatbelt significantly reduces road

accident fatalities.

In fact wearing a seatbelt is most important safety measure that can be

taken.

The number of road accidents has declined last year.

U It is illegally to drive without a licence.

The cost of insurance depends of several factors including age,

experience and type of car.

Organisations such as the AA can to provide assistance to motorists who

break down.

Many people which living in rural areas have no choice but to travel by

car.

Buying a second-hand car is sometimes risky, inexperienced buyers can

be easily cheated.

There is numerous examples of illegal practices in the second-hand

motor trade.

10

Because the industry is poorly regulated and buyers are not always well-

informed.
6 Correct use of relative clauses can demonstrate good control of complex
sentence structure. Join the pairs of sentences 1-5 using a relative pronoun.
N.B. There may be more than one way of joining the sentences. Choose the
way that most effectively highlights the main point.
1 Some people own cars. Cars undoubtedly have practical benefits for them.
2 Urban pollution can lead to respiratory problems such as asthma. Urban
pollution is largely caused by vehicle emissions.

Cars cause noise pollution. Noise pollution is another problem that can
affect people's health.

U The vast majority of car journeys are for short distances. Short distances can
be covered on foot.
5 There is evidence that some people are less likely to know or interact with
their neighbours. These people live on streets with high volumes of traffic.
unit i
Having good control of sentence structure also means having good control of
punctuation.
Correct the punctuation in the sentences 1-7.

Although most people say they would use other forms of transport for short
journeys in fact most car journeys are for distances of less than two miles.

Most people are reluctant to buy electric cars because of three main
factors, cost, maintenance and reliability.

Some of those surveyed said they had concerns about the distance electric
cars could travel before having to be recharged.

U Electric cars are more expensive than conventional cars, however their
maintenance costs are tower.

One major Japanese car manufacturer which produces some of the most
fuel-efficient petrol-powered cars has recently announced that it plans to
invest more heavily in electric car technology.

By 2025 over 40 per cent of vehicles on the road are likely to be hybrid or
electric cars.

Hybrid and electric cars produce fewer emissions but this may not result in
a reduction in overall emissions. Because the growth in car ownership over
the next fifteen years is likely to accelerate.

For IELTS Writing Task 2, it is important that you give reasons for your
opinions. Connect
the pairs of sentences 1-5 using the linking words given in brackets.
1 In many parts of the world, people now have greater access to cars. They
often have more choice over where they live and work, (as)

2 Cities have become more sprawling. People have sought out the greater
privacy and space afforded by suburban living, (because)

There are more vehicles, often travelling at greater speed. The streets are
less hospitable to pedestrians, (as a consequence)

U There has also been a decline in public transport. People have less day-to-day
contact with other members of their community, (as a result)

5 Most people are very dependent on their cars. Most people do not want to
give up their cars, (since)
The essay extract below contains three run-on sentences, two very
short sentences and one sentence fragment. Repair the text by
correcting the punctuation and choosing from the list of linking words
below to connect the ideas. (N.B. there are more linking words
than needed.)
although
as
as a consequence
because

since
therefore
whereas
which

however
while
Exam tip: It is worthwhile learning how to effectively proofread your writing. Always
check your work carefully and correct any mistakes you find.
In many parts of the world, people now have greater access to cars, they
often have more choice over where they live and work. Cities have become
more sprawling, people have sought out the greater privacy and space
afforded by suburban living. There are more vehicles. Often travelling at
greater speed. The streets are less hospitable to pedestrians. There has also
been a decline in public transport, people have less day-to-day contact with
other members of their community.
10 Read the following essay extract written in response to the question: What
are the most significant negative consequences of the massive expansion
of car ownership? Find and correct as many of the errors as you can but
dont be disappointed if you dont find all of them.
One of the factor that distinguishes developed from developing economies is
mass car ownership. Cars undoubtedly have practical benefits for the individuals
which own them. They allow for more flexible and autonomous travel. Like
other consumer items, they can be used to expressing individual taste and
identity, however, they also clearly have a number of undesirable consequences.
One of these consequences is deteriorate in people's health. Urban pollution
which is largely causing by vehicle emissions. It can cause respiratory problems
such as asthma.
This health problems is more prevalent in cities, particularly among children and
the elderly. Noise pollution caused by car is another problem that can affect on
peoples health.
Another consequences of car use is a decline in levels of physical activity and
hence levels of fitness. Although this is partly a consequence of rising prosperity
generally, there is evidence that car use is responsible to lower levels of
cardiovascular fitness. The vast majority of car journeys are for less than two
miles, that is, distances that can easily be covered on foot. In short, when
people own the cars, they tend to walk less, thus removing a major means by
which people maintain day-to-day fitness.
Finally, widespread car use can have a negative effect on community life. There
is evident that people who live on streets with high volumes of traffic are less
likely to know or interact with their neighbours. This too can have a negative
impact on people's sense of well-being.
These factors alone are unlikely to discourage people from buying cars.
However, more could be done to make the public more aware of the
disadvantages of car ownership. Provide alternative means of transport would
encourage people to use their cars less and enjoy some of the benefits of a carfree environment.

Part 3: Exam practice

WRITING TASK 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The table shows the percentage of journeys made by
different forms of transport in four countries. The bar
chart shows the results of a survey into car use.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the
main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Journeys made by:

USA

UK

France

Netherlands

Car

90%
1%
3%
5%
1%

72%
2%
12%
11%
3%

68%
2%
18%
11%
1%

47%
26%
8%
18%
1%

Bicycle
Public transport
On foot
Other

%
50

40 30 -

20 Most cited reasons

people travel to work
by car (USA)
03

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o

z
c

c
<D

Jad

O
'3

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<3
o
o
a>
z

Work nightshift

WRITING TASK 2
You should spend about A0 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:

10

There is a good deal of evidence that increasing car use is

contributing to global warming and having other undesirable
effects on people's health and well-being.
What can be done to discourage people from using their cars?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own
knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.

12 Practice test
WRITING TASK 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The figure gives information about smoking habits of the UK population
by age.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the
main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Smoking habits by age (UK)

Heavy smoker

Write at least 150 words.

umi

WRITING TASK 2
You should spend about AO minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
In recent years, there has been growing interest in the
relationship between inequality and personal achievement.
Some people believe that individuals can achieve more in
more egalitarian societies. Others believe that high levels of
personal achievement are possible only if individuals are free
to succeed or fail according to their individual merits.
What is your view of the relationship between equality and personal
success?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own
knowledge or experience.
Practice test 97
Write at least 250 words.

Additional model essays

\.

Unit 1
Unit 1 - Task 1
Bar charts are frequently used to compare information. Notice how the writer makes
comparisons throughout.
-The chart compares the percentage of male and female
The writer makes reference to only four percentage figures out of a possible total of
twelve. This is enough to illustrate and support the main points. Remember, you do
not need to include all of the information in the visual prompt.
teachers in different educational settings from nursery school to university. Significant
differences between men and women are evident.
Women held nearly all of the teaching posts in nursery and primary schools and the
majority of posts in secondary schools (approximately 56 per cent). They held the
same percentage of posts as did men at college level. However, a smaller proportion
of women held teaching positions at training institutes, and, at universities, female
lecturers were outnumbered by mates by roughly two to one.
For men, the pattern of employment was the reverse. Only 2 per cent of nursery
school teachers and 10 per cent of primary teachers were men. They were more
equally represented at secondary and college level. However, a significantly higher
percentage of university lecturers were male (roughly 70 per cent).
The bar chart represents percentages not numbers. The words percentage and
proportion are used throughout the response.
The response meets the 150 word requirement but is not any longer than necessary.
Remember, you should spend no more than twenty minutes on Task 1.
Overall, the figure shows that gender is a significant factor in patterns of employment
within the education sector.
(151 words)
The conclusion highlights the main point but does not offer an explanation. You are
not required to explain or interpret the data.

This is a response to a Type D 'Evaluate an idea' essay question.

It asks the writer to consider the truth value of a prediction.
Unit 2 - Task 2
One of the most significant advances in civilisation is the development of modern
methods of food production and preparation. Convenience foods have now become the
norm in many societies. Although some people idealise traditional cooking- practices
and believe they will prevail indefinitely, demographic trends suggest that this is

unlikely to be the case. In fact, there are a number of /reasons for believing that
convenience foods are likely to grow in popularity.
The writer structures her essay around reasons for her opinion. Notice how the word
reason appears at the start of each body paragraph.
By acknowledging there is another point of view, the writer indicates that she has
'tested' her idea.
The first reason is the decline in family size and the increase in single-adult
households. In more traditional societies, where families tended to be large, it made
economic sense for one person to devote him/herself to time-consuming domestic
tasks such as growing and preparing food. Nowadays, people tend to live in ever
smaller family units. If each family were to spend large amounts of time growing and
processing food, this would be a poor use of society's human resource.
Another reason convenience foods are likely to become more popular is the increase in
the number of adults, especially women with
children, who work in full-time employment. In______
the UK, for example, working mothers significantly outnumber stay-at-home mothers.
There is evidence that consumption of convenience foods rises with numbers of hours
worked. As modern life increasingly demands that people are economically active, this
trend is likely to continue
Examples to illustrate and support the argument are also given.
The response meets the 250-word requirement.
Although many people still value traditional foods and methods of cooking, the trend
towards smaller, dual-income households suggests that convenience foods are likely to
continue to grow in popularity and may very well eventually replace traditional
methods of food production and preparation.
(261 words)

The simple present tense is used when referring to what the figure shows.
The simple past tense is used here and in the remainder of the response because the
data refers to 2009.
Unit 3 - Task 1
The bar chart shows the percentage of home and international students in the UK
achieving at least a second class degree in eight subjects in 2009.
For the UK students, over halfofthe degrees awarded were second class or better.
The largest- percentage of good passes was in Art History and Sociology (80 per cent)
The lowest was in Information Technology (55 per cent).
For international students, the rates were similarly high, though figures for
individual subjects differed. In Electrical Engineering and Information Technology,
four out of five degrees awarded to students from abroad were second class or
better (versus fewer than two out of three for home students). However, the

percentage gaining good degrees in subjects such as English Literature (55 per cent)
and Law (50 per cent) was lower than the corresponding rate for home students
(roughly 70 per cent).
In brief, the chart shows that home students tended to do better in Arts and Social
Science-related subjects, whereas international students tended to do better in
technology related subjects.
Quantities are referred to in a variety of ways.
The writer uses superlatives when comparing more than two items,
(in this case, eight subjects).
The conclusion highlights the main idea but does not give reasons.
The writer uses comparatives when comparing two items, (in this case, international
and home students).
(163 words)

Notice that the writer does not use the contracted form it's.
An alternative approach would be to protect and expand nature reserves so that
complete ecosystems can be kept intact. This would ensure that a minimum number of
wild plants and animals would survive. However, although such places are indeed
valuable, experience shows that it is difficult to protect rare plants and animals from
exploitation. In fact, as some species, like the tiger, become rarer, the more valuable
they become to poachers and others who seek to benefit from their trade.
A more effective approach is to educate the public about the benefits of
biodiversity. Money should be invested in the research and development of the
world's biological resources. Once people understand that there are real benefits to
exploiting natural resources in a sustainable way, they are more likely to make the
short-term sacrifices necessary to preserve natural habitats.
The writer concludes with his preferred option. This makes the essay feel finished.
Notice how the writer avoids using the word / and keeps his sentences short and
simple.
This is a response to a Type A'Propose a solution to a problem essay question.
Unit 4 - Task 2
In recent years there has been growing awareness of the importance of preserving
the world's biological diversity. As increasing numbers'of unique, and potentially
useful, plants and animals cpme under threat, people are beginning to ask whether
more can be donetoTevecse this trend.
This is a more academic way of saying more and more.
This is a less emotive and therefore more academic way of saying are destroyed.
The writer begins with his least favoured option.
One possible approach is to regulate agricultural /and industrial activity so that
pollution and /disruption to natural habitats is kept to a / minimum. People argue that
economic prosperity / must be curtailed if it comes at the expense of / the
environment. However, businesses affected are unlikely to comply with such a
strategy. It may even generate hostility to conservation efforts generally if the
economic costs are perceived to be too high.
The writer presents this idea impersonally by making people rather than / the
subject of the sentence.
(253 words)

The introduction indicates what the diagram shows.

Another is used to signpost the second item in the list. Notice the remaining
signposting expressions in this paragraph [The third system and Finally}.
Unit 5 - Task 1
_The diagram gives information about the five principal writing systems used
throughout the world: the Logographic, Abjad, Abjuda, Alphabetic, and Syllabic.
Four of these are similar in that characters represent sounds. The oldest is the
Abiad. used in Arabic, for example, where each character represents a consonant
sound.
Another is the Abjuda, used in the Indian DevanagarT. Here, each character indicates
a consonant plus vowel. The third system is the Alphabetic, used in English, for
instance, where characters refer to a sound, either vowel or consonant. However,
the relationship between pronunciation and spelling is sometimes approximate.
Finally, in the Syllabic system, used in Japanese Kana for example, characters
represent syllables.
In addition to these four systems, there is also the Logographic system, which
works on a different principle. Here, each character represents a word meaning.
Therefore, languages which are different when spoken, such as Chinese and
Japanese, can share written forms.
Overall, the diagram shows that most writing systems are based on sounds.
The superlative form is used because more than two items are compared.
The concluding sentence says something about the diagram as a whole. The word
overall signals the conclusion.
(167 words)
This is a response to a type D 'Evaluate an idea' essay question.
An opposing point of view is given using the emphatic reporting verb claim.
Unit 6 - Task 2
The Internet has undoubtedly changed the ___________
way people shop. In some countries, buying and selling products online has become
commonplace. Enthusiasts claim that the Internet offers consumers greater choice
and flexibility.
However, those who say that the Internet is- transforming the lives of consumers
are going too far.
Firstly, although online shopping appears to offer ^/greater convenience, it is
often rather risky and cumbersome in practice. Consumers cannot evaluate the quality
of online products by handling them directly. Instead, they must rely on sellers to
describe goods accurately in words and/or pictures. Mistakes can easily be made,
leading to the inconvenience of having to exchange goods or seek a refund. Products

bought online also normally need to be delivered by post. The convenience of online
shopping thus hinges in part on the efficiency of the postal service.
Secondly, in spite of the promise of lower prices, Internet shopping seldom offers
substantial savings. A competitive marketplace ensures that large price
differentials rapidly disappear as suppliers align themselves with one another. Also,
the cost of postage is normally borne by the buyer. A product that appears to be a
bargain on screen often turns out to be no cheaper than the same product bought
in a shop. Not surprisingly, only one in ten purchases in the UK are made online.
For these reasons, Internet shopping is likely to remain a minority pursuit. The
continuing popularity of shopping in the traditional way -suggests that consumers
continue to value its advantages: the opportunity to sample, compare and buy
products in a real as opposed to a virtual space.
In this part of the introduction, the writer describes the context of the topic.
This is the first generalisation, made less sweeping with the words often and rather.
The writer expresses his point of view by challenging the opposing point of view.
This is the second generalisation, made less sweeping with the word seldom.
The writer gives his opinion (without using /).
The writer displays modesty by using the more tentative reporting verb suggests.
(265 words)
Unit 7 - Task 1
The introduction
briefly
summarises what
the figures show.

Figures 1 and 2 show economic growth and

patterns of household expenditure from 1995 until
2010.
In 1995, economic growth was approximately 1 per
cent. The pie chart for that year shows that spending
on essentials such as food and housing accounted for
approximately two-thirds of total household
expenditure. Spending on less essential items such as
clothing, entertainment and travel was relatively
modest at roughly 20 per cent.

This paragraph
includes
information from
both figures.
This pattern is
repeated in the
following
paragraphs, which
Five years later, growth had roughly doubled and
are
expenditure on essentials had shrunk as a ____proportion sequenced
In
contrast of total spending. Spending on non- essentlaTsTIn
chronologically.
highlights
contrast, had expanded. This trend was even more
difference.
marked-in 2005, when growth

peaked at approximately 4.5 per cent and over 25 per The comparative
cent of expenditure was devoted to non-essentials.
form (more +
adjective) is used
because two
The writer begins
the
paragraph with a
generalisation.

However, the trend had reversed when in 2010 growth years are being
stood again at approximately 1 per cent
compared.
following an economic contraction. The pattern of
expenditure in that year was similar to the pattern
in 1995, though the contraction in non-essential
spending was even more pronounced.
Overall, the figures suggest that economic growth-----has an effect on patterns of household expenditure.
(169 words)

The conclusion
cautiously expresses
a cause-and-effect
relationship between
figures 1 and 2 using
the less emphatic
reporting verb
suggest.

This is a response to a type A'Propose a solution to a problem' question.

Unit 8 - Task 2
The writers intention is expressed using will.
No two families are alike. Therefore, the degree of- control that it is appropriate for
parents to exercise over their U-15-year-old adolescent children is likely to vary from
family to family. In this essay, I -will outline three key variables that should be
considered when attempting to make a
The writer states her opinion.
Each body paragraph begins with a generalisation.
decision about what is suitable in a given context.
One variable is the family's physical environment.
/ Some environments clearly pose more dangers than others. Parents in an inner-city
area with heavy traffic, a transient population and a high crime rate, for instance,
probably need to supervise their children more closely than parents in a small rural
community in which the residents know one- another.
Should is used to express a necessity.
This is a supporting example, signalled with for instance.
This supporting example is signalled with for example.
Secondly, prevailing cultural norms are likely to be a factor. Some cultures, in Asia

and the Middle East, for example, value social cohesion, whereas others, such as the
US, tend towards individualism One of the tasks of parents is to teach their children to
function within their society; thus the degree of parental control will probably vary
according to the type of society in which children are expected to take part.
May is used to make the statement less sweeping.
The third, and perhaps most important consideration, is the personalities of the
children involved. Children vary enormously in terms of traits such as maturity,
impulsiveness,- conscientiousness, and so on. The degree of parental control
appropriate for one 14-15-year- old may not be at all appropriate for another.
These examples are signalled with such as.
^Jn short, it is not possible to make recommendations jhe writer begins
In short signals the conclusion.
regarding the supervision of adolescents that fit all contexts. The physical
environment, the cultural context, and the personalities of those involved should all
be considered.
(261 words)
the conclusion by restating her opinion.
Here the writer summarises the main points.

Unit 9 - Task 1
The colon is used to introduce a list.
The writer has organised this response chronologically, with all three trends compared
in segments of time.
The line graph shows three demographic trends in Scotland between 1940 and _2020.:
birth rate, population growth rate, and death rate.
-Between 1940 and 1970, both birth rate and population growth rate fluctuated
significantly. The birth rate started the period at 2.5 per cent and ended at just over
1.0 per cent. The population growth rate began and ended at approximately 1.0 per
cent, having peaked at 1.5 per cent in 1955. The death rate, on the other hand,
declined steadily until 1955 and then remained stable.
both ... and links these
trends.
however is a sentence linker. It is usually punctuated with a full stop or semi colon
before, and a comma after.
Between 1970 and 1990, all three trends declined gradually. In about 1990, the death
rate overtook the population growth rate for the first time; however, all three trends
remained roughly static over the next ten years.
on the other hand is a sentence linker signalling contrast. When placed after the
subject of the sentence, it requires commas on either side.
The writer uses the present perfect tense because the time frame is past to present.
This + summary word [trend] ensures cohesion.
Over the last decade, the birth rate and population growth rate -have continued to

decline, with - the lattec-dippinq below 0 per cent in 20057The~3eaf rate, in contrast,
has risen slightlyJFhis trend is projected fcTcontinue overtR?~nexLten years.
(157 words)
with can be used as a cohesive device.
the tatter is used to avoid repeating population growth rate.
This brief reference to the future is enough to make the passage feel complete. No
separate conclusion is required.

This is a response to a type D Evaluate an idea' question.

this + summary word [trend] links two sentences.
Unit 10-Task 2
Celebrities appear to play an increasingly prominent role in popular culture today.
It is difficult to open a newspaper or switch on the television without encountering
an item of celebrity gossip. Not surprisingly^Jhere are concerns about how this
trend impacts on
The writer avoids repeating celebrities by listing common types of celebrities.
Prominent and noteworthy in the following sentence are synonyms for famous.
children, with some people claiming that children are being corrupted. This essay will
argue^that these fears are unnecessarily alarmist.
Firstly, some people maintain that children cannot distinguish between notoriety and
genuine fame. However, in my experience, children usually admire .footballers,
singers and actors foFtheir skill and achievements and express disappointment when
they misbehave. Moreover, historically famous figuresJiave also been flawed. In the
past, manygrominent polTfit^T-ajidjDusiness leadei^JaacHIrffcs with the slave trade,
for Example. Yet they are still presented to children as noteworthy individuals.
Another common fear is that children are being encouraged to pursue the unrealistic
goal of achieving celebrity status themselves instead of working towards more socially
useful occupations such as engineering, teachingThis adverb phrase shows the writer's attitude to the opinion expressed.
The writer states her intention using will. The subject of the sentence is this essay
rather than /, in keeping with academic style.
Famous figures is used to avoid repetition.
Commonly is a hedging expression, as is often in the following sentence.
or nursing. In fact, children have always had unrealistic fantasies about what they
might do as adults, and these commonly reflect the preoccupations of their society. In
the 19th century, for example, British children often aspired to being famous explorers.
As children grow up, they learn to draw inspiration from their heroes and heroines
without emulating them literally.
In short, there is little about today's celebrity culture^ that is fundamentally more
harmful than the types of celebrity children have encountered in the past. Provided
children are given appropriate guidance, they are unlikely to be adversely affected.
(259 words)

These are examples of socially useful occupations, signalled with such as.
Here, the conclusion begins with a summary of the main points.

Notice how the writer has paraphrased the task instructions.

Unit 11 - Task 1
-The table compares four countries in terms of the proportion of journeys undertaken
by five modes of travel: car, bicycle, public transport, walking, and 'other'. The bar
chart gives findings of a study into the reasons people in the USA drive.
With is used as a cohesive device in this and the following sentence.
When the task requires you to compare several figures, the information must be
more condensed.
Of the four countries compared, the USA was heavily reliant on cars, -with only a small
proportion of journeys made by other means (only 10 per cent in total). The
Netherlands, in contrast, showed a more even distribution of travel modes with fewer
than haltofjill journeys made by car, a relatively large percentage made by bicycle (28
per cent) and nearly one in five on foot. France and the UK fell -between these two
extremes.
Quantity is expressed in different ways. See also one in five in the following
sentence.
The response does not end with a general summary. However, at 172 words it is
sufficiently long. It also feels complete as the two figures are adequately linked and
described.
The survey results shown in the bar- chart may help explain why car use is higher in
some countries than in others. The most cited reasons were the lack of alternative
means of transport (38 per cent) and the need to use a car for work (28 per cent).
-However, convenience was also an important factor for over 20 per cent of
respondents.
(172 words)
The paragraph begins with a generalisation.
A superlative is used as a focusing expression for the supporting detail that follows.

Unit 12
The writer makes reference to the opposing point of view to indicate that he has
'tested' his idea.
Each body paragraph begins with a generalisation.
This example supports the main point.
The writer signposts each key point.
Unit 12-Task 2
Human beings have long struggled with the difficulty of ensuring both freedom and
fairness in society. Some people argue that a good society -is necessarily one that
ensures equality for all. However, in my view, this is neither feasible nor desirable
in practice.
-Firstly, it is difficult to define universal standards of achievement. For some,
achievement means material success, for others it maylmeah ~ something else: a
simple but altruistic life, for example. Bill Gates and Mother Teresa were very
different but both achieved a great deal. Because people define achievement in

different ways, it is difficult to determine what equality of opportunity might mean in

practice.
-Secondly, people differ in terms of their talents. Some people can make the most of
scanty resources; others do very little with inherited wealth or educational
opportunities. Many highly successful individuals have had little of either in their
early years, yet achieved a great deal. The/ relationship between equality of
opportunity and personal success is not straightforward.
Some is used as a pronoun here to avoid repetition of people (see also others).
Each body paragraph ends with a concluding sentence which refers back to the key
word equality. This repetition ensures good cohesion.
This sentence summarises the main idea. Notice how the opposing point of view is
expressed in the subordinate clause and the writer's view is expressed in the main
clause. This gives the writer's view greater weight.
Finally, it is not easy to ensure a level playing field without damaging the incentive
to do well. It is natural for parents to work hard in order to confer advantages on their
children: private schooling, for example. It is difficult to see how equality of
opportunity in education can be achieved without capping the aspirations of those who
work hard.
-In short, while equality of opportunity is an attractive concept, attempting to put this
ideal into practice can do more harm than good. People are different in terms of their
values, talents and initiative. It is not possible to ensure equality without distorting
what makes people unique.
(273 words)
The writer maintains academic style by expressing his ideas impersonally. In this
paragraph he uses a series of statements beginning It is + adjective.
The three main points of the body paragraphs are captured in the words values,
talents and initiative.

Answer key
1 Gender roles
Parti: Vocabulary
Exercise 1 Suggested answers

Women d, e, g; Men a, b, c, f

Exercise 2

1
2

Exercise 3
1 d, 2 a,
9 vi, 10 i,

strengths

3 vulnerability 5 compliance

gentleness

4 authority

3 e, 4 f, 5 c,
11 vii, 12 v,

6 competition

6 b, 7 iv, 8 ii,
13 iii, 14 ix, 15 viii

Exercise 4
1 c, 2 e,

3 b, 4 a, 5 d

Part 2:

Practice exercises: Task 1

Exercise 1

20 minutes, 2 150 words, 3 No. You should select and summarise the main features, 4 No

Exercise 2

1
2
3
4
5
6

a statement about the type of information shown

the fields which are dominated by men
the fields in which there are more equal numbers of men and women
makes a general statement about one of the main features of the chart
give supporting detail
a summary of the main features of the chart

Exercise 3

per cent

should be

2 hours-, every day of the week

should be

every weekday

(i.e.

Monday-Friday)

Part 2: Practice exercises: Task 2

Exercise 4
1a, 2 b, 3 a, 4

Exercise 5
1c, 2a, 3 e, -id, 5 b

Questions: 1 approximately 50 words, 2 three,

three, 4 from weakest solution to strongest,

5 to emphasise your opinion and summarise the main points

Exercise 6
1
c: Why do you think...?
2d:

3
4
5

Do you think... will...?

b: To what extent should...?
a: What can be done...?
d: Some people believe... because... What is your view

...?

Part 3: Exam practice

Task 1: Model answer
The bar chart gives information about male and female teachers in six types of educational institution in the

UK in 2010. It shows what percentage of teachers were male and what percentage were female.
Women predominated in schools for children. This was particularly true of schools for very young children.
Over 95 per cent of nursery school teachers, for example, were female. The situation was similarly one-sided
in primary schools, where over 90 per cent of teachers were women.
Men and women were more equally represented in teaching institutions catering for older children and young
adults: secondary schools and colleges. College lecturers, for example, were 50 per cent female and 50 per
cent male.
Males held a larger share of teaching posts in higher-level institutions. This was particularly true for
universities, where twice as many males were teaching staff than females.
Overall, women were more likely to hold the more typically maternal role of teaching young children. Males,
on the other hand, predominated in the higher status teaching role of university lecturer.

Task 2: Model answer

There have always been differences in the types of work men and women have done. However, the trend in
modern times has been for both men and women to have greater freedom of choice in terms of employment.
Some people might say that there is no need to go further. However, in my view, wherever possible, gender
equality should be encouraged.
There may indeed be good arguments for allowing certain posts to remain predominantly male or female.
Where all-male or all-female groups exist, there may be a need for related posts to be held by men and
women respectively. Patients in all-female hospital wards, for example, would probably appreciate having
female nurses to look after them. It could also be argued that certain jobs requiring a great deal of physical
strength, coal mining or logging, for example, should continue to be done mainly by men.
However, in the vast majority of situations, making occupations more open to both genders has distinct
advantages. Men and women can bring slightly different perspectives and approaches to a job. Femate police
officers, for example, may have a greater understanding of domestic violence and a better range of strategies
for dealing with this problem. Male primary school teachers probably have a better understanding of the
needs of young boys and can serve as good role models for them.
The changes that result from allowing men into female-dominated occupations and vice versa may be subtle,
but they are far-reaching. However, to benefit the most from this development, it is important not to expect
males and females to approach work in identical ways.

Parti: Vocabulary
Exercise 1
1 h, 2 g, 3 f, 4 i, 5 e, 6 b, 7 c. 8 a, 9d

Exercise 2

1b, 2d, 3 a, 4e, 5 g, 6f, 7 h, 8 c

Exercise 3

1
2

increase
peak

Exercise 4

1 d, e, g; 2 a, b, c, f

Exercise 5

1
2
3
4
5
3
4
5
6
7

decreased dramatically
dipped modestly
fell slightly
dropped significantly
fluctuated moderately
decrease
dip
fall
drop
fluctuation

2 Diet & nutrition

Part 2: Practice exercises: Task 1
Exercise 1
Past tense: rose, leveled off, was, reached;
Present perfect tense: has fluctuated;
Expressions which refer to the future: is expected to, is also projected to
1
Use the past tense when describing a trend or event that happened between two fixed times in the
past.
2 Use the present perfect tense to describe a trend or event that started at a fixed time in the past and has
continued until the present.
3 Other expressions that you can use to describe future trends include: is/are likely to and is/are predicted
to. Note: You should avoid using will.

Use the present tense when describing a cyclical trend, for example a trend that happens in the same

way every year. Exercise 2

increased/rose, 2 dramatically/sharply/steeply, 3 peaked, 4 remained the same, 5 has been, 6

dramatic/ sharp/steep, 7 expected/projected/likely/predicted, 8 increase/rise, 9

gradually/moderately/modestly

Exercise 3
1c, 2 a, 3d, 4 e, 5 b, 6 e

Exercise 4 Description 1
The percentage of obese adults rose steadily from 8 per cent in 1950 to 15 per cent in 1970. There was a slight
dip, and then there was a gradual rise until 1990. It rose steeply for the next ten years, and then it levelled off.
It has risen even more sharply, and it is projected to peak at 35 per cent in 2010, and then it will level off.

Description 2

The percentage of obese adults rose steadily from 8 per cent in 1950 to 15 per cent in 1970. There was a slight
dip, followed by a gradual rise until 1990. After rising steeply for the next ten years, it levelled off. Since then,
it has risen even more sharplyjt is projected to peak at 35 per cent in 2010, and level off thereafter.

Note: If you are aiming for a Band 6,5+, you should avoid using and too much.

followed by + adjective + noun.

after+-ing instead of subject + finite verb, but remember, you must have a subject in the main clause
that follows. Example: After rising steeply.... it levelled off.
Use
Use

If you list one verb after another, you only need to write the subject for the first verb.
Example:

It rose sharply, then fell, then levelled off.

Model answer
Between 1996 and 1999, expenditure on convenience foods fell gradually from approximately 25 per week to

After rising sharply over the next three years, it levelled off at 30 per
There was a brief dip, followed by a slight
rise. Between 2005 and 2007 it fluctuated. Then, after rising sharply, it peaked at nearly 50 per
week in 2008. Since then it has fallen.
half that amount.

week. It remained the same for over two years.

Part 2: Practice exercises: Task 2

Exercise 5
All answers valid

Exercise 6
1c, e, g; 2 a, b, d, f

Exercise 7
1b. 2 c. 3d, A a. 5e, 6 h, 7 g. 8f

Exercise 8 Suggested answers

1
2
3

People who are too concerned with being slim could be considered vain.
It is healthier to be slim.
People who are overweight are more likely to suffer from health problems such as heart disease and

diabetes. U Many people underestimate the amount of calories in food.

5
6
7
8

Some people cannot lose weight even if they know what is in their food and how much they should eat.
Obesity may be due to genetic factors.
People who are related tend to have similar body shapes and sizes.
This does not explain why obesity rates are rising in modern times.

Task 1: Model answer

Over the past fifty years, there has been significant variation in the percentage of young people in the UK
who choose to eat a vegetarian diet.
In I960, only a small percentage of adolescents (about 1 per cent) were vegetarian. There was then a steep
increase until 1978, when over 15 per cent were following a vegetarian diet. Thereafter, the percentage
fell steadily until 1990 and then fluctuated for a decade. It reached a low point of just 4 per cent in 1996.
It has risen gradually since 2000 and is expected to continue to do so over the next few years. After
reaching a high point in around 2015, it is projected to decline again and possibly level off by the decade's
end.
Overall, the graph shows two main periods of interest in vegetarianism among young people in the UK: one
peaking around 1978 and the second projected to peak approximately forty years later, in 2015.

Task 2: Model answer

The increasing availability of convenience foods has been a significant feature of modern life in many
developed countries. Some people have predicted that with advances in food technology, traditional foods
and traditional methods of food preparation wilt disappear. In this essay, I will argue that this is unlikely to
happen.
It is true that nowadays many people do not have enough time to cook and that convenience foods present
an attractive option. These foods have improved significantly in terms of quality and availability and the
range for sale in the average supermarket is quite impressive. It is possible to find even very sophisticated
ready-prepared microwavable meals.
However, the growing popularity of television cookery programmes, 'celebrity chefs', and cook books
suggest that people continue to value traditional ways of preparing foods. Farmers markets selling fresh,
locally-produced food continue to be the norm in many parts of the world. In fact, they are growing in
popularity in countries such as the UK, where they had virtually disappeared from many cities. This may be
partly because cooking with basic, natural ingredients is cheaper than buying processed foods.
Moreover, traditional foods are an important aspect of culture and social life. In many countries, traditional
meals continue to be shared in regular family gatherings. Important celebrations such as weddings,
Christmas and Chinese New Year are marked by traditionally prepared feasts.
In spite of the utility of convenience foods, people are unlikely to abandon practices that are economically
sound and give them great pleasure. It is hard to imagine a world in which people do not continue to enjoy
traditional, home-cooked meals at least some of the time.

3 Educational goals
Parti: Vocabulary
Exercise 1

a 2, b 8. c 1, d 5, eA, f 6. g 3, h7 Exercise 2

1
2
3

rote Learning A higher education

critical thinking

5 continuous assessment

formal examinations 6 educational standards

Part 2:

Practice exercises: Task 1

Exercise 1

1
2

as ... as

3 least

5 higher

lower

A fewer

6 lowest

Exercise 2

1
2

D:
D:

Exercise 3
i c, ii a, iiif, ivb,

On the other hand

Whereas A S: both

vd, vie

Exercise A
1 a small minority

A nearly half

2 the vast majority

3 just under a third

5 roughly one in four

6 three quarters

Exercise 3

3 S:

similar

1
2
3

Fewer boys than girls passed their English examination.

As many boys as girls achieved a passing grade in Mathematics.
Whereas boys did well in Technology, girls did well in language-related subjects.

A The number of passes in Religious Studies was lower for boys than for girls.
5 Similar numbers of boys and girls passed the Economics exam.

Part 2: Practice exercises: Task 2

Exercise A

1
2

Type a: propose a solution

Students would make more friends; Some projects would be

poor quality; It's better for students to be in classrooms because that's what people
expect; Some teachers wouldn't be good at this. She has omitted them because these points
The writer has omitted:

are not strictly relevant to the issue of how teamwork can be encouraged and assessed.

The points are arranged from weakest to strongest, with critical evaluation of each point leading logically to
the next point. This allows the writer to make a strong conclusion.

A The writer wants to present this suggestion as stronger than the previous two suggestions.
Exercise 5: Suggested ideas

People often perform poorly in examinations because they are anxious, not because they lack

intelligence.

Many people who do poorly in exams are successful in fields that clearly require intelligence, e.g. technology
or business.

There is probably no definitive proof of whether there is one kind of intelligence or several kinds of

intelligence. Example essay outline

Introduction:
Body paragraph 1:
Measuring intelligence is a difficult task Idea in the

question -Exams measure intelligence

Evidence for; people who do well in exams often do well in other types of tasks, e.g. assignments; exams
usually include a range of tasks to measure different abilities Evidence against: pen & paper exams are often
predictable - students can prepare by rote learning; people often perform poorly in examinations because they
are anxious, not because they lack intelligence

Other possible idea: there are probably different types of intelligence - these can only be measured in
different ways

Evidence against: there is probably no definitive proof of whether there is one kind of intelligence or several
kinds of intelligence

Evidence for: some people express themselves much better verbally than in writing; many people who did
poorly in exams, are successful in fields that clearly require intelligence, e.g. technology, business
'pen and paper' exams probably useful for measuring certain kinds of intelligence, but have limitations; other
methods needed
Introduction:
Body paragraph 1:
Conclusion:
cram schools are big business; may not be a good thing solution in the question cram schools serve a need

evidence for: give students opportunity to practise; students get support; many
students who attend such schools do well in exams

evidence against: teach students to be 'test wise- rather than to learn; can be

stressful;
unfair because they give advantage to students who can afford to pay other
possible solution - vary the format of exams and match them to what is
taught evidence against: some people will always want to get ahead &
there wilt always be businesses that want to exploit that desire

evidence for: if students pay attention in school, there is no need for additional
cramming; in countries with good exams that properly reflect the curriculum,
there are few cram schools; fair for everyone
cram schools are a symptom of a faulty educational system

Exercise 7: Suggested headings

Introduction
Body paragraph 1:
Conclusion:

Example essay outline

Other possible solution:
vary the format of exams and match them to what is taught in schools
Template B: Evaluate the solution' essay questions
Drawback(s)
What are the possiblePositive consequencels)
solutions?

Solution in the question:

cram schools
give students the opportunity to practise taking exams students get support many students who attend such
schools do well in exams
if students pay attention in school, there is no need for additional cramming in countries with exams that
properly reflect the curriculum, there are few cram schools
fair for everyone
teach students to be 'test wise' rather than to learn
can be stressful
unfair because they give advantage to students who can afford to pay some people will always want to get
ahead & there will always be businesses that want to exploit that desire
Idea 1 (weakest idea Evidence for: Evidence
against:
Idea 2 ('better idea') Evidence for: Evidence
against Idea 3 ('best idea') Evidence for:

Note: The outlines suggested in this unit are useful for most Task 2 questions. For some Task 2 questions, you
may want or need to modify them. For example, you may want to discuss two rather than three ideas or
solutions. On occasion, you may need to combine elements of two types of outline, for example if you are asked
to discuss an idea and propose a solution to a problem.

Part 3: Exam practice

Task 1: Model answer
The bar chart shows the proportion of UK students and international students achieving second class degrees
or higher in seven different subjects at a university in the UK.
Degree results were generally good for both home and international students, with well over 50 per cent
gaining a second class degree or better in all seven subjects except International Law. International students
tended to do better than UK students in technology-related subjects. This was particularly true of Information
Technology. Whereas over 80 per cent of international students gained a good degree in IT, only about half of
the UK students did so.
Degree results were similar for the two groups in Nursing and Accounting. In Arts and Social Science-related
subjects, UK students tended to do better. The biggest gap in performance was in International Law, where
three-quarters of UK students gained a second class degree or better. In contrast, fewer than half of the
international students attained this level.
Overall, the chart suggests that international and UK students had different strengths when studying for
degrees in this UK university.

Task 2: Model answer

Examinations are one of the most common methods of measuring learning in education systems throughout
the world. At virtually every stage of the learning process, exams are used to verify that the learner is ready
to move on to the next stage. However, many people believe that the role of examinations should be
reconsidered.
There are clearly certain advantages to exams. They help to ensure fairness by imposing the same conditions
on all exam candidates. They are also relatively versatile; different types of exam questions, for example,
multiple- choice questions and essay tasks, can test different sorts of reasoning ability. However, exams also
have clear drawbacks. Test-wise candidates can often perform well on exams without having good underlying
knowledge or skills. On the other hand, some test-takers perform poorly in exams simply because of anxiety.
Some teachers and learners focus only on those aspects of the curriculum that are likely to be tested, thus
narrowing the educational experience for all.
A number of measures should be taken to address these concerns. Wherever possible, exams should match the
content and activities of the learning environment. Exam tasks should be varied to give fair opportunities to
candidates with different types of skills. Other types of assessment should also be considered; assignment
writing, for example, to assess independent learning and research skills, or group projects, to measure
teamwork ability.
Exams clearly have a role to play in ensuring proper, objective assessment of achievement. However, exams
need to be carefully designed and supplemented with other forms of assessment if they are to be a truly
useful component of the educational system.

U Biodiversity
Exercise 1
a 2, b 1.

c 6, d 5, e 3,

fA

3d,

6g.

Exercise 2
1b, 2 e,
7c

if,

5 a,

Exercise 3

1
2
3

Sentences 1,2, 3, 5, 6
Sentences U, 7
Contribute to implies there is more than one cause.

Exercise U

1
2
3

Intensive farming has contributed to a significant decline in biodiversity.

Vegetation has been lost; consequently, the insect population has declined.
There are fewer insects, so the small animals that feed on them have moved elsewhere.
A There has been a marked reduction in numbers of predators such as wild cats and owls because of the
disappearance of prey species.

Exercise 5

1
2
3

damaged
A used
are endangered

5 limit

loss

Part 2: Practice exercises: Task 1

Exercise 1
a pioneer plants, b gather moisture,
c return organic material to the soil, d shrubs

i
i

the active voice

the passive voice

Exercise 2

1
2
3

They provide shade, gather moisture and return organic material to the soil.
They quickly cover the ground, crowding out the pioneers.
However, they too eventually die off as young trees push through the brush.
A The logs are then sorted by size and loaded onto logging trucks for transport to the sawmill.
5 Once the trees have been extracted, they are processed by chain saw.

Exercise 3
beginning stages: Firstly, first
middle stages: Secondly, then, In the second phase
end stages: In the final stage, finally
Exercise A
2 slows
3 is/becomes
A forms

5
6

is reduced
decreases

Parti: Vocabulary
E
x
e

7grows
8are caught
9are cut
is lost
10

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s
b Because flooding is less frequent, the quantity of nutrients on land and agricultural output
decrease, c A sand bar forms across the estuary; as a result, salinity in the estuary
decreases, d As salinity in the estuary decreases, fewer fish are caught.
e Due to the growth of the human population and smaller fish catches, mangrove trees are
cut. f Once the mangrove trees are/have been cut, mangrove cover in the estuary is lost.

Suggested answer

Part 2:

Practice exercises: Task 2

Exercise 6 Response 1
If you look at it that wav, it's true that humans and animals have conflicting interests. People have always
exploited animals for food and clothing, and farmers have brought bigger and bigger areas of wild land under
cultivation. But should we keep on doing this?
In regions of the world where the population is growing, and there arent enough resources, the conflict
between humans and animals is really bad. If you go to Africa, for example, you can see large nature reserves
alongside really poor human settlements. I love the idea of elephants and lions living in the wild. But often it's
the poor farmer living nearby who's got to pay the cost in terms of land and lost earnings.

Response 2
Looked at from a broad historical perspective, it is true that humans and animals have had conflicting interests.
People have always exploited animals for food and clothing, whilst farmers have brought ever increasing areas
of wild land under cultivation. Whether this process should continue is a Question that reguires careful
consideration.
In regions of the world where the population is growing and resources are scarce, the conflict between
humans and animals is particularly problematic. This can be seen in parts of Africa, for example, where large
nature reserves sit alongside very poor human settlements. People living thousands of miles away may value the

idea of elephants and lions living in the wild. However, often it is the poor farmer living nearby who must pay
the cost in terms of land and lost earnings.
First, a dam is constructed at the river head, slowing the flow of water. Secondly, because flooding is less
frequent, the quantity of nutrients on land and agricultural output decrease. A sand bar forms across the
estuary; as a result, salinity in the estuary decreases. As salinity decreases, fewer fish are caught. Finally, due
to population growth and smaller fish catches, the mangrove trees are cut. Once they have been cut, mangrove
cover in the estuary is lost.
1
Response 1 is informal in style; Response 2 is academic in style.
2 Response 2 is more impersonal and less emotional. There are fewer conjunctions and more subordinators.
There are no colloquialisms or contracted forms.
Characteristics of academic style

Examples from the texts

Informal style
If you look at it that way,
But should we keep on doing this?
overusing personal pronouns
(/, you, we) and addressing the reader If you go to Africa.....you can see
1 love
directly.

Academic style is more impersonal. Avoid

Academic style is less emotional. Avoid

exaggeration (totally, perfect),
emotive words [terrible, adore) and
words that express value judgments
[immoral).
Academic style uses fewer conjunctions
[and, but) and more subordinators
[whereas, because) and sentence
linkers [nevertheless, therefore).
Academic style uses different vocabulary.
Avoid colloquial expressions, phrasal
verbs (fake up, break out), double
comparatives [more and more),

bad
love

e
r
c
i
s

Looked at from a broad historical

perspective,
Whether this process should continue is a
question that requires careful
consideration.
This can be seen in parts of Africa
People living thousands of miles away may
value
problematic may value

and farmers
But often it's the poor farmer

whilst farmers
However, it is often the poor farmer

It's
bigger and bigger areas really bad
really poor human settlements who s got
to pay

It is
increasing areas particularly problematic
very poor human settlements who must
pay

contacted forms [isn't, won't) and the words get, lots of, a lot of, and really.

Ex

Academic style

M
o
d
e
l

a
n
s
w
e
r
However, in relation to plants, the advantages of conservations are more apparent. It is important to
remember that wild plants are not just things of beauty; they are also a very valuable resource. Wild
plants have been used throughout history to make medicines like aspirin. Also, if certain varieties of
crops are prone to disease, wild plants could be used to develop new varieties. Because there are
many plants that have not yet been discovered, their potential uses remain unknown.
To sum up, in my view, it is worth trying to preserve natural habitats because wild animals and
plants are unique and could save lives. However, it is important to remember that people's basic
needs have to be met too. Therefore, the burden of protecting plant and animal species should be
distributed fairly.

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1
2

It could be argued that the desire for wealth encourages people to exploit the environment.
Environmental degradation may be unavoidable because there is no way of enforcing international
agreements. Leaders may sign such agreements simply to create a favourable impression in the media.

Part 3:

Exam practice

Task 1: Model answer

The flow chart shows what typically occurs as a consequence of deforestation. When trees are removed, there
are four main immediate effects, which eventually result in flooding, degraded vegetation and a loss of
biodiversity.
One immediate effect is soil which has been compacted by heavy equipment. The resulting hard, 'baked' soil
contributes to the run off of rain water and, eventually, flooding.
Another immediate consequence of logging is a reduction in the number of roots holding the soil together.
This leads to soil erosion. As a consequence, the quality and variety of vegetation is compromised.
The third immediate effect is burning, both deliberate and as a consequence of an increased risk of forest
fires. The waste that remains after logging is destroyed and the microorganisms that feed on this material are
lost. This leads to degraded vegetation.
The final immediate consequence is a reduction in the amount of moisture plants return to the air. Because
there is less moisture in the air, there is less precipitation and an increased incidence of drought. This too
reduces plant growth and ultimately results in degraded vegetation and a loss of biodiversity.

Task 2: Model answer

As natural resources come under increasing pressure, the list of endangered plants and animals continues to
grow. The causes are many: developments in agriculture, mining, forestry and transport. Some would argue
that the loss of biodiversity is a price we must pay for progress. In my view, however, there is much that

governments can and should do to protect the world's plants and animals.
Governments could promote greater understanding of plants and animals by investing in the research and
preservation efforts of universities, zoos, and botanical institutes. This may ensure the survival of individual
species and produce tangible benefits in the form of new medicines and products. However, this strategy
alone would do little to protect whole ecosystems that are under threat.
An alternative strategy would be to protect natural habitats by expanding nature reserves. This would have
immediate positive consequences for those areas by preserving delicate ecosystems. However, this strategy
also has limitations. It does not protect from phenomena such as acid rain and water pollution, which can
cross boundaries and affect large areas.
The most effective solution is to limit the damage at its source. Companies that engage in practices that harm
the environment should be required to demonstrate that they have taken all reasonable efforts to minimise
the damage. Public contracts for roads and buildings should only be awarded to firms that have a good
environmental track record.
The strategies outlined above: preservation, protection and, above all prevention, can do much to reverse the
destruction that threatens the world's plants and animals. The aesthetic and practical benefits of doing so are

well worth the cost.

Parti: Vocabulary

Exercise 1

1 e, 2 g. 3 b, 4 c,

Exercise 2

1c, 2 f, 3 e, 4 g,

5 f,

6 a, 7 h, 8 d

5 b,

6 d, 7 a

2
3

Exercise 3
1 insist
2 refute

3
4

deny
advocate

5 urge
6 maintain
7 dismiss

Exercise 4

concede that making English a mandatory subject in primary schools is not a good idea.
Some people insist that the world needs one common language for trade.
I
refute the idea that everyone in the world will speak the same language at any point in the future.
Teachers recommend practising a foreign language outside of the classroom in order to become fluent.

Global English
Part 2:

Practice exercises: Task 1

Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Order: c, d, a, b

1
2
3

The first and fourth paragraphs make generalisations about the whole diagram. The second and third
paragraphs give specific information about parts of the diagram.
The introduction indentifies the type of information shown by the diagram; the conclusion makes a general
statement about the information.
General to specific

Suggested answers: The diagram shows (that); there are two main branches; in addition to ... it includes; it
comprises

Exercise 3

1
2
3

c
It repeats the words in the task instructions.
A It has too much detailed information.

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A
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The bar chart shows the proportion of children in European secondary schools who are studying five different
foreign languages in the years 1990, 2000 and 2010.

In summary, the figure shows that some of the more dominant world languages, English in particular, are
being more widely taught, whereas other languages, with the exception of Spanish, are becoming less
popular.

Part 2:

Practice exercises: Task 2

Exercise 6
1 e, 2 e,

3 b,

4g,

5d

4 a,

5 f, 6 b

Order: 3, 5, 2,1, A

Exercise 7
1 d. 2 e,

Exercise 5

3 c,

1
1
2

c/b, 2 b, 3d, Ae
It begins with the context and ends with the writers opinion.
The last position makes the sentence more prominent.

Exercise 8
Model answers

It is very likely that the spread of English as a lingua franca is connected in some way with the process of
globalisation. Some people believe that because language is an aspect of culture, speaking a particular
language involves adopting some of the values of that culture. In this essay I will examine the arguments
for and against this view.

As anyone who has travelled abroad will know, misunderstandings can easily occur among people from
different cultures. It is sometimes assumed that this happens because the people involved do not have an
adequate knowledge of the language. However, I would argue that more than language knowledge is
required to communicate successfully. This essay will examine what I believe to be the most important
factors in communication breakdown.

Task 1: Model answer

The diagram illustrates six different writing systems.
There is one type of writing system, the Logographic, in which characters represent word meanings. An
example of this is Chinese. Interestingly, because each character represents a word meaning rather than
a sound, it is possible for two languages which are different in spoken form to share the same writing
system. This is partially the case with Chinese and Japanese, for example.
There are four types of writing system in which characters represent sounds. The oldest of these is the
Abjad, in which each character represents a consonant sound. Arabic uses this type of system. Related
to this is the Abjuda system, in which each character represents a consonant plus a vowel sound. The
third type, the Alphabetic system, is slightly different in that consonant and vowel sounds are
represented by different characters. English, for example, uses this type of system. Finally the Syllabic
system is used in languages such as Japanese Kana, in which there are a relatively small number of
possible syllables in the spoken form.
Overall, the diagram shows that there is wide variation in writing systems around the world.

Task 2: Model answer

As the world becomes more integrated, the need for common means of communication is becoming
more pressing. Inevitably, speakers of minority languages have been under pressure to speak the
languages of more dominant groups, both locally and globally. Some people argue that there is nothing
that can or should be done to stop this process. I would suggest that the issue merits more careful
consideration.
It is true that as the balance of power among groups of people throughout history has shifted, languages
have arisen, changed, and died out. Even once widely-spoken languages, such as Latin, have
disappeared. To some extent, therefore, this process may be inevitable. However, there are examples
of communities that have managed to preserve and even revive languages under threat. Irish and Scots
Gaelic, for example, have been preserved by government policy on education and broadcast media.
There are, indeed, several benefits to preserving minority languages. Retaining the language of a
community often means that other forms of culture are maintained: songs, literature and local
traditions. These all contribute to the richness and variety of human culture. Moreover, language helps
communities to remain cohesive and to have a strong sense of identity. This can help people to be
strong in adversity. Where this sense of identity and cohesion has been lost, for example among many
indigenous communities in North America, problems can follow: low self-esteem, lack of confidence and
loss of initiative.
In short, it is possible and in many cases, desirable, to make the effort to preserve minority languages.
This can have benefits both for the minority speech community and for society as a whole in terms of
cultural richness.

Part 1:

The Internet

Exercise 1
a 3, b 5,

Vocabulary
c 2,

d 1, e 6, f4

Exercise 2
a vi, b iv,

Exercise 4

a 2, b 6, c 3,

d 5, e 1, f 4

Exercise 5
c ii,

d iii, ev, fi

1 advances

4 trend

2 advent
3 enables

Exercise 3

1
2
3

noticeable

4 main

distinctive

5 widespread

5 accelerating
6 devices

underlying

Part 2: Practice exercises: Task 1

Exercise 1

Response 2 is more satisfactory. In Response 1, the writer has simply reproduced the information in the table
in words, whereas in Response 2, the writer has highlighted the significance of the data by emphasising main
points and supporting these with detailed information from the table.

The first and last sentences contain main points in both responses IThe table shows that... Overall...I. In
Response 2, the first line of paragraph 21The most significant change was...] a nd the first line of paragraph
3 (Another noticeable trend...] also contain general statements.

In Response 1, there is a general introductory statement followed by several detailed points, ending with a
general concluding statement. In Response 2, there are four general statements, each followed by
supporting details.

Exercise 2

There has been significant growth in Internet use worldwide; Internet users now make up nearly 30 per cent
of the population. The most significant figure is probably the percentage change (455 per cent).

The most significant groupings are (a) developing regions (Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America)
and (b) developed regions (Europe, North America, and Australia).

The developed regions have the largest percentages of Internet users - all over 50 per cent. The developing
regions have the smallest - all under 50 per cent.

The developing regions have all experienced the highest rates of growth in Internet users. The developed
regions have experience the lowest rates of growth.

Exercise 3
Suggested answers

One significant trend is the high percentage of Internet users in the most economically developed regions of
the world. Seventy-eight per cent of the population of North America, for example, use the Internet. Nearly

two-thirds of Australians and Europeans are also Internet users.

The smallest growth in the percentage of Internet users occurred in the most developed regions of the
world. Growth in North America, which had the highest percentage of Internet users, was the lowest at 137
per cent. Australia and Europe also experienced relatively low percentage increases in Internet users at 181
per cent and 353 per cent respectively.
3 Another noticeable feature of the information in the table is the relatively low percentage of Internet users
in the least developed regions of the world. Less than one third of the populations of Africa, Asia, the Middle
East, and Latin America use the Internet. The region with the smallest percentage of Internet users was
Africa at 10 per cent.
U However, the biggest growth in Internet users occurred in developing regions. The percentage of the
population online in Africa, for instance, grew nearly twenty-five fold. The Middle East and Latin America
also saw Internet use grow more than ten fold.

Part 2: Practice exercises: Task 2

Exercise U
Strengths: (1) It has a clear structure. (2) There are good supporting examples for each of the two main points.
Weaknesses: (1) The main points repeat parts of the essay question. (2) It follows a typical formula and does not
show strong skills in essay organisation.

Exercise 5

1
2
3

The Internet has the potential to diminish family life but also to enhance it. Supporting points: b, e
Similarly, the Internet can distract people from spending time with their friends; however, it can also help
people make and keep friends. Supporting points: a, d, f
In work situations, the Internet can rob workers of time for face-to-face contact, but it can also make it
easier to work together. Supporting points: c, g
The main advantage of this plan is that it shows a more sophisticated structure: the advantages and
disadvantages of the Internet are discussed in relation to three main themes: family, friends and work.

Exercise 6

The second sentence is more appropriate because it is less sweeping and, therefore, easier to defend

as valid.

You could modify the first sentences is several ways:

Excessive Internet use sometimes leads to social isolation, (frequency adverb)
Excessive Internet use possibly leads to social isolation, (probability adverb)
It is said that excessive Internet use leads to social isolation, (expressions)
Excessive Internet use appears to lead to social isolation, (less absolute language)

Exercise 7 Suggested answers

1
2
3

Many people over the age of fifty have difficulty grasping new technology.
People often want to own the latest gadget.
The Internet can sometimes have a harmful effect on children.

U Some people do not like new technology because they find it difficult to understand.

5
6

Too much technology may make some people less active.

It is possible that some of the world's problems may be alleviated by advances in science and

technology.

Exercise 8
Suggested outline of body paragraphs:

Illiteracy a major obstacle (G)

In some countries, less than 50 per cent population
able to read [Si Women & the poor especially likely to
be illiterate (S)

Basic infrastructure inadequate (G)

Electricity supply irregular (S)
Broadband access only in major cities (S)

Even where IT access available, governments fearful of wellinformed public (G) Government censorship of Internet widespread
(S)
Use of blocking software & firewalls common (S)

Model answer
People who live in developed countries often take access to information technology for granted. However, as
the IT revolution moves forward in some parts of the world, elsewhere the disadvantaged are falling further
and further behind. Indeed there are many barriers to wider IT access and its potential benefits.
In many parts of the world, illiteracy remains a major obstacle to IT access. In some countries, less than 50
per cent of the population is able to read. Women and the poor are especially likely to be illiterate and
therefore at a disadvantage when it comes to IT access and its potential benefits.
Another major barrier is inadequate infrastructure. In some countries, the electricity supply is irregular. In
addition, broadband may only be available in major cities, rendering many rural areas off the map as far as IT
access is concerned. In these circumstances, the Internet may actually be increasing rather than decreasing
social inequality between urban and rural areas.
Even where IT access is available, governments are often fearful of a well-informed public. In fact,
government censorship of the Internet is widespread. The use of blocking software and firewalls is common,
even in countries such as Australia, which are commonly regarded as free and democratic. Those who are
well-educated and sophisticated may be able to find a way around such obstacles; however, those who are
less advantaged may remain unable to access some information freely.
In short, where unequal access to infrastructure, education and free information exist, the IT revolution is
unlikely to reduce inequality. Unless fundamental inequalities are addressed, the Internet may, in fact,
increase social divides.

Task 1: Model answer

The table shows the average length of online video advertisements by sector and the average length of time
viewers spent watching these advertisements.
The average length of the advertisements varied from a low of U.6 seconds for clothing to a high of 45.8
for public service advertisements. With the exception of government- and entertainment-related
advertisements, in general, products and services which required a large financial commitment tended
to have longer advertisements. Cars, financial services and travel advertisements, for example, were all
eighteen seconds on average or longer. Less expensive products, on the other hand, such as consumer
electronics, clothing and medicines, tended to have shorter advertisements.
Adverts for more expensive products or services also tended to be watched for longer than adverts for
less expensive items. Viewers on average watched more than 50 per cent of advertisements for cars,
financial services and travel. In contrast, viewers tended to watch less of government advertisements
and advertisements for cheaper goods such as consumer electronics, clothing and medicines.
Overall, length of online video advertisements and length of time spent viewing such advertisements
appears to be associated with the perceived cost of the product or service being advertised.

Task 2: Model answer

New technologies, and in particular the Internet, are undoubtedly having a major impact on the way goods
and services are bought and sold. In many countries, buying products online has become a mainstream
activity.
Now in the UK, for example, roughly 12 per cent of all retail trade is conducted on line. While some
maintain that the actual impact of the Internet on shopping is negligible, I would argue that it is in fact
quite significant for two main reasons.

The first main reason is that the development of online shopping has meant that the market for goods
available to the individual has grown exponentially. It is possible to buy virtually anything from what
has effectively become a world-wide retail market: exotic foods, art works, rare books, adventure
holidays; the list is endless. Products that were once only available to those who lived in large
cosmopolitan cities with a wide variety of shops can now be bought by those living in small towns with
few local amenities.
Another significant reason is that the buyer can have more control over the process. Price comparison
websites make it easier to find bargains. Shopping can be done at any time of the day or night, and
shoppers can browse for as long as they like without pressure from sales assistants. This means that
shoppers can potentially become more astute and knowledgeable about the products they are buying.
Because of the greater competition involved in trading within a large market, sellers may have to
improve the quality of their products.
In short, experience suggests that online shopping has shifted the balance of power in favour of the
consumer. Consumers not only have wider access to goods but also have greater access to information
and more control over how they shop.

Consumer spending

Parti: Vocabulary
Exercise 1

1 e, 2 b, 3d, 4 a,

Exercise 3
5 f, 6 c, 7 h, 8 g

Exercise 2

5 a,

6b

5 d.

6 b, 7 e

Exercise 4

1 disposable income

2
3

1 d, 2 c, 3 e,4 f,

4 consumer confidence
personal debt
5 household expenditure

1c, 2 f, 3 g,4 a,

goods and services

Part 2:

Practice exercises: Task 1

Exercise 1

1
2
3

Both figures relate to consumer spending.

C - cause and effect
If you look at the overall trends, you may notice a connection between the disposable income of the three
age groups and the sales figures for the products most likely to be purchased by people in these age groups.
Any obvious points, for example, peaks and low points that help to illustrate the connection should be
highlighted.

You could use either, though you can highlight the connection between age and sales of certain products
most effectively by comparing features of both figures in each paragraph.

Exercise 2

The first sentence gives a description of what is shown in figure 1; the second sentence gives a description of
what is shown in figure 2; the third sentence makes a statement about the relationship between figures 1
and 2.

2
3

Cause and effect: Seen together, the figures suggest a link between ...
In paragraph 1, the writer describes the overall trend in disposable income for 15-24 year-olds, then the
overall trend in sales for the products most likely to be purchased by that age group.
In paragraph 2, the writer describes the overall trend in disposable income for 35-44 year-olds, then the
overall trend in sales for the products most likely to be purchased by that age group.
In paragraph 3, the writer describes the overall trend in disposable income for 65-74 year-olds, then the

overall trend in sales for the products most likely to be purchased by that age group.

The writer focuses on peaks in both trends because this is sufficient to demonstrate that there is a
connection.

5
6

showed a similar pattern, with-, also-, not surprisingly... also

may be influenced by

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When the availability of cheap credit increases, consumer spending increases; when the availability of cheap
credit decreases, consumer spending decreases.

When the rate of taxation increases, consumer spending decreases; when the rate of taxation decreases,
consumer spending increases.

The two figures show that:

a The rate of taxation is inversely proportional to levels of consumer spending.
b The availability of cheap credit is proportional to levels of consumer spending.
c When the availability of cheap credit rises, levels of consumer spending also appear to rise.
d When the rate of taxation falls, levels of consumer spending appear to rise.
e The less consumers are taxed, the more they spend.
f The more cheap credit is available, the more consumers spend.

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Figure 1 shows the percentage change in the amount of credit available and taxation between 1990 and 2010.
The second figure shows the percentage increase in expenditure on three different types of products at fiveyear intervals over the same time period.
Seen together, the two figures suggest that there is a positive correlation between the availability of credit and
levels of consumer spending. The availability of credit reached a peak in 2005, when nearly 60 per cent more
credit was available than in 1990. Spending on all three categories of products (food, household appliances and
clothing] also reached a peak.
On the other hand, the level of consumer spending appears to be inversely proportional to the rate of taxation.
When taxation fell sharply in the periods leading up to 1995 and 2005, consumer spending appeared to increase
sharply.
Overall, greater availability of credit appears to act as a stimulus to consumer spending, whereas higher
taxation may have the opposite effect.

Part 2: Practice exercises: Task 2

Exercise 5

1
2
3
4
5

Response 2 is more satisfactory because it contains examples to illustrate and support the main point.
Response 1 essentially repeats the main point in three different ways.
to state the main point
Sentence 2 further explains the main point, sentence 3 gives an example to illustrate the main point,
sentence 4 supports the main point.

An example of this
Indeed

Exercise 6

1
2
3

for example or for instance

Another good example of this
indeed or in fact

Exercise 7 Suggested answers

Some people buy products that they do not really need because they feel empty and unhappy. For instance,
people often consume alcohol, cigarettes or sugary foods because these enhance mood. Indeed, the link
between emotion and buying is evident in the fact that much of the content of advertisements has little to
do with giving factual information about the product being promoted.
People often buy products they do not really need because they want to display their status or wealth. A
good example of this is when people dispose of perfectly good items (clothing, furniture, electronic goods)
simply to buy a more up-to-date model. Another example is when shoppers choose high-value brands that
prominently display their logos over anonymous brands that are equivalent in quality but cheaper. Indeed,
the relationship between social status and consumer spending is so powerful that many brands are carefully
targeted at particular social groups.
Sometimes people buy products they do not really need because they want to use them in a positive way to
make their lives more enjoyable or interesting. In an ideal world, all people would have some disposable
income with which to buy products or services that enhance their lives in some way. Hobbies, music and
novels, for example, are all products that are not strictly necessary for survival, but can contribute greatly
to quality of life.

Exercise 8 Suggested answer

It is likely that financial institutions are at least partially responsible for high levels of personal debt. In times
when lenders are less tightly regulated and greater competition is allowed, there is a natural tendency to try to
attract more customers by making it easier to borrow money. Banks may choose to lend to people who have
relatively low incomes or who already have high levels of personal debt. This practice may be sustainable up to
a point; however, when the economy suffers and people lose their jobs, the situation can quickly reach a crisis
point, as has been clearly shown in the 'credit crunch' and recession experienced by many countries in recent
years.

Part 3: Exam practice

Task 1: Model answer
The line graph shows economic growth over a 15-year period ending in 2010. The pie charts give a breakdown
of household spending in four separate years over the same period. Viewed together, there appears to be a
relationship between economic growth and patterns of spending.
According to the graph, economic growth began at a modest 1 per cent, rose modestly, then remained more
or less steady at about 2 per cent until 2003. It grew sharply and peaked at nearly 5 per cent in 2005, then
fell dramatically to -5 percent in 2008, before recovering to 1 percent in 2010.
Over the same period, changes in patterns of spending were evident. In periods of low or negative growth,
spending on housing and food accounted for a larger proportion of total household expenditure than in times
of relative prosperity. Conversely, in times of economic growth, spending on less essential items such as
travel, entertainment and clothing tended to increase. This is particularly evident in the chart for 2005 where
together these three items appear to account for over 15 per cent of total spending.
In summary, the figures show that in times of hardship, households spend a greater proportion of their income
on necessities whereas, in times of prosperity, more is spent on non-essentials.

Task 2: Model answer

Learning to manage money is something that virtually everyone must do as the ability to maintain a balance
between income and expenditure is essential for a stable life. In many developed countries, the availability of
easy credit and a wide variety of financial products have made the task of managing one's money more
complex. In less affluent parts of the world, lack of money or access to credit creates its own challenges. In
this essay, I will outline two ways in which people can learn to manage their money.
Learning by example is one important method. From their early years, children can observe how their parents
make financial decisions. They may notice, for example, whether money is saved for costly purchases, or
whether purchases are bought on credit. Children can also see what kinds of criteria parents use when
choosing what to buy, for instance, whether quality or quantity is more important. It is important, therefore,
that parents model sensible purchasing behaviour and explain what they are doing and why. However, in many
circumstances, this may not be sufficient.
Another important means of teaching people to manage money is through education. When school children,
for instance, learn arithmetic, they could also be taught the basics of budgeting and how to recognise good
value. For adults, the Internet could be a good source of advice on how to save money. Price comparison
websites, for example, can be a good way of researching what is available before making an expensive
purchase.
The ability to manage money is often taken for granted. Because the consequences of poor money
management can be severe, it is worthwhile taking steps to ensure people are as well-informed as possible.

Parti: Vocabulary

Exercise 1
a \v A, b iii 3, c v 1 , d i 5, e ii 2,
The nouns on the left can be used to refer to people; the nouns on the right refer to life stages.

Exercise 2
Rights: a, d, f, g, h Responsibilities: b, c, e, i, j

Exercise 3

1
2
3

forced A have a duty to do

empowered
5 coerced into joining
compelled

Exercise A
1 over
2 in
3 with; on
A with

5 of
6 of; into
7 from; for
8 in; of

Exercise 5
1 in the best interests
of
taken into account
2
3 cooperate with others

Part 2:

A interfering too much in

their lives
5 exercise too much control
over.

Practice exercises: Task 1

Exercise 1

1
2

Response 2 is more satisfactory because it includes examples from the table to support the main point.
The writer wants to emphasise the difference in opinion between parents and adolescents, so he/she has
chosen those details that illustrate the biggest gap in views.
3
superlatives (most control, the biggest conflict) and the preposition with [with nearly
80% of mothers believing) A Yes [roughly three out of four parents). N.B. It is not always
necessary to signpost supporting examples because an experienced academic reader will expect main points to
be followed by examples.

Children and parents

Exercise 2

Overall, parents said that they wanted significantly more control over their children than did the adolescents
surveyed.
The areas where parents wanted most control were how adolescents spend their free time and what friends
they make.
Roughly three out of four parents wanted to place restrictions on these areas, whereas only approximately one
in five
children felt this was needed. The biggest conflict of opinion concerned young people's choice of friends with
nearly
80 per cent of mothers believing they should exercise control and only 17 per cent of adolescent girls agreeing.
1 Women predominated in schools for children. This was particularly true of schools for very young children.
Over 95 per cent of nursery school teachers, for example, were female. The situation was similarly one-sided
in primary schools, where over 90 per cent of teachers were women.
2 In Arts and Social Science-related subjects, UK students tended to do better. The biggest gap in performance
was in International Law, where three-quarters of UK students gained a second class degree or better. In
contrast, fewer than half of the international students attained this level.
3 There are four types of writing system in which characters represent sounds. The oldest of these is 'Abjad',

in which each character represents a consonant sound. Arabic, for instance, uses this type of system.

Exercise 3
1 only (or sole), 2 where, 3 particularly (or most),

A biggest (or widest), 5 only

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Part 2:

Practice exercises: Task 2

Exercise 5
a 4, b 7, c 1, d 3, e 2, f 5, g 8, h 9, i6

1
2
3

present simple tense

five
can because this task 2 question asks you to make suggestions

Exercise 6

1
2
3
4
5
4

would
may/might
should/must
can/could
can/could
should is a less emphatic term than must and is used to express necessity; may is used to express a
possibility and to 'hedge'

6
7
8
9

would
might/may/could
can/could
would

10

could/would

The adolescent boys surveyed also indicated a greater acceptance of parental control than did the adolescent
girls. The two areas where girls accepted greater control were how they spend their free time and how they
spend their money. The biggest gap between boys and girls was over what subject they study. 45 per cent of
boys said they agreed with parental restrictions in this area, where as only a third of girls felt this was needed.

Exercise 7

5 Society can ensure that childrens rights are taken into account, that children have access to help,
and that children are properly informed of their rights.

In short

2
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4

In brief, In summary, In conclusion

a
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In summary, there are several ways in which young people can be encouraged to behave responsibly. They can
be involved in defining what constitutes good behaviour, and they can be taught leadership skills. Parents and
teachers should be encouraged to try these methods before resorting to more punitive measures. If they are
successful, they may very well discover a maturity in their children that they never anticipated.

Task 1: Model answer

The bar chart illustrates the views of 1000 young people in five countries around the world on the most
suitable age for three key rights and responsibilities to be given to young people.
There was some variation in the views of all five nationalities for all three categories. For marriage, the

minimum age identified ranged from a low of sixteen in Egypt and Mexico to a high of twenty-two in
Japan. Respondents in the UK and the US chose eighteen.
A similar pattern was seen in the results concerning voting age. Again, this was highest among the
Japanese participants and lowest (16) among those in Mexico and the UK.
Interestingly, for all of the countries surveyed, the participants set their preferred age of criminal
responsibility at a tower point than either of the rights. The gap was particularly wide in the US, where
respondents identified twelve as the age at which children should be held responsible for their crimes.
Overall, the results show that adolescents in different countries have different views of when it is
appropriate for young people to hold certain responsibilities associated with adulthood.

Task 2: Model answer

As children grow up, they can be increasingly responsible for making their own decisions. However, until
a young person is ready to live independently, parents still have a responsibility for guiding their
children. In this essay, I will outline two main areas in which I believe parents should continue to
exercise some control over their adolescent children.
The most important area is safety. Learning to manage risk is clearly very important. However, because
children often have less experience of and therefore less awareness of adverse consequences, they are
not always able to take sensible precautions. Because, for example, they may never have been robbed
whilst outdoors at night, they may assume that this can never happen to them. Parents should,
therefore, intervene to help their children understand and manage risk. In the example above, they
could help their child arrange suitable transport.
Another area in which a degree of parental intervention is necessary is in considering long-term
interests. Young people sometimes have a tendency to prioritise short-term needs and wants over longerterm goals. They may, for instance, choose to attend a sporting event or social occasion rather than
study for an exam that is weeks in the future. Parents can help their children by insisting that certain
responsibilities are met before privileges are granted. Children would not only be helped to achieve their
goals but would also learn how to manage their time.
In summary, parents should allow their adolescent children a degree of autonomy but continue to
exercise some control. If they intervene with a view to helping their child learn to make good decisions
independently, they are likely to see the best outcome.

An ageing population

Parti: Vocabulary
Exercise 1

Exercise 3

1b, 2 b, 3a, 6 b, 5a, 6 b, 7a

Causes: b, c,f, h Consequences: a, d, e, g

Exercise U
1 e, 2g. 3 h, Ac, 5d. 6 a, 7f

Exercise 2

f, 2e, 3 i, 6 a, 5 h, 6 j, 7 b, 8c, 9 g, 10 d

Part 2: Practice exercises: Task 1

Exercise 1
Decreasing birth rates can be attributed to two main factorso namely availability of family
planning and changes in how people feel about work and familvnThese changes include greater
career aspirations among womer\ja tendency to delay marriaqenand a preference for smaller
familiesoLower mortality?!on the other handois due to increased longevity which results from
improved health care and better living conditions

Exercise 2
The graph illustrates two trends, namely: the rise in the proportion of the world's population aged sixty-five and
above and the decline in the proportion of those under five. As can be seen, the proportion of elderly people
has risen gradually from approximately 5 per cent in 1950 to roughly 7.5 per cent today. Over the next thirty
years, it is expected to more than double. The proportion of young children, on the other hand, has fallen
gradually since 1970 from approximately 16 per cent to 9 per cent. It is forecast to continue falling at roughly
the same rate over the next forty years.

Exercise 3

The bar chart shows the percentage of people in seven different countries who were over the age of sixtyfive in 2000 and the percentage of people expected to be in that age group in 2030.

Korea, Mexico, and Turkey, all developing or newly industrialized countries, are expected to experience large
increases in the proportion of the population that is elderly.

The biggest increase is likely to occur in Korea, where the proportion of pensioners is expected to
increase from 10 per cent to 35 per cent.

A The changes in all three countries will occur from a relatively low base, so the predicted proportion of
elderly residents will still be lower than that expected in developed economies.

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The figure shows the distribution of the population in terms of gender and age. The age group with the highest
percentage of both men and women is 55 to 59. Roughly five per cent of the population is in this age group. The
age groups with the next highest proportion of the population are 30 to 36 and 35 to 39. Interestingly, until the
age of fifty-nine, the proportion of males and females is roughly equal. However, thereafter, women make up a
higher proportion of the elderly population. This trend is particularly evident in those aged eighty plus. Over
four per cent of women fall into in this category, whereas only two per cent of men have reached this age.

Exercise 5

1
2
3

A number of measures can be taken to ensure that the elderly can enjoy life after retirement.
measure
measure occurs in the first (topic) sentence of each of the following
two body paragraphs U older people, the elderly, elderly people, all,
increasingly frail section of the population
5
sums of money, savings

Exercise 6

2
3

Synonyms for younger family members could include: the younger generation, younger relatives, younger
relations, younger members of the family
Synonyms for older relations could include: the older generation, older family members, older relations,
elderly relatives, senior members of the family
Circle arguments-, mandatory retirement age
Circle consequences-, population ageing

Exercise 7

1
2
3

development/shift
concerns/disadvantages/drawbacks

strategy/meas
ure/approach
U process

Exercise 8

The most fundamental obligation that younger family members have towards older relations is to ensure that
their<^fiysical neec[|>are being met.
2
Another core obligation is to ensure that older relations continue to feel a sense ofjgveand belongjncp
3
Finally, younger family members should ensure that older relations continue to have the opportunity to
grow and

1
2
3
Pa
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One of the main consequences of population ageing is the increasing incidence of illnesses and ailments
commonly associated with age.
Another consequence is growing pressure on care givers, often sons and daughters who may themselves be in
the process of raising a family of their own.
The final consequence is pressure on pension funds.

w
er
One of the main consequences of population ageing is the increasing incidence of illnesses and ailments
commonly associated with age. Cancer, heart disease, and arthritis, for example, are all on the rise in many
countries with ageing populations. This trend can result in pressure on health budgets and services.

unit v

Part 3:

Exam practice

Task 1; Model answer

The line graph shows three demographic trends in Scotland between 1940 and 2020: birth rate, population
growth rate, and death rate.
The birth rate followed a falling trend overall from 2.5 per cent in 1940 to a projected 0.5 rise in 2020. There
were brief increases in the late 1940s and 1960s followed by more substantial falls, particularly between 1950
and 1960.
The population growth rate followed a very similar trend with a brief time lag, suggesting a strong link
between birth rate and population rate. The main difference in the two trends was a more substantial rise in
population growth between 1945 and 1955.
The death rate showed a somewhat different trend. There was a steady fall between 1940 and 1955, followed
by a very gradual decline over the next forty-five years. There is expected to be a slight rise over the next
decade, presumably as the 'boom' generation of 65-75 years previously reaches the end of its life span.
Overall, the trends show a declining population in Scotland.

Task 2: Model answer

People today can expect to live a longer and healthier life than people in the past. People often see
retirement as a time for relaxation and letting go of the stresses of working life. However, many who reach
retirement age are more interested than ever in contributing actively to their communities. This essay will
outline two ways in which this interest can benefit society.
Becoming involved in schools is one of the ways in which the life experience of the elderly can be made
available to the community. Because families now are often more mobile than in the past, many children do
not have regular contact with grandparents. Vet children are often fascinated by stories of life in the past.
Inviting local retired people into schools to speak to children can help to maintain a vital link between past
and present.
Another way in which society can benefit from a more active older generation is by inviting older employees
to remain in work part-time. Older people may not want to or indeed be able to do a full day's work; however,
their experience may continue to be valuable to their employers. A good example of this can be seen in one
scheme in the UK in which elder employees remained in work as mentors for younger employees.
Schools and the workplace are just two of the areas in which those who have reached retirement age can
continue to contribute to their communities. As life expectancy improves, the need to maintain an active and
socially meaningful life may also increase. Experience suggests that this trend can have benefits for all, not

just the elderly.

Fame

10

Parti: Vocabulary
Exercise 4

6 a, 7 d, 8 i, 9g

1 Inevitably...
2 Unfortunately...
3 Fortunately...

4
5
6

fame
flawed
icon

5Obviously...
Interestingly...
6
7Importantly...

4 Surprisingly...

Exercise 5
1 Less obviously...
2 More importantly...

3Not surprisingly...
4Somewhat surprisingly

Exercise 1
Exercise 2

1
2
3

impression
aspirations
image

Exercise 3

1
2
3
4

well-known/famous/legendary
imperfect/bad/worthless
like/admire/idolise
recognition/praise/acclaim

Part 2: Practice exercises: Task 1

Exercise 1
1 past
2 percentage

Exercise 2
8 feature
9 rose

3 except
4 rose
5 than

10 smaller
11 past
12 feature

6 smaller
7 in contrast

13 except

1 significant
2 Many

4 Surprisingly
5 did not

3 For example

6 appear

Exercise 3
1 featured

2 occupations
3 those surveyed

4 opting for
5 career
6 occupied

Ex
erc
ise
4
Su
gge
ste
d
ans
we
rs

One of the most significant advances in civilization is the development of modern methods of food

production and preparation.

Convenience foods have now become the norm in many societies.
Although some people idealise traditional cooking practices and believe they will prevail
indefinitely,...
4 In more traditional societies, where families tended to be large, it made economic sense for one person to
devote him/herself to time-consuming domestic tasks such as growing and preparing food.
5
Nowadays, people tend to live in ever smaller family units.
6 If each family were to spend large amounts of time growing and processing food, this would be a poor use of
society's human resource.
7
... the increase in the number of adults, especially women with children, who work in full-time
employment.

2
3

Exercise 5
1 receiving, 2 percentage, 3 negative, 4 small,
5
On the other hand, 6 was not, 7 there appears to be
Underline: those surveyed, people questioned, those who took part in the survey, survey respondents

Part 2:

Exercise 6

Practice exercises: Task 2

Suggested answers
1 benefit, positive
consequence

Exercise 7
1 Paragraph c is the best.
2 Paragraph a is too informal; paragraph b has too few

5 individuals
6 dilemma, difficulty

2 drawback, negative

7 approach, strategy

consequence
3 view, point of view

8 significant, noteworthy
9 topic, concern

4 nevertheless

hedges; paragraph d has too much repetition.

10 circumstances, context

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In the past, people (1) generally became famous for their achievements. Einstein, Dickens, and Gandhi, for
instance, were all celebrated for their contributions to science, literature and public life. People were interested
in them (2) primarily because they were role models.
One of the reasons fame today is so different is because celebrities (3) appear to meet a range of people's
emotional needs, not just the need for role models.

Many

celebrities today are famous simply for being

famous. The public are (4) often interested in them because, when news of scandals emerges, they (5) can
experience the satisfaction of feeling superior to people they have been encouraged to envy.

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Another reason fame today is unique is the desire for ordinary people to explore the nature of fame itself. Many
celebrities that have emerged from reality television programmes, for example, come from the same walks of
life as the viewing public. Reading about or watching such people allow ordinary individuals to imagine what it might
be like to suddenly find themselves in the public eye. People who are famous for being famous may, therefore, allow

unremarkable people to indulge in wish-fulfilment fantasies without having to worry about whether they are
capable of significant achievement.
The third, and perhaps most significant reason that celebrities play such an important role in modern life is the
fact that commercial pressures encourage media organisations to focus on information that is immediately
attractive to the consumer. As we have seen, the cult of celebrity' appears to tap into powerful emotional needs,
the need to feel superior, the need to imagine oneself to be the centre of attention; therefore, celebrity news
sells.

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In brief, the nature of fame today is somewhat different from fame in the past. There appears to be a greater
need to denigrate, rather than celebrate the actions of people in the public eye, as well as a consuming interest
in fame itself. Whether the public will eventually growtired of these remains to be seen.

Task 1: Model answer

The table gives the results of an opinion poll in which respondents were asked about their views of
celebrity news coverage.
There were clear majority views for all three questions asked. The vast majority of those questioned
(85%), for example, said that there was too much news coverage of celebrities. Only 7 per cent said
there was the right amount, and an even smaller percentage (6%) said there was too little.
The public was somewhat more divided on the question of who was responsible for the quantity of
celebrity news. A majority (56%) said the news organisations were; however over a third felt that the
public were at fault. Roughly one in ten respondents felt that both were responsible.
When asked to identify the news medium responsible for providing most of the coverage, most of those
polled singled out television news programmes. Online news websites were identified by 15 per cent of
respondents, followed by newspapers (12%).
Overall, the findings suggest that most people think there is too much focus on celebrities in the news
and that television news programmes are largely to blame.

Task 2: Model answer

In the past, news about famous people may have been confined to gossip columns in newspapers; these
days it is not uncommon for celebrities to feature as front page news. There is evidence that the public
feels there is too much news coverage of famous people. Not surprisingly, there is concern about how
this might be affecting people, and in particular children.
One of the possible negative consequences of the 'cult of celebrity' is the tendency to confuse fame and
notoriety. Celebrity scandals are just as likely to receive publicity as celebrity achievements. Indeed,
some famous people have received more attention for their misuse of drugs and alcohol than for their
successes on the stage or in sports. Children who crave attention may come to see misbehaviour as

normal.
The emphasis on individuals in the public eye may also be at the expense of serious news coverage.
Next to the superficial excitement of celebrity gossip, news about serious events and issues that have a
more profound effect on people's lives may seem uninteresting. Children may be forming a very
distorted picture of how the world works.
The negative influence of celebrities on children can also be seen in children's career aspirations. These
days, young people are much more likely to see themselves as potential sports stars or entertainers.
The prevalence of these figures in the mass media may convey the impression that such positions are
plentiful. Children may be developing unrealistic expectations that they too wilt become rich and
famous.
In summary, the 'cult of celebrity' may be affecting children in a number of undesirable ways. It is
important that children be taught to critically evaluate what they see in the media so that they can
form a more realistic view of society, acceptable behaviour, and indeed themselves.

units lu-n

The car

Parti: Vocabulary
Exercise 1
a 2, b 7, c8, d 1, e4, f 6. g 5, h3 Exercise 2
1 6
road works
7
bus lanes
cycle routes
4 traffic queues

2
3

speed cameras
5 motorways
b appearance, c allowance, d explanation, e involvement, f provision, g opposition

Exercise 4

1
2

propelled
converting

Exercise 5

a achievement,
3
propulsion
4
reduce
5
combustion
6
emissions
7
emit
8
maintenance
9
produce 10 production
pedestrians; danger

Exercise 3
verb

noun

reduce
produce

reduction

convert
maintain

conversion
maintenance

emit

emission

combust

combustion
propulsion

production

propel

Part 2: Practice exercises: Task 1

Exercise 1
1a, 2 b, 3 b, 4 a, 5 c, 6 b Exercise 2
1
decreased
2
are expected

3 correlates 5 accounted
4 varied
6 were asked

Exercise 3

1
2

driving

3 purchasing

5 travelling

to use

4 change

6 to reduce

Exercise 4
1 the, 2 by, 3 -, 4 on, 5 to, 6 -, 7 with; of,

the, 9-, 10 to, 1 1 a , 12 a, 13 the, 14 the

1 opposition, 2 achievement, 3 explanation, 4 appearance, 5 provision, 6 allowances, 7 involvement

Part 2: Practice exercises: Task 2

Exercise 5
a 9, b 2, c 1, d 5, e4, f 7, g 6, h 3, i 8, j 10

The evidence shows that wearing a seatbelt significantly reduces road accident fatalities, (countable vs.
uncountable noun)

2
3
4
5

In fact wearing a seatbelt is the most important safety measure that can be taken, (use of the article)
The number of road accidents declined last year, (tense)
It is illegal to drive without a licence, (word class)
The cost of insurance depends on several factors including age, experience and type of car.

(preposition)

6
7
8

Organisations such as the AA can provide assistance to motorists who break down, (verb form)
Many people who live in rural areas have no choice but to travel by car. (relative clause)
Buying a second-hand car is sometimes risky. Inexperienced buyers can be easily cheated, (run-on

sentence)

There are numerous examples of illegal practices in the second-hand motor trade, (subject-verb

agreement)

10

This is because the industry is poorly regulated and buyers are not always well-informed, (sentence

fragment)

Exercise 6

1
2

Cars undoubtedly have practical benefits for the people who own them.
Urban pollution, which is largely caused by vehicle emissions, can lead to respiratory problems such as

asthma.

Noise pollution [which is) caused by cars is another problem that can affect people's health.
A The vast majority of car journeys are for short distances, which can be covered on foot.
5 There is evidence that people who live on streets with high volumes of traffic are less likely to know or
interact with their neighbours.

Exercise 7

Although most people say they would use other forms of transport for short journeys, in fact, most car
journeys are for distances of less than two miles.
2
Most people are reluctant to buy an electric car because of three factors: cost, maintenance and
reliability.
3 Some of those surveyed said they had concerns about the distance electric cars could travel before having to
be recharged.
A Electric cars are more expensive than conventional cars. However, their maintenance costs are lower.
5 One major Japanese car manufacturer, which produces some of the most fuel-efficient petrol-powered cars,
has recently announced that it plans to invest more heavily in electric car technology.
6
By 2025, over AO per cent of vehicles on the road are likely to be hybrid or electric cars.
7 Hybrid and electric cars produce fewer emissions, but this may not result in a reduction in overall emissions
because the growth in car ownership over the next fifteen years is likely to accelerate.

Exercise 8

As people in many parts of the world now have greater access to cars, they often have more choice over
where they live and work.
2 Cities have become more sprawling because people have sought out the greater privacy and space afforded
by suburban living.
3 There are more vehicles, often travelling at greater speed; as a consequence, the streets are less hospitable
to pedestrians.
A There has also been a decline in public transport; as a result, people have less day-to-day contact with other
members of their community.
5 Since most people are very dependent on their cars, they do not want to give them up.

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In many parts of the world, people now have greater access to cars. Therefore, they often have more choice over
where they live and work. Cities have become more sprawling, as people have sought out the greater privacy
and space afforded by suburban living. Because there are more vehicles, often travelling at greater speed, the
streets are less hospitable to pedestrians. There has also been a decline in public transport. As a consequence,
people have less day- to-day contact with other members of their community.

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One of the factors that distinguishes developed from developing economies is mass car ownership. Cars
undoubtedly have practical benefits for the individuals who own them. They allow for more flexible and
autonomous travel. Like other consumer items, they can be used to express individual taste and identity.

However, they also clearly have a number of undesirable consequences.

One of these consequences is deterioration in peoples health. Urban pollution, which is largely caused by vehicle

emissions, can cause respiratory problems such as asthma. These health problems are more prevalent in cities,
particularly among children and the elderly. Noise pollution caused by cars is another problem that can affect
people's health.
Another consequence of car use is a decline in levels of physical activity and hence levels of fitness. Although this
is partly a consequence of rising prosperity generally, there is evidence that car use is responsible for lower
levels of cardiovascular fitness. The vast majority of car journeys are for less than two miles, that is, distances
that can easily

unit i i

be covered on foot. In short, when people own cars, they tend to walk less, thus removing a major means by
which people maintain day-to-day fitness.
Finally, widespread car use can have a negative effect on community life. There is evidence that people
who live on streets with high volumes of traffic are less likely to know or interact with their neighbours.
This too can have a negative impact on people's sense of well-being.
These factors alone are unlikely to discourage people from buying cars. However, more could be done to
make the public more aware of the disadvantages of car ownership. Providing alternative means of
transport would encourage people to use their cars less and enjoy some of the benefits of a car-free
environment.

Part 3: Exam practice

Task 1: Model answer
The table compares modes of transport used in four countries: the USA, the UK, France and the Netherlands.
Percentages of journeys made by car, bicycle, public transport and on foot are given. The bar chart shows the
results of a survey into reasons people in the USA travel to work by car.
As can be seen from the table, cars were the most frequently used form of transport in all four countries.
However, the proportion of journeys made by car ranged from a low of 47 per cent in the Netherlands to a
high of 90 per cent in the USA. Figures for the other forms of transport also varied considerably. Not
surprisingly, in the Netherlands, a high proportion of trips were made by bicycle (26%) and on foot (18%). The
highest rate of public transport use was in France, where nearly one in five journeys was made by public
transport.
The bar chart provides information that may help explain why car use is so high in the USA. The most
frequently cited reason was lack of any other alternative (38%). Although a sizable percentage said it was
more convenient (21%), the other factors listed appeared to relate more to need than preference, e.g.
working night shift.
Overall, the figures show considerable variation in modes of transport used, though the car continues to
dominate in most contexts.

Task 2: Model answer

Mass car ownership clearly has a number of undesirable consequences for people's health and fitness as well
as for the environment and community life generally. Nevertheless, owning a car is still seen as a desirable
option. In fact, the number of cars in the world today is fast approaching one billion. Although this trend may
seem inexorable, there is much that can be done to discourage unnecessary car use.
One possible approach is to make cars expensive to own and use, for example, by taxing them at the point of
purchase or annually through a road tax. Certain types of car use, for instance short journeys within already
congested cities, can also be discouraged through road pricing schemes such as that operating in London.
However, these punitive measures alone are unlikely to have a major impact unless alternative means of
transport are available.
Evidence suggests that where public transport options are plentiful, convenient and reliable, people will use
them. Inhabitants of cities such as Paris, which have invested heavily in commuter rail networks, are more
likely to use public transport than people living in cities where such networks have been allowed to
deteriorate.
A less expensive and more environmentally sound option is to create a network of cycle lanes and other
facilities for cyclists, such as safe weather-proof shelters for parking bicycles. This has the additional
advantage of encouraging people to keep fit whilst allowing them the flexibility of autonomous travel. Cities
in the Netherlands, which have relatively high rates of cycling, have shown how this can work.
In brief, the trend towards rising car ownership and use need not be inexorable. People can be encouraged to
use other means of transport. However, rhetoric alone is unlikely to bring about change. Investment in
practical alternatives is what is needed above all.

Practice test

12

Task 1: Model answer

The bar chart shows information about people's smoking behaviour by age group in the UK. Several
trends are
evident.
The highest proportion of those who have never smoked (nearly two-thirds) was in the 16 to 24 year
group. The proportion tended to decrease with age. Only 40 per cent of people aged 65 to 74 had never
smoked.
On the other hand, the percentage of those who had quit smoking tended to increase with age. Only 5
per cent of those in the youngest age group (16 to 24) were ex-smokers, as opposed to roughly 40 per
cent of those aged 65 to 75.
The percentage of those classed as heavy smokers also showed a distinct pattern. People in middle age
(35 to 54) tended to be the heaviest smokers - approximately 13 per cent of the total. A relatively small
proportion of those in the youngest age group, and an even smaller percentage of those in the oldest
group (roughly 3 per cent) smoked heavily.
Overall, age appears to be a significant factor in patterns of smoking behaviour.

Task 2: Model answer

The issue of equality and achievement has occupied people throughout history. Some argue that because
people vary in terms of talent and initiative, inequality is inevitable. The job of the government is to
ensure freedom for each person to achieve his or her personal best. Others believe that because wealth
and therefore opportunity tend to concentrate in the hands of a few, the government must actively
redistribute resources. While I believe there is some truth in both views, the latter is likely to yield
greater life satisfaction for the majority.
Societies that are very unequal in terms of income and resources are often credited with great
achievements. The United States, for example, has many successful individuals in business and science.
Its universities, among the world's most expensive, rank among the top ten in the world and employ a
disproportionately large number of Nobel-prize winners. However, such countries also often produce
many people without qualifications, and poor prospects.
More egalitarian countries often achieve higher average rates of success. Finland and Korea, for
example, which invest heavily in free public education for all, tend to rank high in international
comparisons of literacy and numeracy rates. Although such countries do not always produce many
internationally successful superstars', they tend to have a high proportion of moderately successful
people in terms of employment and income. More importantly, they have lower rates of absolute
deprivation and underachievement.
In short, if we allow freedom for individuals to achieve their potential, some inequality is inevitable.
However, success usually generates wealth, which can be passed from one generation to another
resulting in inequality of opportunity regardless of individual merit. It, therefore, makes sense for
society to level the playing field.

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