Useful Expressions for Task 2

One of the biggest problems students have with IELTS is timing. It is very difficult to finish the paper in the time you are given. You need to keep practising to improve your timing. We have found that these useful expressions can be really helpful in Task 2. If you use them regularly in your essays, you will memorise them. Then you can use them in the exam and they will help you to improve your timing and finish more quickly. Here are some useful expressions. Do they come at the beginning, middle or end of Task 2? 1.It may indeed be true to say that ..(statement from the question); what, however, are the factors involved? 2.It may indeed be the case that(statement from the question); this subject, however, requires further analysis. 3. Noun.. has/have been .verb+ing for many years now. Has this had generally beneficial effects, or have they been largely negative? e.g. Governments have been sending criminals to prison etc You can also use a passive structure: Noun has/have been + past participle for many years now. Has this had generally beneficial effects, or have they been largely negative? e.g. Criminals have been sent to prison etc.. 4.At first sight, noun/verb+ing appear/appears to be entirely positive/beneficial. However, further analysis reveals drawbacks to this way of thinking. 5.When all is said and done, there are no clear solutions to this problem and it is for governments/individuals/the public/students/etc to weigh up both sides of the case and come to their own conclusions. 6.Noun/verb+ing is one of the most controversial issues of our times. What are the arguments that need to be considered? 7.Noun/Verb+ing, as is the case with many issues, has both negative and positive aspects. 8.On balance, it is my own personal view that the advantages of noun/verb+ing far/heavily/slightly outweigh the disadvantages. 9.Over recent years, attitudes to noun/verb+ing have changed considerably. What are the reasons for this change, and what are the implications for the future? 10. Noun/verb+ing has/have been an important part of many cultures/Western cultures/developing countries/school-life/working life/etc. for many years now. What are the reasons for this, and what changes are likely or possible in the future? Check your answers

Answers and Notes 1.It may indeed be true to say that ..(statement from the question); what, however, are the factors involved? Beginning - this would be a good first sentence for your Task 2, for example: It may indeed be true to say that youth crime and drug abuse is rising; what, however are the factors involved? 2.It may indeed be the case that(statement from the question); this subject, however, requires further analysis. Beginning - this would be a good first sentence for your Task 2. 3. Noun.. has/have been .verb+ing for many years now. Has this had generally beneficial effects, or have they been largely negative? Beginning - this would be a good first sentence for your Task 2. It is suitable for any Task 2 questions asking you to discuss advantages and disadvantages. It is also useful in questions that ask "To what extent do you agree?" This means - how much do you agree? 4.At first sight, noun/verb+ing appear/appears to be entirely positive/beneficial. Beginning - you could use this sentence at the beginning of a paragraph about advantages. However, further analysis reveals drawbacks to this way of thinking. Middle - to start the next paragraph about disadvantages. 5. When all is said and done, there are no clear solutions to this problem and it is for governments/individuals/the public/students/etc to weigh up both sides of the case and come to their own conclusions. End - a useful general conclusion. "weigh up" means "consider carefully" 6.Noun/verb+ing is one of the most controversial issues of our times. What are the arguments that need to be considered? Beginning - this would be a good first sentence for your Task 2. 7.Noun/Verb+ing, as is the case with many issues, has both negative and positive aspects. Beginning this would be a good first sentence for your Task 2. It is suitable for any Task 2 questions asking you to discuss advantages and disadvantages.

8.On balance, it is my own personal view that the advantages of noun/verb+ing far/heavily/slightly outweigh the disadvantages. End - a useful general conclusion for advantages/disadvantages Task 2 questions. 9.Over recent years, attitudes to noun/verb+ing have changed considerably. What are the reasons for this change, and what are the implications for the future? Beginning - this would be a good first sentence for your Task 2. It is suitable for any Task 2 questions asking you to discuss changes and the future results of those changes. 10.Noun/verb+ing has/have been an important part of many cultures/Western cultures/developing countries/school-life/working life/etc. for many years now. What are the reasons for this, and what changes are likely or possible in the future? Beginning this would be a good first sentence for your Task 2. It is suitable for any Task 2 questions asking you to discuss present situations/issues and possible future changes.

Good knowledge of vocabulary will help you in all the sections of the IELTS test
This lesson is about synonyms - words with similar meanings. A good knowledge of synonyms will help you a lot in the Reading Paper. An ability to match vocabulary in the questions with vocabulary in the text will help you to locate answers. This knowledge will also help you to avoid repeating vocabulary in your writing. As you do this lesson, you should think about your vocabulary notes and how you organise them. Do you already organise your vocabulary into groups? You should make groups of synonyms and organise your vocabulary in general into different topic areas. Exercise One Look at these words. There are 8 groups of words with similar meanings - can you find them? diminish maximise holiday-maker lead to increase cost expand rise lessen curious normal unusual price associated tourist cause linked usual related traveller result in fee contribute to connected reduce payment widen odd unremarkable Exercise Two In order to use vocabulary, you need to know a lot about each word. Note down the word class of the words in Exercise One. Are they nouns, verbs, adjectives etc.? Exercise Three Now look at your own vocabulary notes. Can you organise them in a better way? Research shows that organised lists of vocabulary are much easier to learn and memorise than disorganised lists. Think about typical IELTS topics, e.g: the environment technology social problems political issues working environments moral questions education health the relationship between developed and developing countries strange ordinary

Now try to organise your own vocabulary notes into these areas, and take notes on any synonyms you find. Successful students are generally very organised. If you want to improve your IELTS result, your vocabulary is an important key - keep it organised! Exercise One Answers holiday-maker traveller odd curious lessen diminish price payment rise expand cause contribute to associated linked usual ordinary

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

tourist strange reduce fee increase lead to connected unremarkable

unusual cost maximise widen result in related normal

tourist (n) strange (adj) reduce (vb) fee (n) increase (n/vb) lead to (vb) connected (adj/vb) unremarkable (adj)

Exercise Two Answers holiday-maker (n) traveller (n) odd (adj) curious (adj) lessen (vb) diminish (vb) price (n/vb) payment (n) rise (n/vb) expand (vb) contribute to cause (n/vb) (vb) associated (adj/vb) usual (adj) linked (adj/vb) ordinary (adj) Go back to the lesson

unusual (adj) cost (n/vb) maximise (vb) result in (vb) related (adj/vb) normal (adj)

widen (vb)