Astheygrowolder,adultsoftenliketothinkbackontheirchildhooddays.

Arechildhoodandprimaryschooldaysthebesttimesinapersonslife?

Givereasonsforyouranswerandincludeanyrelevantexamplesfromyourown
knowledgeorexperience.
Writeatleast250words.

Whythisanswerwouldscorewell
Wasthequestion
answered?

allaspectsofthequestionhavebeencovered(i.e.all
THREEbulletpoints)

Wasiteasyto
understandand
weretheideaswell
organised?

goodlogicalflowofideas

Theletteriswellorganised,itcoversalltheaspectsof
thequestion(i.e.explainswhereyousawthead;states
whatandwhyyouwanttostudyand;whereandwhento
study).

therearegoodlinkingwords/ideasthroughoutthe
answer:
o
o
o
o

Wasthevocabulary
appropriate?

Wasthegrammar
accurate?

Iwasrecently
Iamcurrently
Iwould(therefore)appreciate
Ireallyhopethatyouwillbeableto

thetoneisformaltoateacheryouhaventmetbefore

spellingandpunctuationaregood

Theopeningsalutationusesanactualname(becauseyou
sawhisadinthenewspaper)sotheappropriateclosing
isYourssincerely.

170words

thegrammariscorrect

Question:

Astheygrowolder,adultsoftenliketothinkbackontheirchildhooddays.
Arechildhoodandprimaryschooldaysthebesttimesinapersonslife?
SampleAnswer

Itseemsthatintodaysworld,peoplearedoingeverythingatafasterpace.Familytime,
workandevenrecreationtimehappenalltooquickly.Inresponse,peopleliketo

rememberthetimeswhenthingsmovedalittleslower.Ioftenlookbackonmy
childhoodandprimaryschooldayswhenlifewasmoresimpleandwishIcould
returntothem.
Therearesomedownsidestobeingachild.Achildisinexperienced,andlacks
understandingaboutlife;heorshemustgothroughaperiodoflearningbasiclifeskills
suchasmannersandappropriatelanguage.Achildalsolackswisdomandwilltherefore
makemistakesthatanolder,morematurepersonwouldnotnormallymake.
However,therearemanymorepositiveaspectsofbeingachild.Oneofthebiggest
benefitsisintheareaofsleep.Generally,parentsencouragechildrentogotobedearly
foronereasonoranother.Sleepseemstobesomethingthatmostadultswishtheyhad
moreof!Anotherbenefitofbeingachildisintheareaofresponsibility.Theonly
personachildisresponsibleforishimself!Lifeisthereforelesscomplicatedand
slowerpaced.Inaddition,childrenarenormallynotengagedinfulltimework.This
meansthestressoffindingandkeepingajobisnotapartoftheirlife.
Childhoodformostpeopleiscertainlyastressfreetime!Forme,childhoodwasa
wonderfulexperiencethatIveryhappilylookbackupon.Ibelievethatchildhoodand
primaryschooldaysareamongthebesttimesinapersonslife.
(265words)

Whythisanswerwouldscorewell...

goodstructuretotheessay

bothsidesoftheissueareclearlystated(i.e.nonchildhoodandchildhood)
eachideaflowslogically

eachparagraphhasaspecificfocus
itislongenough
thevocabularyisappropriate
theconclusionrevisitsthekeypartsofthequestionandclearlyindicatesthe
writersposition(asfirstmentionedintheintroduction)
thegrammarisaccurate

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH1:

Itseemsthatintodaysworld,peoplearedoingeverythingatafasterpace.Familytime,
workandevenrecreationtimehappenalltooquickly.Inresponse,peopleliketo
rememberthetimeswhenthingsmovedalittleslower.Ioftenlookbackonmy
childhoodandprimaryschooldayswhenlifewasmoresimpleandwishIcould
returntothem.
Notes:

Theparagraphclearlyidentifiesthetopic(childhooddays)andestablishesthe
writersviewpointonthetopic(childhood/primaryschooldaysarethebest
days).
Theopeningsetsupthetopicwithageneralstatementtointroducethetopic
Thetopicisdevelopedastheparagraphcontinues:
fastpacedworld
everythinghappenstooquickly
theauthorrememberstheslowerpaceoflifeandwisheshecouldreturntoit

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH2:
Therearesomedownsidestobeingachild.Achildisinexperienced,andlacks
understandingaboutlife;heorshemustgothroughaperiodoflearningbasiclifeskills
suchasmannersandappropriatelanguage.Achildalsolackswisdomandwilltherefore
makemistakesthatanolder,morematurepersonwouldnotnormallymake.
Notes:

Thequestionlendsitselftolookingattheothersideofbeingachildtherefore,it
isappropriatetouseoneparagraphtodiscussthenegativesideofthetopic(i.e.
theinexperienceofyouth).
Theidea(thatchildrenlackexperience)iswellexpressedandappropriatetothe
topic.

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH3:
However,therearemanymorepositiveaspectsofbeingachild.Oneofthebiggest
benefitsisintheareaofsleep.Generally,parentsencouragechildrentogotobedearly
foronereasonoranother.Sleepseemstobesomethingthatmostadultswishtheyhad
moreof!Anotherbenefitofbeingachildisintheareaofresponsibility.Theonly
personachildisresponsibleforishimself!Lifeisthereforelesscomplicatedand
slowerpaced.Inaddition,childrenarenormallynotengagedinfulltimework.This

meansthestressoffindingandkeepingajobisnotapartoftheirlife.
Notes:

Thenextparagraphflowswellfromthepreviousone(throughuseoftheword
However)andpresentsgoodideaswhichareoppositetotheideasinthe
previousparagraph.
CohesivephrasessuchasOneofthebiggest...,AnotherbenefitandInaddition
givetheparagraphgoodstructure.
Theideaspresentedarerelevantandaredrawnfromthewritersown
knowledgeorexperience.

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH4:
Childhoodformostiscertainlystressfree!Forme,childhoodwasawonderful
experiencethatIveryhappilylookbackupon.Ibelievethatchildhoodandprimary
schooldaysareamongthebesttimesinanindividualslife.

Notes:

Thewriterspositionismadeveryclearlyinthelastparagraph(childhoodand
primaryschooldaysareamongthebesttimes)andsupportstheopening
positionstatedinthefirstparagraph.
Thefinalsentencegivestheanswerasenseoffinality/conclusionbyrestatingthe
writerspositionagainbutusingslightlydifferentwordsthanthoseusedinthe
firstparagraph.
Note:Makesureyoudemonstratetotheexamineryourcommandofthe
Englishlanguagethroughuseofappropriatewords!

HowIdevelopedthisanswer
(TimeTaken:45minutes)

Introduction:
Ireadthequestionseveraltimesandidentifiedthekeywords.

Iunderlinedthefollowingkeywordsinthequestion:adults,thinkbackontheir

childhooddays.Arechildhoodandprimaryschooldaysthebesttimesinapersons
life?
Itookcarefulnotethatthequestionrequiredmetoanswerthequestion:Are
childhoodandprimaryschooldaysthebesttimesinapersonslife?.
IthoughtaboutwhatIknewconcerningthistopic.Ifeltthatchildhooddays
wereamongthebestdaysbecauseofmypersonalexperience.

Iwouldwritethefollowingsummarynotesonthetestbooklet:

societyfastpaced
childhoodslower

Argumentsagainstchildhood/primaryschooldays:

OnthenegativesideoftheargumentIrememberedchildrenhavelittle
experienceandwisdom.
Ifeltthesepoints(lackingwisdomandexperience),mayhavebeenstrong
enoughformetoargueagainstchildhoodasbeingthebestdayshowever,more
reasonsforchildhoodcametomindatthetimeofwritingmyanswer.

Iwouldwritethefollowingsummarynotesonthetestbooklet:

lackofexperience/understanding
lackinginwisdom

Argumentsforchildhood/primaryschooldays:

Idecidedthatduetomypersonalexperience,Icouldthinkofmorepositive
reasonsforchildhoodbeingabestexperience.[Tip:Remembertoargue
accordingtotheideaswhichcometomindmostnaturallyandquickly].The
firstwasthatadultsarealwayscomplainingaboutwantingmoresleep,soIwrote
itdown!NextIthoughtabouthowyouthhavefewerresponsibilitiesand
subsequentlylessstress.Ialsofeelthatinmyexperience,manypeopleare
stressedduetotheirjobs.
BecauseIamassertingthatchildhoodandprimaryschooldaysarethebestdays,
IcombinedthiscategorywiththeStatementofPositioncategory.Thismeant
thatIwroteatotaloffour(4)paragraphs.[Tip:Itisagoodideatocombinethe
twocategoriesintooneparagraph].

Iwouldwritethefollowingsummarynotesonthetestbooklet:

sleep!
lessresponsibilities
workstress=none/little
NOTE:Ifpossible,usepersonalexperienceorknowledgeyouhaveaboutthe
subject,itmakesyourargument/positionmorecompelling.

StatementofPosition:
Asmentioned,Idecidedtomakemypositionclearinthefirstparagraphaswellas
combinemystatementofpositionwithargumentsforchildhooddaysbeingthebest
daysIdidthisbecauseIfeltitwouldmakemyargumentsmorecompelling.

Conclusion:
Theconclusionsimplyrestatedmyopinion/premisethatchildhood/primaryschool
daysare(among)thebesttimes.
IwouldrefertothenotesIwroteforargumentsforchildhood/primaryschoolas
thebasisformyconclusion.

WRITINGTASK1

Youshouldspendabout20minutesonthistask.
Afriendfromoverseashascontactedyouaboutanideaforanewbusiness
he/sheisplanningtostartinyourcountry.
Writealettertoyourfriend.Inyourletter:

explainaboutthebusinessenvironmentinyourcountry
describethemostpopularproductsinyourcountry
saywhatyouthinkaboutthebusinessidea

Writeatleast150words.

YoudoNOTneedtowriteanyaddresses.
Beginyourletterasfollows:
Dear,

MascotCorporationPtyLtd.AllRightsReserved.FORPERSONALUSEONLY.
MUSTNOTBECOPIED.PROTECTEDBYINTERNATIONALLAW.

WRITINGTASK2

Youshouldspendabout40minutesonthistask.
Writeaboutthefollowingtopic:
Clothesareanecessarypartofpeopleslives.
Whatdoyouthinkclothescommunicateaboutanindividual?

Givereasonsforyouranswerandincludeanyrelevantexamplesfromyourown
knowledgeorexperience.
Writeatleast250words.

Wasthevocabulary
appropriate?

Wasthegrammar
accurate?

thetoneisinformaltoafriend

spellingandpunctuationaregood

Theopeningsalutationusestheactualnameofyour
friend(becauseyousawhisadinthenewspaper)and
theclosingisappropriatelyinformalSeeyousoon!
174words

thegrammariscorrect

WritingLab3,Task2:

Question:

Clothesareanecessarypartofpeopleslives.Whatdoyouthinkclothes
communicateaboutanindividual?
SampleAnswer

Clothingisoneofourbasichumanneeds.Formany,clothesprovidemuchneeded
warmthandprotectionfromthesun,windandrain.Frommyperspectivehowever,one
ofthemostpopularusesofclothingistocommunicateapersonsstyle.
Certainly,forapersonwhohasgrownupinadevelopingcountry,clothestendtoservea
moreutilitarianfunction.Theyarewornforsuchthingsasprotectionandtokeepthe
wearerwarm.Peopleinsuchenvironmentsdonottypicallycareaboutthecolour,style
andwhetherornotvariousitemsmatch.Rather,theyaremoreinterestedinhow
functionaltheclothesare.
Indevelopedcountrieshowever,peoplewearclothesprimarilytocommunicatetheir
particularstyletothosewhoseethem.Ifpeopleareathleticandsporty,theywilltend
towearclothingmadebysportscompanies(forexample,NikeandAdidas).Ifaperson
isinterestedinthelatest,expensivefashionsthenheorshewilloftenwearclothingthat
clearlyshowsotherpeopletheparticularfashionlabel(forexample,PradaorGucci).
Thereareotherstylesthatreflectpeopleshobbiessuchasbeachwearandcountry
westernwear.Peopleoftenwearclothingthattheirfavouritepopormoviestarwears.
Bydoingthis,theycommunicatetoothersthattheycloselyassociatethemselveswith
theiridol,thattheyreallylikethestyleoftheiridol.
Thereareavarietyofusesforclothinghowever,inmyopinion,oneofthemainthings
thatclothingcommunicatesaboutapersonishisorherindividualstyle.

(254words)

Whythisanswerwouldscorewell...

goodstructureoftheessay

whatclothingcommunicatesisclearlystated(i.e.thestyleoftheindividual)
eachideaflowslogically

eachparagraphhasaspecificfocus
itislongenough
thevocabularyisappropriate
theconclusionrevisitsthekeypartsofthequestionandclearlyindicatesthe
writersposition(asfirstmentionedintheintroduction)
thegrammarisaccurate

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH1:
Clothingisoneofourbasichumanneeds.Formany,clothesprovidemuchneeded
warmthandprotectionfromthesun,windandrain.Frommyperspectivehowever,one
ofthemostpopularusesofclothingistocommunicateapersonsstyle.
Notes:

Theparagraphclearlyidentifiesthetopic(clothing)andestablishesthewriters
viewpointonthetopic(clothingcommunicatesapersonsstyle).
Theopeningsetsupthetopicwithageneralstatementtointroducethetopic.
Thetopicisdevelopedastheparagraphcontinues:

clothingabasichumanneed
practicalusesofclothing
authorsperspective=clothingcommunicatesindividualstyle/taste

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH2:
Certainly,forapersonwhohasgrownupinadevelopingcountry,clothestendtoservea
moreutilitarianfunction.Theyarewornforsuchthingsasprotectionandtokeepthe
wearerwarm.Peopleinsuchenvironmentsdonottypicallycareaboutthecolour,style

andwhetherornotvariousitemsmatch.Rather,theyaremoreinterestedinhow
functionaltheclothesare.
Notes:

Theintroductiontouchedontheutilitarianaspectsofclothingusesoitis
appropriatetoaddressthisaspectofthequestioninthe2ndparagraph.
Theideathatpeopleindevelopingcountriesuseclothingformorepractical
ratherthanstylepurposesprovidesagoodcontrasttotheauthorsview.

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH3:
Indevelopedcountrieshowever,peoplewearclothesprimarilytocommunicatetheir
particularstyletothosewhoseethem.Ifpeopleareathleticandsporty,theywilltend
towearclothingmadebysportscompanies(forexample,NikeandAdidas).Ifaperson
isinterestedinthelatest,expensivefashionsthenheorshewilloftenwearclothingthat
clearlyshowsotherpeopletheparticularfashionlabel(forexample,PradaorGucci).
Thereareotherstylesthatreflectpeopleshobbiessuchasbeachwearandcountry
westernwear.Peopleoftenwearclothingthattheirfavouritepopormoviestarwears.
Bydoingthis,theycommunicatetoothersthattheycloselyassociatethemselveswith
theiridol,thattheyreallylikethestyleoftheiridol.
Notes:

Thenextparagraphflowswellfromthepreviousone(throughuseoftheword
However)andpresentsgoodideaswhicharecontrastivetotheideasinthe
previousparagraph.
Cohesivephrasessuchasprimarilytocommunicate...,Thereareotherstyles
andBydoingthisgivetheparagraphgoodstructureandflowfromoneideato
thenext.
Theideaspresentedarerelevantandaredrawnfromthewritersown
knowledgeorexperience.

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH4:
Thereareavarietyofusesforclothinghowever,inmyopinion,oneofthemainthings
thatclothingcommunicatesaboutapersonishisorherindividualstyle.

Notes:

Thewriterspositionismadeveryclearlyinthelastparagraph(clothing
communicatesstyle)andsupportstheopeningpositionstatedinthefirst
paragraph.
Thefinalsentencegivestheanswerasenseoffinality/conclusionbyrestatingthe
writerspositionagainbutusingslightlydifferentwordsthanthoseusedinthe
firstparagraph.
Note:Makesureyoudemonstratetotheexamineryourcommandofthe
Englishlanguagethroughuseofappropriatewords!

HowIdevelopedthisanswer
(TimeTaken:45minutes)

Introduction:
Ireadthequestionseveraltimesandidentifiedthekeywords.

Iunderlinedthefollowingkeywordsinthequestion:clothes,necessary.Whatdo
clothescommunicateaboutanindividual?
Itookcarefulnotethatthequestionrequiredmetoanswerthequestion:Whatdo
clothescommunicateaboutanindividual?
IthoughtaboutwhatIknewconcerningthistopic.IfeltthatmanypeopleIknow
useclothestoexpresstheirindividualstyle/tastes.

Iwouldwritethefollowingsummarynotesonthetestbooklet:

clothingbasicneed
communicatesstyle

Ideascontrastingthemainidea:

tocontrasttheideaofstyle,adevelopingcountrypointofviewwasadded.
Ifeltthesepointswouldaddabalancetotheanswer.

Iwouldwritethefollowingsummarynotesonthetestbooklet:

utilitarianfunction
protection/warmth

functionalfocus,notstyle

Mainidea:clothingasareflectionofstyle:

Idecidedthatduetomypersonalexperience,Icouldthinkofmorepositive
reasonsforclothingasareflectionofstylethananythingelse.[Tip:Remember
toargueaccordingtotheideaswhichcometomindmostnaturallyand
quickly].Thefirstwasthatdifferentstylesareexpressedaccordingtopersonal
tastes/preferences(eg:sportsenthusiasts,fashionconscious,surfers,etc.).
Themainideaisdevelopedinthe3rdparagraphandrestatedintheconcluding
paragraph.Thisgivestheessaygoodflowandstructure.

Iwouldwritethefollowingsummarynotesonthetestbooklet:

athletic/sporty
fashionconscious
copypop/moviestars
NOTE:Ifpossible,usepersonalexperienceorknowledgeyouhaveaboutthe
subject,itmakesyourargument/positionmorecompelling.

StatementofPosition:
Asmentioned,Idecidedtomakemypositionclearinthefirstparagraphaswellas
combinemystatementofpositionwithideasinthe3rdparagraphIdidthisbecauseI
feltitwouldmakethestructureofmyessaybetter.

Conclusion:
Theconclusionsimplyrestatedmyopinion/premisethatclothingreflectsindividual
style/taste.
IwouldrefertothenotesIwroteforthe3rdparagraphtoassistwiththe
conclusion.

WRITINGTASK1

Youshouldspendabout20minutesonthistask.
Acarpenterrecentlydidsomeworkinyourhome,buttherearesomethings
thathavenotturnedoutasyouwanted.
Writealettertothecarpenter.Inyourletter:

describetheworkthathasbeendone
saywhatyouareunhappyabout
describewhatyouwouldlikethecarpentertodo

Writeatleast150words.
YoudoNOTneedtowriteanyaddresses.
Beginyourletterasfollows:
Dear,

WRITINGTASK2

Youshouldspendabout40minutesonthistask.
Writeaboutthefollowingtopic:
Increasingly,familiesarepayingfortheirchildrentotraveloverseasfor
educationaltrips.
Howoldshouldapersonbetodothis?

Wasthegrammar
accurate?

thegrammariscorrect

WritingLab4,Task2:
Question:

Increasingly,familiesarepayingfortheirchildrentotraveloverseasfor
educationaltrips.Howoldshouldapersonbetodothis?Whatarethe
advantagesanddisadvantagesofsuchtrips?
SampleAnswer

Aspartoftheirstudies,moreandmorefamiliesarepayingfortheirchildrento
experiencelifeinanothercountry.Todaybothyoungchildrenandolderteenagersare
travellingoverseas.Thereareanumberofadvantagestooverseastravelforeducational
purposeshowever,frommyperspective,itismorebeneficialforolderteenagersthan
youngerchildren.
Certainlytherearesomepositiveexperiencesayoungchildcangain.Forexample,
learninginanothercountryisagreatadventureforthem.Iftheyvisitorlearnatalocal
school,theycanmeetotherstudentstheirownage.Thisassociationmayleadtomore
naturallanguagelearningfortheyounginternationalstudent.
However,inmyopinion,achildistooyoungtoreallyappreciatetheopportunityof
overseastravelforeducationalpurposes.Anolderteenagertypicallyunderstandsmore
fullyandappreciatestheopportunity.Amorematurestudentwillusuallyoverlookthe
inconvenienceofdifferencesincultureandfoodandreallyenjoytheopportunitytothe
fulloftenayoungerchildwillnot.Theeducationalaspectofthetripismore
meaningfultoamorematuremind.Studiesintheclassroomcancomealiveandthe
informationgainedcanbeappliedformanyyearstocomeinfurtherstudies.For
example,inthefutureiftheolderteenagerdecidestostudylanguagesatuniversity,he
orshewillbemorereadilyabletoapplytheknowledgegainedfromtheinternational
countryheorshevisited.
InconclusionIfeelthatitisgenerallybetterallroundforanolder,morematurestudent
tovisitoverseasforeducationalpurposes.
(265words)

Whythisanswerwouldscorewell...

goodstructureoftheessay

theageandadvantages/disadvantagesareaddressed
eachideaflowslogically

eachparagraphhasaspecificfocus
itislongenough
thevocabularyisappropriate
theconclusionrevisitsthekeypartsofthequestionandclearlyindicatesthe
writersposition(asfirstmentionedintheintroduction)
thegrammarisaccurate

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH1:
Aspartoftheirstudies,moreandmorefamiliesarepayingfortheirchildrento
experiencelifeinanothercountry.Todaybothyoungchildrenandolderteenagersare
travellingoverseas.Thereareanumberofadvantagestooverseastravelforeducational
purposeshowever,frommyperspective,itismorebeneficialforolderteenagersthan
youngerchildren.
Notes:

Theparagraphclearlyidentifiesthetopic(traveltoothercountriesfor
educationalpurposes)andestablishesthewritersviewpointonthetopic
(overseaseducationaltravelisbettersuitedtoolderteenagers).
Theopeningsetsupthetopicwithageneralstatementtointroducethetopic.
Thetopicisdevelopedastheparagraphcontinues:

alotoffamiliesarepayforinternationaleducationaltravel
thetravelisundertakenbyyoungchildrenandteenagers
authorsperspective=therearemoreadvantagesforolderteenagers

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH2:
Certainlytherearesomepositiveexperiencesayoungchildcangain.Forexample,
learninginanothercountryisagreatadventureforthem.Iftheyvisitorlearnatalocal

school,theycanmeetotherstudentstheirownage.Thisassociationmayleadtomore
naturallanguagelearningfortheyounginternationalstudent.
Notes:

Theintroductionmentionedthatchildrentraveloverseasforeducational
purposessoitisappropriatetoaddressthisaspectofthequestioninthe2nd
paragraph.
Theideathatpeopleyoungerchildrentravelingoverseasforeducational
purposesisnotentirelyabadonesoitisappropriatetomentionafewpositive
aspectsofsuchtravelinthesecondparagraph.

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH3:
However,inmyopinion,achildistooyoungtoreallyappreciatetheopportunityof
overseastravelforeducationalpurposes.Anolderteenagertypicallyunderstandsmore
fullyandappreciatestheopportunity.Amorematurestudentwillusuallyoverlookthe
inconvenienceofdifferencesincultureandfoodandreallyenjoytheopportunitytothe
fulloftenayoungerchildwillnot.Theeducationalaspectofthetripismore
meaningfultoamorematuremind.Studiesintheclassroomcancomealiveandthe
informationgainedcanbeappliedformanyyearstocomeinfurtherstudies.For
example,inthefutureiftheolderteenagerdecidestostudylanguagesatuniversity,he
orshewillbemorereadilyabletoapplytheknowledgegainedfromtheinternational
countryheorshevisited.
Notes:

Thenextparagraphflowswellfromthepreviousone(throughuseoftheword
However)andpresentsgoodideaswhicharecontrastivetotheideasinthe
previousparagraph.
CohesivewordsandphrasessuchasHowever...andForexamplehelptogive
theparagraphstructureandflowfromoneideatothenext.
Theideaspresentedarerelevantandaredrawnfromthewritersown
knowledgeorexperience.

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH4:
InconclusionIfeelthatitisgenerallybetterallroundforanolder,morematurestudent
tovisitoverseasforeducationalpurposes.

Notes:

Thewriterspositionismadeveryclearlyinthelastparagraph(olderchildren
shouldtravelforoverseaseducationaltrips)andsupportstheopeningposition
statedinthefirstparagraph.
Thefinalsentencegivestheanswerasenseoffinality/conclusionbyrestatingthe
writerspositionagainbutusingslightlydifferentwordsthanthoseusedinthe
firstparagraph.
Note:Makesureyoudemonstratetotheexamineryourcommandofthe
Englishlanguagethroughuseofappropriatewords!

HowIdevelopedthisanswer
(TimeTaken:45minutes)

Introduction:
Ireadthequestionseveraltimesandidentifiedthekeywords.

Iunderlinedthefollowingkeywordsinthequestion:familiespayingfortheir
childrentotraveloverseasforeducationaltrips.Howoldshouldapersonbetodo
this?advantagesanddisadvantages.
Itookcarefulnotethatthequestionrequiredmetoanswertwoquestions:How
oldshouldapersonbetodothis?Whataretheadvantagesanddisadvantagesof
suchtrips?
IthoughtaboutwhatIknewconcerningthistopic.Ifeltthatmanyyounger
childrendonothavethematuritytoappreciatewhatisusuallyanexpensive
opportunity.

Iwouldwritethefollowingsummarynotesonthetestbooklet:

moreoverseased.travel
bothyoungandolderteenagers
olderteensbetter

Ideascontrastingthemainidea:

tocontrasttheideaoftravelonlybeingworthwhileforolderteens,analternative

pointofview(theadvantagesforyoungerchildren)wasadded.
Ifeltthesepointswouldaddbalancetotheanswer.

Iwouldwritethefollowingsummarynotesonthetestbooklet:

canbepositiveforchild
adventure!
meetstudentsofsameage
naturallanguagelearning

Mainidea:olderteenagersbenefitthemostfromoverseaseducationaltravel

Duetomypersonalexperience,Icouldthinkofmorepositivereasonsforolder
teenagerstravellingoverseasforeducationthanyoungerchildren.[Tip:
Remembertoargueaccordingtotheideaswhichcometomindmost
naturallyandquickly].Thefirstwasthatolderteenagersappreciatethe
opportunityandmorereadilyoverlookthenegativeaspectsofatripthatmay
potentiallyarise.Ialsothoughtabouthowitmaybemorerelevanttofurther
studiesatuniversity.
Themainideaisdevelopedinthe3rdparagraphandrestatedintheconcluding
paragraph.Thisgivestheessaygoodflowandstructure.

Iwouldwritethefollowingsummarynotesonthetestbooklet:

olderappreciatesmore
overlooksinconveniences
studiescomealive
moreapplicableforunistudies
NOTE:Ifpossible,usepersonalexperienceorknowledgeyouhaveaboutthe
subject,itmakesyourargument/positionmorecompelling.

StatementofPosition:
Asmentioned,Idecidedtomakemypositionclearinthefirstparagraphaswellas
combinemystatementofpositionwithideasinthe3rdparagraphIdidthisbecauseI
feltitwouldmakethestructureofmyessaybetter.

Conclusion:
Theconclusionsimplyrestatedmyopinion/premisethatolderteensbenefitmore

Question:

Asignificantnumberofpeoplebelievethatsomeprofessionsrequire
individualstobemoretruthfulthanothertypesofprofessions.Whatisyour
viewpoint?Whyaresomeprofessionalsincertainjobsviewedasbeingmore
truthfulthanothers?
SampleAnswer

Therearesomeprofessionstodaythatareseenashavingpeoplethatareveryhonest
andtruthful.Suchoccupationsmayincludeteachersandministers.Ibelievethatthe
perceptionoftheleveloftruthandhonestyinsomejobsisduelargelytotheexampleof
thosewhopreviouslydidthejobandthestoriesweencounterabouttheminthe
media.
Itisasadfactthatsomeprofessionsareknownforhavingdishonest,lyingpeople.
Lawyersandusedcarsalesmenarestereotypicallypeoplethattwistthetruthintheir
job.Inmycountry,itissowellknownandacceptedthatlawyersliethattheyareoften
thesubjectofjokes!
Inmyopinion,allprofessionsshouldhavepeoplewhoonlytellthetruth.Thereisno
roomforliesinanyoccupation.However,therealityisthatliesdoflowfromthe
mouthsandpensofdishonestpeopleandthis,inturn,canrundownthereputationof
thosewhoarehonestprofessionals.Teacherswhoworkwithyoungchildrenare
usuallyseenasbeinghonestduetothefineexampleofthosewhotaughtyoungstersin
thepast.Ifteacherslietotheiryoungstudents,itisusuallyreportedinthemediaas
beingdisgraceful.Likewise,ifapastorliestohiscongregationthisisoftenreportedby
themediaasbeingcompletelyreprehensiblebehaviour.Themediadoesimpactour
viewofcertainoccupations.
Itistruethatsomeprofessionshavepeopleworkinginthemthataregenerallymore
honestthanothers.Whattheworldshouldbeworkingtowardhowever,ishonestyand
integrityinallprofessions.
(269words)

Whythisanswerwouldscorewell...

goodstructureoftheessay

thewritersviewpointisclearlygiven
eachideaflowslogically

eachparagraphhasaspecificfocus
itislongenough
thevocabularyisappropriate
theconclusionrevisitsthemainquestionandgivesthewritersclearviewpoint
(allpeopleshouldbehonest)
thegrammarisaccurate

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH1:
Therearesomeprofessionstodaythatareseenashavingpeoplethatareveryhonest
andtruthful.Suchoccupationsmayincludeteachersandministers.Ibelievethatthe
perceptionoftheleveloftruthandhonestyinsomejobsisduelargelytotheexampleof
thosewhopreviouslydidthejobandthestoriesweencounterabouttheminthe
media.
Notes:

Theparagraphclearlyidentifiesthetopic(theleveloftruthfulnessandhonesty
attachedtocertainoccupations)andanswersthesecondquestion(Whyaresome
professionalsincertainjobsviewedasbeingmoretruthfulthanothers?).
Theopeningsetsupthetopicwithageneralstatementtointroducethetopic.
Thetopicisdevelopedastheparagraphcontinues:

acoupleofexamplesofhonestjobs
authorsperspective=thosewhodidthejobleavealegacyaswellasthemedia

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH2:
Itisasadfactthatsomeprofessionsareknownforhavingdishonest,lyingpeople.
Lawyersandusedcarsalesmenarestereotypicallypeoplethattwistthetruthintheir
job.Inmycountry,itissowellknownandacceptedthatlawyersliethattheyareoften
thesubjectofjokes!
Notes:

Sinceakeypartofthequestionasksforthewritersviewpoint,itisappropriate
thatthe2ndparagraphdevelopsthewritersviewpointondishonestprofessions
withsomeexamples(lawyersandusedcarsalesmen).
heideaofthelawyerjokeisbaseduponthewriterspersonalexperience.


ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH3:
Inmyopinion,allprofessionsshouldhavepeoplewhoonlytellthetruth.Thereisno
roomforliesinanyoccupation.However,therealityisthatliesdoflowfromthe
mouthsandpensofdishonestpeopleandthis,inturn,canrundownthereputationof
thosewhoarehonestprofessionals.Teacherswhoworkwithyoungchildrenare
usuallyseenasbeinghonestduetothefineexampleofthosewhotaughtyoungstersin
thepast.Ifteacherslietotheiryoungstudents,itisusuallyreportedinthemediaas
beingdisgraceful.Likewise,ifapastorliestohiscongregationthisisoftenreportedby
themediaasbeingcompletelyreprehensiblebehaviour.Themediadoesimpactour
viewofcertainoccupations.
Notes:

Thenextparagraphflowswellfromthepreviousone(throughuseofthephrase
Inmyopinion...)andpresentsgoodideaswhichaddressthesecondquestionin
somemoredetail(i.e.Whyaresomeprofessionalsincertainjobsviewedasbeing
moretruthfulthanothers?).
CohesivewordsandphrasessuchasInmyopinion...,HoweverandLikewise
helptogivetheparagraphstructureandflowfromoneideatothenext.
Theideaspresentedarerelevantandaredrawnfromthewritersown
knowledgeorexperience.

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH4:
Itistruethatsomeprofessionshavepeopleworkinginthemthataregenerallymore
honestthanothers.Whattheworldshouldbeworkingtowardhowever,ishonestyand
integrityinallprofessions.
Notes:

Thewritersviewpointismadeclearlyinthelastparagraph(allprofessionals
shouldbehonest).
Thefinalsentencegivestheanswerasenseoffinality/conclusion.
Note:Makesureyoudemonstratetotheexamineryourcommandofthe
Englishlanguagethroughuseofappropriatewords!

HowIdevelopedthisanswer
(TimeTaken:45minutes)
Introduction:
Ireadthequestionseveraltimesandidentifiedthekeywords.

Iunderlinedthefollowingkeywordsinthequestion:peoplebelievethatsome
professions...moretruthfulthanothertypesofprofessions.Whatisyourviewpoint?
Whyaresomeprofessionalsincertainjobsviewedasbeingmoretruthfulthan
others?Itookcarefulnotethatthequestionrequiredmetoanswertwo
questions:Whatisyourviewpoint?ANDWhyaresomeprofessionalsincertainjobs
viewedasbeingmoretruthfulthanothers?
IthoughtaboutwhatIknewaboutthistopic.Ifeltthattherearesome
professionsareseenasbeinghonest(Iimmediatelythoughtofministersand
teachers)andIalsofeltmyanswertothe2ndquestionwasthatthosewhohave
previouslydonethejobaswellasthemediainfluencepeoplesopinions.

Iwouldwritethefollowingsummarynotesonthetestbooklet:

ministersandteachers
exampleset
mediainfluence

Ideasthatcontrasthonestprofessions(developingWhatisyourviewpoint):

Tocontrasttheideaofhonestprofessions,ideasaboutstereotypicallydishonest
professionswereincluded.
IfeltthesepointswouldaddmoredepthtotheWhatisyourviewpointpartof
thequestion.

Iwouldwritethefollowingsummarynotesonthetestbooklet:

someprofessionsdishonest
lawyers/usedcarssalesmen
jokesaboutlawyers!

StatementofPosition:Whatisyourviewpoint?
ImademypositionclearbyansweringthequestionWhatisyourviewpoint?inthe
firstparagraph.

Conclusion:
Theconclusionsimplyrestatedmyopinion/premisehonestyandintegrityshouldbe
thehallmarkofallprofessions.
IwouldrefertothenotesIwroteforthe3rdparagraphtoassistwiththe
conclusion.

DearSirorMadam,
IamwritingtoexpressmydissatisfactionwiththelevelofserviceIrecentlyreceived
whileatyourcomputerstore.
IhavebeenhavingproblemswithmycomputerharddrivelatelysoonTuesdaylast
week(April11)Idecidedtogotoyourstoretogetitrepaired.Iwasforcedtostandina
longline,waitingtobeserved,carryingaheavyharddrivewhileseveralofyourstaff
laughed,drankcoffee,andgenerallydidaverypoorjobofservingyourcustomers.In
myopinion,theirbehaviourwascompletelydisrespectfulandmadeaverybad
impressionuponallthosewaitingtobeserved.Tomakemattersworse,astheline
progressed,severalofyourstaffsimplylookedatmeasIstruggledtopickupandthen
carrytheharddrive!
IwassodisappointedwiththeservicethatIreturnedtomycar.Iexpectsome
compensationfortheinconvenienceyourrudestaffcausedme.Iwouldlikemy
computerfixedforfree.
Iawaityourresponse.
Yoursfaithfully,
ZbigniewWrobel
(172words)

Question:

Surveysshowthatmanypeoplebelievemostjobsinthefuturewillbe
doneathome.Doyouagreeordisagree?
SampleAnswer

Intodaysfastpacedworld,onepartoflifethathaschangedsignificantlyishowpeople
dotheirwork.Computershavemadeitpossibleforustoworkinalmostanylocationin
theworldespeciallyathome.Thishasledsometoconcludethatinthefuture,most
jobswillbeperformedathome.Whileitistruethatmanyjobscanbedoneathome,
manymoremustbedoneoutsidethehome.
Certainly,computersespeciallylaptopcomputershavemadethevirtualofficea
reality.Whetherinanaeroplaneorundergroundinamine,peoplecanworkwherever
theyhaveaccesstoelectricity.Thisversatilityinworkenvironmentsmakesworking
fromhomealogicalchoice.Inaddition,apartfromtheobviousconvenienceofworking
fromhome,aworkercansaveoncarrelatedexpensesandstresses!
However,therearehugenumbersofjobsthatcannotbedonefromhome.The
restaurantindustry,forexample,requiresindividualstobephysicallypresentserving
food!Otherservicetypejobssuchaschildminding,preschoolteachingandnursing
alsorequiresateacherorcarertobeactuallytheretoperformthejob.Thesameistrue
ofpeopleinvolvedinthebuildingindustryhowcanthebuilderofahousedoallhis
workfromhome?Manyhundredsofthousandsofworkersmustleavetheirhomesdaily
todotheirwork.
Thereisnodoubtthatmanyjobscanbeperformedathomeandmoderntechnologyis
allowingpeopletoworkfromhome.However,itisclearthatmostjobsinthefuturewill
notbedoneathome.
(266words)

Whythisanswerwouldscorewell...

goodstructureoftheessay

thewritersviewpointisclearlygiven
eachideaflowslogically

eachparagraphhasaspecificfocus
itislongenough
thevocabularyisappropriate

theconclusionrevisitsthemainquestionandgivesthewritersclearviewpoint
(mostjobsinthefuturewillnotbedoneinthehome)
thegrammarisaccurate

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH1:
Intodaysfastpacedworld,onepartoflifethathaschangedsignificantlyishowpeople
dotheirwork.Computershavemadeitpossibleforustoworkinalmostanylocationin
theworldespeciallyathome.Thishasledsometoconcludethatinthefuture,most
jobswillbeperformedathome.Whileitistruethatmanyjobscanbedoneathome,
manymoremustbedoneoutsidethehome.
Notes:

Theparagraphclearlyidentifiesthetopic(workingathome)andestablishesthe
dimensionsofthequestion(mostfuturejobswillbedoneathome).
Theopeningsetsupthetopicwithageneralstatementtointroducethetopic.
Thetopicisdevelopedastheparagraphcontinues:
o Computersallowustoworkinmanylocationssosomesaymostworkwill
beperformedathome
o authorsposition=morejobswillbedoneoutsidethehome

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH2:
Certainly,computersespeciallylaptopcomputershavemadethevirtualofficea
reality.Whetherinanaeroplaneorundergroundinamine,peoplecanworkwherever
theyhaveaccesstoelectricity.Thisversatilityinworkenvironmentsmakesworking
fromhomealogicalchoice.Inaddition,apartfromtheobviousconvenienceofworking
fromhome,aworkercansaveoncarrelatedexpensesandstresses!
Notes:

Sinceakeypartofthequestionasksforthewritersviewpoint(doyouagreeor
disagree?),itisappropriatethatthe2ndparagraphprovidesacontrast.Inother
words,thisparagraphprovidestheotherviewpointofthewriter(thedoyou
agreesideofthestatement).
Theideaofworkenvironmentversatilityisakeypartofthequestionand
coveringthispointprovidesabalancetotheanswer.
Trafficisabigissuesoitwasincludedasbeingamajoradvantageinworking
fromhome.

Whenaskedifyouagreeordisagree,itisimportanttoprovideexamplesthat
showhowmuchyouagreeanddisagree.

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH3:
However,therearehugenumbersofjobsthatcannotbedonefromhome.The
restaurantindustry,forexample,requiresindividualstobephysicallypresentserving
food!Otherservicetypejobssuchaschildminding,preschoolteachingandnursing
alsorequiresateacherorcarertobeactuallytheretoperformthejob.Thesameistrue
ofpeopleinvolvedinthebuildingindustryhowcanthebuilderofahousedoallhis
workfromhome?Manyhundredsofthousandsofworkersmustleavetheirhomesdaily
todotheirwork.
Notes:

Thenextparagraphflowswellfromthepreviousone,settingupa
contrast/opposingpointofviewthroughuseofthewordHowever....
Goodideasaregivenwhichaddressthedoyoudisagreesideofthequestion.
Cohesivewordsandphrasessuchas...forexample...,...suchas...,...also
requires...andThesameistrue...helptogivetheparagraphstructureandflow
fromoneideatothenext.
Theuseoftherhetoricalquestion(Howcanthebuilderofahousedoallhiswork
fromhome?)canbeagoodwaytomakeapointmoreemphatic.
Theideaspresentedarerelevant,drawnfromthewritersownknowledgeor
experience.

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH4:
Thereisnodoubtthatmanyjobscanbeperformedathomeandmoderntechnologyis
allowingpeopletoworkfromhome.However,itisclearthatmostjobsinthefuturewill
notbedoneathome.
Notes:

Thewritersviewpointismadeclearlyinthelastparagraph(mostjobsinthe
futurewillnotbedoneathome).
Inthefirstsentence,thewriterrefersbacktoapreviouspointmadeinparagraph
2whichgivesthefinalparagraphagoodbalanceinrelationtothewriters
viewpoint.
Thefinalsentencegivestheanswerasenseoffinality/conclusion.
Note:Makesureyoudemonstratetotheexamineryourcommandofthe

writermetthemanager(lastweek)soitisobviousthat
thenameofthedirectorisknown

Wasthegrammar
accurate?

theclosingisappropriatelyformalwhenarealname(Mr.
Sargent)isstatedYourssincerely

179words

thegrammariscorrect

WritingLab8,Task2:
Question:

Therearenumeroushealthproblemsintheworldtoday.Somepeople
believethatmanyoftodayshealthproblemswouldbeavoidedif
schoolsspentmoretimeeducatingtheirstudentsaboutthem.Doyou
agreeordisagree?
SampleAnswer

Itisasadfactthatinourmodern,technologicallyadvancedworld,thereisahigh
numberofhumanhealthproblems.Somesaythatthekeytosolvingthesehealth
problemsistiedupineducation.Itisabsolutelytruethatmanyoftheworldshealth
problemscouldbesolvedbyprovidingtherighteducationforouryouth.
Certainly,therearesomethingsthateducationcannotsolve.Somehealthsituations
occursimplybecauseapersonwasinthewrongplaceatthewrongtime.Afriend,for
example,wasinvolvedinacaraccidentthatnowaffectsherhealthfortherestofher
life.Shemayhavetherighteducationbuttimeandchancecansometimesbethebiggest
influenceinapersonshealth.
However,thereisnodoubtthateducationcanamelioratemanyillnesses.Manypeople,
especiallyindevelopingcountries,areignorantabouthowtodealwithsomehealth
problems.Ifprogramswereimplementedinschoolswhenpeopleareyoungthedos
anddontsIbelievethiswouldbeanexcellentstartinhelpingtoaddresssomehealth
problems.AIDSinAfricaisonediseasethatcouldbereducedandcontainedifpeople
wereabletogettherighteducationaboutit.Otherdiseasescanbecontainedoreven
eliminatedifappropriatedietisadheredto.Theseissuesaretiedupineducationand

knowledgeofhowtoappropriatelyhandlethem.
Thereisnodoubtthatifaplannededucationalprogramabouthealthproblemswere
taughtinallprimaryandhighschools,itwouldgoalongwayinhelpingtoreducesome
ofthehighlevelsofdiseaseweseeintheworldtoday.
(277words)

Whythisanswerwouldscorewell...

goodstructureoftheessay

thewritersviewpointisclearlygiven
eachideaflowslogically

eachparagraphhasaspecificfocus
itislongenough
thevocabularyisappropriate
theconclusionrevisitsthemainquestionandgivesthewritersclearviewpoint
(educatingyouthonhealthproblemswillhelptosolvethem)
thegrammarisaccurate

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH1:
Itisasadfactthatinourmodern,technologicallyadvancedworld,thereisahigh
numberofhumanhealthproblems.Somesaythatthekeytosolvingthesehealth
problemsistiedupineducation.Itisabsolutelytruethatmanyoftheworldshealth
problemscouldbesolvedbyprovidingtherighteducationforouryouth.
Notes:

Theparagraphclearlyidentifiesthetopic(healthproblems)andestablishesthe
writerspositioninregardtothequestion(manyoftheworldshealthproblems
couldbesolvedbyprovidingtherighteducationforouryouth).
Theopeningsetsupthetopicwithageneralstatementtointroducethetopic.
Thetopicisdevelopedastheparagraphcontinues:

healthproblemsarerelatedtolackofeducation

authorsposition=educationofyouthwillreducehealthproblems

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH2:
Certainly,therearesomethingsthateducationcannotsolve.Somehealthsituations
occursimplybecauseapersonwasinthewrongplaceatthewrongtime.Afriend,for
example,wasinvolvedinacaraccidentthatnowaffectsherhealthfortherestofher
life.Shemayhavetherighteducationbuttimeandchancecansometimesbethebiggest
influenceinapersonshealth.
Notes:

Sinceakeypartofthequestionasksforthewritersviewpoint(doyouagreeor
disagree?),itisappropriatethatthe2ndparagraphprovidesacontrast.Inother
words,thisparagraphprovidestheotherviewpointofthewriter(thedoyou
disagreesideofthestatement).
Theideaoftimeandchanceplayingapartinhumanhealthisapartofthe
questionthatprovidesabalance(anotherviewpoint)totheanswer.
Anexampleofthewritersfriendisappropriatetoincludeasarelevantexample
fromthewritersownknowledgeorexperience
Whenaskedifyouagreeordisagree,itisimportanttoprovideexamplesthat
showhowmuchyouagreeanddisagree.

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH3:
However,thereisnodoubtthateducationcanamelioratemanyillnesses.Manypeople,
especiallyindevelopingcountries,areignorantabouthowtodealwithsomehealth
problems.Ifprogramswereimplementedinschoolswhenpeopleareyoungthedos
anddontsIbelievethiswouldbeanexcellentstartinhelpingtoaddresssomehealth
problems.AIDSinAfricaisonediseasethatcouldbereducedandcontainedifpeople
wereabletogettherighteducationaboutit.Otherdiseasescanbecontainedoreven
eliminatedifappropriatedietisadheredto.Theseissuesaretiedupineducationand
knowledgeofhowtoappropriatelyhandlethem.
Notes:

Thenextparagraphflowswellfromthepreviousone,settingupa
contrast/opposingpointofviewthroughuseofthewordHowever....
Goodideasaregivenwhichaddressthedoyouagreesideofthequestion.
CohesivephrasessuchasManypeople...are...,Ifprogramswere...,...Ibelieve...
andTheseissuesare...helptogivetheparagraphstructureandflowfromone
ideatothenext.

describeitscurrentcondition
saywhatyouwantthecounciltodo

Writeatleast150words.
YoudoNOTneedtowriteanyaddresses.
Beginyourletterasfollows:
DearSirorMadam,

Youshouldspendabout40minutesonthistask.
Writeaboutthefollowingtopic:
Manypeoplewhochoosetoworkinothercountriesprefertoleavetheirfamily
behindintheirnativecountry.
Forthosewhomakesuchadecisionaretheremoreadvantagesor
disadvantages?

Givereasonsforyouranswerandincludeanyrelevantexamplesfromyourown
knowledgeorexperience.
Writeatleast250words.

However,whatistheuseofhavinganicehouseorcariftherearenofamilymembersto
enjoyittogether?Inmyopinion,afamilyspendingqualitytimetogetherismore
importantthananyfinancialgain.Arecentarticleinthenewspapermentionedthat
moreandmoremarriagesareendingindivorceandfallingapart.Itisasadfactthatthis
ishappeningsoeveryeffortmustbemadetokeepfamiliestogether.Aclose,loving
familyisworthmorethananynewhouseandcaracloseknitfamilyispriceless!
Unfortunately,thosewhochoosetotraveltointernationallocationsareseparatedfrom
theirfamiliesformanymonthsandsometimesevenyears!Togrow,familiesneedclose
contactandtimetogethertheycannotdothiseffectivelywhenamajorpartofthe
familyislivingonadifferentcontinent.
Whiletherearesomebenefitsforindividualswholeavetheirfamiliesintheirhometown
andtraveloverseastowork,thedisadvantagesfaroutweightheadvantages.
(274words)

Whythisanswerwouldscorewell...

goodstructureoftheessay

thewritersviewpointisclearlygiven
eachideaflowslogically

eachparagraphhasaspecificfocus
itislongenough
thevocabularyisappropriate
theconclusionrevisitsthemainquestionandgivesthewritersclearviewpoint
(familiesseparatedduetointernationalworkcommitmentsisabadidea)
thegrammarisaccurate

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH1:
Moderntraveltodayallowspeopletoeasilygotointernationalareasforthepurposeof
work.Today,itisverycommonforahusbandtoleavehiswifeandchildrenbehindin
theirnativecountrywhilehetakesupaninternationalpost,oftenforlongperiodsof
time.Ithinkthispracticeisamistakefamiliesshouldstaytogether.

Notes:

Theparagraphclearlyidentifiesthetopic(workinginternationally,awayfrom
family)andestablishesthewriterspositioninregardtothequestion(Ithinkthis
practiceisamistakefamiliesshouldstaytogether).
Theopeningsetsupthetopicwithageneralstatementtointroducethetopic.
Thetopicisdevelopedastheparagraphcontinues:

husbandsleavewifeandchildren
authorsposition=itisabadideaforfamiliestobeseparatedduetowork

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH2:
Itistruethatsometimesaninternationalworkopportunitycanleadtoalotofmoney
forafamily.Alargeeconomicbenefitcansometimesmeanahouse,apartmentandcar
canbeboughtforthefamily.Forfamilies,theseitemsareimportantand,insomecases,
necessary.
Notes:

Sinceakeypartofthequestionasksforthewritersviewpoint(aretheremore
advantagesordisadvantages),itisappropriatethatthe2ndparagraphprovidesa
contrast.Inotherwords,thisparagraphprovidestheotherviewpointofthe
writer(theadvantagessideofthestatement).
Theideathatofteninternationalworkleadstoabigeconomicbenefit(an
advantage)providesabalancetotheanswer.
Whenaskediftherearemoreadvantagesordisadvantages,itisimportantto
provideexamplesofbothsidesoftheargument.

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH3:
However,whatistheuseofhavinganicehouseorcariftherearenofamilymembersto
enjoyittogether?Inmyopinion,afamilyspendingqualitytimetogetherismore
importantthananyfinancialgain.Arecentarticleinthenewspapermentionedthat
moreandmoremarriagesareendingindivorceandfallingapart.Itisasadfactthatthis
ishappeningsoeveryeffortmustbemadetokeepfamiliestogether.Aclose,loving
familyisworthmorethananynewhouseandcaracloseknitfamilyispriceless!
Unfortunately,thosewhochoosetotraveltointernationallocationsareseparatedfrom
theirfamiliesformanymonthsandsometimesevenyears!Togrow,familiesneedclose
contactandtimetogethertheycannotdothiseffectivelywhenamajorpartofthe
familyislivingonadifferentcontinent.

Notes:

Thenextparagraphflowswellfromthepreviousone,settingupa
contrast/opposingpointofviewthroughuseofthewordHowever....
Goodideasaregivenwhichaddressthedisadvantagessideofthequestion(the
writersopinion).
CohesivewordsandphrasessuchasInmyopinion...,Itisasadfactthat...,
Unfortunately...andTogrow...helptogivetheparagraphstructureandflow
fromoneideatothenext.
Theexampleofthenewspaperarticleisappropriatetoincludeasarelevant
examplefromthewritersownknowledgeorexperience.
Thewriterspointismadeemphaticallyclearinthefinalsentenceofthe
paragraph.

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH4:
Whiletherearesomebenefitsforindividualswholeavetheirfamiliesintheirhometown
andtraveloverseastowork,thedisadvantagesfaroutweightheadvantages.
Notes:

Thewritersviewpointisclearlyexpressedinthelastparagraph(families
separatedduetointernationalworkcommitmentsismoreofadisadvantagethan
anadvantage).
Thefinalparagraphrestatesthewritersviewpointinaslightlydifferentway
thiscanbeagoodwaytoconcludeandmakesthepointofviewemphatic.
Note:Makesureyoudemonstratetotheexamineryourcommandofthe
Englishlanguagethroughuseofappropriatewords!

WRITINGTASK1

Youshouldspendabout20minutesonthistask.

THREEbulletpoints)
Wasiteasyto
understandand
weretheideaswell
organised?

goodlogicalflowofideas
theletteriswellorganised,itcoversalltheaspectsofthe
question(i.e.howyoufeltaboutthevisit,thephonewas
leftand;arecommendedwaytoreturnit)

therearegoodlinkingwords/ideasthroughoutthe
answer:
o
o
o
o

Wasthevocabulary
appropriate?

Wasthegrammar
accurate?
Question:

Afewhoursago
Actually,Imsurprised...
Anyway,itsnow...
Imwonderinghow

thetoneisinformalalettertoafriend

spellingandpunctuationaregood

TheopeningsalutationusesDearTinathenameofthe
friendandYourfriendisanappropriateclosing

174words

thegrammariscorrect

Modernmedicineismakingitpossibleformorepeopletoliveto110.
Infact,somesaythatinthefuture,manypeoplewilllivewellbeyond
thisage.Somepeoplefeelthisisgoingtobeawonderfulthingwhile
othersfeeliswillbebad.Writeaboutbothviewpointsandgiveyour
opinion.
SampleAnswer

Aroundtheworldtoday,moreandmorepeoplearelivinglonger.Itisquitecommon
thesedaysforapersontolivewellintotheirninetiesduelargelytoimprovementsin
modernmedicine.Aslongasanindividualcanenjoyhisorherqualityoflifewhenold
ageisreached,livinglongerislargelyapositivething.
Itistruethattodaysomepeoplearelivingverylongliveshowever,itisalsotruethat
theirqualityoflifeisextremelylow.Foraperiodoftime,Iusedtovisitaseniorfriend
atanagedcarenursinghome.Iobservedinmyvisitsthatbasicallyeachday,manyof

theolderseniorssimplysatinfrontofthetelevisionofteninawheelchairdayafter
day.SeeingtheseolderpeopleonlyexistingmademethinkthatIwouldprefertodie
thanlivelikethat.
Ontheotherhand,ifapersonhasanillnessthatcanbecuredbyadvancedmedicineand
this,inturn,leadstoalonger,happylifethisiscertainlyawonderfulthing.Aperson
whoisabletoliveforalongperiodoftimeevenbeyond110andenjoygoodhealth,
wouldbeabletoexperiencethegrowthanddevelopmentoftheirfamilyforatleasttwo
orpossiblyeventhreegenerations.Theywouldbeabletopassontheirwisdomtothe
youngergenerationsandthiswouldbearealbenefitforanyfamily.
Thereisnodoubtthatlongerlifeiswhatmostpeoplewant,butIbelievethatliving
longermustalsobecoupledwithagoodstandardofliving,orlifewouldonlybea
miserableexistence.
(284words)

Whythisanswerwouldscorewell...

goodstructureoftheessay

thewritersviewpointisclearlygiven
eachideaflowslogically

eachparagraphhasaspecificfocus
itislongenough
thevocabularyisappropriate
theconclusionrevisitsthemainquestionandgivesthewritersclearviewpoint
(longlifeisapooroptionifqualityoflifeispoor)
thegrammarisaccurate

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH1:
Aroundtheworldtoday,moreandmorepeoplearelivinglonger.Itisquitecommon
thesedaysforapersontolivewellintotheirninetiesduelargelytoimprovementsin
modernmedicine.Aslongasanindividualcanenjoyhisorherqualityoflifewhenold
ageisreached,livinglongerislargelyapositivething.

Notes:

Theparagraphclearlyidentifiesthetopic(peoplelivinglonger)andestablishes
thewriterspositioninregardtothequestion(Aslongasthequalityoflifeisgood,
thenlivinglongerispositive).
Theopeningsetsupthetopicwithageneralstatementtointroducethetopic.
Thetopicisdevelopedastheparagraphcontinues:

itscommonforpeopletolivewellintotheirnineties
authorsposition=ifapersonisenjoyinghis/herlife,thenlivinglongerispositive

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH2:
Itistruethattodaysomepeoplearelivingverylongliveshowever,itisalsotruethat
theirqualityoflifeisextremelylow.Foraperiodoftime,Iusedtovisitaseniorfriend
atanagedcarenursinghome.Iobservedinmyvisitsthatbasicallyeachday,manyof
theolderseniorssimplysatinfrontofthetelevisionofteninawheelchairdayafter
day.SeeingtheseolderpeopleonlyexistingmademethinkthatIwouldprefertodie
thanlivelikethat.
Notes:

Sincethequestionasksforbothsidesoftheargumentandthewritersviewpoint,
itisappropriatethatthe2ndparagraphdealswiththedisadvantages.Inother
words,thisparagraphprovidestheotherviewpointofthewriter(the
disadvantagessideofthestatement).
Theideathatlongerlifecoupledwithpoorlifequalityisonlyexistingrather
thanenjoyinglife(amajordisadvantage)clearlyanswersthenegativesideofthe
question.
Good,relevantexamplefromthewritersownpersonalexperience(visittoaged
carenursinghome).
Note:Whenspecificallyaskedtowriteaboutbothviewpoints,itisvery
importanttoprovideexamplesforbothsidesoftheargument.

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH3:
Ontheotherhand,ifapersonhasanillnessthatcanbecuredbyadvancedmedicineand
this,inturn,leadstoalonger,happylifethisiscertainlyawonderfulthing.Aperson
whoisabletoliveforalongperiodoftimeevenbeyond110andenjoygoodhealth,
wouldbeabletoexperiencethegrowthanddevelopmentoftheirfamilyforatleasttwo
orpossiblyeventhreegenerations.Theywouldbeabletopassontheirwisdomtothe

youngergenerationsandthiswouldbearealbenefitforanyfamily.
Notes:

Thenextparagraphflowsonwellfromthepreviousone,settingupa
contrast/opposingpointofviewthroughuseofthephrase,Ontheotherhand....
Goodideasaregivenwhichaddresstheadvantagessideofthequestion(the
writersopinion).
CohesivewordsandphrasessuchasApersonwho...,this,inturnleadsto...,
...thisisawonderfulthing.andTheywouldbeableto...helptogivethe
paragraphstructureandflowfromoneideatothenext.

ANALYSINGPARAGRAPH4:
Thereisnodoubtthatlongerlifeiswhatmostpeoplewant,butIbelievethatliving
longermustalsobecoupledwithagoodstandardofliving,orlifewouldonlybea
miserableexistence.
Notes:

Thewritersviewpointisclearlyexpressedinthelastparagraph(livingwithouta
goodstandardoflifewouldbemiserable).
Thefinalparagraphrestatesthewritersviewpointinaslightlydifferentway
thiscanbeagoodwaytoconcludeandmakesthepointofviewemphatic.
Note:Makesureyoudemonstratetotheexamineryourcommandofthe
Englishlanguagethroughuseofappropriatewords!