Exercise 6: The Ultimate Guide

(Top Band)

● Paper: Reading & Writing

● Task: Article / Report / Review
● Focus today: ARTICLE

Article writing
Lesson Overview

Today’s lesson focuses on improving exam-style article writing through discussion,

modelling, and teamwork.

Learning Objective

To write a clear, persuasive article for a school magazine.

What Is an Article?
An article is:
Articles always
● Written for a large audience
show a point of view
○ School magazine

○ Teacher

○ Newspaper

● About a specific topic

● Meant to:

○ Interest Pick a side, even if you

○ Inform
don't have one. Neutral
isn't an option
○ Persuade
Why Do We Write Articles?
Articles aim to:

● Give information

● Persuade the reader

You can choose:

● One-sided article → strong opinion

● Two-sided article → balanced discussion

One-sided articles are more persuasive

Two-sided articles are easier
 The audience: this will be
Tone and Register specified in the question (it is
almost always a school
The exam usually asks for:
magazine). So when you write,
keep in mind that you need to
School magazine
write to that audience. Your
● Semi-formal language, tone and vocabulary
should reflect this.
● Engaging

● Clear, polite language

Teacher / Newspaper

● Formal

● Serious

● Objective tone
 Body Paragraph 2 – Drawbacks
Introduction
● Explain the disadvantages
● Catch the reader’s attention
● Give reasons or examples
● Introduce the topic
● Show balance
● Clearly show your opinion

Body Paragraph 1 – Advantages Conclusion

● Explain the good points
● Summarise the main points

● Give reasons or examples

● Clearly restate your final opinion

● Link ideas clearly

● End in a strong way

Intro (no opinion) → Benefits →

Drawbacks → Final opinion
Plan Before You Write (5 Minutes)
Answer these questions:
● Who is the audience?
→ Usually a school magazine

● What is the topic?

→ Why is it important today?

● What are the benefits? (2 ideas)

● What are the drawbacks? (2 ideas)

● What is my final opinion?

→ You MUST choose a side

Write your plan in pencil in the exam.

PARAGRAPH 1: INTRODUCTION
What to Do What Is Rhetoric?

Rhetoric is language used to persuade or influence the reader.

● Introduce the topic
A rhetorical question:
● Show why it matters
● Is a question
● Hook the reader
● Does NOT need an answer
● NO opinion
● Makes the reader think or agree

Use: It is used to hook the reader, usually in the introduction.

● General statement
GOOD EXAMPLES
● Rhetorical question
Is it really fair that students are expected to handle
hours of homework every night?

Example Starter: How long should we ignore the damage being done
to our environment?
Nowadays, many people are discussing
whether…
What to Do
PARAGRAPH 2: BENEFITS (FOR)
● Present the advantages

● Explain clearly

● Give an example or result

Structure:

● Topic sentence

● Explanation

● Example

Example Starter:

One major benefit is that…

What to Do
PARAGRAPH 3: DRAWBACKS (AGAINST)
● Present the disadvantages

● Be fair and balanced

● Explain clearly

Structure:

● Topic sentence

● Explanation

● Example

Example Starter:

However, there are also drawbacks to

consider…
What to Do PARAGRAPH 4: CONCLUSION (FINAL
OPINION)
● Summarise both sides briefly

● State your FINAL opinion clearly

● Neutral is NOT allowed

Why an Opinion Is Required:

● The question asks you to discuss and give your

opinion

● Clear decisions = higher marks

Example Starter:

In conclusion, although there are

disadvantages, I believe that…
 Whole class task

1st Point for – Students may get

tired in the morning.

1st point against – Students

have time for after-school
activities such as sports.

2nd point against- Students get

used to early hours for when
they grow up and work.

120-160
 Model answer
Early bird catches the worm?

Have you ever wondered why so many students feel tired during the school day? Recently,
there has been discussion about whether school days should start and end an hour later.
This topic is important today because it affects students’ learning, health, and daily routines.

First of all, one benefit of starting school early is that it helps students develop responsibility.
Waking up early prepares us for adult life, as many jobs require people to arrive on time.
Moreover, learning to manage sleep and morning routines is an important life skill.

On the other hand, there are some drawbacks to early school hours. Many students feel
tired in the morning and find it difficult to concentrate. As a result, their performance in
lessons may be affected.

To conclude, although starting school later may seem appealing, I am against the idea of
changing school hours. In my opinion, students should instead improve their sleep habits to
feel more focused and ready to learn.
Useful phrases

Expressing Opinion:
In my opinion, I believe that, I am in favour of, I am against the idea of, It seems to me that

Presenting Ideas:
The main argument in favour / against is, It is often said that, First of all, Apart from that, Furthermore, In addition, Moreover

Contrasting Ideas:
However, Nevertheless, Even though, Despite the fact that / In spite of, On the other hand, On the contrary, Whereas

Reasoning / Results:
Because of, Due to, Owing to, As a result of, Consequently, Therefore, Hence

Strong Statements:
It is a fact that, There is no doubt that, What matters most in this case is

Concluding:
To sum up, To conclude, It can be concluded that, Thus, I am of the opinion that

Argument Verbs:
Argue, Claim, Assert, Suggest, Point out, Maintain
Today’s Task: Exam-Style Article Writing

You will first choose an exam-style question independently, similar to the one in your mock exam.

You will:

● Use the modelled example shown by your teacher

● Respond to classmate comments to develop your ideas

● Work together to plan and write a clear, persuasive article

Focus on: Plot twist!

Once you’ve chosen your topic, I’ll
● Clear opinions group you with others who picked the
same one..
● Well-developed reasons

● Language choices suitable for a school magazine

This activity will help you improve your exam writing skills by practising structure, tone, and persuasive language.
Option 1: Homework

In class, you have been discussing whether homework should be banned in

schools.

Here are some comments from your classmates:

● “We do enough work at school.”

● “Homework helps us practise what we learn.”

● “Not everyone has help at home.”

● “Homework can take up too much free time.”

Now write an article for your school magazine, giving your views.
 Option 2: School Sports

In class, you have been discussing whether sports should be

compulsory for all students.

Here are some comments from your classmates:

● “Sport helps keep students healthy.”

● “Not everyone enjoys playing sport.”

● “Sport teaches teamwork and discipline.”

● “Some students prefer creative or academic activities.”

Now write an article for your school magazine, giving your views.
Option 3: Online Learning

In class, you have been discussing whether schools should return to

online learning.

Here are some comments from your classmates:

● “Online learning gives students more flexibility.”

● “It is harder to concentrate at home.”

● “Not everyone has good internet or a quiet space.”

● “Learning online prepares us for the future.”

Now write an article for your school magazine, giving your views.
Option 4: Mobile Phones at School

In class, you have been discussing whether mobile phones should be

banned during the school day.

Here are some comments from your classmates:

● “Phones are distracting in lessons.”

● “They can be useful for learning.”

● “Not everyone uses their phone responsibly.”

● “Phones help us stay connected with family.”

Now write an article for your school magazine, giving your views.