Lesson 5_Intensive Writing

INTENSIVE COURSE - WRITING TASK 2

LESSON 5
I. Language notes
1. USING INVERSION
Inversion gives emphasis by using the question form of the verb after an adverbial with a
negative or restrictive meaning comes at the beginning of the sentence. These structures are
normally only used in formal speech and writing.

only only with prepositional phrases/time Only in the past few years has the technology improved
expressions enough for the prices to drop sufficiently to make them
commercially viable.

negative neither (nor), little, hardly.. when, no Never before has the planet’s linguistic diversity shrunk at
longer, no such a pace.
words
sooner... than, at no point, by no No sooner was the team back on the pitch than it started
means, under no circumstances… raining.

so .. As the number of older persons increases, so will the need

to ensure their social inclusion, based on an income from
as …
decent work or retirement and a chance to participate in
community life through employment, volunteer work or
other activities.

We were short of money, as were most people in our

neighborhood.

so…that So impressive was this invention, so difficult was it to

exceed this speed limit, that nearly 3,500 years later, when
the first mail coach began operating in England in 1784, it
averaged a mere ten mph.

Conditional I don’t know what I should do for relaxation, were it not for the innumerable detective
stories.

Had I known, I would have protested strongly. Should he have cheated, he will have to be
punished.

whole Within easy reach is an unspoilt coastline. From uniforms and workwear has emerged
“corporate clothing‟
sentence

inversion

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(Adapted from Essential Grammar for IELTS by Min, Hu and Gordon, John A, 2010,
Nhan Tri Viet Co., Ltd, page 153-156)
PRACTICE
1. Change the following sentences into inversions.
1. There has rarely been such appreciation and enthusiasm for a conference of this kind.
2. Such a complex topic has seldom been presented with such insight.
3. This regulation applies to non-residents only in certain circumstances.
4. The research project will not make any contribution to the development programme
until there has been time to collect and evaluate all the data.
5. Personal details will not be made available to commercial organizations or unauthorized
members of the public under any circumstances.
6. The pace of technological advance has never been greater than it is at present.
2. Coherence strategies
A text is coherent when the ideas, sentences and details fit together in a way that helps
readers follow the writer’s strain of thought. The underlined words in the text below all help
to ensure a coherent development of the writer’s ideas. Key terms are repeated throughout
a text and are related to a number of other terms. Girls is a key term in the text below
(mentioned 5 times) and is clearly related to other terms such as
female/boys/gender/children/them.
The latest UN report on education says girls face sharp discrimination in access to education,
which means millions of them are prevented from attending school. In addition, the report
says the lack of gender equality in education is an important obstacle to social and economic
progress.
In many developing countries, particularly in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, there are
only seven girls in primary school for every 10 boys. In the world’s two most populous
countries, India and China, boys continue to outnumber girls in schools. The annual
Education for All report by UNESCO says the proportion of girls in school did rise slightly in
the past decade. Nevertheless more than half of the 104 million children out of school are
still females, making gender parity in education a distant goal in more than 50 countries. The
UN says that in many countries, high school fees, early marriage, and economic pressure to
put children to work early block girls from school.
The following table shows the strategies writers use to link sentences to form texts. These
strategies are ways of making a text coherent.

COHERENCE STRATEGY EXAMPLES

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1. Repeating a word or words from a sentence in the UN report – the report

following sentence
on education – in education

developing countries – populous countries

2. Use a synonym of a word from a sentence in the prevented from - block

following one

3. Use a pro-form (e.g. pronoun) in the following sentence. girls – millions of them

4. Use a sequence marker (e.g. Firstly, secondly) no example in text

5. Repeat a sentence structure no example in text

6. Use connectives (e.g. moreover, firstly) In addition; nevertheless

7. Use a synonym (e.g. police station females – girl

building/car means of transport school – primary school

children – boys, girls

(Adapted from Study writing, 2nd edition by Hamp-Lyons, Liz and Heasley, Ben, 2006,
Cambridge University Press, page 127 & 128)
3. Generalization, qualification and caution
In some academic writing, it will be necessary simply to give and describe factual
information. Often, however, it is necessary to make general comments or to generalize
about the information. The generalizations can be made more precise by qualifying them.
When we make a qualification we may be giving our own opinion or interpreting the
information: this will be examined in more detail in the next unit. Additionally, in academic
writing, we often need to be careful about any claims that we make. Unless there is evidence
which indicates 100% certainty, statements or conclusions are normally qualified in some
way to make them less definite (therefore words like all, always, never, are usually avoided).
The purpose is to be accurate and not to make false claims, or claims that may be challenged
by others. In other words, allowance should be made for other possible points of view.
There are two basic ways of doing this:
a. Through words in the lists in the Scale of Qualification
b. Through the Impersonal verb phrases that do not declare the writer’s own attitude,
and also the use of some nouns and adverbs.

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SCALE OF QUALIFICATION

PROBABILITY
percentage guide QUANTITY FREQUENCY
Adverbs Adjectives Verbs

all/every/each most Always Certainly certain will

a majority of usual(ly) definitely definite is/are

many/much a lot (of) normal(ly) undoubtedly undoubted must/have to should would

enough general(ly) on clearly clear ought to

some the whole presumably (un)likely may

a number of regular(ly) probably probable might can

several often conceivably possible could

a minority of frequent(ly) possibly uncertain will not

a few/ a little few/little sometimes perhaps is/are not

no/none/not occasional(ly) maybe cannot

any rare(ly) seldom hardly ever uncertainly could not

never

(From Academic writing course, 3rd edition by R.R. Jordan, Pearson Education Limited, 1999 page 155 – 157)
- All of us need to earn a certain amount of money in order to provide a reasonable standard of living for ourselves and our families.
- Earning a good salary can add to the self-esteem of workers.

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CAUTION: IMPERSONAL VERB PHRASES

It appears to/that … Other

verbs
It would appear to/that …
assume
It seems to/that …
believe
It would seem to/that …
estimate
It tends to be …
indicate
There is a tendency to/for …

It is said that …

Some of the evidence shows that …

Some writers say that …

It has been suggested that …

It is generally agreed that (indicate stronger evidence) … It is widely accepted that (indicates
stronger evidence) … It is now generally recognized that (indicate stronger evidence) … It is
(very doubtful) if (indicates strong negative evidence) …

Other qualifications to statements may be made by the use of certain clauses e.g. if and unless
clauses (conditions) and although and while clauses (concession).

- It appears that many of us are working too hard and this is taking a toll on our
health.
- Statistics show that more and more of us are suffering from stress and that much of
this is caused by our jobs.
- It is generally seen that most people used to be able to leave behind the tension and
anxiety of the workplace when they went on holiday.
- While some 65-year-olds may not perform as well as they did in their past, many
workers at this age do just as well or better than they used to.

SOME OTHER ADVERBS AND NOUNS

ADVERBS NOUNS

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apparently Assumption

approximately claim

hardly estimate

practically evidence

presumably possibility

relatively presumption

scarcely chance

seemingly likelihood

slightly

virtually

- For years, businesses and companies have been male-dominated, which was
probably because men have traditionally been seen as more ruthless, more able to
deal with the cut-and thrust of business.
- As more women go out to work and more men stay at home to look after the house
and the kids, it is quite clear that so-called gender roles are merging and
disappearing.
- At home, there is less evidence of role division.
4. USING RELATIVE CLAUSES
Defining and non-defining relative clauses
A relative clause is a dependent clause that functions as an adjective; that is, it modifies a
noun or pronoun. For this reason, relative clauses are also called adjective clauses. There are
defining relative clauses and non-defining relative clauses.
Defining relative clauses are used to specify what you are writing about. The following table
illustrates the use of defining relative clauses.

Relative pronouns for humans subject in its own There should be heavier fines on the people
clause who pollute the water sources.
who

whom for humans object in its own The farmers whom the abuse of pesticides
clause and chemical fertilizers has affected
negatively should be trained on how to use
these substances properly.

whose for humans, subject or object The people whose activities are damaging
nonhumans, in its own clause the environment must be heavily fined.

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which/that for subject or object We should buy a small car that uses unleaded
nonhumans in its own clause petrol.
and things Cars pump out poisonous emissions
which/that we all have to breathe in.

Non-defining relative clauses can be used at the end of the sentence to give comments or
more information about the main idea.
- The government in my country is going to cut the price of train tickets, which is a
positive step because it means that more people will use public transport.
- Ready-prepared foods are covered by different types of packaging material, which
leads to an increase in the amount of rubbish produced per capita.
A relative pronoun can also occur in phrases of quantity: some of which, one of whom, each
of which, the best of which, the most important of whom, the oldest of whom, …
- The world has faced a great number of problems, the most serious of which is
pollution.
- The world has encountered a great amount of pollution, most of which is caused by
human activities.
Reduced relative clauses
Reduced relative clauses are participle clauses (ing-participle and ed-participle clauses)
which follow a noun. They are like relative clauses, but with the relative pronoun and
auxiliary verb (if there is one) left out. Reduced relative clauses are used most often instead
of defining relative clauses in academic writing. We can only make reduced relative clauses
when the relative pronoun is the subject of the relative clause.
Ing-participle Clauses
Active tenses are replaced with a present participle (-ing form).
- Climate change is arguably the greatest challenge facing our planet with increased
storms, floods, droughts and species losses predicted.
- Technological advances using nuclear power have added to the waste problem. Ed-
participle Clauses
Passive tenses are replaced with a past participle (-ed form).
- The air is polluted by emissions produced by cars and industry.
- The advances made by humans have made us the dominant species on our planet.
Relative adverbs
The following shows the use of relative adverbs.

Relative refers to We should decide on the time when people can get together for the meeting

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adverbs time on how to protect the community environment.

when

where refers to a The factories where we work, the cars and aircraft in which we travel, the air
place conditioning and central heating that/which we use in the home all create
carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases.

Why refers to a Many people are not fully aware of the reason why they should not use too
reason many disposable plastic bags.

5. USING NOUN PHRASES (NOMINALIZATION)

Noun phrases are usually used in written English as it helps condense your writing style and
make it more academic and formal
Components
A noun phrase is a group of words with a noun as its main part as follows:
Pre-modifier(s) + HEAD NOUN + Post-modifier(s)
Pre-modifiers in a noun phrase are usually expressed through:
- articles: the, a, an
- determiners: this, that, these, those
- possessive adjectives: my, our , …
- adjectives and adverbs: beautiful, very, …
- noun: crime rate, school gate, ...
Post modifiers in a noun phrase are usually expressed through:
- prepositional phrases
- relative clauses
- past participle clauses
- present participle clauses
- to-infinitive clauses

Noun phrases Examples

Noun + prepositional phrase (Common - harbor sites with submerged rubbish (= harbor sites
prepositions: of, in, for, on, to, with) which have submerged rubbish)
- a rich habitat for an abundance of creatures

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Noun + relative clauses - all of the rubbish which is contained in the harbor)
the data which is collected from the sites)

Noun + past participle clauses: More common - all of the rubbish contained in the harbor (= the
than the equivalent relative clauses both in rubbish which is contained in the harbor)
spoken and written English.
- the data collected from the sites (= the data which is
collected from the sites)

Noun + present participle clauses - the other debris lying on the seafloor (= the other
debris which is lying on the seafloor)

Noun + to-infinitive clauses - the place to go to

to show a purpose, usually follow nouns of time, - a decision to expand

place, manner and quantity
- our plan to preserve the natural habitats

Nominalization in written English

When we choose to give the main information in a clause as a noun phrase rather than as a
verb this is called “nominalization”. There are some reasons for using nominalization
b. Making texts impersonal and authoritative
By turning actions into nouns we make the text sound less personal and more authoritative.
We do not use personal pronouns (e.g. I, you, he) as much. Compare:
- Then really quickly my foot began to go red and swell up. It just got bigger and bigger.
It itched a bit too. I was really surprised by how much it hurt.
Following a bee sting the normal reaction is burning pain, redness, irritation and
itching. In this situation, there may be swelling in the area around the bite.
The nominalizations have been underlined. The spoken account is much more personal and
uses active verbs.
c. Adding information
Nominalization is particularly useful for Academic writing task 2 because we can do several
things to add information to nouns in English.
- Count: the two problems
- Describe: the two most serious problems
- Classify: the two most serious environmental problems

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We cannot do the same with verbs. It is only by changing verbs into nouns that we can add
information words to a text in such a concise way.

PRACTICE
Rewrite the following sentences, using noun phrases instead. Hints have been provided in
brackets.
1. Nowadays, people buy many more things such as cars, microwaves, and personal
computers. (Personal spending …. items such as … greatly increased)
2. Buying more things can be a problem because it makes more pollution for the world..
(This pattern of … negative consequences … higher levels of …)
3. When people buy a new car, they can drive to many places and so they can get a lot of
freedom for themselves and for their families. They can also drive to their jobs, so this
means they can get a different job which is further away from their home. (The
purchase of … leads to … freedom … opportunities…)
4. When cars, computers and other appliances far produced, more resources are used and
pollution levels rise. (The process of … leads to … a rise … the use …)
5. After manufacture, cars are used and this causes greenhouse gas emissions from
exhaust fumes. And the city environments deteriorate when traffic density increases.
(After manufacture, the use …. contributes to ….from exhaust fumes … the deterioration
of … from …)
6. USING ADVERB CLAUSES
Adverb clauses add meaning to a verb, an adjective or an adverb of the main clause in the
function of an adverbial modifier.

Time when, whenever, while, as Whenever I had to speak in front of people, I

soon as, after, since, was paralyzed.

as, before, until, ..

Place where, wherever, everywhere, I saw unfriendly, critical faces everywhere I looked.
anywhere

Manner as I tried as hard as I could to calm

myself. I tried to act as if I were not
Distance as + adverb + as
afraid.
Frequency as if /as though

Reason because, since, as Since I need to make speeches for career

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advancement, I enrolled in a speech class.

Purpose so that, in order that I took a speech class so that I could overcome
my fear of public speaking.

Result so + adjective/ adverb + At first, making a speech made me so

that nervous that I got a stomachache before
every class.
such a(n) + noun + that so
much/little + noun + that During the semester, I made so many
speeches that I lost some of my fear.
so many/few + noun + that

Concession (unexpected although, even though, Even though I am a politician, I still don’t
results) though, enjoy speaking in public.

Contrast (direct while, whereas As a child, I never tried out for school plays,
opposition) whereas my best friend usually got a
starring role.

Condition if, even if, … In the first year, universities normally let
students resit an exam if they fail it the
first time.
If the Government employed more
teaching assistants, it would make teaching
a much easier and less stressful job.
If I had studied hard last term, I would
have passed the exam.

If I had listened to my father, I would be at

university now.

Using conditional sentences to write about solutions

It is important to show a good understanding of grammar when you write about solutions.
Using first and second conditional sentences can be an effective way to do it.
- If University fees were lower, more poor people could afford university. - If salaries
were higher, teaching would be more popular among graduates. Using adverb clauses
of purpose.
Very often in IELTS essays, it is useful to explain why something is done.

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- We must discipline ourselves to work hard so that we can pass exams and gain the
qualifications we need to secure a good job.
- We must also learn valuable skills so that we can fit in and work with those around us. So
that in the above sentences can be replaced by so as to and in order to.
- We must discipline ourselves to work hard so as to/ in order to pass exams and gain
the qualifications we need to secure a good job.
- We must also learn valuable skills so as to/in order to fit in and work with those
around us.
7. USING THE PASSIVE
It is important to show a range of grammar in the exam. Accurate use of both active and
passive structures will help you to achieve this.
- The educational systems in some societies are still dominated by formal
examinations.
- Even though formal examinations have been used in the past, they should no longer
be used as the only means of assessment because they can be an unfair indication of
the student’s overall ability.
You can also use some fixed passive expressions to add style to your writing. This can be
especially useful in the topic sentences of your essays.
In mid-position
- Firstly, studying abroad is believed/thought/considered to be the best way to secure a
successful job in the future.
- Working part time is believed to be beneficial to students as it helps them accumulate
experience.
In first-position
- It is often thought/argued that/said that single-sex schools help reduce the level of
school violence.
- It is often argued that learning a skill through work experience is better than learning
it in a classroom.

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II. Two-part question essay

1. The question:
In IELTS writing task 2, there are different sorts of questions you may be asked. One of them

is called the two-part question (or sometimes “the direct question”). It is most commonly

called a two-part question because it contains two distinct questions.

Of course, some other questions also contain two parts. For example, a problem and

solution essay is two parts. However, what we mean by a “two-part question” is one that

contains two questions. The reason this is sometimes called a “direct question” task is that

the questions themselves are more direct than other IELTS writing task 2 question types,

which instruct candidates to explore an idea. This is rather vague, whereas the two-part

question is very specific.

TWO-PART QUESTION EXAMPLES

In education and employment, some people work harder than others. Why do some people

work harder? Is it always a good thing to work hard?

Ok, the first thing that you may notice is that there are three parts to this question!

However, the first part is actually a lead-in statement. It is not particularly important. The

parts that you need to address in your essay are the two questions. This is why some people

say “two-part question” and others say “direct question”.

Here is another example: Happiness is often considered difficult to define. Why is this?

What factors determine happiness?

Here the first question contains a pronoun, “this”, which refers back to the idea in the first

sentence. In other words, the first question is “Why is it often considered difficult to define

happiness?”

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Finally, here is one more example question: Success is often measured by wealth and

material possessions. Do you think wealth is the best measure of success? What makes a

successful person?

As you can see by now, each question has three parts: an introductory statement and two

individual (but related) questions. Sometimes the lead-in statement will be very long, and

sometimes the questions are quite closely linked. Other times the statement may be short or

the questions ask quite different things.

2. How to answer:

❖ Analyzing the question

This is an essential step in the planning process and will ensure that you answer the question

fully. You just need to identify 3 different types of words:

● Topic words

Topics words are the ones that identify the general subject of the question and will be found

in the statement part of the question.

Fossil fuels are essential for producing electricity, powering industry and fueling

transportation. However, one day we will reach a point when all the world’s fossil fuels

have been depleted.

So, this question is about ‘fossil fuels’.

● Other keywords

The other keywords in the question tell you the specific things you must write about. For

IELTS double question essays, these will often be in the instructions, that is, the actual

questions.

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Fossil fuels are essential for producing electricity, powering industry and fueling

transportation. However, one day we will reach a point when all the world’s fossil fuels

have been depleted.

How can we conserve these resources?

What are some alternatives to fossil fuels?

By highlighting these words, it’s easy to identify the topics. Your essay must only include

ideas relevant to these ideas.

● Instruction words

The instruction words are the questions themselves. These tell you exactly what type of

information is required and each will become the topic for one of the two main body

paragraphs.

How can we conserve these resources?

What are some alternatives to fossil fuels?

The first body paragraph will answer the first question (How?) and the second body

paragraph will answer the second question (What?).

# 2 Generate ideas

# 3 Vocabulary

During the planning stage, quickly jot down some vocabulary that comes to mind as you

decide which ideas you are going to write about, especially synonyms of key words.

For the ideas I’ve chosen, useful words will include:

● sustainable

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● renewable energy

● energy-efficient

3. Structure

INTRODUCTION
● Paraphrase the question
● Thesis statement (answer both questions briefly, only give an opinion if asked for)
BODY 1
● Answer the first question (topic sentence)
● Explain in detail (supporting sentences)
● Give a specific example
BODY 2
● Answer the second question (topic sentence)
● Explain in detail (supporting sentences)
● Give a specific example
CONCLUSION
● Summarize your main points briefly
● Restate your opinion (if asked for)

❖ Introduction: 2 câu
1) Paraphrase the question

2) Outline sentence – state your answer to both questions

It should:

● Have 2-3 sentences

● Be 40-60 words long
● Take 5 minutes to write

Câu 1: Paraphrase đề bài

Start your introduction by paraphrasing the statement part of the question.

Question statement: Fossil fuels are essential for producing electricity, powering industry
and fueling transportation. However, one day we will reach a point when all the world’s
fossil fuels have been depleted.

Paraphrased question: The world is currently reliant on oil, coal and natural gas for the
majority of its energy requirements but there will come a time when these run out.

Outline statement:

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● Câu 2: Giới thiệu nội dung của bài viết/ nêu ra quan điểm cá nhân nếu đề có hỏi
quan điểm
Now we need to add an outline statement where we outline the two main points that we’ll
cover in the rest of the essay, that is, the answers to the two questions. We need to be very
specific about what we are going to write about.

How can we conserve these resources?

● Use car less – walk, cycle, public transport

What are some alternatives to fossil fuels?

● Natural forces –solar & wind power, wave & tidal energy

Body 1 (Trả lời câu hỏi thứ nhất)

● Topic sentence: Khái quát nội dung của đoạn

● Đưa ra idea 1
● Lập luận, chứng minh, phát triển idea 1.
● Đưa ra idea 2
● Lập luận, chứng minh, phát triển idea 2

Body 2 (Trả lời câu hỏi thứ hai)

● Topic sentence: Khái quát nội dung của đoạn

● Đưa ra idea 1
● Lập luận, chứng minh, phát triển idea 1.
● Đưa ra idea 2
● Lập luận, chứng minh, phát triển idea 2

Conclusion: Tóm tắt lại nội dung bài viết, đề cập lại quan điểm (nếu có)
4. Vocabulary

4.1. Introduction

Background statement:

● Some people say/claim/opine/believe that...

● There is no denying that...
● These days, .../ In this day and age, … / In today’s world,...
● It goes without saying that...
● It is universally accepted that...
● .... is one of the most important / imminent / alarming issues.
● People have divided / diverse opinions about …

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Thesis statement:

● In my opinion,...
● I strongly opine / agree / believe that...
● Personally speaking,...
● In my view, ...
● Apparently, ...
● From my point of view, ...
● As far as I am concerned, ...
● From my perspective, ...
● I concur with ...
● To my way of thinking,...
● My own view on the matter is...
● This essay will examine both views before reaching a concrete decision.
● The following paragraphs discuss whether ...... or ...... and reach an appropriate
conclusion.
● The following essay takes a look at both sides of the argument.
● I oppose / support the view and my reasons will be explained in the following
paragraphs.
● To discuss / examine this issue, this essay will both … and …

4.2 Body

Body 1:

● It is true that...
● First / Firstly / First and foremost / First of all, ...
● Initially...
● To begin / start with...
● Some people think / believe that...
● Many support the view that...
● On the one hand…

Body 2:

● Second(ly)... (Không dùng 'Second of all' hay ‘Third of all’)

● Then / Next / Besides, ...
● In addition / Additionally, ...
● Consequently...
● What’s more, ...
● Furthermore / Moreover, ...
● Other people think / believe / opine that...
● On the other hand...
● Last but not least…

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● Another point worth noting / considering is that ...

Lấy ví dụ:

● As an example / illustration / instance, ...

● For example / instance,
● To show / give / cite an example...
● Take … as an example, …
● … is a prime example / evidence
● As a piece of evidence...
● … is a testament…

4.3 Conclusion

● In conclusion / summary, ...

● To conclude / sum up / summarize / elucidate , ...
● In general / Generally, ...
● Overall, …
● To draw the conclusion...
● In a nutshell...
● All things considered, ...
● By and large, ...
● Taking everything into account / consideration...
● Weighing up both sides of the argument…

Practice 1: In some countries people spend long hours at work. Why does this happen? Is it
positive or negative development?
Spending extra hours at work is becoming more common in recent years. This phenomenon
may stem from people’s need for higher wages and their increasing workload, and I firmly
believe that this trend is bringing more cons than pros.
Nowadays, a lot of people are overworking due to the pressure from daily necessities and
work. In many cities, due to the escalating living cost, people are made to work extra hours
to afford lives. In other words, overworking now is not an option but rather an obligation for
many people to survive. In some other cases, people choose to work overtime to cope with
their increasing workload. In the modern age, as competition at work is becoming more
intense than ever, many people feel an urge to push themselves harder and work longer
hours to finish their work, believing that taking on more responsibilities can help them and
their organizations thrive.
However, I hold a conviction that this tendency is bringing more harm than good. It is
undeniable that earning more money will facilitate one’s life; such a schedule, nevertheless,
will put a person under immense pressure, which can make his health deteriorate and cause
stress-related illnesses. In a sense, working extra hours will financially benefit people at the

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cost of their mental and physical health. On the other hand, overworking can accelerate
one’s professional growth, however, will leave them little time for themselves and their
families. They are less likely to gain work-life balance and will risk the well-being of their
close relationships, exposing them to depression and isolation in the future.
In conclusion, while it is understandable why people are spending more time at work, I
believe that the merits it brings are not worth the price one needs to pay.
Practice 2

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

Some people believe that certain old buildings should be preserved more than others.
What types of old buildings should be preserved? Do you think the advantages of
preserving old buildings outweigh the disadvantages?

Write at least 250 words.

20