Parts of an Essay:

IELTS Essay Introduction

This lesson explains how you should approach writing an introduction for an IELTS
Task 2 essay. 

Writing a Thesis Statement

The thesis statement is an important part of your essay, so this lesson explains how to
write thesis statements for different essay types. 

Paragraph Writing
Writing clear and well-organized paragraphs is essential for your essay, so here you will
learn about the basic elements that make up a good paragraph. 

IELTS Essay Conclusion

Learn how to write a quick conclusion for an IELTS essay.

Writing an IELTS Essay Introduction

In the writing for task 2, you must write an IELTS essay introduction, but you only
have 40 minutes.

In this time you need to analyze the question, brainstorm ideas to write about,

formulate an essay plan, and then write your response.

Even for a native writer of English, this is a lot to do in 40 minutes!

So you need to use your time carefully. You need a good IELTS essay introduction,
but one thing you do not want to do is spend too long writing it so that you end up
rushing your paragraphs.

Your paragraphs are the most important thing as they contain all your supporting

arguments and demonstrate how good you are at organizing your ideas.

You therefore need a method to write your IELTS essay introduction fairly quickly.
When you write an introduction, you should make sure you do two things:

1. Write a sentence introducing the topic and giving some background

facts about it 

2. Tell the reader what you are going to be writing about

How you do this will vary depending on the question, but here is an example:
Example 1:

Question:

Blood sports have become a hot topic for debate in recent years. As society
develops it is increasingly seen as an uncivilized activity and cruel to the
helpless animals that are killed. Blood sports should be banned.

To what extent to you agree or disagree?

Sample IELTS essay introduction:

Despite the fact that killing animals for sport is popular in modern society, it
remains a contentious issue. I believe that blood sports are cruel and uncivilized
and so should be banned as soon as possible.
As you can see, the first sentence consists of the topic plus some background
facts on the topic which have been taken from the rubric.

The second sentence then gives the writers opinion and tells us that in the essay the
writer will be arguing the reasons why it is cruel.

The topic does not have to be in the first sentence, but it should be made clear
somewhere in the introduction. You must always have a thesis.

Paraphrasing
Another important point - don't copy from the question! You must paraphrase (put it
in your own words). To do this you can use synonyms and move the order of the
sentence around.

Using some of the same words is acceptable, but don't copy whole phrases.

You can see how the question above has been paraphrased. All the information is from
the question, but it has been written in a different way and has not been copied.

Further Examples
Example 2:

Question:
Science and technology have helped the world make many advances. The Arts,
such as painting, theatre and dance, to name just three examples, however, are
also valuable.

What things do the Arts provide to the world that Science and Technology do
not?

Sample IELTS essay introduction:

Societies have developed rapidly over time due to the many advances in science
and technology. However, the arts are also very important and provide our world
with many things that science and technology cannot.

Example 3:

Question:

According to a recent study, the more time people use the Internet, the less time
they spend with real human beings. Some people say that instead of seeing the
Internet as a way of opening up new communication possibilities world wide, we
should be concerned about the effect this is having on social interaction.

How far do you agree with this opinion?

Sample IELTS essay introduction:

A recent study has shown that as people use the Internet more, they are
spending less time with human beings. I believe that although this has increased
the communication around the world in positive ways, it has also led to negative
effects on the day-to-day social interaction of human beings.

Example 4:

Question:

Unemployment has become an increasing problem in the recent past.

What factors contribute to an increase in unemployment and what steps can be
taken to solve the problem?

Sample IELTS essay introduction:

Over recent years, the level of unemployment has been increasing at an

alarming rate in many countries around the world. This essay will discuss the
reasons for this increase and consider what practical solutions are available.

Example 5:

Question:

Some people think children in secondary school should study international news
as part of the curriculum. Others think that this would be a waste of time as there
are already too many subjects for children to concentrate on.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Sample IELTS essay introduction:

While some people are of the opinion that it would be useful to include
international news as a subject in the school curriculum, others believe that this
is a waste of students time because they are already overloaded with subjects to
study. This essay will examine both sides of the issue.

Writing a Thesis Statement

The thesis statement is an essential part of an essay introduction, and it is very
important that you know where to put it and how to write it.

Getting it wrong could very likely reduce your IELTS score as it could affect the
coherency of your essay and if it's an opinion essay, it may mean that your opinion is
not clear. 

They are a crucial part of writing an introduction.

What is a thesis statement?
Very basically, it tells the person reading your essay what will be in it. It may also give
your opinion if the question asks you for this.

It is the last sentence of your introduction.

Don't get it mixed up with the topic of your essay - this is usually at the beginning of your
introduction.

How do I write a thesis statement?

In order to make it effective, you must have first identified the task of the essay. If you
are unsure about this, check out this lesson on identifying the task.

The task is what you have to do, and is usually at the end of the rubric. For example,
look at this IELTS essay question:

As global trade increases, many goods including those we use on a daily basis
are produced in other countries and transported long distances.

Do the benefits of this trend *outweigh the drawbacks?

What you have to do (the task) is explain whether you think, overall, an increase in the
production of goods in other countries and their subsequent transportation over long
distances is more advantageous or disadvantageous.

So your essay is obviously going to be discussing the advantages and

disadvantages of this issue, and this is what needs to be made clear in your thesis
statement.

It is also an opinion essay as it is asking you to make a decision on whether you think
there are more advantages or disadvantages. So you need to make this clear as well.

Here is an example introduction, with the thesis in bold:

Due to the increase in global trade, many of the goods that we consume every day are
made in a different country and then transported over a long distance in order to reach
us. In my opinion, this trend has more disadvantages than advantages.

You would then go on to write about the advantages and disadvantages of global trade
(focusing more on the disadvantages as you think there are more of these).
*Just a quick note on the word 'outweigh'. This word often confuses students and they
end up writing a thesis statement opinion that contradicts what they write in the essay.

The simple answer - don't use the word! It is just asking you if there are more
advantages than disadvantages. So just state what you think in the thesis without using
the word, as in the example.

How does the thesis statement change with different types

of question?
We will now look at how thesis statements can vary with different question types.
However, you should not try to learn set phrases or sentences to fit certain essays.

There are some broad types of essay question that are common to see, but they can all
vary slightly.

The golden rule is to always read the question very carefully (never rush this as you
may not fully answer the question) and work out what you have to do.

Your thesis statement will then follow on from this, depending on what you have
decided you need to write about in order to answer the question.

So below are some suggestions of what you could do for certain common kinds of
essay question, but this is not to say these are right and other ways are wrong. There
are numerous ways to write good thesis statements and these are just possibilities.

1) Writing about Two Opinions

Some questions ask you specifically to discuss two opinions and to give your
opinion.

Some people think that young children should be allowed to do paid work, while
others think that this should be illegal.

Discuss both opinions and give your opinion.

There are various ways you could choose to write an introduction and thesis for this.

Example 1

You could begin by paraphrasing the two opinions, then stating in the thesis what you
will do:
Some people believe that it is acceptable for young children to undertake jobs that they
are paid for, whereas others believe that this is wrong and should be illegal. This essay
will discuss both sides of the issue.

This is quite simplistic but it makes it very clear what you are going to do.

You will obviously need to give your opinion as well in the essay, but stating this in the
thesis ("This essay will discuss both sides of the issue and then give my opinion")
sounds awkward so it is better without it.

Here is a sample essay with a similar thesis statement.

Example 2

Another possible way to do it is by having a sentence to introduce the topic first, and
then paraphrasing the two opinions to make them your thesis:

At present, more and more young children are becoming involved in paid work. Whilst
some people are of the opinion that this is an entirely acceptable practice, others
believe that this is completely wrong and should be made illegal.

This is fine as your thesis will match with your essay - you go on to discuss the first
opinion and then the second one.

Here is another model essay using such a thesis statement.

Example 3

Or of course you could modify this slightly to include your opinion:

At present, more and more young children are becoming involved in paid work. Whilst
some people are of the opinion that this is an entirely acceptable practice, I
believe that this is completely wrong and should be made illegal.

As long as you go on to discuss both sides of the argument, this is fine.

2) Agreeing or Disagreeing

Another type of question is when you are asked to agree or disagree with one opinion.

Currently there is a trend towards the use of alternative forms of medicine.

However, at best these methods are ineffective, and at worst they may be
dangerous.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

For this type of question, you need to state what your opinion is in the thesis statement.

Although you could feasibly do this in the conclusion, I think it is better to do it first so it
is clear to someone reading the essay what your opinion is upfront. It is not wrong
though to put it in the conclusion - this is your choice.

Your thesis statement here will depend on whether you agree, disagree, or partly agree.
Here are some examples of each:

A thesis statement that agrees with the opinion:

Alternative medicine is not new. It is accepted that it pre-dates conventional medicine

and it is still used by many people all over the world. However, I strongly believe that
this form of medicine does not work and is possibly a danger to those using it.

A thesis statement that disagrees with the opinion:

Alternative medicine is not new. It is accepted that it pre-dates conventional medicine

and it is still used by many people all over the world. I am unconvinced that it is
dangerous, and feel that both alternative and conventional medicine can be
useful.

A thesis statement that partly agrees with the opinion:

Alternative medicine is not new. It is accepted that it pre-dates conventional medicine

and it is still used by many people all over the world. I agree that for certain
conditions this type of medicine is ineffective and could even be dangerous, but
for some illnesses it is a good alternative choice.

These examples illustrate why it is important to ananlyze the question carefully and
brainstorm your ideas first so you have a clear idea of what you will be writing and what
your opinion is.

Here is a model essay answering the question.

3) Other Essays

Some other essays may not ask you for your opinion specifically, but may ask you to
discuss, for example, problems and solutions, causes and effects, advantages and
disadvantages.

If you are asked to do this, then you should just clearly state that you will be discussing
these two things in your essay. Here are some examples:

Problems and solutions:

Overpopulation of urban areas has led to numerous problems.

Identify one or two serious ones and suggest ways that governments and
individuals can tackle these problems.

Sample thesis in bold:

Many countries of the world are currently experiencing problems caused by rapidly
growing populations in urban areas. Both governments and individuals have a duty
to find ways to overcome these problems.

Causes and Effects:

The percentage of overweight children in western society has increased by
almost 20% in the last ten years.

Discuss the causes and effects of this disturbing trend.

Sample thesis in bold:

Over the last ten years, Western societies have seen close to a 20% rise in the number
of children who are overweight. This essay will discuss some reasons why this has
occurred and examine the consequences of this worrying trend.

Advantages and Disadvantages:

In order to solve traffic problems, governments should tax private car owners
heavily and use the money to improve public transportation.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of such a solution?

Sample thesis in bold:

Traffic congestion in many cities around the world is severe. One possible solution to
this problem is to impose heavy taxes on car drivers and use this money to make public
transport better. This essay will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of such a
measure.

This lesson has provided you with some broad guidance on writing a thesis statement
for different types of essay.
It is important to stress again though that questions can vary so you must always
analyze if carefully and identify exactly what you need to do and what should therefore
be in your thesis statement.

Remember, a thesis statement is just telling the reader what the focus of your essay
is and giving your opinion if necessary.

Paragraph Writing for IELTS

In Paragraph writing for IELTS, you should follow the same structure that you would for
writing any paragraph when you write an IELTS paragraph, though it may be shorter
because of the limited time that you have.

This limited time and space means that you have to get your ideas across as clearly
and succinctly as possible.

If you have planned well before you write, then you should be well on your way to being
able to write your paragraphs quickly and clearly.

The following has all the components of a good paragraph. Read it through and identify
why this is.

A Good Body Paragraph

Studying Abroad
Studying abroad has two main benefits.  Firstly, people who study abroad can get a
better job when they return to their home country.  This is because their qualifications
and experience mean that they tend to get jobs that are higher paid, and they can also
gain promotion quickly. Another advantage of studying abroad is the independence
students can gain. For example, students have to cope with the challenges of living
alone and meeting new people from different cultures.  As a consequence, they will
become more confident in their life and in their relationships with others.  All in all, it is
clear that studying abroad is a beneficial experience.

The Three Parts to Good Paragraph Writing

The 'text book' structure for a paragraph is as follows:

 Topic sentence
 Supporting sentences
 Concluding sentence
1. Topic Sentence

The topic sentence states what the paragraph will be about.  It gives the topic of the
paragraph, and it also restricts the topic to one or two main ideas which can be
explained fully in the space of one paragraph.  The controlling idea is the specific area
that the topic is limited to:

topic                  controlling idea

Studying abroad has two main benefits

2. Supporting Sentences
Supporting sentences explain and develop the topic sentence.  Specifically, they
discuss the topic sentence by explaining the main ideas and discussing those more fully
using reasons, examples, facts, results, statistics, or anything else that proves your
ideas are true. 

The supporting sentences that explain the benefits of studying abroad are:

People get a better job when they return home (1st supporting idea)
 Better qualifications & experience mean better pay and promotion (reason)
 Now has a high standard of living (result)
 Students gain independence (2nd supporting idea)
 Students have to cope with the challenges of living alone and meeting new
people from different cultures.(example)
 Students will become more confident in their life and relationships (result)
3. Concluding Sentence (Optional)

A concluding sentence can be used to signal the end of the paragraph. It tells the
reader the important points to remember.  It is often a paraphrase of the topic sentence.

All in all, it is clear that studying abroad is a beneficial experience.

Concluding sentences are optional and paragraphs often do not have them.  You won't
get marked down if you do not have a concluding sentence in IELTS, but it is a good
way to add coherence to your paragraph.

Unity and Coherence

For good paragraph writing, there must also be unity and coherence.  The examiner
will assess your IELTS paragraphs on their unity and coherence, which is clearly shown
in the IELTS public band descriptors under "Coherence and Cohesion" for what is
required for a band 7:

 logically organises information and ideas; there is clear

progression throughout
 uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately
 presents a clear central topic within each paragraph
1. Unity

Unity means that you discuss only one main (central) topic area in a paragraph.  The
area that you are going to cover is usually introduced in the topic sentence, and your
supporting sentences should only be used to develop that. 

For the topic sentence above, you could discuss only two benefits of studying abroad. 
You could not discuss three benefits, or start discussing the disadvantages of studying
abroad.  If you did, your paragraph would not have unity.

Even if there is no specific topic sentence (more advanced writers do not always have
an obvious topic sentence), the paragraph should still have one central topic area so it
retains unity.

2. Coherence

Another element of good paragraph writing is coherency. This means your paragraph is
easy to understand and read because

(a) The supporting sentences are arranged in a logical order and 

(b) The ideas are joined by appropriate transition signals.
(a) Logical Order

For example, in the paragraph about studying abroad, there are two main ideas: People
who study abroad can get a better job, and they will become more independent.   Each
of these ideas is discussed, one after the other, with examples, reasons and results to
support them.  This is logical order.

(b) Transition Signals

Furthermore, the relationship between the ideas is clearly shown by using appropriate
transition words and phrases such as first of all, for instance, the result of this, another
advantage,  as a consequence, all in all.    Using such words and phrases will guide the
reader through your paragraph, making it coherent and, therefore, easy to understand.

IELTS Essay Conclusion

For an IELTS essay conclusion, many students write too much.It is only a short essay,
so the conclusion does not need to be too long.

You should also have a formula for writing the conclusion quickly so you can focus your
time on developing your ideas and supporting them in your body paragraphs.

You should do three things in your conclusion:

1. Use a concluding phrase

2. Restate the thesis statement in different words
3. Give some personal opinions, hopes, fears, or recommendations about the
future
Take a look at this essay question and introduction. The thesis statement is in red:

Question:

Blood sports have become a hot topic for debate in recent years. As society
develops it is increasingly seen as an uncivilized activity and cruel to the
helpless animals that are killed. Blood sports should be banned.

To what extent to you agree or disagree?

 Sample IELTS essay introduction:

Despite the fact that killing animals for sport is popular in modern society, it
remains a contentious issue. (thesis) I believe that blood sports are cruel
and uncivilized and so should be banned as soon as possible.
Sample IELTS essay conclusion:

In order to write the first sentence of the IELTS essay conclusion, you can paraphrase
your thesis statement - remember to use a phrase to make it clear it is a conclusion.

To conclude, it is clear that blood sports must be prohibited as no civilized

society should allow the pain and suffering of animals simply for fun.
For your final sentence, you can give some personal opinions, hopes, fears, or
recommendations about the future.

I hope that governments around the world discuss this issue with haste
and forbid this inhumane type of sport as soon as possible.
This then, is the full IELTS essay conclusion:
 To conclude, it is clear that blood sports must be prohibited as no civilized
society should allow the pain and suffering of animals simply for fun. I
hope that governments around the world discuss this issue with haste and
forbid this inhumane type of sport as soon as possible.

Further IELTS Essay Conclusion Examples

Question:

Currently there is a trend towards the use of alternative forms of medicine.

However, at best these methods are ineffective, and at worst they may be
dangerous.

To what extent do you agree with this statement?

Introduction:

Alternative medicine is not new. It is accepted that it pre-dates conventional

medicine and it is still used by many people all over the world. I am unconvinced
that it is dangerous, and feel that both alternative and conventional medicine can
be useful.
Conclusion:

To sum up, I strongly believe that conventional medicine and alternative

therapies can and should coexist. They have different strengths, and can both
be used effectively to target particular medical problems. The best situation
would be for alternative therapies to be used to support and complement
conventional medicine.

Question:

Some people believe the aim of university education is to help graduates get
better jobs. Others believe there are much wider benefits of university education
for both individuals and society.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Introduction:

These days, more and more people are making the choice to go to
university.  While some people are of the opinion that the only purpose of a
university education is to improve job prospects, others think that society and the
individual benefit in much broader ways.
Conclusion:

All in all, I believe that although a main aim of university education is to get the
best job, there are clearly further benefits.  If we continue to promote and
encourage university attendance, it will lead to a better future for individuals and
society.

Question:

Global warming is one of the most serious issues that the world is facing today.

What are the causes of global warming and what measures can governments and
individuals take to tackle the issue?

Introduction:

Probably the most worrying threat to our planet at the present time is global
warming. This essay will examine the reasons why global warming is occurring
and discuss some possible solutions.
Conclusion:

To conclude, although global warming is a serious issue, there are steps that

governments and individuals can take to reduce its effects. If we are to save our
planet, it is important that this is treated as a priority for all concerned.

Writing Coherence for Essays

Your writing coherence is important because you are marked on this as part of the
IELTS grading.

Your work is coherent if it is easy to read and follow your ideas. 

One way to improve the coherency of your writing is to use transition words to guide
the reader through what you are saying.

Here are examples of common transition words that will improve your writing
coherence, and their meanings:

COMMON  TRANSITION WORDS

Listing Points to Show New Ideas:

Firstly,   
First of all,
To begin,
Secondly,
Finally,
Furthermore, 
In addition,
Also,
Moreover,

Showing an Example:

For example,
For instance,
To illustrate,
A case in point,

Showing Contrast:

However, 
On the other hand,
In contrast,                             

Showing a Result:

Therefore,
As a result,
Consequently,
Thus,                             

Showing time: (commonly in essay introductions)

These days,
Nowadays,
At present,                             

To introduce concluding comments:

To conclude,
In conclusion,
In brief,
All in all,,                             

Essay Example
Here is an example of them in use in an essay so you can see the way they are used to
improve writing coherence in a real way.

However, note that this is a simplistic example and the transition words have not been
used in a very sophisticated way. This is discussed further after the example.

Some people believe the aim of university education is to help graduates get
better jobs.  Others believe there are much wider benefits of university education
for both individuals and society.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

These days, more and more people are making the choice to go to university.  While
some people are of the opinion that the only purpose of a university education is to
improve job prospects, others think that society and the individual benefit in much
broader ways.

It is certainly true that one of the main aims of university is to secure a better job.  To
begin, the majority of people want to improve their future career prospects.  Attending
university is one of the best ways to do this as it increases your marketable skills and
your attractiveness to potential employers.  For example, in Europe, further education is
very expensive for many people, so most would not consider it if it would not provide
them with a more secure future and a higher standard of living.  Also, universities have
their reputation to consider.  They definitely want to ensure that their students are going
to get the best jobs as this will affect future funding and university applications. 

However, there are other benefits for individuals and society.  Firstly, the independence
of living away from home is a benefit because it helps the students develop better social
skills and improve as a person.  Many students, for instance, will have to leave their
families, live in halls of residence and meet new friends.  As a result, their maturity and
confidence will grow enabling them to live more fulfilling lives.  Secondly, society will
gain from the contribution that the graduates can make to the economy.  We are living
in a very competitive world, so countries, especially developing countries, need
educated people in order to compete and prosper.

To conclude, I believe that although a main aim of university education is to get the best
job, there are clearly further benefits.  If we continue to promote and encourage
university attendance, it will lead to a better future for everyone.
How to use the words in sentences
As you now know, transition words are used to guide a reader through your writing and
to make it more coherent. The better your writing coherence, the easier it will be to
follow your arguments in your essay. 

One important point though before we go on. If you over use transitions they can
make your writing look slightly mechanical as very good writers will need to use them
less as they will have the ability to cleverly guide someone through their writing without
them.

Check out this video which tells you more about writing coherence and the difference
between band 6 and band 7 linking words and phrases:

Not using them or using more complex ways to connect ideas and sentences is quite a
high level skill though. So it really depends on your ability.

If you are at a lower level of writing, you should make more use of them as they will
make it easy for the examiner to follow your ideas.

If you have more sophistication in your writing, you may not want to use them too much
or it could affect your style.

If you are unsure, it probably means you need to be using them! We'll now go on to look
further at how some of them are used.

Most of these transition words are used in the same way in sentences and are followed
by a subject and verb.

1) Full-stop, capital letter, comma

There are many ways to improve congestion.  For example, some cities in The

Netherlands have pedestrian only city centres.

Many countries have now reduced their CO2 emissions. As a result, there is now less
pollution.

OR
2) Semi-colon, small letter, comma

There are many ways to improve congestion; for example, some cities in The

Netherlands have pedestrian only city centres.
Many countries have now reduced their CO2 emissions; as a result, there is now less
pollution.

Varying Position and Use of Transition Words

However, you do not want to use these words too ‘mechanically’ so you should vary
their position, and don’t repeat the same word too often. You can vary the position with
the following transitions:

1) Giving Examples

You can vary your use of ‘for example’ and ‘for instance’ by moving them to after the
first phrase of the sentence or to after the subject or verb.

There are many ways to improve congestion.  Some cities in The Netherlands, for
instance, have pedestrian only city centres.

There are many ways to improve congestion.  Some cities in The Netherlands
have, for instance, pedestrian only city centres.

2) Giving a Contrast or Result

Similarly, you can place contrast or result transitions further down the sentence:

Tokyo now has a Sky Train.  Traffic problems, as a result/therefore/as a

consequence, have decreased significantly.

These can also be joined to the previous sentence with the conjunction 'and’:

Tokyo now has a Sky Train, and, as a result/therefore/as a consequence, traffic

problems have decreased significantly.

Note: you cannot join it to another sentence without ’and’:

Tokyo now has a Sky Train, as a result, traffic problems  have decreased
significantly.  - this is incorrect.

3) Listing Points

These can also be varied.  For example:

Firstly, an advantage of a new public transport system is that it will reduce traffic
congestion.

Again, to improve your writing, you should vary the way you use these.  They can be
changed so they are no longer a transition but become part of the subject:

The first advantage of a new public transport system is that it will reduce traffic
congestion.

This lesson has shown how you can use transitions to improve your writing coherence.

Make sure you find out more about these transitions so you know how to use them
correctly, then practice using them in your writing.