HOW TO WRITE AN ESSAY:
BRAINSTORMING IDEAS
To select good ideas for essays draw two columns:
agree disagree
Not all essays have to be answered with this two-sided structure but it's the best way to start brainstorming as it makes sure all your ideas will
go into the brainstorm.
example
Famous people, such as politicians and film stars, deserve to have a private life without
journalists following them all the time.
Agree
 It's just their job like anyone else so they deserve privacy too.
 The level of media attention can cause celebrities psychological/physical damage.
 The "gossip culture" that is created by this kind of press is harmful to society in general.
 The media attention can stop them actually doing their job as it takes up so much of
their time.
 These gossip stories waste news space when we could be reading about more serious
issues.
Disagree
 If you do these kinds of jobs, you have to accept the bad parts as well as the good, like
money, nice lifestyle, free clothes etc.
 These people use the media when they want to promote something, like a film, so they
can't complain when they don't want the attention.
 The public have a right to know if influential people are doing bad things like drugs etc.
 There are famous people you never see in the papers, therefore only the ones that want
to be followed are followed.
 Gossip magazines provide entertainment for people.
Selecting ideas:
- not all your ideas should go into your essay. Choose the strongest arguments and the ones
you think you can develop and give supporting arguments and examples for.
- Another way to make sure you have a solid essay is to match arguments with their counter
arguments.
- Which points from the "agree" side match up with points from the "disagree side"?
- Which ideas do you think you could develop?
Planning a structure: once you've chosen, then it's time to organise your ideas into a structure.
- Cross out the ideas you're not using.
- Write a little number next to the points you want to use to show which order they're going to go in.
- Make brief notes – one or two keywords – to remind you how you're going to support or
develop the arguments
Plan the introduction. This is very important as it is the first thing the examiner will see. A
good introduction has two main elements:
1. restating the question
2. explaining what you're going to do in your essay
1. Restating the question
why do you need to do this? Firstly, restating the question shows the examiner you have
understood the question. Secondly, it helps you focus. Thirdly, it's an opportunity to
demonstrate your range of vocabulary and your ability to manipulate sentence constructions.
example question (1): What are the benefits of living in big cities, as opposed to rural
areas? What are the problems of rural areas and how can they be solved?
Vocabulary
• Underline the key words in the question.
• Think of synonyms that would work in this context.
benefit = advantage, pro, plus
big city = metropolis, urban area
as opposed to = compared with, in comparison to
rural area = countryside, in the country
problem = disadvantage, minus, drawback
solve = resolve, overcome, work out
Sentence construction
Look at the way the sentences are constructed e.g. verbs or noun phrases.
for example, “the benefits of living in…”; think of ways to change them.
the benefits of life in… or ………………………………………….
So, the first two sentences of the introduction might look like this:
There are many advantages of life in urban areas when compared with country living. The question
to consider is: what are the disadvantages and how can we overcome them?
explaining sentence: add one more sentence to explain what you're going to do. This
sentence briefly outlines how you are going to answer the question.
Useful phrases are:
➔ I will (attempt to/try to) discuss / look at / consider / compare / examine…
So, I can add a sentence like this to my introduction:
I will compare a typical city in Europe with a countryside area and try to give suggestions for solving
the problems found with cities.
example question (2): Recently the freedom to work and live anywhere has become the
main trend due to the development of communication technology and transportation.
Do the advantages of these developments outweigh the disadvantages? Discuss.
Vocabulary
• Underline the key words in the question.
• Think of synonyms that would work in this context.
freedom =
….
…
….
…..
What sentence structures can you see? Can you change them?
Write one sentence explaining how you will answer the question.
(example answers- freedom, trend, due to, development, communication technology,
transport, advantage, disadvantage, outweigh:
flexibility, movement towards, because of, advances, -----** (there aren't always alternatives!**),
transportation, benefit, drawback, make up for
the freedom to…;
the development of technology; Do….outweigh…?:
people are free to…; developments in technology;
Are …outweighed by…?
I will examine the drawbacks to developments in communication and transport, and attempt to
balance them against the benefits.
Answering the question
Read the question before writing means think about the question. Analyse it, perhaps by
underlining the parts of it that are important, and then plan.
At lower levels, it's not so difficult as the questions are fairly straightforward. For example, this
essay for FCE:
(1)There is too much sport on television. To what extent do you agree with this
viewpoint?
You have to say whether there is too much sport on TV or whether the amount of sport on TV
is acceptable. You can go either way or choose a balance between the two positions, for
example, by suggesting it depends on the audience or the country. As long as you develop and
support your argument, it is hard to go wrong here.
This question looks equally straightforward at first:
(2) Whatever your age, life in the country is always better than life in the city.
but is it? There are actually two "threads" a,b to this question.
a.That life in the country is better or worse than life in the city.
b.That the conclusion in 1 is true no matter what age you are.
In this question you have to support your arguments for why one is better than the other, or
why they both have pros and cons, but you also need to show why this might vary
depending on age.
For example: it could be true that country life is better for old people and families with young
children, but not so good for teenagers and professionals.
As you progress to higher exams and further education, you will have to analyse increasingly
complex questions to understand extra layers of meaning.
CAE essay question (1): As the internet develops, it will continue to have a positive
impact on our lives.
This essay title has two parts.
• First you must question the basic assumption.
• Then you need to decide whether you agree or disagree, giving reasons for your
opinion.
The assumption is based on one key word: "continue". It implies that the internet has had a
positive effect on our lives in the past and that this will still be true in the future. The fullest
answer, with the highest marks, will adopt a critical position towards this assumption: “Has the
internet really been a positive thing or has it also had negative consequences for us?”
•
After that, you can talk about what will happen as the technology develops.
Even a question that looks simple needs careful thought before you start to plan.
- essay question (3): What should a government do for a country to become successful?
this looks like it has one part, but before answering the question, you need to define what
"successful" means when it applies to a country.
- essay question (4): How many languages do people need to learn?
if you go straight into saying that two or three languages is necessary, or your mother tongue
plus English or another variation on the number of languages, you'll probably get a reasonable
mark but it might be hard to fill the word count.
To give your essay the edge, it might be worth questioning the assumption that people
"need" to learn languages at all. After all, plenty of people only speak their mother tongue and
succeed in life. This shouldn't be the focus of your essay but shows you can analyse the
question.
essay question (5)
The fast food industry is undermining the ability of young people to maintain a healthy
diet. Do you agree?
(150-200 words)
Write about:
-young people's relationship with fast food.
-whether young people are concerned about eating healthily.
................ (your own idea)
Ideas for writing
Ask yourself the following questions to help you get started:
• What is a typical daily diet for young people?
• Why might some young people be eating excessive amounts of fast food?
• In general, do young people worry about the consequences of a poor diet?
• What role can parents or teachers play in helping young people adopt a healthy diet?
• Do governments need to regulate the fast-food industry?
Drafting and proofreading your work
You should look at your first draft of the task and decide:
• Have you responded to the statement and the notes appropriately?
• Is the essay organised in a clear and logical way?
• Is the language accurate with a good range of structures?
• Is the style OK?
• Will it have a positive effect on the reader?
If the answer is 'no' to any of these questions then you will need to do some more drafting!
WRITING an ESSAY – PRACTICE
1. http://www.examenglish.com/FCE/Cambridge_First_writing_part1.htm (practice and sample)
Around the world, people are living and staying healthy for longer and longer. What
changes does this bring to today’s society? Are these changes good or bad?
2. http://www.examenglish.com/CAE/cambridge_advanced_writing_part1.htm (practice and
sample)
You have read an online article about changes in the types of subject taught at
secondary schools. The article says that some traditional subjects may no longer be
taught at school. Four of the subjects discussed are mentioned below, along with some
of the readers’ comments.
Which subjects may no longer be taught at secondary school?
Music ‘Most students who are interested in music take lessons out of school.’
Geography ‘Why do we need to know the names of rivers and mountains around the world?’
History
‘It’s all about the past. At schools, we need to be focussing on the future.’
Art
‘Art lessons allow kids to explore their creativity.’
Write an essay discussing TWO of the subjects mentioned above. You should explain
why you think these subjects should continue to be taught at secondary schools, giving
reasons to support your answer.
You may, if you wish, make use of the opinions expressed by other readers, but you
should use your own words as far as possible. (220-260 words)