1. Circle the topic and write the topic question as a “wh” or yes/no question.
Reading fiction is more enjoyable than watching movies.
Introduction
2. Start your introduction with a general statement about reading fiction and watching movies. Useful phrases to start with:
Nowadays, ...Today,...Generally,...In many places...It is a well-known fact that...There is no doubt that...There is a trend that... It is obvious that...
There is no doubt, that it is more enjoyable to go to the cinema than to bother your head with reading.
Nowadays, a lot of people believe that a book is fast becoming an endangered species.
3. In the introduction, you should restate the essay question in your own words, that is, paraphrase it. Remember: you will lose marks if you copy the whole question or too many words from the task.
4. You can use the following paraphrasing techniques:
- replace a word with a close synonym, e.g. enjoyable- amusing,entertaining,likable,pleasant,pleasurable,preferable,satisfying.
- replace a word with its definition, e.g. enjoyable-pleasing, to one’s liking.
- replace a phrase with a phrase of the same meaning ,e.g. read fiction-read a book.
You can use Cambridge or Oxford dictionaries to find definitions or synonyms, and Free Online Dictionaries, Cambridge Dictionaries Online (www.dictionary.cambridge,org), Thesaurus.com.
5. Rewrite the sentence to say the same thing in another way.
Reading fiction is more enjoyable than watching movies.
Reading a book is more entertaining than watching a film.
6. The last sentence in the introduction may give your opinion on the topic; it can be a topic question or a sentence which lead to discussion.
e.g. Will the technical progress bring reading to an end?
7. Read these introductions and write yours.
a) Nowadays, a lot of people believe that a book is fast becoming an endangered species. It is an indisputable fact that most people spend more time watching films. However, it should not be taken for granted that reading is not a worthwhile activity.
b) There is no doubt, that it is more enjoyable to go to the cinema than to bother your head with reading. However, books are still a crucial part of our life. Will the technical progress bring reading to an end?
Body Paragraphs
(Express your personal opinion and give two or three reasons for your opinion)
8. Rewrite these sentences so that they sound like your opinion. You can use the following expressions in your essay to express your attitude towards the topic:
In my opinion/view,
I think/believe that
To my mind,
It seems to me that
I am sure that
I personally think
Personally I believe that reading a book is a very demanding experience.
To my mind, reading will cease to exist in the nearest future.
9. Try to find 2-3 supporting arguments for your opinion.
| reading a book | watching a film |
| Healthy use of imagination | High quality sound and picture |
| No sound | Home cinemas |
| convenience | No information needed |
| No pictures | Passive viewing |
| Pros | Cons |
| Without the help of sound and images available to those who watch films, readers must use their imaginations to create their own images of the story as it unfolds before them. | Films have spectacular special effects, breathtaking scenery and outstanding soundtracks. |
| People are not influenced by actor’s performances, or by director’s decisions, but by what is written on the page. | It is no longer necessary to go to the cinema to fully appreciate a film. With the introduction of home cinemas and DVDs, home viewing has improved to such an extent that it has reached a standard which was, until very recently, available only in cinemas. |
| Books are more convenient than films. Readers are more restricted neither by time nor by location, can they read a book whenever and wherever they want, within reason. | It is a good way to relax with friends, eliminate stress and tension and just have a good time. You can make comments while watching a movie. |
| You can learn a language while reading, it extends your vocabulary .It improves reading and even writing skills. | Watching movie usually takes less time than reading a book. |
| Reading is essential for children, it extends their range of interests, improve their imagination and helps them gain more knowledge and experience through books. | Films usually have more influence on people, their behaviour and mood. |
These constructions can be used to link your ideas:
To begin with,
It is also
In addition
What is more,
Moreover,
As well as this,
Apart from
Apart from the fact that
As well as
Besides,
Firstly,
Secondly,
Thirdly,
10. Express your personal opinion.
Express an opposing opinion and give 1-2 reasons for this opinion.
11. Look at some ways of starting a fact or idea which is not yours.
However, some people say/believe that...
There is a different point of view that...
There are people who think that...
It is said/believed that...
It can/could be argued that...
Some people would say/argue that...
A different opinion holds that...
An argument against this is that...
Nevertheless,
But there are people who think differently. They claim that...
12. Add linking and sequencing words from the box below.
... believe that reading a book is a very demanding experience. I will list reasons to support my opinion. ..., without the help of sound and images available to those who watch films, readers must use their imaginations to create their own images of the story as it unfolds before them. ..., they are not influenced by actors’ performances, or by directors’ decisions, ...by what is written on the page. ..., books are more convenient than films.
| Personally I | but |
| Firstly | |
| Secondly | |
| Thirdly |
13. Express an opposing opinion and give your reasons.
Explain why you don’t agree with the opposing opinion.
14. Expressions that show that you don’t agree with the opposing opinion:
I am not on this side, since...
I am afraid I cannot agree with this argument/point because...
I disagree with this argument/point because...
This argument/point is not valid because...
This is a weak argument because...
My response to this argument/point is...
As for me, I cannot totally agree with ...
In my opinion, it is unlikely that...
I do not share their opinion, though.
Actually, I cannot agree with this opinion...
Nevertheless, I believe that...
Actually, this opinion is unfair. I believe that...
15. Unscramble the following sentences:
a) people/species/Many/endangered/believe/an/that/becoming/the book/is/fast.
b) is/my/However/not/side/everyone/on.
c) readers/Moreover,world/unique/own/their/create/to/imagination/their/use/can.
Make a conclusion restating your position.
The conclusion should restate your opinion and summarize your arguments as well as showing why the opposing opinion is wrong.
16. Use these expressions to write the conclusion:
To finish off the essay, I would argue that...
To conclude, I want to say that...
To sum up, I agree that...
In conclusion, I strongly believe that...
In conclusion, I want to stress that ...
17. Read these conclusions and find the appropriate ones for essays 1 and 2.One conclusion is odd.
- In closing, I would say that watching a film brings more advances and relaxation. But we cannot deny the fact that teenagers should read books to enlarge their outlook. However, every person has the right to have his own choice.
- To conclude, I strongly believe that reading may be less popular than watching a film, but that does not mean it has less to offer. I would not replace the satisfaction of reading the last page of a book with any film ending, no matter how spectacular.
- In conclusion, I think that reading a book brings more benefits for people in general. Moreover, children should spend more time reading books than watching different kinds of movies.
| Essay 1 | Essay 2 |
| Nowadays, a lot of people believe that a book is fast becoming an
endangered species. It is an indisputable fact that most people spend more time watching
films. However, it should not be taken for granted that reading is not a worthwhile
activity. Personally I believe that reading a book is a very demanding experience. First of all, without the help of sound and images available to those who watch films, readers must use their imaginations to create their own images of the story as it unfolds before them. Secondly, they are not influenced by actors’ performances, or by directors’ decisions, but by what is written on the page. Thirdly, books are more convenient than films; readers are restricted neither by time, nor by location. But other people consider that watching a film can be an intense experience indeed. Modern productions dazzle viewers with spectacular special effects, breathtaking scenery and outstanding soundtracks. Moreover, it is now no longer necessary to go to the cinema to fully appreciate a film. Home viewing has improved and reached a high standard. I am afraid I cannot fully agree with them because watching a film is a passive experience, there is no place for imagination. To conclude, I strongly believe that reading may be less popular than watching a film, but that does not mean it has less to offer. I would not replace the satisfaction of reading the last page of a book with any film ending, no matter how spectacular it is. |
There is no doubt, that it is more enjoyable to go to the cinema
than to bother your head with reading. However, books are still a crucial part of our
life. Will the technical progress bring reading to an end? To my mind, reading will cease to exist in the nearest future. Firstly, it is more spectacular to watch a movie. For example, special sound effects and breathtaking scenery can overwhelm you. Secondly, with the speed of modern life people do not have much spare time. It is more suitable to watch a short film, based on a book, whether to spend weeks reading it. Thirdly, going to the cinema is a great way to communicate with your friends and share opinions on what you have seen. However, not everyone is on my side. They say that nothing can be compared with enjoying a book. A good author knows how to catch your interest from the very first page and keep you in suspense till the end. Moreover, readers can use their imagination to create their own unique world. Furthermore, you can entertain yourself with this activity whenever and wherever you want. My response to this argument is that with the introduction of home cinemas and DVD’s it is not obligatory to go to the movie theatre to follow the action of the film. In closing, I would say that watching a film brings more advances and relaxation. But we cannot deny the fact that teenagers should read books to enlarge their outlook. However, every person has the right to have his own choice. |
18. Comment on the following statement.
Reading fiction is more enjoyable than watching moviesWrite 200-250 words. (Make sure you do not exceed the word limit of 250 words. Your essay can be a little bit longer than that, but if it has more than 275 words, the part above 250 words won’t be assessed. If your essay is shorter than 180 words, it will not be assessed and you will get 0.)
Use the following plan:
- make an introduction (state the problem)
- express your personal opinion and give 2-3 reasons for your opinion
- express an opposing opinion and give 1-2 reasons for this opposing opinion
- explain why you don’t agree with the opposing opinion
- make a conclusion restating your position