Basics for all Essays
To start paraphrasing you can use expressions:
1. It is argued that…..
2. It is considered that….
3. It is thought that……
You can write the conclusion in 1 sentence:
1. To conclude
2. In conclusion
3. To sum up
4. To summarize + Restate your opinion + Restate 2 reasons
Connectors used in the essay
To start first body Para
To begin with, In the first place, Firstly,
To initiate with, First and foremost,
The first reason/factor is Initially,Adding Information
in addition, Besides this/that Additionally, Similarly,
Furthermore, Likewise, Moreover, Afterwards,
Also,
not only … but also, as well as, And, What is more,Giving Examples
for example, one clear example is, for instance
such as, Namely, to illustrate
in other words, A good case in pointResults and Consequences
These linking devices can be used for solution essays or any essay when you need to explain the consequences of something.
as a result, Consequently, Therefore, Thus
Hence, So for this reason, Due to this
Eventually, TherebyHighlighting and Stressing
It is important to be clear about what you mean in your essay. These linking words help you stress particular points.
Particularly, In particular, Specifically, especially
Obviously, of course, clearlyConcessions and Contrasts
You often need to give opposite ideas, particularly for discussion essays so the linking words below will help you.
Admittedly, however, Nevertheless, even though
Although, but, Despite, in spite of
Still, on the other hand, by contrast, in comparison
Alternatively, another option could beReasons and Causes
These connecting words will help you explain the reasons and causes for something which is very common especially for cause/solution essays.
Because, the reason, why, owing to, cause
due to, leads to, Since, So, asGiving your Opinion
in my opinion, I think, I believe, I admit
in my view, I agree, I disagree / I cannot acceptConcluding connectors
in conclusion, to conclude, to sum up
To wrap up, To recapitulate
How to Think of Examples
There is a quick solution to this problem – make your own/create them. The examiners will never check your examples for authenticity.
It is always better to write about a real example, but if you can’t think of one use one of the examples explain further in slides
1. The University Study
Universities do research all the time and you can use this to invent a study that supports your main point. Let’s say your main point is that using iPads and iPhones increases literacy among young children. You could say:
For example, a recent study by Cambridge University found that regularly using smartphones or tablets increased literacy rates by 28%.
For instance, Queen’s University found in a recent study that 62% of men and women who paid for an annual gym membership failed to go entirely after just one month.
2. A Government Opinion Poll
Governments often ask their citizens their opinion on various issues and you can use this to support your main points. Let’s say you get a question on whether it is better to educate children in mixed or single-sex schools. You could say:
For instance, a recent poll by the UK Government found that 68% of people who attended single-sex schools would have preferred to have gone to a mixed school.
3. A Newspaper Report
It is also very easy to use newspaper stories to support your view. Say your question asked you to discuss whether you think violent video games are to blame for rising levels of youth crime.
The New York Times reported in March 2015 that violent crimes committed by under 15-year-olds, such as assault, murder, and rape, were linked to playing violent video games.
4. Personal Experience
You can also use experience from your own life to illustrate a point. In general, you shouldn’t use personal pronouns in Task 2, but it is fine to do it here. Say you are given a solution to traffic jams. You could say:
In my local city, they have installed bike lanes and places where you can safely park your bike and this has encouraged thousands of people to stop using cars.
More Examples
• This is illustrated by the fact that in the United States you must complete four years of higher education before you can study law.
• Many sports brands, such as Adidas and Nike, pay professional athletes millions of dollars to endorse their products.
• There are now a few low-cost airlines in India, namely Spicejet and, Air India that offer very affordable flights.
• For example, at Queen’s University in 2009, 32% of female law graduates achieved First Class Honours, while only 8% of males achieved the same.
This is a very specific example because it includes a time, place and specific numbers. Think about it this way, if you were arguing with someone about this point and they gave you one of the three examples above, which one would you accept? By being as specific as possible we can add weight to our argument and give a more academic answer.
You can make your example more specific by adding:
- • Dates (year)
- • country/business/university names
- • statistics
University
University of California, California State University, Boston University California Institute of Technology, Columbia University, Harvard University, New York University, Yale University, Queen’s University
Newspaper
The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Times