Page 114 - Prime Time 1-5 Leaflet

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Writing i 1
A for/against essay
1 Read the rubric and answer
the questions.
1 What exactly do you have to
write?
2 What style will you write it in?
3 Which of the following points are
pros and which are cons? Can you
add any more ideas?
• can be noisy
• often has a good community
spirit
• flats can be small & cramped
• cheap rent
• often conveniently located
near to city centre
• no outside space
You have had a class
discussion about city life.
Now your teacher has
asked you to write an
essay giving your views on
the following statement.
There are both advantages
and disadvantages to living
in a block of flats.
Write your essay
(120-180 words).
b) Which of the ideas in
Ex. 1.3/your own ideas are
mentioned? What
justifications/examples
support each idea?
2 a) Read the model. Which
paragraph(s) (1-4)
contain(s): the arguments
against? the writer’s
opinion? a quotation? a
rhetorical question? the
arguments for? justifications
& examples? linking words
and expressions?
3 Read the table, then find the linking words/expressions
in the model in Ex. 2. Replace each one with an
alternative.
Useful language
to list: Firstly, First of all, To begin/start with, Secondly, Finally,
Lastly, Another advantage/disadvantage of … is
to introduce reasons/examples/justifications: This means that, For
this reason, Consequently, As a result, For example/For instance,
such as, like, in particular
to add a point: In addition (to this), Also, What is more, Not only
this, but …
to contrast: On the other hand, However, even though, although, In
contrast, Nonetheless
to conclude: All in all, In summary, Therefore, To sum up, Taking
everything into account, In conclusion, All things considered
see
p. GR5
An American actor and writer once said, “I installed a skylight in
my apartment … the people who live above me are furious!” Without
a doubt, there are many challenges to living in a block of flats.
There are actually many good reasons why living in a block of flats
can be a positive experience. Firstly, flats are usually conveniently
located close to town centres. This means that amenities and facilities
such as shops and banks are close by. In addition, living in a block of
flats can be quite cheap. Rents and household bills are usually
reasonable and residents can save on expensive car parking or public
transport costs as their home may be near enough to work or college
to walk there. Lastly, residents can often enjoy a great community
spirit in blocks of flats. This is because they live so close together.
On the other hand, there can be plenty of disadvantages to living in
flats. To start with, the blocks are often in unattractive, inner city areas.
Also, life can be uncomfortable there. City flats are often cramped and
noisy, for example, with little privacy and storage space. Also, they
rarely have outside space. For example, there is often no private garden.
All in all, there are both pros and cons to living in a block of flats. I
believe that sometimes the pros outweigh the cons and, other times,
vice versa. After all, doesn’t it depend on a person’s individual needs and
circumstances?
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