Page 123 - Prime Time 1-5 Leaflet

You have had a class discussion about young people who share
a house or flat. Now your English teacher has asked you to
write an essay based on the following statement: There are both
advantages and disadvantages to having house or flatmates.
Write your essay (120-180 words).
1 Read the model and choose the correct linking words.
2 Match the paragraph (1-4) to the descriptions (A-D).
points for & justification
state the topic
summarise points & express opinion
points against & justification
3 Answer the questions.
1 What style of writing has the writer used? Give examples.
2 What techniques does the writer use to start/end the essay?
3 What is the writer’s opinion? Where is it stated?
4 Rewrite the beginning/ending using another technique.
A
B
C
D
For-and-against essays
A for-and-against essay is an essay in which
the advantages and disadvantages (or ‘pros
and cons’) of an issue are discussed.
For-and-against essays include:
• an introduction in which you present the
topic generally, without giving your opinion;
• a main body in which you present the points
for and the points against, in two separate
paragraphs. You support your arguments
with justifications/examples. Each paragraph
begins with a topic sentence outlining the
main idea of the paragraph;
• a conclusion in which you give your opinion
or a balanced summary of the topic.
The style of a for-and-against essay is usually
formal/semi-formal, mild and impersonal, so
avoid informal/colloquial/strong language or
strong personal feelings (Many people believe that
living in the countryside is better than living in a busy
city. NOT I’m sure it’s better to live in the countryside
than a city.). Formal linking words/expressions
are used throughout the essay (Although, In
addition, For this reason, However, etc).
To make your writing more interesting, begin/
end with any of the following techniques:
• address the reader directly e.g. You all
know how frustrating it is getting stuck in
heavy traffic.
• include a quotation e.g. As Joseph Brodsky
said, “What I like about cities is that everything
is king size, the beauty and the ugliness.”
• include a rhetorical question e.g. Wouldn’t
cities be more pleasant if everyone used a bike
to get around rather than a car ?
Useful Language
Listing points
• Firstly,/To begin with, • Secondly,
• Furthermore,/Moreover, • Finally,/Lastly,
Introducing advantages/disadvantages
• One/An important/The main advantage/
disadvantage of … • Another/An additional
benefit/downside of … • Some/Many people
are in favour of/ against … .
Justifying points/Giving examples
• This is because … • This means that …
• After all, … • Consequently,/As a result, …
• For instance,/For example, …
• ... such as/like ...
Contrasting ideas
• On the other hand, … • However, …
• Despite/In spite of (the fact that) …,
Expressing opinion
• In my opinion/view, … • I believe/think/feel
that … • To my mind …,
Concluding
All in all,/In conclusion/All things considered, …
Practice
It can be a challenge to live alone, so what do you do when you
want to study or work away from your home town? These days, it is
very common for students or young professionals to share a house or
flat with others, but is this always a good idea?
Undoubtedly, sharing a house or flat has several clear advantages.
1) One of the main benefits is that/In my opinion living costs are
dramatically reduced. For instance, the rent, bills and sometimes even
food costs can be shared between everyone. 2) However/Also, it can be
great fun to have housemates. You always have someone to talk to or
watch TV with and you will probably make some friends for life.
3) Finally/In particular, living with others teaches you a lot about
getting on with different people and sharing things.
4) Moreover/On the other hand, there can be some drawbacks to
sharing. 5) Firstly/Also, some people can be irritating to live with.
6) Therefore/For example, a housemate could be messy or noisy and
you might not get on well with them. 7) In addition/In contrast, the
lack of privacy could be annoying sometimes; when you want to
invite friends round for dinner, for example.
8) In conclusion/Lastly , while there are many advantages to
sharing a house or flat, there are a few disadvantages, too. On the
whole, though, couldn’t it be a valuable experience at a certain point
in anyone’s life?
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Writing Bank
WB1
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