tips
Generate Writing task Two ideas like a pro
Typical dilemma encountered by several IELTS candidates is forming ideas for IELTS Writing task two. They glance at the question and statement, and have utterly no thought what to draft about!
The most awkward situation to do is start writing with no idea of what you will write about. You will get puzzled, or you will write complete rubbish!
This article will give you some ideas for generating ideas for IELTS Writing task two. Once you have some ideas, it is much easier to put them into a straightforward, logical arrangement.
First Challenge: Tough And Extreme Topics
Firstly, it is essential to comprehend official IELTS essays on topics that you can somewhat be expected. IELTS wants to allow you to write significantly so that the examiner can see your written English.
Secondly, IELTS essays will not require any specific knowledge to answer, simply your ideas. IELTS is a language test, not a knowledge test.
Occasionally though, you will be unlucky and get a question on a topic that you have never really thought about. Sometimes, this question might be about an issue mainly faced by people in the western world. For example:
In recent years, many small local shops have closed because customers travel to large shopping centres or malls to do their shopping.
Is this a positive or a negative development?
(Cambridge IELTS General Training 12 Test 8)
This is absolutely a dilemma at the moment in the United Kingdom, and it has been a problem in the USA for decades. But I think it’s less of a problem in many parts of Asia and Europe. IELTS do try to use topics that everyone, anywhere in the world, can answer, but sometimes a “rogue question” does appear. That’s why it’s even more important to use some idea generation methods.
Second Dilemma: Referring inauthentic IELTS Question
Another widespread cause learners discover that challenging to produce ideas is that they use terrible essay questions while they prepare.
You can discover many questions online, yet numerous of these are poorly drafted or on difficult, extreme or irrelevant topics. For instance, I lately saw a student’s essay where they were asked to address the idea that “we cannot learn anything from History.” I think it is complicated to explain this notion because it is extreme.
Several websites also advertise listings of “Recent essay questions” – some of these can be misleading: they depend on the proper reporting of the question by candidates , but even a single inaccurate word can modify the meaning of the question.
So instead, only use AUTHENTIC IELTS essay questions. By “authentic”, I mean questions written by reputable publishers like Cambridge English, . I recommend you use essay questions from the “Cambridge IELTS Authentic Practice Tests” series.
Simplify The Question
Numerous IELTS questions are quite lengthy and complex. If you concentrate on the entire question, it can be not simple to produce ideas because you have to comprehend the question and think of solutions simultaneously. Therefore it is a great idea to make the question easier.
For illustration, here is a difficult question concerning recycling:
Some people claim that not enough of the waste from homes is recycled. They say that the only way to increase recycling is for governments to make it a legal requirement.
To what extent do you think laws are needed to make people recycle more of their waste?
(Cambridge 11 Test 2)
This 48-word statement and question could be shortened in just four words:
Are recycling laws required?
This does getting ideas much more easygoing because you presently have a simple question to solve.
However, beware do not CHANGE the question. Make sure it is shortly ordering the original IELTS question. Moreover, when you outline your essay, in particular, make sure you look back at the full question: this will help assure you directly answer the question.
Imagine your Friend or Teacher Challenging You The Issue
Rather than thinking regarding a question on an exam paper, imaging your instructor in the classroom, or an intelligent friend, asks you the question. Try to acknowledge them. You might find this is much simpler than looking at a blank sheet of paper.
Ask yourself questions
Another straightforward approach to assist you in coming up with ideas is asking questions using the common question words: who, what, where, when, how.
For instance : Certain people say that music is a good way of bringing people of different cultures and ages together.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
(Cambridge 14 Academic Test 3)
To get yourself thinking regarding the issue, ask yourself some questions:
Who is brought together?
Maybe young people. Young people might have similar tastes in music despite living in different countries. For instance, several young people around the world prefer pop.
What sort of music?
Classical music is appreciated all over the globe, for example, opera.
Where does it bring people together?
People from different cultures might like similar music at gatherings or celebrations.
Questioning yourself specific basic questions will benefit you to generate some initial ideas. They might not directly link to the IELTS question, but now you are exploring related music festivals.
Keep it simple
Indeed, these ideas will help you generate some relevant ideas for your IELTS essay. You may discover you have numerous ideas! If you have too many concepts, here’s a golden principle:
- Select the ideas that are simplest to describe.
- Keep in mind, for a better band score; the examiner is marking for appropriate ideas that are well developed, not interesting or complex ideas.
- So choose the ideas that are most straightforward to write about.