Requirements for knowledge of a foreign language are put forward at the faculties of many prestigious universities, so an increasing number of graduates choose to take the Unified State Exam in English. The exam consists of several parts, and the most difficult part is the final section - writing an essay. So today in the article we will help the graduates and give advice on how to cope with the writing of the text part of the exam. In the material, we will show the work plan, we will give clichés for compiling an essay in English (USE) and tell you the tricks for typing the required volume of words. Join the reading if you want to seriously prepare and show the maximum of your abilities on the exam.
Let's start with a short digression that will help us get a clear idea of the topic of the article. So what exactly are speech clichés for essays in English? To answer this question, let's compare exams in Russian and foreign languages.
Look, the Unified State Exam in Russian also ends with a mandatory written part. The only difference is that it is written on the basis of a large author's text. At the same time, students need to voice the problems of the given text, express their opinion on this matter and support their position with arguments. So teachers, already knowing all the criteria for evaluating such an essay, teach schoolchildren to express their thoughts correctly throughout the year. So, for the disclosure of each item, students are asked to use standard phrases, such as:
- I agree / disagree with the author ...;
- This problem is very relevant today, because ...;
- An example is ...;
- This text encourages thinking about….
Such expressions help to easily formulate a thought, correctly link all the points into one text and type the required volume of the essay.
We also suggest using these techniques, but already when writing an essay for the state exam in English. Why not? Moreover, this technique greatly simplifies the writing of the exam, and increases the chances of successful passing. And all you need to do is learn speech cliches for essays in English, i.e. memorize the same standard phrases and expressions, only characteristic of the speech of the British. Want to write essays in English easily? Try this technique!
Essay plan for the exam in English 2020
So, we figured out the role of speech clichés for writing in English, and it's time to move from theory to practice. Now we will consider popular phrases and expressions for composing a text, but we will do it in a systematic way. Any example of an essay in English on the exam is drawn up according to a standard plan, which we will study simultaneously with speech clichés. Thus, by the end of the lesson we will have a complete understanding of the structure and content of the English essay for the state exam.
Introduction
As with the Russian examples, the USE English essay requires you to start with an introductory word. To complete the written part of the exam, students are given 2 theses to choose from: accordingly, the disclosure of the selected statement is the topic of the essay. In the introductory part of the text, students are only required to slightly reformulate the original thesis in their own words and to emphasize its significance. Opening phrases for an essay on the exam in English will help to do this.
| Cliché for the introductory part | |
| We live in a world in which ... | We live in a world in which ... |
| Some people are convinced that… and others believe that… | Some people believe in ... others believe more in ... |
| It is generally agreed today that… | Today it is generally accepted in society that ... |
| Nowadays people are getting more and more concerned about ... | Modern people are more and more convinced that ... |
| One issue that has caused lots of controversy over the years is ... | One of the problematic issues causing great controversy in recent years is ... |
| Many people think… but others do not agree. | Many people think that ... but part of society does not agree with them. |
| One very complex problem in modern world is ... | One of the key problems of the modern world is ... |
| For the great majority of people ... | For the majority of people… |
| Nowadays many people face difficult decision when they ... .. | People these days often have to face difficult choices when they ... |
| But all the same, there are clear benefits and drawbacks to both opinions…. | But at the same time, each point of view has its positive and negative sides. |
| A common opinion is that ... | It is generally accepted that ... |
| Let us consider what the advantages and disadvantages of… are. | Let's see what the pros and cons are ... |
| I would like to express my opinion on this problem ... | I would like to express my view on the indicated problem ... |
So, 2-3 detailed sentences will be enough for the introduction. At the same time, the exam regulations do not allow the use of colloquial vocabulary and abbreviated forms ( I 'll,can ’t, doesn’t, etc.). The use of rhetorical questions is also inappropriate.
Your point of view on the problem
The introductory part brings us to the next section - the formulation of our own opinion. This paragraph English essay template suggests starting with the following combinations.
| Phrases for part of an essayMyopinion (My opinion) | |
| As far as I am concerned ... | As for me, I think ... |
| In my opinion, ... | In my opinion, … |
| In my view / judgment… | In my opinion / in my opinion ... |
| I believe that ... | I suppose that… |
| My personal view is that ... | My personal point of view is that ... |
| I also believe it would be a good idea to ... | I also think it would be nice ... |
| It is true that… | Is it true that… |
| I completely agree with this statement… | I completely agree with this statement ... |
| It is a well-known fact that ... | It is a well-known fact that ... |
| In my experience ... | In my experience… |
| It is undeniable that ... | It cannot be denied that ... |
| Personally, I strongly object to this statement. | Personally, I strongly disagree with this position. |
| There is a great deal of truth in ... | There is a lot of truth in ... |
| I would like to support my point of view with an example ... | I would like to confirm my point of view with an example ... |
Arguments for"
In the third paragraph of the USE essay in English, we write arguments confirming our point of view. These can be life situations, logical reflections, links to expert opinion or statistics.
Note that according to the approved regulations for the examination essay, it is necessary to bring at least 2-3 arguments in support of your position. On the one hand, this moment complicates the drafting of the text, but on the other hand, it allows the widespread use of enumerations and introductory constructions. For example, here are what you can use in this part of the essay on English speech clichés for the Unified State Exam (USE).
| Expressing the reasons for our opinion
(Reasonsformyopinion) |
|
| For example / for instance ... | For example, as an example ... |
| Let us start by considering the facts. | Let's start by analyzing the facts. |
| To begin with, ... | You should start with ... |
| One argument in support of ... | One of the arguments in support of ... |
| The first thing that needs to be said is ... | First of all, it must be said that ... |
| One should note here that ... | First of all, I will note that ... |
| Experts say that… | Experts say that ... |
| Experts point out that ... | Experts note that ... |
| Experts are convinced that… | Experts are convinced ... |
| According to some experts ... | According to a number of experts ... |
| That is proof that ... | It has been proven that ... |
| We cannot ignore the fact that ... | We cannot ignore the fact that ... |
| Another example is ... | The next example is ... |
| Another good thing about… is that…. | Another positive point is hidden in the fact that ... |
| Another positive aspect of ... | Another plus of this ... |
| The second reason for ... | Anothercause... will become… |
| It would be unfair not to mention that fact that ... | The fact that ... |
| First of all / secondly / thirdly / finally ... | Firstly, secondly, thirdly, in conclusion (finally) |
| Furthermore, one should not forget that ... | Also, don't forget that .. |
Arguments against"
Writing an essay in English for the exam 2020 also implies the obligatory indication of the opposite point of view. In this part, you should look at the problem from the other side and formulate the possible arguments of your opponents. Here we suggest using the following phrases and expressions for essays in English.
| Opposite side arguments
(Reasons for the opposing opinion) |
|
| One must admit that ... | It should also be recognized that ... |
| Others believe that ... | Others believe that ... |
| On the other hand, we can observe that ... | On the other hand, you can see that ... |
| Some people believe it's better ... | Some people think it's better ... |
| The most common argument against this is that ... | The strongest argument against this position is ... |
| Another negative aspect of ... | Another disadvantage of this ... |
| It is often said that ... | It is often said that ... |
| On the other hand, ... | On the other side, … |
| From these facts, one may conclude that ... | Based on these facts, we can conclude that ... |
| Nevertheless, one should accept that ... | However, it should be agreed that ... |
| However, I also agree that ... | However, I agree that ... |
Personal explanation
It is not enough to give examples of “for” and “against” in an essay in English, you also need to clearly substantiate why the arguments “against” are not convincing for you. How to write this part of the essay in English? To this question, the English language also suggests using speech clichés in the composition of the Unified State Exam. Let's look at some examples.
| Reasons for disagreeing with opposing opinions
(WhyIdon ’tagreewiththeopposingopinion) |
|
| I don’t support the idea of ... | I do not support the opinion about ... |
| I disagree with this position because… | I do not agree with this position, because ... |
| Let us consider this problem from another angle ... | Let's look at this problem from the other side ... |
| I believe that most people realize that ... | I think many people realize that ... |
| I do not completely agree with this position because… | I completely agree with this position, because ... |
| I am afraid I cannot agree with the opinion that ... | I am afraid I cannot agree with the opinion that ... |
| There would seem to be clear pros and cons to both options ... | For both cases, the advantages and disadvantages are obvious ... |
| But personally, I include more to the opinion of ... | But I personally tend to think more ... |
| Despite my respect for the opinion that ..., I cannot share it because ... | Despite my respect for this point of view ... I still cannot share this judgment, because ... |
| There is a simple reason for this… | There is a simple reason for this ... |
| If on the one hand it can be said that ... the same is not true for ... | And if we can say about one side that ... then this does not apply to the other ... |
| The problem with this is that ... | The whole problem here is that ... |
Now, with the help of clichés, we almost got a ready-made essay for the USE exam in English. It remains only to correctly arrange the ending, which we will now do.
Conclusion
And our template for the Unified State Exam in English ends with a brief summary of all of the above. This means that you need to bring the main idea of your essay to a logical end. In fact, in the final paragraph, we reiterate our opinion, only with slightly modified wording. For example, graduates of previous years were helped to beautifully complete an essay in English with the examples of phrases and expressions shown in the table below.
| Speech clichés for the completion of the essay (Conclusion) | |
| In conclusion, I would like to stress that ... | In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that ... |
| To sum up ... | Summing up, summing up |
| In summary, I believe that ... | To summarize, I believe that ... |
| Taking into consideration all mentioned above ... | Considering all the information above ... |
| In conclusion, I can say that… | In conclusion, I can say ... |
| All in all, I believe that ... | Anyway, I believe that ... |
| To draw the conclusion, it should be observed that ... | Summing up, it should be noted that ... |
| The arguments I have presented… would indicate that… | The arguments I have listed indicate that ... |
| All in all, I still strongly believe that ... | Either way, I am firmly convinced that ... |
| From these arguments one could conclude that… | Based on the presented arguments, it can be concluded that ... |
| So it’s up to you to decide whether… or not… | So everyone decides for himself ... or not .... |
This is how we got a template for writing an essay. Agree, with speech clichés, an essay on the Unified State Exam in English is much easier to write. It remains only to choose the phrases you like and memorize them before the exam. But this is also not so difficult, since before the day of delivery, schoolchildren will have to test their strength in writing trial and training essays more than once. The main thing is that the preparation template is always at hand, so we advise you to print all the tables above.
Small tricks for typing the right amount of words for an English essay on the exam
Well, we have considered all the speech clichés for writing essays in English, but for especially curious schoolchildren we have one more trick in store. As you know, examination essays are written according to strict regulations, and, in particular, there is a requirement for the volume of the text. For the written assignment for the exam in English in 2020, the requirements remain the same: the essay must fit into the framework of 200-250 words. In this case, the rule is -10% downward, i.e. a work is counted if it contains at least 180 words. If your text has passed the bar of 250, then everything after this figure will not be taken into account for the assessment.
But we will now consider the opposite situation. How to write an essay in English, when even with a cliché there are not enough words to reach the required volume? Indeed, not all schoolchildren are verbose and love to share their thoughts. If you have counted the words, and understand that your sample essay for the Unified State Exam in English does not reach the required volume, do not rush to panic and rewrite the text. It is better to remember such a useful thing as introductory words. These expressions can be added to almost any story without distorting its meaning and style. Consider a list of such words.
| Introductory words | |
| In today’s world | In modern world |
| Hence | Hence |
| Besides / furthermore | Besides |
| Thus | Thus |
| Unfortunately | Unfortunately |
| Most of all | Most |
| In other words | In other words, in other words |
| Also | Also, too |
| In a word | In a word |
| I would like to | I would like to… |
| In addition | In addition, in addition, in addition |
| As a result of | As a result |
| Concerning | Regarding |
We also advise you to look at the material about 1000 words in English that you need to know, it will definitely come in handy when preparing for the exam and just learning English!
Break a leg!
© O.S. Kalinina, 2018
ISBN 978-5-4493-5196-8
Powered by Ridero Intelligent Publishing System
Foreword
Successfully passing the Unified State Exam is the key to entering the higher education institution of your dreams. That is why, in order to make your cherished dreams come true, you need to persistently and purposefully prepare for it. Obviously, you need to approach the preparation process responsibly, with full dedication, as well as an awareness of what the structure of the exam requires of you and what skills and knowledge you need to have in order to successfully cope with it.
Task number 40 is a task of a high level of complexity and requires well-developed both subject and metasubject skills and abilities. Undoubtedly, the examinee should not only have a rich vocabulary and know the rules of grammar, but also have a broad outlook in order to bring different points of view on a particular problem, as well as argue for them.
The value of this book lies in the fact that it presents essays on topics from different spheres of life, in which arguments / counterarguments to them are clearly and correctly selected.
Due to the fact that during the school year I wrote these essays “for myself” in order to practice and “fill my hand”, and not to print a book, they were all carefully and thoroughly checked and corrected by my teacher Olga Gennadyevna Kutina, to which I am very grateful.
With careful and conscious reading, you will learn simple, easy-to-remember cliches, learn new vocabulary and new grammatical links. Moreover, this collection will help you broaden your horizons and look at some social, economic, political and spiritual issues from a completely different angle. Your mind will become more flexible, which will help you to formulate and express your thoughts and ideas better and more clearly when writing such works.
Also, I would like to add that the USE is really just one of life's tests that can really be overcome. The main thing is to clearly define goals for yourself and constantly remind yourself of them when you want to give up. Trust me, the game is worth the candle.
Boys and girls should study separately at different schools
Undoubtedly, education plays a crucial role in the existence of the society. Currently the majority of schools are co-educational.
I totally disagree with the statement above. I strongly believe that studying together is extremely necessary for individuals. Firstly, the world is not separated for males and females. In the childhood people tend to be less vulnerable to failures in relations. In consequence at school they learn how to socialize with another sex, which assists them in avoiding social mistakes in the future. Secondly, while studying together pupils may find out some psychological features of another gender. Finally, contradictions between boys and girls motivate both to study harder in order to be better than another sex.
Nevertheless, there is another point of view on this issue. Some conservatives claim that productivity and efficiency of getting education will increase, if pupils are taught separately. Psychologists have already proved that boys have natural abilities to technical subjects, while girls are likely to be skilled at mastering humanities. Subsequently, co-educational schools do not have individual approach to students depending on their gender. Moreover, passion and affection seem to distract pupils from studying.
However, I still insist on my opinion. It surely goes without saying that love improves personalities on the ground that they are eager for being better to please a partner. So, they study harder.
In conclusion, I would like to stress once more that under no circumstances should pupils be diminished an opportunity to study together. If schools were not co-educational, the majority of people would not be able to communicate with another gender.
A man that does not know the history of his / her country is like a leaf that is not aware of being a part of a tree
It is common knowledge that a person is a citizen of that country where s / he was born. Under some circumstances one can change a citizenship or have a double one. Undoubtedly, a person considers himself / herself to be a citizen of that country where his / her heart is.
I totally agree with the statement above that a person ought not to be ignorant of the history of his / her motherland. Firstly, if a resident has no knowledge of the history of his / her native country, s / he will not take part in historic festivals, where people become mentally united. Secondly, being unaware of the events of the past, a citizen cannot keep up a conservation with compatriots. Finally, griefs, sorrows and failures have always been consolidating nations. If a person has no idea about mistakes of his / her ancestors, s / he does not have any patriotic feelings.
Nevertheless, there is another point of view on this issue. Some people claim that it is senseless to learn the history of the motherland. Present is much more significant that the past. Moreover, interactions with other citizens may bring a person a feeling of felicity and patriotism.
However, I still insist on my opinion. It is usually said that history repeats itself. In consequence a citizen ought to be good at national history in order to prevent his / her motherland from the same disastrous mistakes in the future.
In conclusion, I would like to stress once more that under no circumstances should a person ignore the life of his / her ancestors. If the humanity did not rely on the history, the world would turn into chaos.
Are you waiting for the international TOEFL, IELTS or other exam, where one of the stages is writing an essay? Or maybe you are applying for admission to a university and you need to tell about yourself, your achievements and plans in the essay? Either way, your goal is to write a great essay in English. This is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance, and we will help you figure it out.
This article will talk about how to write an essay in English, what are the types of essays in English, how to write an introduction to the essay, and what linking words to use in the text.
What is an essay?
Essay in English is a short essay in which you express your point of view on a given topic. Writing a quality essay in English requires a high level of language proficiency, a rich vocabulary and the ability to clearly and concisely state your thoughts.
The formal style of narration is one of the features of the English essay, which distinguishes it from essays on a free topic, to which we are used to in Russian. The British are serious about the style of presenting thoughts in an essay, so it is not recommended to use abbreviations and, in general, allow yourself to be frivolous in the text. Also, any essay, regardless of the topic, has a certain structure. But first things first.
Essay types
There are three main types of essays in English:
For and against essay
The name of this type speaks for itself: in it it is necessary to provide arguments "for and against" on a given topic.
Writing plan: in the introduction, you lead the reader to the problem; in the main part, describe the pros and cons in a neutral manner, without expressing your own opinion; in conclusion - express your opinion about the problem and make a conclusion.
Opinion essay (opinion essay)
Unlike pros and cons, opinion essays are meant to express your thoughts on a topic. The peculiarity of opinion essay is that you need not only to express your own opinion on the issue, but to reflect other points of view in the essay. So to speak, look at the topic from a different angle.Writing plan: in the introduction, indicate the topic of reasoning; in the main part - express your opinion on the problem, backing it up with confident arguments, and also describe what other points of view there are; in the end, you summarize the results that support your views on the issue.
Suggesting solutions to a problem essay
Usually, in such essays, you are given some kind of global problem, and your task is to suggest the most possible and relevant ways to solve it.
Writing plan: introduction describes the problem and the reasons for it; in the main part, you need to offer several options for solving the described problem and the possible consequences of each of them; the conclusion summarizes the results and the final decision or recommendations.
Usually the type of essay depends on the chosen topic and is often indicated directly in the assignment. If there are no recommendations on the type, then use any one that, in your opinion, is best suited to the given topic.
The above types of English essays are the most common, but there are others. Sometimes you need to write about your achievements and plans for the future (for example, when going to university or college), and sometimes - a free-form essay about what excites you right now (that is, without a given topic).
On whatever topic, whatever the essay, when writing it, you should adhere to a certain generally accepted structure.
Structure
Typically, an examination essay should be 180-320 words in length, but this framework is not rigid and must be indicated in the assignment along with the topic.
Before writing, it is worth remembering that an essay is not a detailed essay-reasoning on a free topic, but only a clear and capacious expression of thoughts on a given problem. Therefore, all essays in English have a common structure:
Heading
The title of the essay that reflects the topic or problem that will be covered in the text. The title should be as concise and understandable as possible. In fact, the title of the essay is similar to the title of the article: it should contain the main idea, which will be disclosed in more detail in the text.
Introduction
It should indicate what will be discussed in the main part. The introduction should explain the topic of reasoning and how you understand it, be concise (occupy about 5-10% of the text), briefly outline the outline of the essay and refer to sources or other data if necessary. Main part
This is the main part of the essay in English, which reveals the problem and your opinion on it, depending on the type of presentation chosen. Arguments and examples are provided here, as well as other points of view on the topic. At the end of the main part, the text should smoothly lead the reader to the conclusion.
This part of the essay occupies approximately 75-85% of the total volume of the text.
Conclusion
At the end, you need to summarize all the thoughts revealed in the main part of the essay.
A good conclusion is not just a dry listing of all the above facts, but a well-reasoned conclusion on the topic. It may echo or refer to the introduction, but in different wording. In conclusion, you should not put forward completely new ideas or refute those already expressed, and also, use an apologetic tone for your opinion. Be confident in your point of view and just state it again. Acceptable amount of text in the conclusion - 10-15%.
If you have an exam on the horizon, then our recommendations and tips on how to write an essay in English will come in handy.
Advice:
1. Sketch a draft
If time for writing is limited, then use a draft. Throw a plan on it and write down the main thoughts. This will help you write your essay faster and avoid making mistakes in the final version.
2. Stick to structure
3. Be concise
Express your thoughts briefly, without delving into reasoning.
4. Argument
Provide clear confirmation of the words when expressing your own or someone else's point of view on the topic. Based on these arguments, draw a conclusion and conclusion.
5. Stick to a formal style
Formal writing is the best choice for an essay, unless otherwise noted. You should not use abbreviations, slang and colloquial expressions.
6. Use linking words
Special words will help you consistently express thoughts, lead the reader to a conclusion and build the correct structure in the text.
7. Diversify vocabulary and grammar
Despite the fact that the essay is written in a formal style, it does not hurt to add a little flavor to it to give the text a personality. If thisappropriately, use synonyms and.As for grammar and complex sentences, use them only if you are confident in your knowledge. Otherwise, mistakes or misuse of time will not play into your hands.
8. Be correct
Often topics for essays are acute social issues, the opinion on which can be sharply polarized. When expressing your thoughts on ambiguous reasons, you should be as correct as possible and do not forget about elementary delicacy, tolerance and politeness.
9. Check for errors
Obvious but extremely important advice. Run a glance over the finished essay to check it for all kinds of mistakes and typos.
- Remember that you are writing an essay for another person who is not your friend or colleague, which means stick to neutral expressions, use standard phrases, write to the point and stay on topic.
- Do not overuse adjectives, exclamation marks and avoid general words (all, any, every). Also, you do not need to use phrasal verbs (put it, get off, etc.) and abbreviations (can’t instead of cannot, don’t instead of don not, etc.). Adhere to an academic-informational style of presentation: avoid personal pronouns (I, my, we, our) and prefer the active voice instead of the passive one.
- To give the text objectivity, express your opinion on the topic using impersonal constructions (It is believed that…; It cannot be argued that… etc.) and non-categorical verbs (suggest, suppose, claim, etc.). Words such as apparently, arguably (probably) and other adverbs will help you to correctly express your opinion on a question.
- Divide the main part of the text into paragraphs according to meaning, which can be interconnected and complement each other. Do not overload the paragraphs with sentences and make them all roughly the same in length. At the beginning of a paragraph, it is better to use linking words that will help to continue the thought expressed earlier.
- If you give examples or quotes in the texts, refer to the source and date of publication of the statement. This can be done in parentheses, indicating the author and year.
Useful words for essays
Introductory words
Introductory phrases for English essays are universal and suitable for any type of essay.
This essay deals with ... - This essay is about ...
This assignment will examine ... - This work examines ...
This report will analyze ... - This report will analyze ...
This essay will consider ... - This essay will consider ...
It is believed that ... - It is believed that ...
Some phrases to help outline the outline of the essay and clarify the content:
The essay is divided into four sections ... - This essay is in four parts ...
It will first consider ... - Considered first ...
It will then continue to describe ... - After which we will continue to describe ...
The third part compares ... - The third part is a comparison ...
Finally, some conclusions will be drawn as to ... - Finally, some conclusions will be drawn regarding ...
Link words
Linking words or linkers (linking words) will help you not only to logically express your thoughts in an essay, but also make the text easy to read and structured. Take note of these words for everyday speech, because the ligaments make it more logical and as close as possible to the speech of the native speakers themselves.
Linkers for sequencing ideas(linking words for organizing thoughts)
Finally - finally, finally
First (ly) ... second (ly) ... third (ly) - first (first) ... second (second) ... third (third)
Lastly - finally at the end
The first point ... the second point ... the third point - first (first point) ... second (second point) ... third (third point)
The former ... the latter - the former ... the latter
To begin with ... then ... to conclude - first ... then ... finally
Linkers for expressing opinions(linking words for expressing opinions)
According to ... - According to ...
It cannot be denied that ... - It cannot be denied that ...
It is said / believed that ... - They say / believe that ...
Some people say that ... - Some people say that ...
There is no doubt that ... - Without a doubt ...
We must admit that ... - We must admit that ...
First person:
As far as I am concerned - As far as I know ...
From my point of view - It seems to me that ...
I agree - I agree
I am in favor of - I am a supporter ...
I am against the idea of - I am against the idea ...
I believe that - I believe that ...
I disagree - I disagree
In my opinion - I believe that ...
Linkers for giving examples(linking words for examples):
As follows - next, as follows
For example For instance - for example
Namely - namely
Such as - such as
Linkers for giving reason(linking words to explain the reasons):
As - since
Because - because
Because of - because
Due to - according to
Owing to - thanks
Since - since
Linkers for contrasting ideas(linking words for opposition):
Although / even though - although, even if
But - but
Despite - despite
However - however
In comparison - in comparison
In contrast - in contrast to
In spite of - despite
In theory - in theory
In practice - in practice
Nevertheless - despite, nevertheless
Nonetheless - nonetheless
On the contrary - on the contrary
On the one hand - on the one hand
On the other hand - on the other side
Unlike - unlike
Whereas - whereas
While - while
Linkers for adding information(linking words for additional information):
Also - also
And - and
Apart from - except, along with
As well as - just like ...
Besides - besides, besides
Furthermore - moreover
In addition to - in addition to
Moreover - moreover, moreover
Linkers for summarizing information and showing the result(connecting words for summing up)
As a consequence - as a consequence
As a result - as a result
Consequently - due to this
Hence - hence
In brief In short - in short, in a nutshell
In conclusion - in conclusion
In summary - in the end, summing up the above
Therefore - therefore
Thus - in this way
To conclude - making conclusions
To summarise - summarizing
Without any special embellishment, it can be said that in the USE exam in English, the essay is the most difficult task. How can you correctly express your thought, give it logical arguments, support them with examples and explanations, and at the same time correctly and without errors arrange the text, and even not go beyond the number of words? In this article we will try to disassemble the structure of the essay and give tips on improving the quality of your essay.
Let's start at the end. Your essay will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
The maximum number of points you can get for an essay is 14 points.
Before we start thinking about fulfilling each criterion correctly, first let's make our English essay testable. The most important thing here is volume.
Formally, your English essay should be within 200-250 words. You don't have to take it literally and panic if you've written 198 words. However, keep in mind that the essay will not be checked if the number of words in it is less than 180. If you get more than 275 words, the reviewer will count 250 words from the beginning of the essay, draw the rest and check everything down to the line. That is, in the first scenario, you lose the entire essay; with the second, you will most likely lose the conclusion, which is also important.
First of all, your English essay should cover ALL aspects of the assignment, and should also be written in an appropriate (neutral) style. It should be logically divided into paragraphs and correspond to the plan proposed in the assignment.
In order not to get confused in the process of writing your essay, you need to spend 5-7 minutes thinking about the plan and preparing all the arguments. Traditionally, we will divide the essay into five paragraphs.
Paragraph 1. Introduction
There must be a statement of the problem. Since the statement of the problem has already been set out in the assignment, your task is to correctly retell it. Precisely to RELATE, not to paraphrase.
Tip: Do not re-read the assignment 10 times until the wording is hammered into your head. Then it will be very, very difficult to write the introduction in your own words. Read the situation given in the assignment once or twice, make sure you understand it correctly. Close the prepared situation and try to retell it in English exactly as you understood it, as if you were telling a friend about it who did not understand what was being discussed there. ATTENTION: after you have done this, be sure to open the situation and make sure that your retelling essentially coincides with the situation given to you. Now you can go further.
Instead of banal “ Some people think, ... Others think, ..." can be used:
Some people claim that ..., while others argue that ...
After you have described the essence of the problem, you can ask the question directly, which you will answer in your essay. For example: “What is better: ... or ...?”, “What should we do: ... or ...?” etc. In 2018, a clarification was released that classified rhetorical questions as stylistic errors. Therefore, we do not use them.
The last sentence of your opening paragraph should be the purpose of your essay. This can be done, for example, like this:
In this essay I will try to look upon this issue.
In this essay I will try to express my opinion on this issue.
In this essay I would like to express my point of view on this issue.
In this essay I will try to answer this question.
(This is the simplest option, if you find it difficult to remember the previous two, remember it)
Paragraph 2. Your opinion
It is most logical to start this paragraph with the statement of your position on this issue. Useful phrases (be sure to follow this punctuation!):
In my opinion, ...
From my point of view, ...
To my mind, ...
Personally, I think that ...
I am certain that ...
(Note! We do not abbreviate: we write I am ...)
As far as I am concerned, ...
Next, you need to give 2-3 arguments to support your point of view. Arguments can be any, if you interpret them correctly. That is, such that it would be difficult to argue with them (within reasonable limits, of course).
Tip: It is better to give 2 arguments and justify them in detail and give examples to support them than 3 short and not fully disclosed ones. Remember that the number of words in an essay is limited.
Here we should not forget about the means of logical connection of sentences. The first argument is a good place to start with:
Firstly, ...
To start with, ...
To begin with, ...
First of all, ...
After you have formulated the first argument, you need to confirm it and / or give an example in support. Here are the simplest models for how to do this:
<аргумент>, because ...
<аргумент>... That is why ...
<аргумент>... For example, ...
If you started with a word "Firstly, ...", then the second argument should start with the word Secondly, ...
If the first argument came with the phrases “To start with, ...”, “To begin with, ...”, then the second can be started with the following words:
Moreover, ...
Furthermore, ...
Besides, ...
In addition, ...
The second argument must also be supported by an example or proof.
Paragraph 3. Opposite opinion
You will begin a paragraph by stating an opposite opinion on the proposed topic or question. You can do it like this:
Others believe that ...
Some people argue that ...
However, some people think that ...
This is followed by 1-2 arguments confirming the opposite opinion. I advise you to initially think of two. And how much to write in the end: 1 or 2 - decide in the process, based on the resulting size of your essay.
Advice: You will then have to dispute the opposite arguments, therefore, coming up with them initially, think over how you will dispute them. If you have nothing to object to the invented argument, it is better to immediately replace it with another, so as not to do it while writing the essay. It is also limited!
Tip: When challenging arguments, you should not repeat anything written in the second paragraph. So if you can't come up with a counterargument without repeating yourself, try coming up with something else. Alternatively, you can think of other pros while the essay is not yet written. In any case, it is better to think it over initially, while you are drawing up the outline of the essay, rather than during the writing process!
Paragraph 4. Your counterarguments
The point of this paragraph is to explain why you disagree with the opposite opinion. You can start a paragraph, for example, with a sentence:
I cannot agree with this opinion because ...
I am afraid I cannot agree with this idea because ...
A little strange sounds “I am afraid”, and not “I" m afraid ”, but it is better not to abbreviate it, because you can pay with precious points for it.
ATTENTION: if you gave two arguments in the previous paragraph, then both must be refuted. You can differentiate them with the following phrases:
As for ...,
Speaking about ...,
As far as ... is concerned,
Tip: When refuting opposing arguments, it is best to suggest ways to solve them, rather than prove them incapable. For example, if someone thinks that pets are dangerous, then there is no need to claim that they are, in fact, harmless. It is better to turn this disadvantage into dignity, saying that on the other hand, they are excellent guards in country houses.
Paragraph 5. Conclusion
The most common mistake many students make: in the conclusion, they simply express their opinion. This is not enough. After all, the conclusion applies to the entire essay, not just the second paragraph.
Thus, in the conclusion it is necessary to summarize everything that was said in the essay and express your point of view. You can also give your recommendations on the existing problem. Most importantly, there should be no new information in the conclusion.
In conclusion, ...
To sum up, ...
To conclude, ...
Further, we let the reader understand that there are two points of view on this problem, and despite the opposite point of view, we still stick to ours. For example, this can be done according to the following scheme:
Despite the fact that ..., I am convinced that ...
Taking into consideration different opinions on this issue, I believe that ...
Language design of the essay
After you have written the USE essay in English, be sure to review it again for possible errors. From my experience of the most common mistakes, I advise you to pay attention to the following things.
Some people say that fast food has a bad effect on our health.
Fast food restaurants like McDonald's serve millions of people in more than 100 countries each day. Fast food is very popular, especially among teenagers. Nevertheless, is such food healthy or should we avoid it?
In my opinion, fast food does much harm to people’s health. Firstly, such food is low in protein, vitamins and minerals. Secondly, fast food contains a lot of cholesterol. Cholesterol causes the production of a fatty plaque that clogs the arteries, which can lead to a heart attack or a stroke. Thirdly, fast food is high in fat, sugar and calories and full of chemical additives. For example, a can of Coke contains about eight teaspoons of sugar and artificial sweeteners. People who are used to consuming several cans a day may suffer from diabetes, cancer and tooth decay.
YOUTH PROBLEMS.
Some people say that modern teenagers are carefree.
When we hear the word 'teenager, we often imagine a fun-loving young person who spends time having parties and socializing with peers. Some adults think that, young people do nothing but have fun. However, is a teenager's life as easy as it seems to be?
Personally, I think that, teenagers face a variety of problems. Peer pressure is one of the biggest stressors for many young people. Some teenagers suffer from bullying, which can have a detrimental effect, on their health, academic performance and self-esteem. Secondly, a lot of teenagers have serious body image issues. Both boys and girls may become critical of their looks and feel insecure. In addition, teenagers experience stress over schoolwork. They are often under pressure from their parents and teachers to perform well academically.
On the contrary, some people think that teenagers have few problems until they reach adulthood. Firstly, they do not have to work, and therefore they can dedicate all their time and energy to their studies and interests. Apart, from that, young people seldom worry about their future and live in the present ..
Anyway, some teenagers take part-time jobs and have to balance work and school. It is difficult for them to find time for them friends, interests and extracurricular activities. Besides, many teenagers do think about, their future and worry about, getting into college and choosing a career that is best for them.
To conclude, the teenage years can be a very difficult life period. Coping with problems and deciding what to do with their lives can be stressful for young people. I think that adults should never label teenagers as light-minded or frivolous because that is a misconception.
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