How to write an essay in English. Essay writing in English

In this article, you will learn which linking words) are used in written work in English, for example, in an essay. This type of work belongs to the official style and since 2014 has been included in the exam in English. You can read the rules for writing an essay here - At the end of the article you will also find USEFUL TIPS,

Linking words in written work in English

Let's share everything linking words into groups to make it clearer what they serve:

I. Opinion Words

II. Introducing Words

III. Listing Words

IV. Adding Words

The words Another thing & too- cannot be used in an essay, as they refer to an informal style, typical, for example, for personal writing.

The third and fourth groups are interchangeable!

V. Contrasting Words

Word But- cannot be used in an essay, as it refers to an informal style, typical, for example, for personal writing.

VI. Giving Examples

VII. Concluding Words

VIII. Cause and Effect Words

Be sure to use causal conjunctions in an English essay, as they will help you express your thoughts logically, and this is very, very IMPORTANT.

Explore this one below essay template to understand how to correctly use all of the above linking words in an essay in English.

* * *

But that is not all! The most difficult thing is that you will have to write an essay in English in a limited time - 40 minutes. How to do it as efficiently as possible?

HOW TO WRITE AN ESSAY IN ENGLISH IN 40 MINUTES 1) read the task and identify the main problem; 2) decide on your point of view (are you for or against); 3) write arguments (2-3) and their justification on a draft; 4) reflect various aspects of the problem (social, economic, moral); 5) open one of the aspects in more detail; 6) and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, write an essay without a draft, keeping in mind the essay template (below)

IMPORTANT: The essay belongs to the official style, so the following abbreviations are not allowed in the essay: isn't, don't, that's why phrasal verbs and other colloquial expressions such as those characteristic of the informal style ( of course, etc.) do not use brackets and exclamation marks for the same reason do not start sentences with words But or And. Use any word from group 4 instead.

The Cossacks, who are writing a letter to the Turkish Sultan in this picture, could not have imagined that their descendants in the 21st century would experience no less difficulties when writing an essay in English for the Unified State Examination.

How to get around all the pitfalls and write task 40 for the cherished 14 points- in my article!

general information

Task 40 on the exam in English is a task of an increased level of complexity and is officially called “an extended written statement with elements of reasoning (your opinion)”. For brevity, our sister, in the article I will simply call this beast “essay” or “essay”.

Here's what it looks like:

An essay is a tasty task because it can bring 14 points on the exam. And if I recommend writing directly to a clean copy in order to save time, it is better to plan the essay and write it to a draft, and then transfer it to the answer sheet (you can download one here -).

From the demo version of the USE 2019 from the FIPI website, it can be seen that now the student can choose any of the two proposed essay topics!

Criteria for evaluation

To understand how to write need, let's get acquainted with the criteria for evaluating task 40 from the FIPI website.

Solving a communicative problem

As you can see, according to the criterion “solution of a communicative task”, you can get the maximum 3 points. I will decipher what they are given for:

• Essay written according to plan
• In an essay enough words
• Style neutral

Writing plan essays are carefully given in the task itself (see above):
– make an introduction (state the problem)
– express your personal opinion and give 2–3 reasons for your opinion
– express an opposing opinion and give 1–2 reasons for this opposing opinion
– explain why you don’t agree with the opposing opinion
– make a conclusion restating your position

Number of words required to get the maximum score is also indicated - “Write 200-250 words". A deviation from the specified volume by 10% is permissible. That is, you can write 180 to 275 words. Achtung! Attention! If you write less than 180 words, the essay will not be checked - the expert will put 0 for solving the communicative task, and 0 for this item means 0 for the entire task. And a satisfied teacher checks 1 essay less. And if the student exceeds the threshold of 275 words, the expert will cross out the 250th word and simply will not check further. That is, if there are counterarguments or a conclusion behind 250 words, they simply will not be counted and you will not see a maximum for this criterion.

Pro word count criteria. When determining the compliance of the volume of the submitted work with the above requirements, all words are considered, from the first word to the last, including auxiliary verbs, prepositions, articles, particles. Wherein:
 numerals, expressed in numbers, i.e. 1, 25, 2009, 126 204 etc. count as one word;
 numerals, expressed in numbers, together with the symbol of percentages, i.e. 25%, 100%, etc. are counted as one word;
 numerals expressed in words are considered as words;
 compound words such as good-looking, well-bred, English-speaking, twenty-five are counted as one word;
 abbreviations, such as USA, e-mail, TV, CD-rom, count as one word.

neutral style met if task 40 does not contain abbreviations (I’m sure/ doesn’t matter/ wasn’t stated) and colloquial vocabulary (it is stupid to think so/ this opinion sucks/ the people wearing such clothes are mad).

Even when writing an essay, I strongly advise you to avoid rhetorical questions (But have you ever wondered ... ?), because Ms. Verbitskaya's opinion about their use is inconsistent - one year they can be used, another year - not. Also, I would not recommend writing a phrase that begins with Let's .... It can be regarded as conversational. Better safe than sorry.

One more remark in the paragraph about the communicative task - about plagiarism. If more than 30% of the answer coincides with the published source, then 0 points are given according to the criterion "Solution of the communicative problem", and, accordingly, the entire task is evaluated at 0 points. So it makes no sense to memorize excerpts from topics, you have to think on your own.

Text organization

The maximum for this criterion is also 3 points. You can get them if:

• essay is divided into paragraphs
• the essay is logical and contains means of logical connection

It is clear that you need to write as many paragraphs as there are in the plan ( five paragraphs!) and everyone should transmit the thought corresponding to this point of the plan.

Below is more about what to write in these five paragraphs and what means of logical connection use in them.

Introduction (paragraph No. 1)

The “correct” introduction consists of 2-3 sentences and paraphrases the stated topic, and also shows the existence two opposing points of view on the problem.

Let's take the topic from the task above - Makinga good salary is more important than job satisfaction.

The introductory paragraph, the paragraph below, paraphrases the topic ( career choice is one of the most important decisions in our life; it is essential to love what you do; whereas others focus on high salary while choosing a future profession) and indicates the existence of different points of view ( Some people believe that …, whereas other focus on …).

For entry, I would advise you to use the following tools logical connection:

• Some people think/believe/consider that …, whereas other think/believe/consider that …
• The / issue / question of… has always aroused heated / sharp problem disputes / debates / discussions / controversy
• Our modern world is unthinkable / unimaginable / inconceivable without… However, there are plenty of people who believe that it is not necessary / doubt the necessity / importance / use / benefit / good of…
• …gaining increasing popularity today, many still dispute / doubt / challenge / bring into question / cast doubt on its use for the society
• It is often difficult to decide which position to take whenever there is a debate regarding a choice between… and…

In terms of writing in the second paragraph, the student is invited to express their opinion and give 2-3 arguments in support of it. I would stop at two arguments “for” to fit into the required number of words. And the arguments “for” should be detailed - that is, we do not just say “I think so”, but we explain the point of view.

I also advise you to rush to prove not your point of view, but to defend a position for which you can come up with more arguments. At the stage of training to plan the structure of the essay, it would be good to draw mind maps:

It will come in handy for the exam as well. Helps to collect thoughts in a heap before writing on a draft.

In the topic about working for an idea or money, it was easier for me to find arguments about the superiority of the spiritual over the material:

Bundles to express your opinion:

• I believe/ I consider that…/ I am convinced that…
• I personally favor …
• To my mind…/ In my opinion…/ It seems to me that…
• I can't but agree that…
• I am against…/ I don’t approve of…/ I don’t support the idea of…/ I personally frown on…
• It is said/ believed that…
• It goes without saying that…

Bundles to express arguments:

• Firstly/ first and foremost/ first of all …
• A major benefit is that …
• To begin/start with, it is important to emphasize that…
• Furthermore/ Moreover/ What is more/ Besides, …
• A further persuasive argument is that …
• Another (positive/negative) aspect of …
• Finally/ Lastly

The opposite point of view (paragraph #3)

In paragraph 3, you need to state that there is an opposing point of view and support it arguments. There can be 1 or 2 of them (arguments) - it all depends on the number of pluses in the previous paragraph. I adhere to the rule “3 pluses in the 2nd paragraph -1 minus in the third paragraph”, “2 pluses in the 2nd paragraph - 2 minuses in the 3rd”, otherwise you may not fit into the volume of words. Personally, I like the scheme more in the evening - money, in the morning - chairs 2 arguments for - 2 arguments against.

Here's what I got with the opposite point of view.

Links for Expression opposite opinion.

• However, not all people share my point of view. They say that…
• They assume/ presume…
• They are in favor of…/ They approve of… / They favor…
• There is another side to the issue/question of …
• There are people who have the opposite opinion./ Not all people share my viewpoint.

Counterarguments (paragraph #4)

This is one of the most problematic parts of the essay. Arguments "for" and "against" invented; need more refute arguments against which were presented in section 3. And do it in a neutral way. That is, write in the style of a troll from the forum “Look, give him a good salary! You can’t sit on two chairs!” it is forbidden. =(

At the planning stage of drawing mind maps, you should consider which argument is best for counterarguing and not write it in a paragraph with your opinion, but save it “for dessert” - that is, for the fourth paragraph.

I emphasize once again that in the fourth paragraph we refute the arguments of the third paragraph, and do not come up with arguments yet"to the heap." The opposite opinion in paragraph 3 spoke of the importance of money to meet material needs and improve living standards. Let's argue that the pleasure of work and, as a result, professionalism, are directly related to the size of the salary.

Links for Expression counterarguments.

• To a certain extent it is right, but we should not forget that… / we should consider the fact that… / one should not disregard… / one should take into account …
• However veracious it sounds, I would not agree with the above mentioned idea.
• However, I disagree with these contentions.
• I am afraid I cannot agree with these people here as I think …

Conclusion (paragraph No. 5)

At the end of the hard-won essay, you need to once again state the problematic nature of the topic(point to two points of view) and your opinion. Here it is important not to repeat in wordings and thoughts.

In conclusion I would like to state that work occupies a great part of everyday routine. Evidently, it is more logical to choose an occupation you fancy over the one that brings in only money.

Expressions for the final paragraph:

• To conclude/ sum up/ summarise
• All in all…
• All things considered…
• Taking all this into account/ consideration…
• In short/conclusion …

Vocabulary, grammar, spelling and punctuation

We figured out the plan for writing an essay, let's move on to the grammatical-lexical and spelling-punctuation design of the essay. The table below explains the criteria for evaluating these parameters:

Lexical errors

Let's take a look at what mistakes are proudly called “Lexical”. This is:

• misused word in context (I would not speak so instead of I would not say so)
• compatibility error (make homework instead of do homework)
• omission of a word if it does not affect the grammatical structure of the sentence (My parents are very well familiar (the preposition with is omitted) the topic)
• errors in word formation if the part of speech does not change (for example, unresponsible instead of irresponsible)
• phrasal verb error (give in smoking instead of give up smoking)
• a spelling mistake that changes the meaning of a word (thing instead of think, whether instead of weather)

But you must not only avoid mistakes, you must remember that vocabulary in the essay should correspond to the task. That is, if the essay is about food, all sorts of synonyms and expressions on the topic “food” should be used. The lexical composition of the essay should be varied. If the author manages with simple words and expressions (I think, I need to say, It’s good / bad to) or repeats in vocabulary, there will be no maximum points for the “vocabulary” criterion. To get the coveted score, you need to use collocations (start doing - take up), phrasal verbs (meet friends - meet up), catchy vocabulary (think - consider). For example, the essay given as an example is replete with set expressions ( fulfilling job, be of primary importance, sooner or later), it has a phrasal verb ( bring in) and synonymous chains career-job-work-occupation/ love – be keen on – be fond of – fancy/ satisfying job – fulfilling job – favorite job/ high salary – material aspect – well-paid job.

Grammatical errors

When checking task 40, the Expert Advisor displays a grammatical error in the fields if the error:

• in any grammatical form, be it the form of a verb, plural noun, degree of comparison and in any topic from the “Grammar Topics” section of the codifier
• in the order of the words in the sentence (for example, I do not know what are they thinking about. - In the second part of the sentence, the word order is reversed, although there is no question mark)
• there is an omission of a word that affects the structure of the sentence (for example, These people wrong. - The linking verb “are” is missing)
• in word formation, if the part of speech changes (for example, they wanted to write “politician” (politician), but they wrote politic (political)

Also, if the student manages with simple sentences, points are deducted. The composition welcomes complex structures, modal verbs, passive / infinitive / participle phrases, conditional sentences, the main thing is not to overdo it and ‘do not write everything beautiful at once’, to the detriment of meaning. For example, in my essay, in addition to all sorts of complex sentences, there are degrees of comparison ( the most important, higher), modal verbs ( can't, have to), passive ( are underpaid or underestimated), conditional sentence ( If a person is fond of his work, he will eventually become a professional in his area), construction with comparative adjectives ( The more money you have, the better life you can afford).

Spelling and punctuation errors

In writing, spelling errors are considered:

• All errors that do not change the meaning of the word (for example, collegue, becouse, languaege)
  (If the error changes the meaning of the word, it becomes lexical - for example, thing instead of think, whether instead of weather)
• If a word in a paper is spelled correctly once and the rest are incorrect, it is considered a mistake.
• If a letter or word is illegible, the word is considered misspelled.

In the entire written part of the exam, the student can choose either the British or American spelling of the word - favorite / favorite, color / color, drugstore / pharmacy, crisps / chips. And stick to the chosen option to the end. That is, if color is written in one sentence, and favorite in another, such variability will be recorded in the number of errors.

Now about punctuation. Forget essay abbreviations (don't/wouldn't/mustn't) - they will take away points from you. They can and should be written in a letter to a friend (), but not in an essay.

And if the work is written “like a chicken paw” (hello to our Russian language teachers =)) - that is, there will be a lot of strikethroughs in it - the expert has the right to lower the grade by half a point.

Essay example

Makinga good salary is more important than job satisfaction.

It is common knowledge that career choice is one of the most important decisions in our life. Some people believe that it is essential to love what you do, whereas others focus on high salary while choosing a future profession.

In my opinion, a satisfying job is a better option. It fills life with positive emotions giving the energy to accomplish different tasks as we manage our daily routine. Another positive aspect of a fulfilling job is that your performance and, consequently, results are higher if you are keen on the task you are doing.

There are people who have the opposite opinion, for them the material aspect is of primary importance. The more money you have, the better life you can afford. Besides, money means opportunities – opportunities for better housing, education, entertainment and simply higher quality of life.

However veracious it sounds, I would not agree with the above mentioned idea. If people are fond of their work, they will eventually become professionals in a chosen area, and specialists are seldom underpaid or underestimated. A favorite job becomes well-paid sooner or later.

In conclusion, I would like to state that work occupies a great part of everyday routine. Evidently, it is more logical to choose an occupation you fancy over the one that brings in only money.

Attention! When you rewrite your answer on the exam form, do not forget to write the task number at the beginning - Task 40. Also from this year you can’t write on the back of form 2 (that is, the one where you need to write the essay). If you have something that does not fit - and it will not fit, I guarantee you this - ask for the next form. I advise you to ask for the next form in advance, because the assistants on the exam may run out of them, and the search for new ones may take some time, which is oh so important.

And organize your time so that at the exam you have time to rewrite the entire written task on the form. An essay written on a draft is not checked.

Exam essay writing algorithm

1. Set aside 60 minutes for your essay.
2. Read the topic and draw a mind map on the topic. After drawing, make sure that all the arguments given are clearly on the topic (not on a similar one that you already wrote). Every year, the exam writers come up with something new, so don't expect to get a topic you're already familiar with and never slip into another one that's similar. This is fraught with a score of “0” for the KZ criterion, that is, a score of “0” for the entire task 40.
3. Read your arguments again and choose the most appropriate arguments of the 3rd and 4th paragraphs - that is, the arguments against and the counterargument to it.
4. Write an essay on a draft. If you have little time left - write to the clean copy right away.
5. Check for errors. Here I advise you to remember your typical “blunders” and check the work on them.
6. Rewrite for a clean copy. Check for mistakes, check what you wrote “Task 40” before the essay.

P.S. – If you are reading a topic in an exam and realize that you don’t know a word in the topic, don’t panic! Calm down and try to guess how this word can be translated.

Training

I would advise preparing for task 40 when the student's level corresponds to at least B1 (ideally B2, because it is declared as the key to success in the exam).

With level B1, I start preparing for this task about 6 months before the exam - first we analyze the assessment criteria, then we read and analyze essays from previous years, and at the end we already try to write our essays.

For practice, I would recommend purchasing Khotuntseva's book, it is the most useful of all the manuals that claim to help prepare for the written part. The rest of the books below are also good, but Khotuntseva's book is the best.

Buns

I will leave here the essay grading scheme used by the expert when checking task 40.

It is useful to show this diagram to the student during preparation and fill it out together, first evaluating the essays of past years on it, and then the essay of the student himself.

Please note that this article is up to date for USE-2018. In subsequent years, the requirements for writing this assignment may change and my advice will no longer be relevant.

When writing the article, materials were used from the site fipi.ru- the most reliable source for preparing for the OGE and the USE. Everything you read on other sites may contain incorrect information - be careful! (Yes, I have seen several of these sites with incorrect information and bad essay examples!)

I recommend to look at examples of examination essays with analysis in the article about.

What kind of beast is such an “essay” and how to deal with it? Of course, it is best to tame it. We offer together here and now to put everything on the shelves and figure out how to write an essay. Often, a successfully written essay can open up a lot of opportunities on the way to the realization of ourselves, and at the same time the realization of our cherished desires and goals.

What is an essay in English

Essay in English- this is a kind of creative work that has an arbitrary composition and reveals the author's opinion on a particular social, cultural or historical problem. This is not an essay in English, an article, an essay or any other work of a creative genre. The essay proudly occupies a separate hole in the world of journalism. Let's compare it with an article, an essay in English and an essay. To better understand what an essay is and why it cannot be called an article, abstract, etc.

An essay is very similar to a reasoning essay, however, the main difference between these genres is in the purpose of writing an essay - an essay in English always has a conclusion, and an essay only encourages the reader to think and make his own. In the essay, the author only argues, raises topical issues, but does not draw a final conclusion, unlike the essay. The article is really very similar to an essay, because there is no specific structure, there is a relevant topic. However, an article is a work of journalism, unlike an essay. It is this factor that makes the article unique and inimitable in the world of journalistic genre. And so that you do not have the slightest desire to compare an essay with a summary, let's look at the last differences. First of all, the abstract is larger in volume - about 5 pages, while the essay usually takes 1.5 - 2 pages. Also, in the essay, the narrative is on behalf of the author, and the abstract is a report on a well-defined topic.

Where an essay in English is useful:

• To pass the international exam in English.
• For entering university.
• For hiring.

However, these are not all the points where an essay can come in handy. It's no secret that writing an essay develops the imagination and helps develop analytical thinking skills.

Conclusion: if you want to develop, write an essay. It plays an extremely important role in school, university and even at work. It is very important to learn to understand how to write an essay in English correctly in order to confidently go to success from school years.

Essay types

There are 3 types of essays in English:

• For & Against Essays ("For and Against").
• Points to consider ("Problem and solution").
• Opinion Essays ("Special Opinion").

For & Against Essays

Essay "For and Against" - in this type of essay, the main task is to consider two existing points of view. It is important to objectively evaluate both positions and express your understanding of each of the parties.

1. Structure:
2. 1) Introduction (here it is important to characterize the topic that will be discussed without expressing your own opinion).
   2) The main part (here it is important to express your opinion about the problem, give examples and evidence).
   3) Conclusion (in this section, you summarize and summarize all of the above. Remember that in this type of essay, a specific conclusion should not be made, you can only distribute all the arguments over two bowls of weight).

Important! The words I think, I believe,In my opinion, etc. can be consumed only in prison where you express your position.

Useful phrases :

When considering points of view (beginning of essay):
firstly- First of all
in the first place- at the first place
to begin with- start with
secondly- Secondly
finally- eventually

To list benefits:
another- other
an additional advantage of… is... - there is an additional advantage of something
the main advantage of… is... - there is an additional advantage of something

To point out flaws:
a further- next
a major disadvantage / drawback of... - the main disadvantage
the greatest / most serious / first disadvantage- main disadvantage
another negative side of… is another negative side of this…

To represent each point of view:
one point / argument in favor of... - one argument in favor of ...
one point / argument against... - one argument against ...
it could be argued that... - there are disputes that ...

When discussing:
moreover- Furthermore
in addition- in addition
furthermore- besides
besides- besides
apart from- Besides
as well as- as well as
also- also
both- both
there is another side to the question... - there is another side to this issue ...

To express the contrast
however- but
on the other hand- on the other side
still- more
yet- more
but- but
still- However
it may be said/ claimed that- they say that...
although- although
while- while...
despite / in spite of- despite...

Opinion Essays

"Dissenting opinion" - in this type of essay, it is important to express your position on a particular problem. It is important to give examples, arguments in favor of your opinion, and also express your position quite transparently.

1. Structure:
   1) Introduction (here it is important to indicate the issue to be considered, as well as your position on it).
   2) The main part (it is important to indicate the opinions opposite to yours, explain why they have the right to exist, and also give arguments in favor of your opinion).
   3) Conclusion (in this section you once again express your point of view in other words).

Useful phrases:

To express your own opinion:
to my mind,… - my opinion
in my opinion / view… - I consider…
I strongly believe... - I am firmly convinced ...
I am (not) convinced that... - I'm not sure that ...
I (definitely) feel / think that... - I definitely think that ...
it seems / appears to me... - it seems that ...

Points to consider essays

The essay “Problem and Solutions” is written in a formal style. It is important to pose the problem, then consider ways to solve it.

1. Structure:
   1) Introduction (here you state the problem).
   2) The main part (it is important to show possible solutions to the problem and its consequences).
   3) Conclusion (in this section you express your own opinion about solving the problem).

Useful phrases:

To explain the situation:
because- because
due to (the fact that) - thanks to something
the reason is that- The reason is that
thus- thus
consequently- as a result
so that... - thus
in order to... - in order to
with the purpose of- with the aim of
intention of (+ing) - with intention

To express the probability:
it can / could / may / might be… - possibly...
it is possible- possibly
unlikely- unlikely
foreseeable- predictably
certain that... - sure that ...
the likelihood- probability

Rules for writing an essay in English

Stick to structure. Don't forget to use the draft. Make notes for yourself, outline a plan for writing an essay in English, sketch out a list of all the arguments before you start writing. It is important to be fully equipped and ready for any topic.

It is best to prepare for writing an English essay in advance, and the more the better. Thus, whatever topic you come across, you can develop it based on the knowledge and experience that you received during the preparation.

An essay can be perfect in content, however, if it contains grammatical errors, everything is lost. Be sure to remember to check your work after writing. It is advisable to do this twice. First, from the very beginning to the end, and then read the entire work in reverse order. The work should be read in reverse order to identify errors in words.

Be sure to follow the style of one of the three types of essays in all work. In an essay, it is important to be specific, but you should not make it too short. Most often, an essay consists of 180-320 words, depending on the purpose of writing. Don't forget about linking words. They show the literacy of the author. Use quotes that will confirm this or that opinion.

Important! To The number of words in an essay in English usually ranges from 180 to 320 words.

We can conclude that an essay is not as scary as it might seem at first glance. The main thing is preparation. Even after reading just this article, you will already have enough information to understand how to write an essay in English. Small matter is practice. Write as many essays as possible, get inspired to write an essay in English on a topic unfamiliar to you, be it animal rescue or world art trends.

English via Skype - preparation for an essay

If you still doubt that you will be able to prepare perfectly on your own, we recommend that you try individual Skype training at our English language school EnglishDom.

EnglishDom teachers have repeatedly prepared students for writing essays and more. Our students show brilliant results, for which we would like to thank them. In order to make sure of the high quality of learning in EnglishDom, you can first register on our website and try to train your knowledge, expand your vocabulary with absolutely free content. We are focused on the knowledge of our students, so you can study with us even for free.

Big and friendly family EnglishDom

The maximum number of points you can get for an essay is 14 points.

Before thinking about the correct fulfillment of each criterion, first let's make our essay in English testable. The most important thing here is volume.

Formally, your essay in English should fit into 200-250 words. This is not to be taken literally and to panic if you have 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, then the reviewer will count 250 words from the beginning of the essay, draw the rest and check everything up to the line. That is, in the first scenario, you lose the entire essay; at the second, most likely, you will lose the conclusion, which is also important.

First of all, your essay in English should cover ALL aspects of the assignment, and should also be written in an appropriate style (neutral). It should be logically divided into paragraphs and correspond to the plan proposed in the task.

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 should be a problem statement here. Since the statement of the problem has already been stated in the assignment, your task is to correctly retell it. It is to REPRESENT, not to paraphrase.

Tip: Do not reread the task 10 times until the wording is hammered into your head. Then writing an introduction in your own words will be very, very difficult. Read the given situation in the task 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 it was about. ATTENTION: after you have done this, be sure to open the situation and make sure that your retelling essentially matches the situation given to you. Now you can go further.

Instead of the 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 directly ask the question, which you will answer in your essay. For example: “What is better: ... or ...?”, “What should we do: ... or ...?” it. d.

In the last sentence of the introductory paragraph, you should state 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 easiest option, if it will be difficult for you to remember the previous two, remember it)

Paragraph 2. Your opinion

It is most logical to start this paragraph by expressing your position on this issue. Useful phrases (be sure to follow this punctuation!):

In my mind...
From my point of view, ...
To my mind...
Personally, I think that...
I'm certain that...
As far as I am concerned, ...

Next, you need to give 2-3 arguments confirming your point of view. Arguments can be any, if you correctly interpret them. 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 in support of them than 3 short and not fully disclosed. 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 good 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 to support it. Here are the simplest models for how this can be done:

because...
argument. That is why...
argument. For example, ...

If you started with “Firstly...”, then the second argument should begin with the word Secondly...

If the first argument came with the phrases “To start with, ...”, “To begin with, ...”, then the second one 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. Contrasting opinion

You will begin the paragraph with the statement of the opposite opinion on the proposed topic or issue. 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 think of two first. And how much to write in the end: 1 or 2 - decide in the process, based on the resulting size of your essay.

Tip: You will then have to challenge the opposite arguments, so when you come up with them initially, think about how you will challenge them. If you have nothing to object to the invented argument, it is better to immediately replace it with another one so as not to do this while writing an essay. It's 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 come up with other arguments “for” while the essay has not yet been written. In any case, it's better to think it through initially while you are planning an essay, rather than in the process of writing!

Paragraph 4. Your counterarguments

The point of this paragraph is to explain why you disagree with the opposing opinion. You can start a paragraph, for example, with a sentence:

I can't agree with this opinion because ...
I'm afraid I can't agree with this idea because ...

ATTENTION: if you gave two arguments in the previous paragraph, then both must be refuted. You can distinguish them with the following phrases:

as for...,
speaking about...,
As far as ... is concerned,

Tip: When refuting opposing arguments, it is best to offer ways to solve them, and not prove their incapacity. For example, if someone believes that pets are dangerous, then one should not argue 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 is that they simply state their opinion in the conclusion. This is not enough. After all, the conclusion applies to the entire essay, not just the second paragraph.

Thus, in 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, the conclusion should not contain any new information.

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 adhere to our own. For example, you can do this in the following way:

Despite the fact that ..., I'm convinced that ...
Taking into consideration different opinions on this issue, I believe that ...

Essay language design

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:

Go through each noun separately. If the noun is countable and is in the singular, it must be preceded by an article! Most likely, you should have it undefined (but see for yourself from the context).

Go through all the introductory words and phrases and make sure there are commas after them. Before the word ‘that’, on the contrary, there should not be a comma: “I think that...”, “Others believe that...”.

If the subject is expressed in 3 person singular ( he/she/it), do not forget to add the ending -s to the verb!

About the "smart" words a separate conversation. There is a separate item in the evaluation criteria: Vocabulary. Believe me, it's better not to use a smart word than to use it incorrectly and get minus points for it.

Tip: If you don't know a lot of "smart" vocabulary, push it to the maximum into pre-memorized phrases. For example, instead of the banal “for example”, you can use “for instance”; instead of “I think” use “I believe / suppose / presume”. That is, in fact, you need to come up with vocabulary that you can definitely use in your English essay, no matter what topic you come across.

according to Verbitskaya

Exercise:

Comment on the following statement:

It's reported that billions of dollars are spent on space exploration projects every year. Some people believe that this money should be used to solve problems on Earth.
What is your opinion? What problems should humanity solve first of all?

Write 200–250 words.

Show the plan and scheme of evaluation according to the criterion K1

Use the following plan:
− make an introduction (state the problem)
− express your personal opinion and give 2–3 reasons for your opinion
− express an opposing opinion and give 1–2 reasons for this opposing
opinion
− explain why you don't agree with the opposing opinion
− make a conclusion restating your position

Evaluation scheme for the criterion "Solution of a communicative task":
a) the volume of the statement corresponds to the task
b) introduction - statement of the problem;
c) the opinion of the author with 2-3 arguments;
d) opposite point of view with 1-2 arguments;
e) explanations why the author does not agree with the opposite point of view (counterarguments);
e) conclusion (conclusion).

Essay text

Our science have changed every year. Nowadays a lot of money is spent on space exploration projects. Many people think that it is not right because this money should be used to solve problems on Earth. Let's consider both views on this issue.

In my opinion, space exploration is very importand for us because we must know more about universal, planets, stars and meteorits. Scientists haven’t already know all about them and if they are dangerous for us. Secondly, when scientists studied the sun they discovered new chemestry elements for example gelius. Also when they study the sun they study how our healthe depends from it. Thirdly, we can travel on space and see Earth from space-ship.

People spend a lot of money for this traveling so they give this money for new discoveries.

On the other hand, some people who think that space exploration it is a waste of time and money because this money can help people who have very dangerous illnesses. Secondly, government can help spend this money on our education. They can buy new equipmen for school. Thirdly, this money can be used for helping poor countries and people who live in them. This money can help make their life better.

In conchesion, I would like to say that it's better to spend money on space exploration because in future people will live in space. (231 words)

Parsing and evaluation:

Criterion 1 - the solution of a communicative task.

The communicative task here is to compare the possible benefits of investing large sums of money in space research, or what they will spend on solving problems on earth. It also raises the question of the relative importance of the problems that need to be addressed and how urgent their solution is. The author did not cope with this task.

1.1. Is there an introduction with a problem statement? – Yes, there is, but practically without paraphrasing. In addition, the problem is posed incorrectly: the author proposes to consider " both points of view on the problem ”, although he gives only one point of view. Thus, as a problem to consider, " issue » We are invited to the disagreement of many people with spending on space. The question of the assignment is clearly not about that.

1.2. Has the author's opinion on the problem been expressed and is it argued? - The opinion is expressed, but the argumentation is weak and chaotic. The author argues that space research is important and gives scattered facts (asteroids may be dangerous; new chemical elements were discovered during space exploration; the sun affects people's health), but does not show how these facts are related to each other and how they confirm his position. The fourth argument is not directly related to the topic of the essay: "the profits from space tourism partially cover the costs of research."

1.3. Does the essay present an opposite point of view with 1-2 arguments of its supporters? – The opposite point of view is represented by three arguments.

1.4. Is there an explanation why the author does not agree with this opposing point of view (counterarguments)? — No, the author does not explain why he does not agree with the point of view of his opponents, therefore it is impossible to evaluate his argumentation.

1.5. Is there a conclusion with a conclusion? – There is a formal conclusion, but the conclusion is not connected with the previous arguments of the author: in the paragraph 2 the author talks about the benefits of comic research for practical life on the ground , and in conclusion connects the costs of space research with the fact that in the future people will live in space .
Also, the author does not compare the benefits of space research with the benefits of investing money in solving earthly problems, that is, having partially answered the first question of the assignment (expressing one's opinion), the author completely ignores the second - a comparison of problems.

the communicative task was partially fulfilled: 1 point.

Criterion K2 - Organization of the text.

2.1. Is there a division into paragraphs and is it done correctly? - There is a division into paragraphs, but there is no part devoted to the author's counterarguments and refutation of the position of his opponents.

2.2. Is the essay logical and are the means of logical connection used correctly? - The essay is illogical. The author does not show the connection between his arguments and does not use the means of logical connection to oppose his arguments to the arguments of opponents or develop his thought.

Of the two uses "Because ” in the first one, the logical structure of the argument is violated: what the author presents as an argument “ we must know more about…"in fact, it is not an argument, but is a paraphrase of the author's position" space exploration is very importand for us". Of the other introductory words, the author uses only those that reflect the order (First, second, and so on). introductory word “in conclusion” cannot be considered an example of the use of logical connection tools, since this introduction is formal.

In general, this criterion will be given 1 point.

Criterion K3 - lexical design of speech.

3.1. Does the vocabulary correspond to the set communicative task? - In general, it corresponds.

3.2. Is the vocabulary sufficient, how diverse is it, does it correspond to a high level? - Is the vocabulary sufficient, how diverse is it, does it correspond to a high level? - The essay uses an unlimited vocabulary: of the modal verbs, only "can" is used, there is no

paraphrasing the topic in the first paragraph, and the phrase "space exploration" repeats itself throughout the text.

3.3. Does the author follow the rules of word formation and compatibility (collocations), is it correct Are words used in a specific context and do errors (if any) affect understanding of the content? – A large number of lexical errors - 6

the number of errors exceeds 4: 1 point

Criterion K4 - Grammar.

4.1. Is the choice of using grammatical means appropriate for the purpose of the utterance? – The choice of grammatical means is generally appropriate.

4.2. How diverse are the grammatical means and does their complexity correspond to a high level? - The arsenal of grammatical structures used is small, their complexity does not correspond to a high level. In almost all sentences, the basic construction "Subject + Predicate in active voice" is used. The only attempt to construct a relative

subordinate clause - unsuccessful.

4.3. How correctly and accurately are grammatical means used? - Numerous grammatical errors: “science have changed every year”, “haven't already know”, “about of them” “spend a lot of money for” “give this money for” “ome people who think that space exploration it is a waste of time and money because this money can help people who have”, “can helps spend this money” “help to make” “depends from it”, “travel on space”, “space exploration it is a waste of time", "for school.", "this money can be used for helping".

a large number of errors: 1 point.

Criterion K5 - spelling and punctuation.

Spelling errors - 6. Syntax errors - 3.

a large number of errors: 0 points.

Overall rating for this work: 4 points.

Essay text source - Methodological materials for chairmen
and members of regional subject commissions for checking the fulfillment of assignments with a detailed answer to the exam papers of the Unified State Examination (Verbitskaya, Makhmuryan)

HOW TO IMPROVE AN ESSAY ON

USE-2018 UP TO 14 POINTS

Warm-up - Correct the spelling and lexical errors from this essay.

Time limit: 0

Navigation (job numbers only)

0 of 3 tasks completed

Information

Next to the wrong words, write them in the form in which they should be in the essay.

You have already taken the test before. You cannot run it again.

Test is loading...

You must login or register in order to start the test.

You must complete the following tests to start this one:

results

Time is over

1. With an answer
2. Checked out

How to build a clear argument in an essay in English

We have seen that the mark for solving a communicative task is also given according to the quality of the argument (Methodological recommendations for the organizers and experts of the Unified State Examination, Verbitskaya, Makhmuryan). That is, firstly, there should be no unnecessary off-topic arguments, and secondly, they should be consistent and convincing. That is, you can completely solve the communicative task in the essay for the USE 2018 if you correctly select arguments and examples. In this article, as an example of a real essay, I will show

how to do it, but for now a little theory.

How to argue correctly?

Imagine the argument as a simple mathematical fraction. There is a numerator (top), there is a denominator (down below). The argument is always based on comparing or contrasting two concepts with a "common denominator". The "common denominator" is some characteristic that will be common to all concepts, but the "numerators" will be different - this is how this characteristic is expressed.

example 1

• Swimming and running are both beneficial, but swimming develops all the muscles, while running only develops the legs and ligaments ( benefit- "denominator" develops all muscles / only legs and ligaments- "numerators").
• Football and tennis are both sports, but one is a team sport and the other is an individual sport.

In our text, we will compare the benefits of investing money in space research with the benefits of spending money on solving problems on earth.

The "denominator" will be such characteristics as "time", "amount" / "size", "probability", "distance".

• time: now / then, now / before
• amount: many / few
• size, scale: man / mankind, big / small
• probability: accurate / inaccurate
• distance: close / far

Example 2

1. The results of space research will only possibly bring benefits in the future, but at the same time to all people inhabiting the Earth or those who will move to other planets.

• Distance- far
• Time- after
• Confidence- inaccurate (negative characteristics)
• Scale- all mankind (positive characteristic)

2. To spend money on earthly needs means to help specific patients, and to do it right here and now. Or here and now to organize education in poor countries.

• Time- now
• Distance- here,
• Confidence- exactly (positive characteristics)
• Scale- a single person (negative characteristic)

These are the first thoughts that automatically come to mind. Those who “believe that money should be spent” on solving earthly problems are guided by positive characteristics “ here» « now" and " for sure«.

We can solve the communicative task of the essay in two ways: defend space exploration or agree with its opponents. Depending on this, we will build an argument.

Termination of research

• Just agree with the arguments of their opponents and give examples of how the redirection of cash flows will make everyone happy
• In the third paragraph, talk about the benefits of research in such a way that it is clear that this is not serious.

In a step-by-step guide to improving the sample essay, we will defend the research and use both methods of argumentation.

The task contrasts the distant benefits of research with close problems, that is, according to the "denominator" distance (close against far), time (now against after) and probability (for sure against possibly).
Let's bring space closer to us: " discoveries are already being used in medicine". Let's strengthen the connection with the person: cosmic rays + gene mutations. Let's add scale: the survival of all mankind against one patient.

Too bad it's already 230 words. That is, almost the upper limit, and we still have to write counterarguments. Oh yes, still need to paraphrase in the first paragraph. And remove the superfluous about “Our science have changed every year” - there is no question about changes and time in the task. In this phrase, the "denominator" - change, It was against became. But this is not in the question.
Along the way, we will diversify grammar and vocabulary, as well as improve the logic of the text.

VIEW RESULT

In my opinion, space exploration is extremely important for us and humanity should carry on with it. First of all, it allows us to know more about the universe, planets, cosmic rays and asteroids. Distant planets should be studied as the potential home for humanity in the future, and asteroids may be dangerous for the Earth now. followers, life of all humanity may depend on how much we know about these. What is more, while studying space objects, scientists already make discoveries which change life on Earth right now. For example, new chemical elements like helium can be found during such research. Also, information about the influence of the space and the stars on humans’ health can be obtained as a result of space studies, like the role of cosmic rays in gene mutations and the evolution itself.

On the other hand, space exploration is often claimed a waste of time and money. Those who think so believe that this money should be spent on finding a cure for dangerous deseases and saviung people on earth right now. They also encourage governments to invest more in education saying that thousands of schools, especially in poor countries, may be equipped with this money.

However, they forget that new materials and technologies obtained in space experiments are already being used in modern medicine, in particular – in artificial organs, or arms and legs. Moreover, the issue of inequality in living conditions between countries had been around long before the first man in space, so it is unreasonable to try to solve this issue at the experience of science.

All in all, I believe that current and possible benefits that space exploration can give us are so great and important that it definitely should continue.

(339 words)

Almost everything worked out, now there are five paragraphs, clear and coherent arguments, only there are almost a hundred more words. At the next stage, we will try to cope with this, and now we will analyze what we have just done:

We shorten the words in our essay.

Nowadays scientists conduct multi-billion research in space, which provokes strong opposition from those who believe that there are more immediate and more important problems on Earth which this money may help to solve. Let's consider whether or not space research should be abandoned in favor of issues on our planet. (50 words)

Nowadays scientists conduct multi-billion research in space, which some opposition claiming that there are urgent problems on Earth which require attention. Let's consider whether space research should be abandoned in favor of more apparent issues. (35 words)

In my opinion, space exploration is extremely important for us and humanity should carry on with it. First of all, it allows us to know more about the universe, planets, cosmic rays and asteroids. Distant planets should be studied as the potential home for humanity in the future, while asteroids may be dangerous for the Earth now. followers, life of all humanity may depend on how much we know about these. What is more, while studying space objects, scientists already make discoveries which change life on the Earth right now. For example, new chemical elements like helium can be found during such research. Also, information about the influence of space and the stars on humans’ health can be obtained as a result of space studies, like the role of cosmic rays in gene mutations and the evolution itself. (138 words)