IELTS Expert 5 - 6A - Writing Task 2 (Structure a paragraph)

"Did Tet holiday turn you into a chubby pig, or did you spend more time perfecting your cooking and study skills?"

• a chubby pig

• cooking and study skills

• none of them

Read the writing task and underline the key

words.

What do you need to do in your essay?

---

People should only buy locally grown food; it is better for individuals and society.

To what extent do you agree with this statement?

• describe a problem and present a solution

• present and explain your opinion

• discuss two sides of an argument

Read the model answer. Does the student agree

or disagree with the statement? Why? What are the opinions?

---

Today supermarkets sell all sorts of natural and processed foods from all over the world. However, many people think that we should only eat meals we prepare ourselves from products that are grown locally. I totally agree with this statement.

Firstly, we get many advantages from eating food that is grown in the part of the world where we live. Local foods, for instance, taste better because they are fresher. They also have all the natural vitamins and other nutrients that we need. Eating local food means that we cannot have, for example, strawberries at all times of the year, but I think this is a good thing. If you can only eat them when they are available locally, that makes them more special.

Secondly, buying food that has travelled a long way is not good for society. Flying produce to Europe or the USA from a place such as Australia or South Africa contributes to environmental problems like air pollution, one of the main reasons for climate change. When the food arrives at an airport on the other side of the world, it then usually goes by lorry to supermarkets across the continent. This leads to busy roads, which is bad for the environment and also makes driving more stressful for everyone.

If we just buy food that has come from farms in our local area, our diet may be less varied, but this is not a serious problem. Both we and the planet will benefit.

1. 1. What is the topic sentence in this paragraph?

2. 2. Do the other sentences in the paragraph explain the idea in the topic sentence or do they

introduce new ideas?

3. 3. Do any of the other sentences give examples?

---

Firstly, we get many advantages from eating food that is grown in the part of the world where we live. Local foods, for instance, taste better because they are fresher. They also have all the natural vitamins and other nutrients that we need. Eating local food means that we cannot have, for example, strawberries at all times of the year, but I think this is a good thing. If you can only eat them when they are available locally, that makes them more special.

Match these sentences together in the third paragraph.

• give a reason f/a point in topicsentence

• Flying produce to Europe or the USA from a place such as Australia or South Africa contributes to environmental problems like air pollution, one of the main reasons for climate change.

• describes the next stage in a process?

• Secondly, buying food that has travelled a long way is not good for society.

• is the topic sentence?

• When the food arrives at an airport on the other side of the world, it then usually goes by lorry to supermarkets across the continent.

• presents what happens in the situation

• This leads to busy roads, which is bad for the environment and also makes driving more stressful for everyone.

Number the sentences in the best order (1—4) to make a paragraph.

• This means that meals are much less varied and interesting for them.

• People who only buy food that comes from their local area have a very limited diet.

• In this part of the country, for example, they can eat lots of potatoes, carrots, and apples but they can't have rice, aubergines or bananas.

• It also makes it more difficult for them to get all the vitamins and nutrients that their body needs.

Look at the words/phrases in the box for giving

examples. Which ones does the student use in the model answer?

for example - for instance - one example (of ...) is .

to give a(n) (simple/brief) example

take, for example - like - such as

---

Today supermarkets sell all sorts of natural and processed foods from all over the world. However, many people think that we should only eat meals we prepare ourselves from products that are grown locally. I totally agree with this statement.

Firstly, we get many advantages from eating food that is grown in the part of the world where we live. Local foods, for instance, taste better because they are fresher. They also have all the natural vitamins and other nutrients that we need. Eating local food means that we cannot have, for example, strawberries at all times of the year, but I think this is a good thing. If you can only eat them when they are available locally, that makes them more special.

Secondly, buying food that has travelled a long way is not good for society. Flying produce to Europe or the USA from a place such as Australia or South Africa contributes to environmental problems like air pollution, one of the main reasons for climate change. When the food arrives at an airport on the other side of the world, it then usually goes by lorry to supermarkets across the continent. This leads to busy roads, which is bad for the environment and also makes driving more stressful for everyone.

If we just buy food that has come from farms in our local area, our diet may be less varied, but this is not a serious problem. Both we and the planet will benefit.

Write examples for each statement using phrases

You can write the examples in a new sentence or include them as part of each

statement.

for example / for instance / one example (of is ...

to give a(n) (simple/brief) example

take, for example / like / such as /

---

1. 1. Many countries export food.

2. 2. Exporting food is important for the economies of some countries.

3. 3. Green vegetables are full of vitamins and other nutrients.

4. 4. The farm sells dairy products.

Write the second and third paragraphs of an

essay for the writing task in Exercise la. For each paragraph, remember to:

1. 1. begin with a topic sentence.

2. 2. explain/support the idea of the topic sentence in the rest of the paragraph.

3. 3. make clear links between the sentences in the paragraph.

4. 4. give examples using some of the words/phrases in Exercise 3a.