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How to write an essay in English

By ielts expert, 29 june 2023 - 16:00.

How to write an essay in English, blog image

Many students say writing is the worst part of their English, but it’s often just a case of confidence. With practice, and the tips in this post, you can gain the confidence you need to maximise your English and really show it off. This post will look at the three stages of writing - planning, writing the text and reading it back.

If you are preparing for an exam, please be aware that for the latest information on exam format you should always go straight to the source – IELTS website . You can practice free online IELTS Academic Writing tests or General Training Writing tests . You can also practice writing your answer by downloading an IELTS Writing Answer Sheet .

Planning is an integral part of your writing. You might say “I don’t plan”, but somewhere in your subconscious, you do! By raising your awareness of your own planning process you can improve enormously. As a teacher, I see many students who plan and many who don’t. In general, the students that plan produce much better work, so if you are in the “no plan” camp, you should at least experiment with some of the ideas coming up.

Planning 1: Address the question

If you are writing for a class assignment or an exam, it is crucial that you address the question given. Adequate planning (five minutes is better than nothing) will keep you on track. 

Start by breaking the question down into its parts. There will usually be two or three aspects to the question. You want not only to cover all aspects of the question, but also make it obvious to your teacher or the examiner that you have done so, and the best way to demonstrate this is to give each aspect its own paragraph.

Planning 2: Brainstorm vocabulary as well as ideas

Once you have identified your paragraphs, think about what vocabulary you have at your disposal. Perhaps you would like to write one paragraph from a particular angle, but when you start planning you might find there are holes in your vocabulary and you are better able to write from a different angle. Choose ideas which best overlap with what you can clearly state in English.

Planning 3: Write chunks of language

Even with all the vocabulary in the world, some ideas are complex to express in writing. Causality, speculation and hypothetical scenarios are all abstract concepts which make it more challenging to say exactly what you want, but these are also an opportunity to push your English ability to the max and show your grammatical range. 

Sound out in your head how you will make your arguments, and when you get stuck, try writing this part down in your plan. It might be a whole sentence of just a clause. This will help you decide if you have enough English ability to get across a really impressive idea, or if you need to simplify your thoughts in order to remain clear to the reader.

Writing the text 1: Use your plan!

I have seen many students write logical, competent plans that address the question, only to go off on a random tangent when they start writing! 

Of course, you might change some things as you go along, for example if you have a new idea, but keeping an eye on your plan will prevent you from getting distracted and bring you back to the question you must answer. It will also keep you aware of how you are doing for word count and time.

Writing the text 2: Write your introduction last

You should at least consider this idea. The purpose of an introduction is to tell the reader what they are going to read, so how can you write the introduction when you haven’t written the content yet?

Introductions are fiddly to write on a blank canvas, but much easier when we already have the content written in front of us.

If you are writing on paper, it is still possible to write the introduction last - you just need to leave a few lines for it.

Writing the text 3: Make sure your introduction and conclusion match

Your introduction and conclusion should also match the content of your main body paragraphs. This might seem obvious, but I wish I had a euro for every time I have seen an introduction passionately in favour of something followed by body paragraphs and a conclusion that were passionately against.

This problem can be avoided by writing your conclusion last, as suggested above. It will also be avoided by planning, and thinking a little more deeply how you feel about the question before you start. When I say a little more deeply, I’m talking about a minute or so, not hours.

Writing the text 4: Use linkers

Linkers are often misunderstood as simply a way of showing “formal English” but in fact, we use linkers all the time, even when chatting with friends. We use them in speech and in writing to indicate “I’m going to add to what was just said,”  “I’m going to contradict what was just said,” and generally to help the listener or reader understand where we are going next.

After writing the text

This is another area where many students are very reluctant - you need to read what you wrote! 

Check for spelling errors, missing third person s, capital letters, whatever errors you are prone to make… and if you don’t know what errors you are prone to make, it’s because you aren’t checking your writing, so you need to start today! You can be the expert on your own writing strengths and weaknesses, and this will just make you better and better.

Moreover, you should read back your text because it’s enjoyable to see how skillfully you put your ideas down and how convincing your arguments are. You did it! Well done! Enjoy the moment with some positivity!

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How to write an argumentative essay - Part 1

By singapore teaching centre, british council, 05 may 2015 - 03:52.

Introducing the British Council’s How to Write an Argumentative Essay animated video series. This is the first of five simple and easy to follow videos that will show you how you can improve your writing.

We will look at:

  • Planning and question analysis
  • Writing a paragraph
  • Introduction and conclusion
  • Counter paragraph

This series is a comprehensive online tuition guide, taking you through all the key elements you need for a good piece of argumentative essay writing. This series is particularly relevant to secondary school students struggling with their English curriculum.

Learn more on Secondary English

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Writing workshop: Emails and letters – formal and informal

Girl doing a writing exam

Join our live event to support our learners studying for English exams: Writing emails and letters – formal and informal.

16 February 2024

What is the event about?

In this live lesson with Neil and Neeraj, there will be an introduction to the topic of writing emails and letters: formal and informal.  

Join the event on  Facebook  or  YouTube  at 1.00pm UK time.  Find the time where you are.

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IMAGES

  1. A for and against essay

    writing essays british council

  2. IELTS Writing

    writing essays british council

  3. British Council

    writing essays british council

  4. British Council number 3

    writing essays british council

  5. An opinion essay

    writing essays british council

  6. Upper intermediate B2

    writing essays british council

COMMENTS

  1. An opinion essay

    Tips Read the question carefully. Respond to all ideas in it or all parts of it. Plan your ideas first and then choose the best ones. Introduce your essay by restating the question in your own words. Show understanding of both sides of the argument. Use linking words to connect your ideas. Draw your conclusion from the main ideas in your essay.

  2. Writing

    Learn to write in English with confidence Our online English classes feature lots of useful writing materials and activities to help you develop your writing skills with confidence in a safe and inclusive learning environment.

  3. B2 writing

    30 An email to your professor Learn how to write an email to your university professor. 17 An informal email to a friend Learn how to write an informal email to a friend. 32 An opinion essay Learn how to write an opinion essay.

  4. An opinion essay

    Tips Introduce your essay by restating the question in your own words. If the essay asks you to what extent do you agree?, make your opinion clear throughout. You can either agree, partially agree or disagree with the statement, explaining and justifying your opinion. The structure should be: Introduction The first reason why you agree/disagree

  5. An opinion essay

    Preparation Reading Check your understanding: multiple selection Check your writing: matching - useful words and phrases Worksheets and downloads An opinion essay - exercises 806.72 KB An opinion essay - answers 284.99 KB An opinion essay - essay 657.49 KB An opinion essay - writing practice 187.62 KB Discussion

  6. Writing

    A1 writing Are you an elementary (CEFR level A1) learner of English? Practise and improve your writing skills with these texts and exercises. A2 writing Are you a pre-intermediate (CEFR level A2) learner of English? Practise and improve your writing skills with these texts and exercises. B1 writing

  7. C1 writing

    13 An email request Learn how to write a formal email to make a request. 16 An email to a friend Learn how to write an email to a friend. 18 An essay about women in science Learn how to write an essay that suggests reasons for and solutions to a problem. 24 An opinion essay Learn how to write an opinion essay. 22 Conference bios

  8. PDF Essay structure and writing an introduction

    Procedure: introduce focus of the lesson: Writing Task 2 - Essay structures and introductions give each student a copy of Worksheet 1 and one minute to read the Task 2 question. elicit possible next steps before writing i.e. brainstorming ideas.

  9. B1 writing

    121 A report on a student meeting Learn how to write a report. 92 A restaurant review Learn how to write a restaurant review. 143 A thank-you message Learn how to write a thank-you message to a colleague. 112 An email giving holiday advice Learn how to write an email to give holiday advice. 76 An email to explain an accommodation problem

  10. PDF An opinion essay

    Tips Read the question carefully. Respond to all ideas in it or all parts of it. Plan your ideas first and then choose the best ones. Introduce your essay by restating the question in your own words.

  11. B1 writing

    22 An email to a new friend Look at the email and do the exercises to improve your writing skills. 31 An invitation to a party Look at the exam question and invitation and do the exercises to improve your writing skills. 23 An opinion essay Look at the essay and do the exercises to improve your writing skills. 30 Checking out websites

  12. A for and against essay

    B1 writing A for and against essay A for and against essay Look at the essay and do the exercises to improve your writing skills. Instructions Preparation Check your understanding: multiple selection Check your writing: reordering - essay structure Check your writing: typing - linking words Worksheets and downloads

  13. How to Write an Argumentative Essay

    Introducing the British Council's How to Write an Argumentative Essay animated video series. This is the first of five simple and easy to follow videos that ...

  14. How to Write an Argumentative Essay

    Introducing the British Council's How to Write an Argumentative Essay animated video series. This is the second of five simple and easy to follow videos that...

  15. Free Online IELTS Academic Writing Tests

    write at least 150 words for task 1 write at least 250 words for task 2 write your answers in the answer booklet write clearly in pen or pencil; you may make alterations, but make sure your work is easy to read At the end of the test, hand in both the question paper and your answer booklet.

  16. How to write an essay in English

    How to write an essay in English By IELTS Expert 29 June 2023 - 16:00 Share this Many students say writing is the worst part of their English, but it's often just a case of confidence. With practice, and the tips in this post, you can gain the confidence you need to maximise your English and really show it off.

  17. Life skills essay

    Instructions Preparation Reading Check your writing: multiple choice Check your writing: reordering Check your writing: gap fill typing Worksheets and downloads Life skills essay - exercises 1.09 MB Life skills essay - answers 244.03 KB Life skills essay - text 1.05 MB Life skills essay - writing practice 339.89 KB Discussion

  18. How to write an argumentative essay

    Writing a paragraph. Introduction and conclusion. Counter paragraph. Editing. This series is a comprehensive online tuition guide, taking you through all the key elements you need for a good piece of argumentative essay writing. This series is particularly relevant to secondary school students struggling with their English curriculum.

  19. PDF Problems and Solutions essays

    Procedure: introduce the focus of the lesson: Academic Writing Task 2 - Problems and Solutions essays. elicit environmental problems in general or show the class some pictures related to overfishing and elicit the topic. give students a copy of Worksheet 1 and draw attention to the essay question. elicit keywords from the question to identify ...

  20. Free online IELTS Writing practice tests

    Choose which test you need to prepare for: Free online IELTS Academic Writing practice tests - paper Practise for your IELTS Writing Test with our free practice test. Free online IELTS General Training Writing practice test - paper Practise for your General Training IELTS Writing test.

  21. PDF Sample Candidate Writing Responses and Examiner Comments

    Writing responses are marked by trained and certificated IELTS examiners. Scores may be reported as whole bands or half bands. Below you will find candidates' responses to the two tasks in the sample Academic Writing test. There are two responses for each task. Each response has been awarded a band score and is accompanied by an examiner

  22. essay

    This online level test will give you an approximate indication of your English proficiency level. You can use the result to help you find online courses or learning content on our website that is appropriate for your English language ability.

  23. Writing practice

    Writing practice. Do you like writing in English? In this section you can practise writing different types of texts with an example to help you. Read, write, play games, print activities and post comments!

  24. Writing workshop: Emails and letters

    In this live lesson with Neil and Neeraj, there will be an introduction to the topic of writing emails and letters: formal and informal. Join the event on Facebook or YouTube at 1.00pm UK time. Find the time where you are. Join our live event to support our learners studying for English exams: Writing emails and letters - formal and informal.

  25. British Council Pakistan on Instagram: "Help your child learn to write

    33 likes, 2 comments - britishcouncilpakistan on February 12, 2024: "Help your child learn to write essays in a structured and concise manner by registering them in t ...