IELTS — Writing module 3

Opinion essay — part two: IDEA GENERATION

1. Question Analysis

The first thing you do when you get your paper is analyze the question.

1st: what is the general topic of the essay? Underline the main topic words.

2nd: what are the specific ideas they want the examinee to talk about? Find the specific keywords.

3rd: what is the examiner asking of you? Use this for the introduction words.

Example:

“Teenagers should not be allowed to use mobile phones at school.”

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

• So, here what is the general topic? teens education and mobile phones.
• What are the keywords? teenagers & school. PS: This statement is specific to teens AT school, not on the weekends.
• Introduction: do you agree or disagree? that’s it!

2. Other methods:

• Brainstorming: usually can be a waste of your time, trying to collect a “dump” of non-specific ideas that can sometimes be irrelevant to the topic.
• Remember: these are fake scenario questions, the examiners just want to see if you are able to communicate in English. They are not expecting “expert” answers, just basic knowledge on the subject.

3. Idea generation method:

The main idea of this method is: to keep it simple!

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The most obvious ideas are normally the best ones. The simplest, most straightforward ideas are the easiest to understand and write about. Plus, you do not gain extra points for thinking of ‘amazing’ ideas…

• Direct method: ask yourself direct, specific questions about the scenario. This will generate specific, relevant ideas in a short amount of time. The first idea you think of is usually the best one.
• What is a good idea? It’s easy to understand, relevant to the question (answer the specific question), and it’s easy to explain.
• Ideas #1 and #2 must differ from one another!

How to apply this method to an Opinion essay:

• If you agree with the statement. Think of two reasons why someone would agree with it.
• Do not overthink this. The goal here is to get you to think of ideas in less than two minutes.
• Take time to generate good relevant ideas, plan out your answer and make sure it is relevant!
• There are no extra marks for “complex ideas”. The simplest ideas are better & faster = gives you high scores!

Go back to that example above. Let’s say you:

• AGREED: Why? 1) phones are distracting, teens lack focus. 2 Competition for the latest phone model, peer pressure and bullying.
• DISAGREE: Why? 1) they can be used for educational purposes, googling references, etc. 2) easy to reach in case of an emergency.
• There are many other possible ideas that are correct for this example, but these are two straightforward, direct examples!

TIPS FOR OPINION ESSAYS:

• Stop brainstorming and mind mapping or any other method that takes too much of your time and gives you irrelevant ideas.
• Ask yourself direct questions.
• Get out of your own ways. Stop overcomplicating it.

EXAMPLE

“Parents should spend more time with their children helping with their homework”

Do you agree or disagree?

For this question, the goal is to clearly explain why parents should or shouldn’t help their children with their homework. Therefore, if your main idea doesn’t relate to this, then it is irrelevant!

For instance, you choose to disagree because “1) parents do not have enough time”. This does NOT explain why they shouldn’t, it only says why they can’t! Therefore, this idea is irrelevant.

Another common mistake is repeating the same idea twice! For example, ‘Disagree because 1) makes them independent, 2) helps them study alone.’

Another tip is to think of only 2 reasons for opinion essays, more than that and you’re just wasting time. Example: ‘Disagree because 1) children feel free and enjoy learning, and 2) they feel secure and motivated’. These are actually 4 reasons.

STRONG EXAMPLES:

• AGREE because 1) helps children improve, 2) bonds with their children (helps them emotionally and academically).
• DISAGREE because 1) children can become dependent on their parents, 2) parents should use the time they have with their kids for other responsibilities.

Then you go on in your main paragraphs and elaborate on these ideas.