WRITING

1
WRITING

• discursive compositions

2

• In Part 2 of the exam, you are often asked to
  write a composition, which can be on a range of
  topics. Read the exam question in the next slide
  and underline the key words.

3

• You have had a class discussion on school exams.
  Your teacher has now asked you to write a
  composition with the following title
• Taking exams has both positive and negative
  effects on students.
• Write your composition 120 180 words.

4
Work with a partner. Look at the exam question
again and answer the following questions.

• 1) Who is going to read your composition?
• 2) Which style of writing will you use for your
  leader?
• a. very informal
• b. quite formal
• c. chatty and colloquial
• 3) What format do you need to use?
• a. letter format
• b. a story
• c. paragraphed text with no specific format
• d. report format
• e. newspaper article format.

5
Which of the following outlines for the
composition is the most appropriate?

• Introduction
• Positive and negative effects of exams.
• Solutions to the problems exams cause
• Conclusion
• Introduction
• The positive effects of taking exams
• The negative effects of taking exams
• Conclusion

• Introduction
• The problems exams cause
• Ways to cope with the problems
• Conclusion
• Introduction
• Advantages of exams In school
• My personal opinions on exams
• Conclusion

6
Brainstorm the topic

• How do you feel when you take an exam?
• How do some people react during exams? What do
  they do?
• Do you think there is an alternative way of
  assessing students rather than taking exams? What
  could be done instead?

7

• Most teachers believe that exams have advantages
  over other ways of assessing students progress.
  However, taking exams usually fills most of us
  with dread. Exams can indeed have beneficial
  results. First of all, an exam forces students to
  revise all the work covered in the school year.
  As a result, they regain valuable knowledge that
  may have been forgotten. In addition, exams are
  an effective way of preparing students for the
  stressful situations that they may meet in their
  future working life. On the other hand, exams can
  have negative effects. Many students cannot
  handle stress very well, and consequently may not
  be able to perform at their best. This in turn
  produces exam results that are not a fair
  reflection of the students true ability. Another
  negative effect is that students may revise very
  hard for a short time before the exam, and then
  forget everything the minute the exam is over. I
  believe that exams are necessary, but should not
  be the only way to determine a students future.
  I think a combination of exams and continual
  assessment of work is a fairer method.

8

• Most teachers believe that exams have advantages
  over other ways of assessing students progress.
  ________, taking exams usually fills most of us
  with dread.
• Exams can indeed have beneficial results.
  ___________, an exam forces students to revise
  all the work covered in the school year.
  __________, they regain valuable knowledge that
  may have been forgotten. __________, exams are an
  effective way of preparing students for the
  stressful situations that they may meet in their
  future working life.
• ____________, exams can have negative effects.
  Many students cannot handle stress very well, and
  consequently may not be able to perform at their
  best. ___________ produces exam results that are
  not a fair reflection of the students true
  ability. _____________ is that students may
  revise very hard for a short time before the
  exam, and then forget everything the minute the
  exam is over.
• __________ that exams are necessary, but should
  not be the only way to determine a students
  future. __________ a combination of exams and
  continual assessment of work is a fairer method.
• First of all
• however
• on the other hand
• another negative effect
• as a result
• in addition
• I believe
• I think
• this in turn

9

• Most teachers believe that exams have advantages
  ____ other ways of assessing students progress.
  However, ____ exams usually fills most of us with
  ____.
• Exams can indeed have beneficial ____. First of
  all, an exam forces students to revise all the
  ____ covered in the school year. As a result,
  they regain valuable knowledge that may have been
  ____. In ____, exams are an effective way of
  preparing students for the ____ situations that
  they may meet in their future working ____.
• On the ____ hand, exams can have ____ effects.
  Many students cannot ____ stress very well, and
  consequently may not be able to perform at their
  ____. This in turn produces exam results that are
  not a fair reflection of the students true ____.
  Another negative effect is that students may
  revise very ____ for a short time before the
  exam, and then forget everything the ____ the
  exam is ____.
• I believe that exams are necessary, ____ should
  not be the only way to determine a students
  future. I think a combination of exams and
  continual ____ of work is a fairer method.

10

• The following words are often used In exam
  questions which require you to write a balanced
  argument on positive and negative points.
• Positive points advantages, pros, benefits,
  arguments in favour, a positive effect
• Negative points disadvantages, cons, drawbacks,
  arguments against, a negative effect

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• Positive points a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ s, p _ _ s, b
  _ _ _ _ _ _ s, a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ s in f _ _ _ _ r,
  a p _ _ _ _ _ _ e e _ _ _ _ t
• Negative points d _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ s, c _ _
  s, d _ _ _ _ _ _ _ s, a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ s a _ _ _ _
  _ t, a n _ _ _ _ _ _ e e _ _ _ _ t