IELTS Lesson Plans

The lesson in one table

Part	You teach	They do	Sheet	Min
1	What an opinion essay is: three wordings, one essay, one model	Label the parts of the model essay	WS 1	25
2	The introduction: 2 sentences	Write 2 introductions	WS 2	30
Break	10 minutes			10
3	The body paragraph: say it, explain it, finish it. Then bridges.	Read the second model, write 1 body paragraph	WS 3	35
4	The conclusion: the same opinion in different words	Write 2 conclusions	WS 4	25
5	Peer check, the clock, homework	Check a partner, write down the homework	Check sheet	15

The one sentence of this lesson: an opinion essay says what you think in the introduction, proves it in the two middle paragraphs, and says it again in the conclusion. Say it in Part 1 and again in Part 4.

Aims

Students can name the four paragraphs and say what each one does.
Students write a two-sentence introduction: the question in their own words, then their position stated in one clear sentence.
Students write a body paragraph in three moves: say it, explain it, example.
Students write a conclusion that repeats their opinion in different words and adds nothing new.

Materials

Board space. The pattern board from Part 1 stays up all lesson.
This page on every student device, joined to the room.
A clock. Every writing task here is timed and the times are called aloud.

Procedure

Stage 1: What an opinion essay is (25 min)

Interaction: whole class, then individual

Goal: they can see the four paragraphs and say what each one does.

Write this question on the board and leave it there all lesson:
Some people think that all teenagers should be required to do unpaid work in their free time to help the local community. They believe this would benefit both the individual teenager and society as a whole. Do you agree or disagree?
Ask the room: agree or disagree? Take three or four answers out loud. 2 min

Three wordings, one essay. Rub out the last line of the question and write the three endings underneath instead. Ask the class one question: how many different essays do I need? Let them answer wrongly first, then give it: one. Same topic, same essay, three ways of asking. 3 min

The question can end	What it wants
Do you agree or disagree?	Your opinion.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?	Your opinion. Partly agreeing sounds welcome here, but one side is still fine.
What is your opinion?	Your opinion.

The line to say: the ending changes. Your essay does not. Whichever one you see, you write the same four paragraphs: your position, two reasons, and your position again.

Say: the examiner wants to know what you think, and wants to know it twice, at the start and at the end. Draw the pattern board. Leave it up all lesson. 5 min
Send them to Worksheet 1. Read the model essay aloud once while they follow it on the screen. 4 min
They tap the eight answers on their own, then check together. 7 min
Finish with one question. Read only the introduction of the model, then only the conclusion. What is the same, what is different? The answer you want: same position, different words. 5 min

THE ANSWER              250+ words · 40 minutes · 4 paragraphs

   INTRODUCTION   2 sentences
      1  the topic in your own words
      2  YOUR POSITION:  agree · disagree · partly agree

   BODY 1         reason 1: say it · explain it · finish it
   BODY 2         reason 2: say it · explain it · finish it

   CONCLUSION     1-2 sentences
      your position again, in different words

Check questions

Where does the examiner learn my opinion? (sentence 2 of the introduction)
How many reasons? (two, one in each middle paragraph)
Can I put a new reason in the conclusion? (no)

What good looks like: everyone gets paragraphs A to D right, and most get the three sentence questions right.

Watch for: students who call the conclusion “a summary”. Push them: it is the same position in different words, not a list of everything above.

Stage 2: The introduction (30 min)

Interaction: whole class, then individual

Goal: two sentences, two jobs. Paraphrase the topic, then state a position the examiner cannot miss.

Sentence 1, paraphrase. Put this question on the board:
Some people think that all teenagers should be required to do unpaid work in their free time to help the local community. They believe this would benefit both the individual teenager and society as a whole. Do you agree or disagree?
Change it with the class out loud, using the three ways: change the words, change the order, change the word type. Build one new sentence together, then hold it next to the original and ask whether the meaning is still identical. 6 min

Step A, change the words. Build this column by column, asking the class for each one.

The question says	You write
Some people think	It is often argued / Many people believe
all teenagers	every young person
should be required to	should be obliged to / should be forced to
unpaid work	work without payment
in their free time	in their spare time / outside school hours
help the local community	support their local area
community, society	leave them. No natural synonym exists.

Step B, change the order. Put the idea first and the people second. Some people think that teenagers should be required to work becomes obliging teenagers to work is an idea many people support.

Step C, change the word type. teenagers should be required to work becomes the requirement for teenagers to work. this would benefit society becomes the benefit to society.

Two finished versions. Either is fine: Many people believe that every young person should be obliged to give up their spare time for unpaid work in their local area.

Obliging young people to work without payment outside school hours is an idea that many people support, on the grounds that it helps the teenagers and the community alike.

Two to put up and reject: A copy. Some people think that all teenagers should be required to do unpaid work in their free time. Six words in a row from the question. None of them count towards the 250.

A changed meaning. Many people believe that teenagers should do more work to earn money. Unpaid has become paid. This student is now answering a question nobody asked, and the whole essay is off task.

Give the rule: never copy the question. Copied words do not count in the 250, and four or five words in a row is a copy. 1 min

Sentence 2, position. Put the three positions on the board: agree, disagree, partly. Take the same question and write one of each with the class, so they see that all three are allowed and that all three are answers. Ban In this essay I will discuss and there are arguments on both sides, and say why: neither tells the reader what you think. Say which one you recommend: agree or disagree, one clear side, because partly is where students lose the position altogether. 7 min

Position	Sentence 2 for this question
Agree	I completely agree that teenagers should be required to give some of their free time to their community.
Disagree	However, I do not agree that these benefits would survive if we forced all teenagers to do unpaid work. (this is the model essay on Worksheet 1)
Partly	I agree that this work is valuable, but I do not accept that it should be forced on anyone.

Then put these three up and ask what the writer thinks: In this essay I will discuss both sides of this issue.
There are arguments for and against unpaid work.
This is a complicated question and it depends.

Nobody in the room can answer. Neither can the examiner, and that is the single most expensive thing a student can do in Task 2.

Partly is not the fence. Write it depends on the situation next to I agree that the work is valuable, but not that it should be forced. Ask which one tells you what the two middle paragraphs will be about. Only the second does. 3 min

Do not argue against yourself. Put these two sentences on the board and ask the room whether both can be true. Then fix it in front of them. This is the hardest idea in the lesson, so do it slowly. 3 min

	Broken	Fixed
Intro	Unpaid work can only be beneficial for the individual and for society as a whole.	Unpaid work that young people choose to do is of value to them and to their communities.
Body 2	I do not believe that society has anything to gain from unpaid work.	I do not believe that society gains anything when people are forced.

Say this as you fix it: the broken pair cannot both be true, so the essay argues against itself. The fix is one word: choose. Once the introduction is about work people choose to do, body 2 is free to attack work people are forced to do, and nothing contradicts. The thing that changed is compulsion, and compulsion is what the question is asking about.

Send them to Worksheet 2. Part A is four introductions to name, done fast, whole class check. Then two questions, two sentences each, five minutes per question, called on the clock. 9 min
Read two or three of their sentence 2s aloud from the dashboard, without saying whose. After each one ask the room one question only: does this person agree or disagree? 1 min

SENTENCE 1   the topic in your own words
   change the words   required → forced / obliged
   change the order   Some people think X.  →  X is an idea many support.
   change the type    the education of children → educating children
   different words · SAME meaning

SENTENCE 2   your position
   AGREE      I completely agree that ...
   DISAGREE   I do not agree that ...
   PARTLY     I agree that ..., but not that ...
   BANNED: "In this essay I will discuss both sides."
           "There are arguments for and against."

DO NOT ARGUE AGAINST YOURSELF
   INTRO   "Unpaid work can only be good for society."
   BODY 2  "Society has nothing to gain from unpaid work."
   FIX     make the intro about CHOICE, not about the work

What good looks like: you can read a student’s sentence 2 aloud and the whole room answers agree, disagree or partly in one second, without discussion.

Watch for: a position with no reasons attached. Ask what their two middle paragraphs will be about. If they cannot say, the sentence is not finished. Watch also for partly used as an escape: if they cannot name which half they accept, they are on the fence.

For a strong class only, 2 minutes: the model essay on Worksheet 1 is an edited version. The published original opens this can only be beneficial for both the individual and society as a whole, and then body 2 opens society has nothing to gain from unpaid work. Those two sentences contradict each other, and the original body 2 also leans on nobody is forced to volunteer, and this is surely the best system, which argues that the current system is right because it is the current system. Both are repaired in the version on this page. If you show the original, show it after they have written, never before.

Stage 3: The body paragraph and bridges (35 min)

Interaction: whole class, then individual

Goal: one paragraph, in three visible moves.

Go back to paragraph B of the model essay and cut it up on the board: which sentence says the reason, which sentences explain it, which sentence finishes it. 5 min

Move	Sentence from paragraph B
1 · Say it	Most young people are already under considerable pressure from their studies, and adding a further obligation to their free time is unrealistic.
2 · Explain it	School can be as demanding as a full-time job, because teachers expect homework and exam revision on top of a full day of lessons. Free time is what makes that workload bearable: it is when teenagers see their friends, play sport and recover.
3 · Finish it	Taking it away would not produce willing volunteers, only exhausted ones, and there are many years of work ahead of them once their studies are finished.

Point out: move 3 here is the result, not an example. Paragraph C finishes with a better alternative instead. Both are band 9, and neither uses for example. Box 3 has to do one of those three jobs, but it does not have to be an example.

Put the three moves and their phrases on the board. Give the size rule: 1 sentence, 2 sentences, 1 sentence. 4 min
The second essay. Send them to the second model and read only paragraphs B and C aloud. Two questions, in this order. Where is the example in B? (For example, nursing courses...) Where is the example in C? (there isn’t one: he imagines a situation instead). Let the second answer land before you explain it. Then the rule: box 3 does one job, and an example is one of the ways. Finish with the real example versus the invented statistic: write in my old school next to studies show that 70% of teenagers and ask which one an examiner believes. Do not work on the introduction or the conclusion here. 6 min

Bridges. Same essay, three sentences on the board. Ask what each one points at. Then the test: cover a paragraph, and see whether the first six words of the next one still tell you what it was about. Say the difference between a bridge and Secondly, which is a label and tells the reader nothing they cannot see. 5 min

The bridge	What it points at
One of these reasons is that...	Back to the introduction, which promised several reasons.
This is only one of the reasons why I am against the suggested policy.	Back at his position, and forward to the next reason.
Apart from the practical concerns expressed above, I also believe...	Back to body 1, by naming what body 1 was about.

Point back at the first model too: paragraph C of the teenagers essay opens At the same time, I do not believe that... That is the same move. Both band 9 writers do it, and neither of them writes Secondly.

Send them to Worksheet 3. They take reason 1 from one of their own introductions and write it out in the four boxes. Fifteen minutes, called at ten and at five. 15 min

1  SAY IT      1 sentence    The main reason is that ...
2  EXPLAIN     2 sentences   This is because ... / As a result, ...
3  FINISH IT   1 sentence    an example, what to do instead,
                             or the result.  For example, in ...

REAL       "In my old school, the students who ..."
NOT REAL   "Studies show that 70% of teenagers ..."

What good looks like: two sentences in the explain box, and a box 3 that does one job only: an example, what to do instead, or the result.

Watch for: one sentence in the explain box. Ask why is that true? and what happens because of it? Those two questions produce the two sentences.

Stage 4: The conclusion (25 min)

Interaction: whole class, then individual

Goal: they see that the conclusion is the introduction again, and they write two.

Put these two on the board side by side. Ask what is the same and what is different. Answer: same position, different words. 5 min

	The model essay
Intro, sentence 2	However, I do not agree that these benefits would survive if we forced all teenagers to do unpaid work.
Conclusion	In conclusion, teenagers may choose to work for free and help others, but in my opinion we should not make this compulsory.

Give the opener, In brief, then the rule: nothing new. No new reason, no new example, no but it depends. 4 min
Send them to Worksheet 4. It is the same two questions as Worksheet 2, so each conclusion has to match the introduction they already wrote. Six minutes each. 12 min
Tell them to read their own introduction and their own conclusion one after the other, and count the words that are the same. If a whole sentence is the same, they rewrite it. 4 min

What good looks like: the opinion is identical in both, and the wording is not.

Watch for: a conclusion that adds a new idea, usually a third reason or but it depends on the situation. Cut it in front of them and ask if anything is missing. Nothing is.

Stage 5: Peer check, the clock, homework (15 min)

Interaction: pairs, then whole class

Goal: they read someone else’s work with the same three questions the examiner uses.

Pairs. They read their partner’s introduction and conclusion from the partner’s screen, and fill in the check sheet on their own device. 8 min
Take feedback on one question only: could you tell what your partner thinks? Read out one pair where the answer was no. 3 min
Put the 40-minute clock on the board and set the homework. Say what tonight is: they now have all four paragraphs, so the first full essay is homework, not classwork. 4 min

 0-5    PLAN     position · reason 1 · reason 2
 5-35   WRITE    intro · body 1 · body 2 · conclusion
35-40   CHECK    same position at the start and the end?

Read from the partner’s screen, type on your own. The check sheet saves to whichever device it is typed into. If they swap devices, the dashboard files the comments under the wrong name.

Homework

Essay 1, 40 minutes: Some people think it is not necessary for adults to receive education in class. Self-study is a good way for them to study more effectively. To what extent do you agree or disagree with it?
Essay 2, on another day: Caring for children is probably the most important job in any society. Because of this, all mothers and fathers should be required to take a course that prepares them to be good parents. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this view?
In both: two sentences in the introduction, two middle paragraphs with an example each, and a conclusion that says the same position in different words.
Task 2 slides and the workbook videos, then copy the model essay sentence by sentence.
Topic vocabulary: next three topics, 150 words on each using the collocations. Then one sentence for each structure, and five sentences for each conditional 0 to 3.
Speaking: Part 2, ten spoken and one written under exam conditions from the app. Part 1, the next 30 spoken and five of them written. Plus shadowing.
Listening and reading: dailydictation numbers and spelling, one hard section transcribed, C13T2 vocabulary and sentences, then C13T4 as a full mock on learne.org with no break. Analyse every wrong answer.
Ongoing: revise the workbook tabs, red Murphy five units of your own mistakes, the pronunciation playlist, three posts.

What to read on the dashboard

Worksheet 1 marks itself. Anyone who got the three sentence questions wrong has not seen the pattern yet.
Worksheet 2, sentence 2 is the most useful thing in the lesson to read. Ask of each one: can I write down this student’s position, in one word: agree, disagree or partly?
Worksheet 3: count the sentences in the explain box, and look for a real place in the example box.
Worksheet 4: put it next to their Worksheet 2 answer. Same opinion, different words, nothing new.

Worksheet 1: the model essay

The question: Some people think that all teenagers should be required to do unpaid work in their free time to help the local community. They believe this would benefit both the individual teenager and society as a whole. Do you agree or disagree?

A   (1) Many young people work on a voluntary basis, and this is
    clearly of value both to them and to the communities they help.
    (2) However, I do not agree that these benefits would survive if
    we forced all teenagers to do unpaid work.

B   Most young people are already under considerable pressure from
    their studies, and adding a further obligation to their free time
    is unrealistic. School can be as demanding as a full-time job,
    because teachers expect homework and exam revision on top of a
    full day of lessons. Free time is what makes that workload
    bearable: it is when teenagers see their friends, play sport and
    recover. Taking it away would not produce willing volunteers, only
    exhausted ones, and there are many years of work ahead of them
    once their studies are finished.

C   At the same time, I do not believe that society would gain what
    the supporters of this idea expect. Volunteering is valuable
    largely because it is freely given, and compulsion removes exactly
    the willingness that makes the work worth having. Forcing a whole
    age group to work against their will is also likely to breed
    resentment, both amongst teenagers, who would feel that they were
    being used, and amongst parents, who would object to being told
    how to raise their children. If we want more young people helping
    their communities, the answer is to make volunteering easier and
    more attractive, not to remove the choice altogether.

D   In conclusion, teenagers may choose to work for free and help
    others, but in my opinion we should not make this compulsory.

                                            260 words  ·  band 9

Part 1. What is each paragraph?

Paragraph A

Paragraph B

Paragraph C

Paragraph D

Part 2. What is each sentence doing?

Paragraph A, sentence (1)

Paragraph A, sentence (2)

Paragraph D

Part 3. The question says teenagers should be required to work. What does this writer think about that?

Then do this: read paragraph A again, then paragraph D. What is the same? What is different? Write the answer down somewhere you will see it again, because it is the rule for every conclusion you will ever write.

Worksheet 1: answers

#	Answer	Say this
A	introduction	Two sentences only. The position is in the second one.
B	body 1	Reason 1: teenagers have no spare time to give.
C	body 2	Reason 2: compulsion destroys the thing that makes volunteering valuable.
D	conclusion	One sentence. Same position, no new idea.
A (1)	the topic in my own words	Compare it with the question on the board. Almost no words are the same, and it is not a copy.
A (2)	my position: what I think	Cover the rest of the essay and read this sentence alone. You already know the answer to the question.
D	my position again	Same position in different words. Nothing new arrives.
Part 3	disagrees completely	Both middle paragraphs argue against the statement. He gives ground in sentence 1, but he never changes side.

Feedback focus: Sentence A(2). Read it aloud on its own and ask the room one question: does this person want teenagers to be forced to work, yes or no? Everyone should answer in one second. That is what a good second sentence does, and it is the whole point of Part 2 of the lesson.

If a sharp student asks about sentence A(1): they may notice that giving ground in sentence 1 looks like agreeing. Show them the exact wording: the value is in work young people choose to do. Body 2 then attacks work they are forced to do. Different things, so no contradiction. See the note in Part 2 of the procedure: the published version of this essay gets that wording wrong, and it is a very useful two minutes if the class is strong.

Worksheet 2: introductions

Part A. Four students answered this question: Some people think that all children should learn to play a musical instrument at school. To what extent do you agree or disagree? What position does each one take?

Learning an instrument at school is something many people would like every child to do. I completely agree, because music teaches children to practise patiently.

It is sometimes suggested that instrument lessons should be compulsory for all school children. I do not believe this is a good use of limited school time.

Some argue that every child should be taught an instrument at school. In my view this is right for younger children, but it should become a choice once students reach the exam years.

Music education is a topic that people discuss a great deal these days. In this essay I will look at both sides of the argument and reach a conclusion.

Part B: write two introductions

How to do it Two sentences for each question. Five minutes each.

Sentence 1: the topic in your own words. Change the words, change the order, change the word type. Do not copy.
Sentence 2: your position. Agree or disagree is safer than partly.

AGREE      I completely agree that ...
           In my view, this should be ...

DISAGREE   I do not agree that ...
           I strongly believe that this would be a mistake.

PARTLY     I agree that ..., but not that ...

BANNED     "In this essay I will discuss both sides."
           "There are arguments for and against."

Question 1

Some people think that all children should learn to play a musical instrument at school. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Sentence 1: the topic in my own words

Sentence 2: my position

Question 2

Some people believe that mobile phones should be banned in schools. What is your opinion?

Sentence 1: the topic in my own words

Sentence 2: my position

Check your own sentence 2 before you stop: cover everything else and read it alone. Can a stranger tell you in one word whether you agree or disagree? If not, it is not finished.

Worksheet 2: answers and what to look for

Part A	Answer	Say this
1	agrees	One side, and the reason is already there.
2	disagrees	One side. Note that he never praises music lessons first.
3	partly agrees	A real split: younger children yes, exam years no. Body 1 and body 2 are already decided.
4	no position at all	The one to spend time on. It sounds like an introduction and answers nothing.

Part B has no key: any position is correct. Read the dashboard for four things.

Copied words in sentence 1. If four or five words in a row match the question, it is a copy. Show them one on the board and change it together.
No position in sentence 2. Anything beginning There are arguments on both sides has not answered.
Only one reason. Very common. Ask what paragraph 3 will be about.
Two reasons that are the same reason. “It is good for children” and “children benefit” is one reason twice, and the essay will repeat itself.

Sample answers for Question 1, if you need one on the board: Sentence 1: Many people believe that every child at school should be taught to play an instrument. Sentence 2: I completely agree, because music teaches children to practise patiently and because it gives quieter students a way to succeed at school.

A second model essay

The question: Universities should accept equal numbers of male and female students in every subject. To what extent do you agree or disagree? A different wording, and the same four paragraphs.

A   Men and women should have the same educational opportunities.
    While some say universities should accept equal proportions of
    each gender in each programme, I believe it would not be a good
    idea for several reasons.                              (35 words)

B   One of these reasons is that having the same number of men and
    women on all degree courses is simply unrealistic. Student
    numbers on any course depend on the applications that the
    institution receives. If a university decided to fill courses
    with equal numbers of males and females, it would need enough
    applicants of each gender. In reality, many courses are more
    popular with one gender than the other, and it would not be
    practical to aim for equal proportions. For example, nursing
    courses tend to attract more female applicants, and it would be
    difficult to fill these courses if fifty per cent of the places
    needed to go to males. This is only one of the reasons why I am
    against the suggested policy.                         (125 words)

C   Apart from the practical concerns expressed above, I also believe
    that it would be unfair to base admission to university courses
    on gender. Universities should continue to select the best
    candidates for each course according to their qualifications. In
    this way, both men and women have the same opportunities, and
    applicants know that they will be successful if they work hard to
    achieve good grades at school. If a female student is the best
    candidate for a place on a course, it would be wrong to reject
    her in favour of a male student with lower grades or fewer
    qualifications.                                       (100 words)

D   In summary, the selection of university students should be based
    on merit, and it would be both impractical and unjust to change
    to a selection procedure based on gender.              (29 words)

Look at the two middle paragraphs: paragraph B finishes with an example: For example, nursing courses... Paragraph C has no example at all. It finishes by imagining a situation instead: If a female student is the best candidate... Both paragraphs are band 9. This is why box 3 gives you a choice.

Look at the word counts: 35, then 125, then 100, then 29. The two middle paragraphs are the essay. Students usually write a long introduction and run out of time. Do the opposite.

Bridges: how he joins the paragraphs

A bridge is a few words at the start or end of a paragraph that point at another paragraph. They cost you nothing and they make four separate paragraphs read as one essay. This writer uses three.

Where	The bridge	What it points at
Start of body 1	One of these reasons is that...	Back to the introduction, which promised several reasons.
End of body 1	This is only one of the reasons why I am against the suggested policy.	Back at his position, and forward to the next reason.
Start of body 2	Apart from the practical concerns expressed above, I also believe...	Back to body 1, by naming what body 1 was about.

BRIDGES YOU CAN USE TOMORROW

START OF BODY 1
   One of these reasons is that ...
   The main reason for this is that ...
   The first reason why I think this is that ...

START OF BODY 2
   Apart from the practical concerns above, I also believe ...
   A second reason for my view is that ...
   At the same time, I do not believe that ...

END OF A BODY PARAGRAPH   (optional)
   This is only one of the reasons why I am against ...
   For this reason, I do not accept that ...

THE TEST
   Cover the paragraph above. Can you still tell what it was
   about from the first six words of this one? If yes, that is
   a bridge.

Do not confuse a bridge with a linking word: Firstly, Secondly and Moreover are labels. They tell the reader a new paragraph has started, which they can already see. A bridge names the idea it is leaving and the idea it is going to. That is why Apart from the practical concerns above is worth more than Secondly.

The second essay: what to draw out

Sentence in paragraph B	The move
One of these reasons is that having the same number of men and women on all degree courses is simply unrealistic.	1 · Say it
Student numbers depend on applications... If a university decided... In reality, many courses are more popular with one gender...	2 · Explain it, here in three sentences instead of two
For example, nursing courses tend to attract more female applicants...	3 · Finish it, using an example
This is only one of the reasons why I am against the suggested policy.	An extra move: point back at your position. Optional, but easy and it looks deliberate.

Ask one question about paragraph C: where is the example? There isn’t one. He imagines a situation instead. Let them find that themselves, then say it: box 3 does one job, and an example is only one of the ways to do it.
The introduction here is 3 sentences, not 2, and it starts with a general statement before the paraphrase. Say that two is the safe minimum and three is fine. Do not spend longer than a minute on it.
While some say X, I believe Y is the same concession move that the teenagers essay got wrong in its published version. Here it works, because what he gives ground on (equal opportunities) is not what he attacks (equal numbers). Only raise this if you showed them the broken pair in Part 2.
The wording. This one says to what extent do you agree or disagree and he still picks one clear side. Point back at Part 1: the ending changes, the essay does not.

Worksheet 3: write one body paragraph

Choose reason 1 from one of the two introductions you wrote in Worksheet 2, and write that paragraph. Four sentences in total.

The two questions again, so you do not have to scroll up: Question 1. Some people think that all children should learn to play a musical instrument at school. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Question 2. Some people believe that mobile phones should be banned in schools. What is your opinion?

Follow paragraph B of the second model essay. It does exactly these four moves, in this order.

1  SAY IT      1 sentence    One of these reasons is that ...
                             The main reason is that ...

2  EXPLAIN     2 sentences   This is because ...    As a result, ...
                             This means that ...    Therefore, ...

3  EXAMPLE     1 sentence    For example, in ...
                             a real place, school, country or year
                             (or: what should happen instead,
                              or the result)

4  BRIDGE      1 sentence    point back at your position, and
                             forward to your next reason
                             This is only one of the reasons why ...
                             For this reason, I do not accept that ...

1. Say it: the reason, in one sentence

2. Explain it: two sentences

3. Example: one sentence

4. Bridge: one sentence, pointing to your next reason

Before you stop: count the sentences in box 2. If there is one, ask yourself what happens because of this? and write the answer. That is your second sentence.

Then read box 4 on its own. Does it remind the reader what you think, and does it show that another reason is coming? If not, it is not a bridge yet.

Worksheet 3: what to look for

Students filled in four boxes. Read them in this order on the dashboard.

The box	The problem you will see	What to say
Box 2 · Explain it	Only one sentence in it. This is the commonest problem in the lesson.	Ask them two questions: why is that true, and what happens because of it? Those two answers are the two sentences.
Box 3 · Finish it	A sentence that does no job at all, usually “Many people say…”	That is neither an example, nor a result, nor what should happen instead. Pick one of the three and write it.
Box 3 · Finish it	They chose an example, but it is vague.	Send them back for a real school, city, country or year.
Box 1 · Say it	Two reasons crammed into one sentence.	One paragraph, one reason. The second reason is the next paragraph.
Box 4 · Bridge	Empty, or just “Secondly”.	A bridge names the idea it is leaving and points at the next one. Show them the model again: this is only one of the reasons why I am against the suggested policy.

Model paragraph, if you need one on the board: One of these reasons is that learning an instrument teaches children to practise. This is because nobody plays well in the first month, so a child has to work for weeks before anything sounds right. As a result, they learn that slow progress is normal, which helps them in every other subject. For example, in my old school the students in the orchestra were the ones who kept going when the maths got difficult. This is only one of the reasons why I believe every child should be taught an instrument.

Worksheet 4: write two conclusions

The same two questions as Worksheet 2. Scroll up, read the introduction you wrote, and now write the conclusion that matches it. Six minutes each.

OPENER    In brief, ...

THEN      the same position  +  different words

NOTHING NEW    no new reason · no new example · no "but it depends"

Question 1

Some people think that all children should learn to play a musical instrument at school. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

My conclusion

Question 2

Some people believe that mobile phones should be banned in schools. What is your opinion?

My conclusion

Now test it: read your introduction, then your conclusion, one after the other. The opinion must be the same. The words must not. If a whole sentence is identical, write it again.

Check sheet: your partner's introduction and conclusion

Read from your partner's screen and type on your own device. Six short answers.

1. Whose work are you checking?

2. What does this person think? Write it in one sentence.

3. Does this person agree, disagree, or partly agree? One word.

4. Does the conclusion say the same position? Yes or no.

5. Is the conclusion in different words, or is it copied?

6. One thing to fix. One only, and say it as an instruction.

The rule to leave with: say what you think in the introduction, prove it in the two middle paragraphs, and say it again in the conclusion. An examiner who cannot find your opinion cannot give you the marks for it.

Appendix: the boards

BOARD 1   (Part 1)   stays up all lesson
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Some people think that all teenagers should be required to do
unpaid work in their free time to help the local community.
Do you agree or disagree?

   INTRODUCTION   2 sentences
      1  the topic in your own words
      2  YOUR POSITION:  agree · disagree · partly agree
   BODY 1         reason 1: say it · explain it · finish it
   BODY 2         reason 2: say it · explain it · finish it
   CONCLUSION     1-2 sentences
      your position again, in different words


BOARD 2   (Part 2)   the introduction
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
SENTENCE 1   change the words     required → forced / obliged
             change the order     Some people think X.
                                    → X is an idea many support.
             change the type      education of children
                                    → educating children
             different words · SAME meaning

SENTENCE 2   your position, and nothing else
             AGREE      I completely agree that ...
             DISAGREE   I do not agree that ...
             PARTLY     I agree that ..., but not that ...
             BANNED: "In this essay I will discuss both sides."
                     "There are arguments for and against."

DO NOT ARGUE AGAINST YOURSELF
             INTRO   "Unpaid work can only be good for society."
             BODY 2  "Society has nothing to gain from it."
             FIX     make the intro about CHOICE, not the work


BOARD 3   (Part 3 and 4)   the body and the conclusion
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
BODY   1 SAY IT    1 sentence   The main reason is that ...
       2 EXPLAIN   2 sentences  This is because ... / As a result ...
       3 FINISH IT 1 sentence   example / what to do / the result
       real = a place, a school, a country, a year

CONCLUSION   In brief, ...
             same position + different words
             NOTHING NEW

 0-5    PLAN     position · reason 1 · reason 2
 5-35   WRITE
35-40   CHECK    same position at the start and the end?

Answer key in one place

Sheet	Answers
1 · Model essay	A introduction · B body 1 · C body 2 · D conclusion · A(1) the topic in my own words · A(2) my position · D my position again · Part 3 disagrees completely
2 · Introductions	Part A: 1 agrees · 2 disagrees · 3 partly agrees · 4 no position at all. Part B has no key. Check: sentence 1 not copied, sentence 2 states one clear position.
3 · Body paragraph	No key. Check: two sentences in the explain box, a real place in the example box, and a box 4 that points back at the position and forward to the next reason.
4 · Conclusions	No key. Check against their Worksheet 2: same position, different words, nothing new.