Improve your IELTS writing skills - Full book

IMPROVE YOUR

IELTS

Sam McCarter
Norman Whitby

~

MACMILLAN


Contents

•

•••

• •••••

•

••

Introductio n

page 4

TOp ic

Task 1

Ta..,k Z

Unit 1
page 6

Change and
consequences

Describing trends
Related verbs and nou ns
Un derst and ing data

Understanding questions
Expressing solu tions
Lin king ph rases
Us ing trigger words

Unit2
page 14

The importance
of the past

Comparing information
Adverbs in comparisons
Com paring and contras ti ng

Using itltheylthislthese

Planning essays
Devel ping ideas

Unit3
page 22

Machines, cycles,
and processes

The passive
Sequencing

Using which to organize
information
Expre ssing result and purpose

Unit4
page 30

Education

Ge n era l and sp edfic
statements
Comparing information
Describing proportions

Avo iding o v rgenera jiza ti on
Developing reasons

Unit5

page 38

Youth

De scribing changes
Describing locations

Developing an d j u stifying
opinions
Writing introduct ions

Unit 6
page 46

Culture

Concluding statement.
Con cession ( 1 )

Expressing advantag sand
disadvantage
Advantage an d disadvantage
va abulary
Concession (2)

Unit7
pag e 54

Arts and sciences

Adverbs

DiSCUSSing other people's opinion
Hypo lh e izin g

UnitS
page 62

Nature

taking predictions
Factual accura cy

Article
Wri tin g con clusions

Unit9
page 70

Health

Vary ing vocabulary
Checking pelling

Organizing words
Verb-subject agreement

Unit 10
p age 78

Individual and
society

Word orde r

Paragraph str uClure
Relevant and irrelevanr
information
Task 2 revision

Using actv eJ:bs to eva lu ate
data
Avoiding irrelevance

Lin king using wi th
Task 1 revision

Sample answers
page 6
Key
page 96

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3


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In trod-uction

••

What is Improve your IEL TS Writing Skills?
Improve YOllr fELTS Writing Skills is a complete preparation course for the Academic

Wr iting pape r o( the In ternationa l English Lang u age Te" ting System . Through
targeted practice, it develops skills and language to h elp you achieve a highe r JELTS
score in the Academic Writing pape r.

How can I use this book?
You can use Improve YOllr lELTS Writil1g Skills as a book fo r tudying on your own or in
a class.
If you arc studying on your own , f mprove YOllr f ELTS Writillg Skills is de signed to gu ide
au step"by"step through the activities. This book is also completely elf-contained:
a clear and accessible key is provided so that you can easily check you r answ r as
you w ork through the book. in addition, there is a sample ans w er to acc mpanyeach
Task 1 and Task 2 question .

If you are studying as part of a class, your teacher will direct yo u on how to use each
activity. Some activities can be treated a discussions, in which case they can be a
u seful opportunity to _hare ideas and techniq u es w ith othe r lea rners.

How is Improve your IEL TS Writing Skills orga n ized?
J[ consists of ten units based aroun d topics wbich occur common ly in the real te st .

Each unit consists of three sections :
Task I: exercises and e xamples to de velop skills and la nguage for Ta k 1 questions.
Ta sk 2 : exerdses and examples

to

develop skills and language for Task 2 questions.

Practice test: a complete Academ ic Writing pape r base d on th e u n it topiC to prac tise
the skills learned .
Each Task 1 and Task 2 section is su b divided furthe r into sk ills se ti on s. These fo cus
n spedfic areas of relevance to each task .
In addition, there are echniqlles boxes throughout the book Th ese reimor e k.ey
points on how to approach Academi c Writing tasks.

How will Improve your JELTS Writing SkiJJs improve my
score?
By developing skills
The skills secti ons form a detailed syllabus of essential IELTS wriling skills . For
example, key elements of Task 1 prep ara tion, su ch as Describing trends an d COlI/paril1g
information, are fully covered. Similarly, Task 2 skills, such as Expressing sO/II/iom and
Dnelopil19 ideas are dealt with in detail.

By developing language
Each unit also contains a resour e of useful phrases and vocabular y to II e in each
wri ting task. Over th e ourse of Irnprol'eyollr fELTS Writing Skills, you will encounter
a wide rang of ideas (0 ensure thaI you are not lost for words when you get to the
real test. These include concepts such as organjzjng word, trigger words, and linking
phrases, which all contribute to an appropriate academic writing style.

BV developing test technique
The Tedlllique boxes contain shari tips w hich can easily be memorized and used
as reminders in the real test. These include quick and easy advice about planning,
under tanding question s, and how t o use eUectively the language you have learned.

4

••


Introdllctioll

•

How is the IELTS Academic Writing paper organized?
The academic wri ting omponent of the IELTS lasts one hour. 111 the test, there are
two task of different le n gth. both o f w hich 'ou m u st all' wer.

What does each task consist of?
In Task I. you will hav to w rite a t leas t 150 words to describe some data or a
diagram. Data will normally be presented in the form of a graph, a bar or pie chan.
a tabl e. or a ombin ation of these. A diagram will norma ll y (elate [Q a process, the
worki n gs [ an object. or changes in map o ver time. You are alwa ys exp e te d to
summarize the information by describing the main features. makin J comparison
".... here relevan t.

In Task 2. you will h ave to w rite at least 250 words on a topic. Y 1.1 wil l b e presented
wilh an opinion, an argument. r a p roblem, and you will be expected to respond in
so n e w ay. For exam ple. in 'our re pons . yo u may be asked LO:

x p r s an opinion .
give views about two differe m opin ions and give your own opinion.
discuss a dvantages and di sad vantage .
give a so lution to a problem by sugges ti ng meas ures.
discuss ca uses of a problem and suggest sol u tions.
You are ahvays expe ted to give reasons and include any relevant examples from
your own knowledge and experience .

How will I be assessed?
In bo th tasks ou will be Clssessed on your ability to expre s yourself clearly an d
a ccurate ly in English.
In Task 1. you r an wer is assessed according to yo ur ability to write abou t d ta in an
organized wa y an d compare infoID1a tion where it is relevant to do so. You. ho uld
write about the main fea tures of th e da ta an a ld rel evant d rail w here n e essa ry.

in a logical
m a nner as you give a solution 10 a problem, present andjuslify an opinion, compare
a nd contrast evict nce a nd opinions, or evaluate and challenge ideas or arguments.

In Task 2, your answer i assessed a cording to your abili ty to wri

How much time should I spend on each task?
You are ad ise d to sp end 20 m inu tes on Task l.
Yo u are advised to spend 40 minut s on Task .
Even though Task 2 ca rrie m o re m arks, you sh ould always do Task 1 firs t. This
is be cause it is shorter, an d psychologicCl lly it fee ls better if you ha ve comple ted
on e task.

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5


UN IT

••

1

Change and conseqLlences

•

Unit aims
Task t

Tas~

Descnl:lIng trends
Related verbs and nouns
Understanding data

Understandmg questIOns
ExpreSSing soluttons
Linking phrases
USing trigger wards

2

Task 1 Describing trends

1

The gTaphs relate to sales of media technolog . .
Which graph a- h d o au think shows sales for each
item in the p hotos 1-4?

2

Match each grapb (a-h) w ith the most appr p riate
description below (1- 10).

II

II

iii
]

Sales of auelio cassettes fell steaelily. .......... ~......

2

iPo sales rose gradually . ..................

3

Plasma TV sales fluctuated wildly, but the trend

V

.~

II

was upward . ..................
4

Sales of video cassettes nuctuated wildly, and the
tTend was downward ............ _.. ... _

5

iii

Total digital camera sales dropped slightly.

....... - ..........
6

Sa es of audio cassettes fell and then levelled off.

m

..................

7

The sales of MP3-players rose gradually and then
climbed sharply. ............. _....

B

Purchases of video casse tte recorders d lined
dramatically . ......... ,' .......
Sales of games consoles decreased and then

9

levelled off ...................
10

II

3

CD sales dropped suddenJy............ .......

I

Sales of audio cassettes kU steadily.

The verbs in 2 are modified by adverb such as
steadily. Find the adverbs and decid e wheth r they
mean slow or fast changes. Complete the lists below.
Slow
Fas!

6

••••

~

m.---------------

Underline the verbs in 2 used to describe tren d
Example

4

D

.. ~~~!~~ .,

iii ~


•••

UNIT 1

Charlge alld COli eqllell"s

•

•

Related verbs and nouns

5

S en tc'n Cf:~ containin g verb phrQs es s uch as jeJl steadily call often b e re\-\'J.iLLen
u sing the correct form of there islare and a related noun. Read the examples.
Th en rewri te sentences a-j below.
Examples

Th co nsumption of cho colate fell steadily. (verb + adverb)
There was a steady fall in the consumption of chocolate . (there was a + adjective +
n oun )
There has been a dramatic rise in the produ crioD o f films . (there has been a +
adjeCtive + n oun)
Th production of film has risell dramaticalry. (verb + adverb)

a

Spice expons fr om Afri ca fl uc tuated wildly over the p eriod.
There were ........................................ ................................. .. ..................................... .

b

Th e development of n ew products fell gradually.
Ther was ...... ............. ..... .......................................................................................... .

c

There has been a noticeable decrease in

res ~a r ch

investmen l.

Research ......................... ............... ........... ........ ... .. .................................................. ..
d

The purchases of ti.cket dropped significantly last month .
Th ere ~,v as ............................................................................................................ ..

e

On the Internet, th e illu rober of sites rose significantly.
There wa .................................................................................................................. ..
There was a su.dden decrease in th e sale o f mangos.

The sale .... ...... ........................................................................................................... .
g

At the them e park. there "vere very slight fluctuations in the number of
visitors.
The number ................................................................ ............................................... .

h

There was a gradual declin e in sugar impons.

Sugar .......................................................................................................................... .

Technique
•
•
•

•
•
•

Include a variety of
structures In your
writing. Use both
verb +adverb a 1d
adjective + noun
•
structures In '{our
Task 1 answer.
• Express nouns as
The . of or as TWO

•

• nouns

The quality of food in supermarkers has tncreased slowly .

••

Th ere h as ................................................................................................ .......... ......... .
Th e number of air travellers fluctuated remarka bly.
There ........ .. ................ ................................. .. ........................................ ..................... .

6

Phrases such as the consumplion oj chocolate can often be rewritten as just two

nouns. Read the examples. Th en find and revyTitt' olh J examp les in 5 .
Examples

The consumptioll oj chaco/ate can become Chocolate cOllsumption .
The production offt/lns can become Fillll production . (not Films production).

••••• 7


Understanding data

7

Read the graph and th e Ta sk 1 q uesli.o n. Wh

a

The Tea Room in January?

b

Internet Express in Jul y?

c

Wi-fi Cafe in November?

d

are Co I in D eember?

e

The Tea Room in February ?
Changing trends in cafe income

should spend about 20 111 in lites 011 this task.

Sutnmal'iZl! the informalion by selectil)D

To l1el~ you read
the graph. write the
• Ilames nt tile t.afes
at the end of each

me in dollar for:

$160,000

The graph sholt·,\, I lJe income of faLl r cafes
i/l Ne w York over lasl year.

Technique

was the in

..... .. ......... . .. ..... .....

Task 1
Y0 1/

l

and reporliJ.ID the maill featt/res, and
m a ke com pllri ons wh ere relevallt.

.200 - . - - - - - - - - - - - -180 + - - - - - - - - - - - + _
160 -I--.or--~-------_I__
140 -l--'rl'---1.---I.------.--- I - -

~120+-----~---~-~~­
- ------c ~..,....,.,-A__+_

;3 100 -+-:..:---

g"' 80

+---~.""""~--->.,_.-.,1'-~-

60+----~~-----~~~~
40+-----~--~'-~---

Write at least 150 words.

Il n~

8

9

__

The TeB Room
-+- Internel Express
--- WI ·II Ca fe
- - Cafe Cool

2 0 +-~~~-~------

o +--.--~r_r_~~~~~-r~
J

F M A M J J A SON D

Answer these questions about rhe graph.
a

Wh at do the lett ers , F, M, etc along th b llom of the graph mean?

b

Wh a t do s OOOs mean .

e

What P Ite m

d

What comparison s can you make?

an yo u s 'C?

Read the model text and decide wherher each missing phras
n oun, or an adverb.
Example
1

adverb

Model text
me graph providef, informa1ion about the
inc.ome trend~ of fo ur c.afe~ over the la5t
i ear
There are two baf,ic. general trendf,:
downwar and upward. As regards the
fir5t, the earning5 for The Tea \Zoom, \~ere
down over the ~ear, falling I ... ... .. .. .. from
alm05l $ \ ~O,OOO earning5 a month tO jU5t
under $50,000 in December,
B-t contrast, the inc.ome for ihc other thre.e
, ak5 went up b'j vat"(ing degrees,There
"las :2. ., ... ....... in Gafe c.ool' (') 5ale5 over
the fir~t ten month5, followed b'j a sudden

8

••••

increase to $120,000 , furthermore, the

inc.ome for both Internet £,y.pre5s and the
Wi-fi Gafe'J ............ in Duember. The
former ey.perienc.e.d 4 .... ... ..... to June, but
after Ihat, inc.ome rose S .. .. ..... ... ending
the ~ear at approy.imate\~ $1'30,000.
UKe\o ise, the trend for Wi-fi waf, upward,
Between Janua'1 to :ru\~, earnings
I. .... ........ from $')0,000 to nead'j $100 ,000
and I .. .......... to around $lqO,ooo.
It if, noticeable that the inc..ome fo r The
i ea \Zoom i5 lowel' in tne winter montho
than for the. olne.r tnree. c.afes.

10

March options
a-g w ith gaps
1- 7 in Ib e model
text.

a
b

e
d

I adily
then rocketed
dou bled
significant 11'

e

also ended the
year lip
a steady fall

""

il

ris '


•

ur~ rT

1

Cill7.llge mId cOllSeqllellCl!s

Task 2 Understanding questions

1

Task 2 questions cOlltdin a gen eral subject and ofte n in cl ude a spe jfic
organizing word to help y ou org an ize yo ur t: ssay. In each group a-d belo w,
'o.vhich organil'Z ing word has a different m e an i n g fx JJ1 th e lher two?

a

ad\ anlages

b

measu res

c
d

2

ause

dr aw back s

st eps

eHecls

disadvanta ges

benefits

reasons

consequences
drawbacks solutions

Cmnpkt ~ e,lCh Task 2 question below v-'" li ih organil.ing words 1t! n!)] th e b ox .
You may use each item more th an nce.
agree or disagree
advantages
disadvan tages
solutions
measures
benefits

causes

..

a

Wh at a re the ~~~~0. of learning skills jn th e mod rn vvo dd?

b

An y attempts to preserve the n a tural w orl d will a lvva is h inder economi c

developmenL. The benefit will howe v r far outwe igh th e
.................. . Do you .................. ")

c

What are the .................. and .................. of laking a eal" 0[[ b tween school
a n d univcrsit y?

d

Stu dent s sh ould be trained on ho w to ope wit h ha nge in the modern
world. How far do you .................. ?

e

Volunteer work with disadvantaged groups like underpr ivileged children is
[he best way for you ng p eople to learn about th e real world . ' '''hat are the
.................. of such work ?

Every day, anim a ls are becoming extinct throughout the world . What do
you think th e .................. of this are? What .................. can you uggest.
g

Ov rcrowding in large ci ties h as always been a problem, bu t with
popula tions a ro und the w orld a out to double, th e social pro blems are

certain to multip ly. What ............ can y o u suggest to control th e p roblem s .

3

H ow many p ans are [here in each quest ion in 2? For example, (a) bas one
p art. If there are two or th ree p arts, how are th ey related?

•

••

9

Expressing solutions

4

Change is more rapid in the m odem world than it was in th e pasl. umber
each category b elov 1- 5 accord 'ing to how rapi d ly each is changing in your
opinion (1 = most rapid; 5 = least rapid). Tltink of an example ofrapid
h ange for each catego ry.
Work

5

Technology

Travel

Communication

Health

Look at the Task 2 ques tion below and answer the q uestion

Task2
Jou should spend about 40 minutes 0 11 this task.

Write about the following topic.
/.ore lind. /}l o re people claim ti m " Hl O"~'''''1 1\" rk pa tterns a re a SOlI/'ce of s l r ess.
What do YOII think are the causes of this? Can you sllggest some possible
SOIIi/iolls'?

Give reasons for your anS'lver and inc/ude any relevant examplf!s from your own
knowledge or experienCe.

a

Which part of the question states a problem?

b

Which t wO words in the que lion are important for the organization of your
answer?

6

Read the
conversati on
bel ' een rw o
students d iscuss ing
the prob lem of s tress
at work . w hich p ar t
of the question in 5
are they ans w ering?
Wh at so lut ion s
and resu lt s d o they
suggest?

7

- - - - -......

Technique

•

Identlf the type 01 •
que lion For cause/ -

-

•

Tina:
Shen :
Ti na :
S hen:
Tina:
Sh an :
Ti na:

This p aragraph
. suggests a solution
to [be Task 2
que llon in 5 .
Com plete each gap
with th e phrases in
a-f for p r Selliing
so l utions, examples,
and res ults,
a

b

10

Shen :

A further step is to
for example
I think the mos t obvious
solution is

How do you t hink people can deal with t heir
stressful lives, especially at w ork?
Firstly, I think employers should encou rage
workers to relax.
How?
Well. in so m e co m pa nies, gym facilitie s o r
m assa ge thera pies are available.
Massage?
Yes . If you help yo u r employees to re lax, th is
im prove s their effi ciency and prod uctio n.
A re t here oth er so lutions?
Of co u rse. Employees cou ld be trai ned in
how to plan t heir ti me mo re effectively.
On e w ay is to stop peop le taking w o rk
home. And then the workp lace w ill beco me
a lot happier.

for employers to encourage workers to relax .
in some companies, gym facilities or

massage therapies are available . 3 .' .......... , this
improves their effiCiency and production. 4 .. .. .. . .. . .. train
employees in how to plan their time more effectively,
5 ............ , by stopping people taking work home.
6 ............ , the workplace will become a lot hapPier.

1 .. .. .. ......

2 ....... .. " . ,

d
e

As a result
By doing this

For instance


U NIT 1

Ch al1!J~

(/lId coIIseqllellCe!

&I

8

There axe several w ay s to express sol u tjon s. Should is u sed for SIl'ong

sugges tion s; could is used for possible s ugge (i on s. Other ph rases can also b e
used to express solution s. Read the example [rom 6 and 7 on page 10. Then
rewri te the sent ences in a- f.
Examp les

Employers should eJ/courage workers to relax .
[ think the most obvious solution is/or employers to ncouTage workers [Q relax .
Employees could be [rai/led in how to plan their Lime more effectively.
A further step is to train employees in h ow [Q plan Ih eir li me more dfe [i vely.
a

1 think the most obvious solution is to encourage people to exercise mo re .

PeopleshouJd ......................................... ,............................. ,... ,.,. ,....... ,.... ,.......... ,... .
b

The obvious answer is to reduce the number

0

wo rking hours ,

The number of working hours ...... ,....... ....... ,............ ,................................. ,.......... .

c

The government could provide each employee with their own computer.
One possibility is ....... ,.... ... ....................................................................... ... ...... .... .... .

d

One option is to persuade parents to spen d more time with [heir children .
Parents could .............. ,............................................ ..... .............. ,.. .. .............. ,

e

A good idea is to restri ct the number o f ars coming into iries,
The number of cars coming into cities .... " . ....... ..... .. ,' .......................................... .

f

The go emmenl should build more sky rapers to solve the problem.
A good ide a is .................................................................. ..." ... ..................... .

9

Which problems ('[modern life do (he SentenceS in S rein

Ill?

overcrowding
traffic congestion
obesity
lack of discipline
stress
technology

10

Use·the follo wing phrases

(0

add re ults to the Solul ions ab ove. Use YOUT

own ideas an d w ords.

Examp le

a

I think the most obvious solution is to encourage people to exerdse more ,
By doing this, they would lose weight and would feel better generally.
As a result, This would enable/help them to This would lead to
This means that they would
By doing this, Consequently,

• ••

11


Linking phrases

11

Linking phrases mark the ftloctions 01 other s ent e nt: es i1n d phrases, s u c l~ as
solutjons, results, and examples. Match each linl(ing p h rase ' ' ,Itch th e cor Cl
function.

addi rion

a nd

8ftt!
conseq uentJy,
for instance,
since
and so
because
in order to
therefore,
if
fu rth crmore,
as a result.
for example,

p urpose

condition

reason

exarnp1e

resuIt

Usin g trigger words

12

Read the paragraph from a Task 2 essay on overcrow de d cities and find the
UnkLn g phr ases which m a tch these functions.
Reason

Result

Example

Solution

M an\' citie in th e worl d have now b ecome very
ove.r~rowded because people are migrating in fro m the
counrrysid e in search of work. As a result , fa cilities like
wate r supp lies an d public transport can no t cope with
the demand s from increased numb ers of people, and
so th ey are under severe stra in. The obviol1s an swer is
to en courage the creation of jobs outside the cities . For
example) we could encourage certai n business s to set
up branch es in rur al areas.

13

Lin~",ing phrases can be used to tr.i gger id eas becau e th ey mark fu n ctio n s .
When you plan a Task 2 answer, write down some trigger words to h elp you
dev d QP YOUT basic idea. Use [11e trigger w o rds below (a d eve lop th e ideas
given.
A

lfpeople migrale 10 cilies, they be come ................ ..

And so ................ ..
And as a restill .... .. ........... .
A good idea would be to ................. .
By doing this, ................ ..
B

People spend 100 /lllIch time watching TV.
For example, ................ ..
Con equemly, .. .. ,......... .. ..

If .................. , then ................ ..
This \vill lea d to ........ .. ...... . .
C

The development of tourism ofTell creates resentment among local people because
For example, ......... .. ...... .
The obvious ans wer is to
Furthermore, ....... _.. ....... .

12

•• •

...... _._ .. .... __


UNIT 1

••
••

• • ••Practice Test 1

Cil(l11g e and cO lIst:q uenus

• •••••

Task 1
You should spend aboUl 20 minutes on this task.
The 9rtJph belDH' shows il1 percentage terms tlu changing patterns of domestic aeee s
to Jil(){il'm tecJl11vlo9.\Jil1 homes in the UK
SIUJllII{//";ze flu "information by selectil1g and rep(wtillij tI,e IJ1l1in /catllres, anrl make

comparisons where relevant.
Write alleasl 150 words.
Percentages
100 - . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ,

CD pl ay er

80 ~--------------------------~~~~=----=====~
MObile phone

.... .

60

- -- --.......

40

20

o
1996/97

------I

1998199

---

------

".:.-.--------

I
2000/01

2002/03

Task 2
Yo u shou ld spend about 40 II/inures on this Jask.
Write about the followil1g topic:

People naturally resist making changes;n their lil'e~..
What kind of problems can this calise? What solutioJls can you suggest?
Give reasons for your allswer and include any relevanr examples from your OHI1"1 knowledge
or experimce.
Write at least 250 words.

• ••

13


..

..

The importance of the past

•

---.-~-

...

••

Unit aims
Task 1

Task 2

Comparing information
Adverbs in comparisons
Comparing and contrasting

Using it/they/ this/these

Planning essays
Developing Ideas

••••••

•••••
Task 1 Comparing information

The pictures and tex t show some inventions and who invented them .
Answer the question s.
Ballpoint pen ,
Laszlo Biro
First mercury thermometer,
Gabriel Fahrenheit

a
b

c
Tin can patented
by Peter Durand

d

2

Paper money in China

Safety pin,
Walter Hunt

Which is the oldes t invention ?
Which is the most recem invention?
Which do you think are the most and least important inventions?
What other important h istorical in ven tions are n ot induded here?

The chan shows {he results of a survey about th e most important inventi ons
in th e l ast 300 years . Answer [he questions.
Most im porta nt inventi ons in t he last 300 years

I. Male 0

•• Technique
test. circle
• Inandthenumber
•• Important de1ails
• in pencil.

-

14 • • • • •

•••
I•
••

3

Female

a What is the most
1

striking feature of
the chart?
b What voting
pattern s can y ou
see for females?
c What voting
patterns can yo
see for males?

You can use a range of structures to make comp adsons . Read these examp Je
describing the chart in 2. Then complete s,entences a-j with sui table
information based on the chart.
Examples

More males than females chose the TV. (more + n oun + than)
Fewer fe males than m ale s chose th e TV. (fewer + n oun + than)
The TV was more popular among males than female s. (morel less + adjective +
than)
The most popular form of conununication was the Internet. (the most/least +
adjective)


••

UNIT

2

TIre importGI1Ct! of the pasr

a

More fe males ....................... ...... males chose [h e bicycle.

b

The bicycle was more ........................ .... than any other invention.

c

The car was .... ......................... popular among females than males.

d

... ................... .. ..... invention among both sexes was the TV.

e

................ ....... .. .... women than men voted for the mobile phone .

.......................... .. . invention among both sex es w as the bicycle .
g

......... ..... ............... males th an females picked the radio.

h

The computeT was ............................. for women than for men .
More people seleded the bicycle ............................. any other invention.
The TV was ........................ .. ... popular than any other invention.

4

You can also com pare information by using a ma/ly ... as when numbers are
very dose, or by using I/ot as many .. _as. Read the examp les . Then compare
m ale and fem ale ani(udes (0 cars an d m ob il e phones.
Examples
As many females as males chose the computer.
Not as many female s as males chose tb radi o .

5

Make comparative sentences based on notes a-g below and the chart in 2.
Use the p assive or active form of the verb in italics .
Examples

female sJmale slselectfthe bicycle
males/femaleslseleetfthe bicycle

M ore females th an m ale sf/eeted the bicycle .

the bicyclelchooselfemales/male s

The bicycle was chosen by more females than
males.

Fewer m ales thall f males selected the bicycle .

a

males/femaleslehooselthe car

b

wom en/men /selwlthe mobile phone

c

the Intemetlehooselmales/females

d

(emalesJ males! pick/the radio

e

malesl£emaleslpicklthe radio

the comput erl chooselfemales/males

g

the bicyclelselect/males/females

• • • • 15

Adverbs in comparisons

6

You can add ad verbs to comp arisons to make them more precise, such as
significantly (more) or almost (as many). Read the examples. Then underline the
adverb s in senten ces a-i.
Exa mples

Significantly mOTe people voted for the bicycle than tbe other inventions.
The bicycle was chosen by almost as many males as female s.

a

Slightly more w om en than m en voted for th e bi cycle .

b

In the past, considerably more people lived in the countryside than towns.

c

Many more people can use a computer today than thirty years ago .

d

Substan tially less time is n ow spent doing housework than before.

e

There are significantly fewer people now worldng in manufacturing than in
the past.
Sports progra mmes are watdled by practically as many peopl n ow as jn
previous years.

g

The exhibition about dnerna attracted far fewer visirors than expected.

h

Illiteracy is much less common than in previous generations .
Nearly as many children as adults watch progranmles about anci enL history.

7

8

Which adverbs above mean:
a almost?
b a lot?

c

just a few ?

Look again at the sentences you wro te in 5 on page 15. Add suitable adverbs .

Comparing and con trasting

9

Answer (hese questions about (he b ar chart.

mink the bar chart provides information about ?

a

Wh at do you

b

What could th e numbers on the left relate to?

c

What do you trunk the wo rds along the bottom of the dl an relate to?

d

What could the numbers in the box refer to?

e

Is there a time reference for the graph?

7o,-----------------------------------------------,
-------------------1 I045-65
2~01
60~-----------------------50~--,_~----------

40
30

20
10

o

16 • • • • •


UNiT 2 Tire ;mportallu ofllle past

10

Match sentence beginnings 1-6 with endings a-f to form correct senlences
abom the chart.
1

The arts and crafts society has the greatest number of 20-30 year-olds,

2

Only 25 people fTom the younger age group are members of the historica l
society,

3

Some societies are clearly more popular with one of tbe age groups,

4

The keep fit and social clubs have slightly more members in the younger age
bracket,

5

In generaL the 20-30 year-olds are more actively involved in societies

6

The keep fit and social clubs attract a broader range f people

a

wh

b

ill compariso11 with [he hi stori al society,

e

but it is one of the least popular clubs with the ol' er age group -

d

comp.11'ed with the Ider age group,

e

whilt! the figure for 45-65 year-olds is abou 50 .

reas the archaeological society is equally popula r wi th both .

althollgh they are fairly popular with both age grou s.

11

I n which of [he sentences in 10 u ld the ending a-f orne fir t? Which
cOlmecting words in italics are followed by a noun phrase only,

12

Read the d escription of (he chan in 9. For aeh of 1- 6, tw o options are
possible and one is ineorreCL Delete the in correct op ti on.

Model text

Technique
In the test, make
a qUick list of
the comparison
structures you know
before you write

l'he Ghart provides information about
how two age groups partic.ipate in 'beveral
d ub\') at a Lentr£. for ,j(ktl1s.

We c.an '5Ce. from the data that the
arGhaeologic.al, Keep fit and wc.ial dubs
are popular with both older and ~ounge-r
people. I \-IIhile/However~ contraM, the
historic.al and art'b and c.rafts wc.ietie-s
dead,! appeal more to one of the agegroupD. In the historic.al Wc.iet-j, SO of the
members are between 4'5 and (,?,
2. but/whilelhowever "lhere are onl~ 2.5
from "lhe ~ounger age group. For the art
and c.rafts soc.iet-j, the- pattern is reve-rsed.

l'here- are about ~o membe-rs aged
be-twe-e-n'}.() and 30 , -; but/whereaslin
c-ompari50n ~Jith the number of people- in
the- 45 to (pI5 age group is 4 Jar/slightly/
considerably lower.1he Ke-ep fit and wGial
dubs are popular with both age- groupD,
'i howeverlbut/although there are sllghH'i
fewer older people, e-mbe-rship of th
;;rc.haeologic.al Mc.iet., stand5 at it? fo
both groups.
In ge-ne-ral, the- ~ounge-r age- group are
v signific.antly/almost/noticeably more
involved in the various wc.ieties than tl1
it?-(;j ~ear- 01d5.

...

•

17


Task 2 Using itltheylthislti'zese

1

Read the text below writlen by a st ud ent as part of a Task 2 essay. Replace
the words in italics wi th ii, they, this, or these.
Archaeologists, for example, help us to learn about the past. Archaeologists
look for evidence in artefacts like pots and jewellery. Pots aJldjewellery
reveal a lot of information about our ancestors. Revealing infonnatioll about
the past is very useful, but the information is still quite limited.

2

Match 1-4 witb a- d to explain how ro use il, Ihey, this, and tllese.
I

It and this refer to

2
4

They and these refer to
This and these are often used to refer to
This can also refer to

a
b

c
d

nou ns at the en d of the previous senten ce.
plural nouns.
situations and processes.
singular nouns.

3

3

Underline the exact text w hich it, they, tilis, and these refer
Th e first one has been done for you.
a
b

c
d

e

g
h

4

in sentences a-h.

History teaches children not just facts, but a range of skills. For example,

they can learn how to analyse material, do basic sorting and research .
Old buildings help create a more relaxing environment in cities than
concrete office blocks . This makes them more pleasant to work and live in .
Stu dyin g history may trigger an in terest in oth er subject areas. This , in tum ,
may Lead to other hobbies.
Built-up areas can be made more attractive by adding monuments and
statues. These can then enrich people's lives considerably.
Government s should provide more m oney to preserve historical siles. By
doing this, our heritage w ould be saved for future generations.
Tradition does not hold u s back as some people believe . In facr, it helps us to
build the future .
Schools and colleges need to emphasize history and related subjects as these
will h elp give them a wider view of th e world .
The Internet and computers can b<;.' used to preserve the pas t For example,
they can be used by children to do basic research and store images.

Com p lete sentences a-g with ii, they, 1111:5, or these.
a
b
c
d
e

g

18 • • • • •

[0

If the past i to be preserved, .............. ..,. must be done by usi n g modem

technology.
The an and language of a country represent its history, so it is importan t
that ................ .. are both preserved .
The primary role of advenising is to encourage the public to replace the old
witb the new ................... is called progress by some people .
History broadens the minds of m ost people ,"vh o study .................. , but
.................. also h as the potential to narrow the minds of some .
History should be given more emphasis in schooL as .................. will help
children to understand better the world they live in .
If hlstory is emphasized m ore in schools, .......... ..... :.. wiU lead to a b tter
understanding of the world.
The past infom1.s us of the present an d the future, but few people are
suificiently aware o f ,.... ... ."" ......


•

uNiT 2

The imparlQllce afllre pasl

P ]an n in g e ssays

5

Read (he historical facts in a-f below. Rank th e events 1-6 according to how
important you think rhey were in human history (1 most impoTlam; 6 =
least importanr). What other events w ould you add to the l ist?

=

a
b
c
d

e

6

In 1792, France abolished the monarchy and instituted the fi rst republic.
In 1953 , Francis Watson and James Crick described the structure and
importance of DNA.
In October 1492. Christoph er Columbus se t fo ot in the Americas.
In 1885. Karl Benz built and patented the first automobile .
In 1983. a com puter system connecting universitjes was created. whkh
later became the Internet.
In the nimh cemury. gunpowder was first invented and used by the
Chinese .

Read the Task 2 essay question below. D ed d e w hich of points a-g ar
relevant to this answer.
It is sometimes said tllat h istory /lever repeats itself, yet there is mild/ ill
it which is relevant to our modern world . Suggest some ways in. whicJI
the study of h istory migllt help liS today.

a

b
e

d

e

g

7

Th ere is often uncertainty abo ut what really happene d with regard to
well-kn own historical events.
Studymg other historical periods gives insights into different ways of life .
We can learn about the recent past by asking older relatives.
HiStory involves investigation and interpretation, so its study develops
thinking skills.
Learning about conflicts in the past can teach u S hovv to avoid them in
future .
History is a more dHficult area of study than most p ople imagine .
The past can often provide explanations for the sit uation W ' face tod ay

Read the idea below. Choose some of the trigger words to develop tlus
point. The first one has been done for you . Refer to Unit 1 p age 12 for more
examples of similar phrases .
Studying other historica.l p eriods gives insights in to different ways of life.
For example, students ca11 investigate the way in which people lived in ancient limes
such as ................ ..
As a res ulr, ................ ..
Therefore, ................ ..
Furthermore . ................. .

8

Look back at Ihe other relevant sentences you chose in 6 above . Deve lop
those ideas in the same way llsiJlg tr igger words. Then wri tt: out yow ideas
in a pa.ragr aph.

... • . • 19


b

Developing ideas

9

Read the Task 2 question below. M ake a not of any ways you can mink of to
make history more interesting.
Some children find lem'fling history at school very exciting. but matlY
others think it is I'ery boriug. In what ways can history be brought to life
for 0,1/ school children?

10

The list a-i below contains ideas th at a stud ent came up w ith for [he essay
question in 9. There aI\:' thr,ee solutions, each w h b an example and an ffe
Complete (he table by matching each idea with the appropriate fu nct ion .
P aragraph 1

Paragrapb 2

Paragraph 3

a

Solutions
Examples
EUects

a
b
c

using the Internet and computers
isiting historical sites
historical places seem more real

l: make a poster about local history
('

go

to

a local archaeological site

it increase motivation

to

do research

g

these kill can be applied in other subjects

h

doing written projects
search for iniorrnation about historical figures online

11

Technique
To help you build
a bank of Ideas.
recycle relevam
Information from
other essay,-s_,

a

Another method is to

h

T}')is will lead

c

For example,

d

Last but not least, children could

e

For instance,

to

such as

_......;I.•

g

As a result.

h

The best way is to
Then

12

20 • • • • •

Decide which function in 10 these linking ph ras es rel ate to.

Use

YOUI

answers to 10 and 11 to write the ideas out as three paragraphs.

l.