Welcome to the writing section of knowyourenglish.com. Here you will find some general tips on writing essays, ways of presenting your perspective on an issue, many model essays and prompts, essay topics that actually appeared in previous IELTS, TOEFL, TWE and GRE examinations and many sample essays. The content has been written for students who are planning to sit IELTS, TOEFL, TWE and GRE exams.

General Tips on Writing Your Essays

Introduction / Conclusion

we will look at some general techniques to make your essay the best it can be. We begin by looking at the proper structure for your introduction and for your conclusion.

Introduction

Your introduction should serve two structural purposes: It should restate your topic so that the reader need not review the given question, and it should offer a clear thesis so the reader knows what your purpose is. Simply defined, a thesis states the main idea of your essay. Because the strategy you need to employ for developing your thesis differs for each type of essay, however, we will discuss it in further detail later on in this article.    read more»»

Present Your Perspective on an Issue

Patterns of Development

Just as there is no universal answer to every question, there are many ways to write a persuasive Issue essay. There are specific strategies that you can use to more effectively respond to different types of Issue topics. These strategies, or methods, are called patterns of development.

There are three main patterns of development namely, Comparison – Contrast, Cause – Effect and Definition. Let’s examine them now so we have a better understanding of how to apply them. For each, we will discuss clues in an Issue question that prompt the use of a particular pattern of development, we will look at an example of such a question, and we will determine what your job as a writer will be in applying this method.    read more»»

Some possible topics for IELTS Writing Task-2 (also includes some previously appeared topics)

1. The number of working mothers has been on the rise lately. Some people argue that it’s government’s responsibility to provide free childcare to help working mothers? Do you agree or disagree with the above statement?

2. Should wealthy nations be required to share their wealth among poorer nations by providing such things as food and education? Or is it the responsibility of the governments of poorer nations to look after their citizens themselves?

3. Today, the advanced science and technology have made great changes to people's life, but artists such as musicians, painters and writers are still highly valued. What can arts tell us about life that science and technology cannot?

4. Some people think that animal experimentation is cruel. Others believe that it is essential to research and scientific development? What is your opinion?

5. Some people think that they can learn better by themselves than with a teacher. Others think that it is always better to have a teacher. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons to develop your essay.   more academic and general training essay topics»»