In this unit you will review the following points:
- Organising ideas
- Writing introductions
- Writing conclusions
- Identifying opinions
- Using expressions to indicate cause and effect
- Using expressions of time and place
- Useful vocabulary: Leisure
1. Organising ideas.
Read the writing task, and then classify the sentences below.
Writing Task 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Hobbies change with the years, and each generation has different ways of passing the time. The activities people do in their spare time are influenced to a greater extent by trends and fashions than what people really want to do.
To what extent do you agree with this statement?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
2. Writing an introduction.
TIP:
An introduction should clearly set out the problem or subject so that the reader is prepared for your arguments. A good introduction catches the reader's attention and helps them to understand what the essay is about.Which introduction would be most appropriate for an answer to the question in exercise 1?
4. Identifying a writer's opinions.
Read the first part of the sample answer, and decide which of the statements below the writer would agree with.
The way people enjoy their free time has certainly changed over the years, but is this because of fashion and social pressure or due to the opportunities which present themselves to people in different times?
The advent of the computer has led to the appearance of a wide range of computer-based games which are enjoyed by people the world over. Since these games were not available 50 years ago we can only hypothesize as to whether today's parents and grandparents would have played these games in their youth, had they existed. I believe they would have.
As well as new technologies, there are several other factors which determine the amount of choice people have when deciding what to do in their free time. These include: the time and money available for leisure pursuits; people's awareness of different games and hobbies; personal preference; and pressure from friends and the media. The second and fourth of these are certainly influenced by the fashions and trends of the time, but that is not to say that they are the most important.
Certainly, there are plenty of games which have been enjoyed by people for generations. Sports such as football, which requires no more than a ball, a relatively open space and some friends, have been popular, and continue to be so, with children and adults alike for generations. More sedentary activities such as reading and playing cards are also still popular with many, although these hobbies may be being replaced to some degree by TV and computer games.
The advent of the computer has led to the appearance of a wide range of computer-based games which are enjoyed by people the world over. Since these games were not available 50 years ago we can only hypothesize as to whether today's parents and grandparents would have played these games in their youth, had they existed. I believe they would have.
As well as new technologies, there are several other factors which determine the amount of choice people have when deciding what to do in their free time. These include: the time and money available for leisure pursuits; people's awareness of different games and hobbies; personal preference; and pressure from friends and the media. The second and fourth of these are certainly influenced by the fashions and trends of the time, but that is not to say that they are the most important.
Certainly, there are plenty of games which have been enjoyed by people for generations. Sports such as football, which requires no more than a ball, a relatively open space and some friends, have been popular, and continue to be so, with children and adults alike for generations. More sedentary activities such as reading and playing cards are also still popular with many, although these hobbies may be being replaced to some degree by TV and computer games.
Would the writer agree with the following statements?
5. Writing a conclusion.
There are many ways of writing a conclusion. Which two of the following techniques has the writer employed?
While fashion may have some influence on people's choices of free-time activity, there are other factors which could be considered more important, such as access to necessary equipment and technology. And then there are some activities which continue to be popular hundreds of years after their creation. Or is this perhaps just the result of a long-term fashion?
6. Reconstruct the conclusion.
Choose the correct option to complete the conclusion in the previous exercise.
7. Cause and effect.
Put the phrases indicating cause and effect into the correct category.
The way people enjoy their free time has certainly changed over the years, but is this because of fashion and social pressure or due to the opportunities which present themselves to people in different times?
The advent of the computer has led to the appearance of a wide range of computer-based games which are enjoyed by people the world over. Since these games were not available 50 years ago we can only hypothesize as to whether today's parents and grandparents would have played these games in their youth, had they existed. I believe they would have.
As well as new technologies, there are several other factors which determine the amount of choice people have when deciding what to do in their free time. These include: the time and money available for leisure pursuits; people's awareness of different games and hobbies; personal preference; and pressure from friends and the media. The second and fourth of these are certainly influenced by the fashions and trends of the time, but that is not to say that they are the most important.
While fashion may have some influence on people's choices of free-time activity, there are other factors which could be considered more important, such as access to necessary equipment and technology. And then there are some activities which continue to be popular hundreds of years after their creation. Or is this perhaps just the result of a long-term fashion?
The advent of the computer has led to the appearance of a wide range of computer-based games which are enjoyed by people the world over. Since these games were not available 50 years ago we can only hypothesize as to whether today's parents and grandparents would have played these games in their youth, had they existed. I believe they would have.
As well as new technologies, there are several other factors which determine the amount of choice people have when deciding what to do in their free time. These include: the time and money available for leisure pursuits; people's awareness of different games and hobbies; personal preference; and pressure from friends and the media. The second and fourth of these are certainly influenced by the fashions and trends of the time, but that is not to say that they are the most important.
While fashion may have some influence on people's choices of free-time activity, there are other factors which could be considered more important, such as access to necessary equipment and technology. And then there are some activities which continue to be popular hundreds of years after their creation. Or is this perhaps just the result of a long-term fashion?
8. Cause and effect.
Decide if the sentences state that improvement causes motivation or that motivation causes improvement.
9. Cause and effect.
The linker you use depends on the grammar of the sentence as well as the meaning you would like to express.
Effect 
Cause linkers
| Effect (clause) | Linker | Cause (noun or -ing form) |
| The way people spend their free time has changed | because of due to as a result of |
fashion and social pressure. increasing media pressure. |
| Effect (noun or -ing form) | Linker | Cause (noun or -ing form) |
| The way people spend their free time Changing tastes |
is/are because of is/are due tois/are a result of is/are influenced by depend(s) on |
fashion and social pressure. increasing media pressure. |
| Effect (clause) | Linker | Cause (clause) |
| The way people spend their free time has changed | since because |
they have more opportunities to try new things. |
Cause Effect linkers
| Cause (noun or -ing form) | Linker | Effect (noun) |
| Fashion | determines | people's choice of free-time activity. |
| Cause (noun or -ing form) | Linker | Effect (noun or -ing form) |
| The advent of the computer Increasing availability of technology |
has some influence on resulted in led to |
the appearance of a wide range of computer-based games. increasing time being spent inside. |
| Cause (clause) | Linker | Effect (clause) |
| People are generally richer; | that's why | they can spend more on their hobbies. |
Choose the correct option to complete the sentences.
10. Expressions of time and place.
Complete the two parts of the sample answer with the expressions.
11. Practice question.
Read the instructions and write your answer. Remember to:
- organise your ideas before you start writing.
- begin with an introduction which clearly sets out the problem or subject so that the reader is prepared for your arguments; use one or more of the following features to catches your reader's attention:
- rhetorical question
- interesting fact or statistic
- example of the situation
- a quotation.
- use a range of expressions to indicate cause and effect.
- use a variety of time and place expressions.
- finish with a conclusion which summarises the main points in the essay; you may do some of the following to increase the impact:
- describe how the topic is relevant to the wider world
- make a call for action
- give a warning or hypothesis
- use a rhetorical question to let the reader decide
- mention doubts or reservations
- make a recommendation
- raise further questions that need answering.
Writing Task 2
You should spend a maximum of 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
With the pressures of modern living people have less and less free time. And with less time to devote to leisure activities people are becoming more stressed and unhappier.
To what extent do you agree with this statement?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
When you have completed the writing task, you can look at a sample answer. Compare the sample answer with your own.
People often complain about a lack of leisure time on account of increased work hours. But nowadays the average working week is only 42 hours, contrasting with the 58 hours that was typical in 1900. In addition, we now have washing machines and other household appliances to reduce our housekeeping chores. So what do we do with all this extra time?
In many cases, we do indeed use it for leisure activities. Or to be more precise, a certain type of leisure activity: being connected to the Internet. This is by far the most popular leisure activity the world over as we occupy social networks, read news, watch videos and TV series, chat and shop, just to mention a few activities. But to what extent is all this relaxing? Research suggests that many of these activities actually produce stress, whereas more physical activities have been shown to reduce stress levels, as does socialising with friends.
As well as misspent leisure time, changes in working conditions could also be a factor in our conception of leisure time. Shorter working hours do not apply to a large proportion of the population, who often need to work in various jobs to make ends meet. What’s more, because of technology it is now possible to be connected, contactable and working around the clock. People who are slaves to their jobs, for whatever reason, will inevitably pay the price in terms of their happiness and general well-being.
All in all, perhaps it is not so much our jobs that are causing more stress, but the way we work and the way we approach our non-working time. By rethinking our priorities and making time to see friends and do physical exercise, we can decrease our stress levels. Some people do not, however, have the luxury of this choice, but this has always been the case and is not new to our times.