2-1 Task 2 Guidance

What happens in this part of the test?

You will spend 40 minutes writing an essay of at least 250 words. The essay should be written in an academic or neutral style. This essay is worth twice the marks of Task 1 so give yourself enough time to work on it. You will lose marks if your answer is too short. Writing more than 250 words will not be penalised but if your essay is too long you may not have enough time to check it and you may have included irrelevant information.

What am I being tested on?

You are being tested on your ability to present a clear, relevant, well-organised argument. You have to give evidence and/or examples to support your ideas, and you must use language accurately.

What do I have to do?

You will be given a topic to write about. In response, you must produce a discursive essay. This means that you discuss the topic, showing that you are aware of different aspects, and different views of this topic. Your essay might discuss advantages and disadvantages, or evaluate evidence, or give your own opinion, or perhaps a combination of these things. The way you organise your essay will depend on the kind of discussion you present. It’s very important that you understand what the question is asking you to do.

How should I approach this part of the test?

• Spend a little time carefully reading the question and make sure that you understand the topic, and understand what kind of answer you need to give.
• Quickly note down a plan for your essay.
• All the information you present must be relevant to the question. For example, if the question asks you whether or not students should use mobile phones in the classroom, you should not write about using phones in the workplace or in leisure time.
• Your answer must be written in full, connected text. You will lose marks for using bullet points or note form, for example.
• You will also lose marks for plagiarism - copying text from another source. Don’t try to memorise chunks of text about a topic. The examiner will spot copied texts, and it won’t be relevant to the question either.
• Also, do not copy phrases directly from the question because these words will not be counted. Show that you are able to paraphrase the topic, using relevant synonyms. This shows that you have a large vocabulary, which will gain marks.
• You must clearly state your position at the beginning of the essay, otherwise you will lose marks.
• The essay must be clearly organised into paragraphs. Each paragraph must contain a main idea (or ideas) and supporting detail. It must be clear which is which.
• The essay must also have a conclusion. Put this in a separate paragraph.
• Write in a coherent, cohesive style. The argument must be clear and easy to follow, and the essay should use linking words and phrases, pronouns, and nominalisation to help it to flow naturally.