5) Tips

- Present a point of view with convincing evidence

- Challenge an alternate point of view

- Focus on the topic and avoid irrelevancies

- Communicate in a style that is easy to follow and cohesive.

- Do not make absolute claims. Avoid statements such as “This proves that. . . “ and “If we take this action, the problem will be solved.” Always qualify your message with expressions such as “This seems to prove…”.

- Do not apologize. Avoid casting doubt on your material by making statements such as “I may not have thought of all the arguments, but. . .” and “Even though I am not an expert, I feel that what I have said is correct.”

- In your conclusion avoid introducing an entirely new idea or adding a fact that belongs in the body of the essay.

- Use English accurately and appropriately

- Always keep to the topic set. Never prepare sections of text before the exam.

- Use your own knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and relevant evidence.

- Use formal style, avoid contractions (don’t, haven’t etc), slang or personal pronouns.

- Organize and link your ideas and sentences appropriately, using a wide range of language and showing your ability to discuss ideas and express opinions

- Always write between 250-265. If you write less than 250 you will lose marks, but there is no maximum number of words for either. But the more you write the more time you spend and the more mistakes you’re likely to make.

- When you plan your essay, allow plenty of time at the end to check your work.

- Remember that illegible handwriting will reduce your final score.

- Like a paragraph, an essay has linking expressions between the paragraphs of the body. These are just like transitions within a paragraph. You use transitions within a paragraph to connect the ideas between two sentences. Similarly, you use transitions between paragraphs to connect the ideas between them.

6) Sample

Essay Topic: "Using a computer every day can have more negative than positive effects on your children. Do you agree or disagree?"

I tend to agree that young children can be negatively affected by too much time spent on the computer every day. This is partly because sitting in front of a screen for too long can be damaging to both the eyes and the physical posture of a young child, regardless of what they are using the computer for. However, the main concern is about the type of computer activities that attract children. These are often electronic games that tend to be very intense and rather violent. The player is usually the ‘hero’ of the game and too much exposure can encourage children to be self-centered and insensitive to others. Even when children use a computer for other purposes, such as getting information or emailing friends, it is no substitute for human interaction. Spending time with other children and sharing non-virtual experiences is an important part of a child's development that cannot be provided by a computer. In spite of this, the obvious benefits of computer skills for young children cannot be denied. Their adult world will be changing constantly in terms of technology and the Internet is the key to all the knowledge and information available in the world today. Therefore it is important that children learn at an early age to use the equipment enthusiastically and with confidence as they will need these skills throughout their studies and working lives. I think the main point is to make sure that young children do not overuse computers. Parents must ensure that their children learn to enjoy other kinds of activity and not simply sit at home, learning to live in a virtual world.