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101 Helpful Hints

Writing test – General hints

58.                        Pay attention to the presentation of your work:

59.                        Understand the question task

60.                        Use the three part writing approach

61. Write interesting sentences: try to include the answer to at leat three Wh/How questions in your sentences.

62.                        Improve your writing

63.                         

64.                        10 Point grammar checklist:

·        Check for articles

·        Check the 3rd person singular ‘s’ agreement in the present tense

·        Check that Verbs (Active tense or passive voice)

·        Check Verbs forms

·        Check all your subject-verb agreements

·        Check your countable and uncountable nouns

·        Check pronouns refer to (previously memtioned) nouns

·        Check Prepositions

·        Check Parts of speech

·        Check Conditional forms

  1. Use connective: Common connective words indicating:

Addition

Sequence

Consequence

Summary

in addition

and

similarly

likewise

as well as

besides

furthermore

also

moreover

and then

too

not only ... but

even

besides this/that  

first(ly)

initially

second(ly) etc.

to begin with

then

next

earlier/later

after this/that

following this/that

afterwards

as a result

thus

so

therefore

consequently

it follows that

thereby

eventually

then

in that case

admittedly

in conclusion

in summary

lastly

finally

to sum up

to conclude

to recapitulate

in short


 

 

Certainty

Condition

Definition

Contrast

obviously

certainly

plainly

of course

undoubtedly

 

 

 

if

unless

whether

provided that

for

so that

whether

depending on

is

refers to

means

that is

consists of

 

 

 

however

on the other hand

despite

in spite of

though

although

but

on the contrary

otherwise

yet

instead of

rather

whereas

nonetheless

even though

compared with

in contrast

alternatively

Example

Reason

Time

for instance

one example

for example

just as

in particular

such as

namely

to illustrate

 

 

since

as

so

because (of)

due to

owing to

the reason why

in other words

leads to

cause

before

since

as

until

meanwhile

at the moment

when

whenever

as soon as

just as

 


 

Writing task 1 Hints

66.                         Understand what is required in writing task 1

67.                        Plan number of graph before you write

68.                        Use reference structures

 

The 

table/chart 

diagram

graph

    

shows (that)...

 

 

According to the 

As (is) shown in the

As can be seen from the

table/chart, 

diagram,

graph,

figures,

   ...

figures 

statistics

shows (that)...

It can be seen from the 

We can see from the

It is clear from the

It is apparent from the 

table/chart 

diagram

graph

figures

(that) ...

diagram

shows 

describes

illustrates

how ...

             

 

69.                        Write descriptive introduction

70.                        Present statistics effectively

71.                         Express changes in data effectively:

 

Increase, decrease, fluctuate, or stay the same:The number of (cars) 

 

 

VERB + ADVERB FORM

increased 

jumped*

rose

declined

decreased

dropped

fell

fluctuated*^

 

suddenly 

rapidly

dramatically

significantly

sharply^

steeply^

steadily*

gradually*

slowly*

slightly

from (June) to (December). 

between (June) and (December).

There was a (very) 

 

 

ADJECTIVE + NOUN

FORM

sudden 

rapid

dramatic

significant

sharp^

steep^

steady*

gradual*

slow*

slight

increase 

jump*

rise

decrease

drop

fall

fluctuation*^

 

in the number of (cars) from ... to ... 

in the number of (cars) between ... and ...

 

* or ^: these words do not together.

 


 

Little or no change

 

The number 

of  (cars sold)

remained 

 

steady 

stable

from (June) to (December). 

between (June) to (December).

stayed the same

 

There was

little 

hardly any

no

change 

 

in the number 

of (cars sold)

from ... to ... 

between ... and ...

The highest and lowest points of a graph

 

The monthly profit 

The figures

The situation

peaked

  

in December.

at 20%

 

 

 

reached

a peak

a high (point)

bottomed out

reached

rock 

the

bottom

a low (point)

hit a trough

         

 

72.                        Use correct tense/voice

73.                        Do not add a separate conclusion

Writing task 2 Hints

74.                        Understanding what is required in writing task 2

75.                        Step 1: Analyze the question

76.                        Step 2: Think about an answer

77.                        Step 3: Plan the answer

78.                        Step 4: Write the answer

Many people 

 

 

Others

 

 

Those who disagree

 

believe that ... 

 

 

may argue that ...

 

 

point out that ...

 

 

However, I strongly disagree ... 

Nothing could be further from the truth 

   (Strong disagreement)

because ... 

.In fact, ...

 

... for the 

following reasons:

 

I find it hard to agree ... 

Nevertheless, I cannot agree ... 

    (Mild disagreement)

Perhaps this is true, but it cannot be denied that ... 

This is partly true, then again ... 

( Concession disagreement)

79.                        Step 5:Check the answer

80.                        Suggested “Cause and Effect” words and phrases

81.                        Suggested “Comparison and Contrast” words and phrase

 


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03-06-2002