Useful phrases for IELTS Writing Part Two

With a partner, brainstorm at least two phrases into each of the categories below.
Introduction Setting the scene
Introduction Saying why it is an important and/ or interesting question
Eplaining the structure of the essay
Starting paragraphs Eplaining why you chose that topic
Starting paragraphs Showing a change of topic
Strong statements
Wea! statements
Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com 2011
Supporting your arguments " Personal eperience
Supporting your arguments " #ther people$s opinions and eperiences
Supporting your arguments " %i&ing eamples
#ther ways of supporting your arguments
Listing
%eneralising
Summari'ing
(oncluding
Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com 2011
Compare your answers to those below.
Introduction Setting the scene
Nowadays
In modern society
(In my country) many (older/ younger) people think that...
Introduction Saying why it is an important and/ or interesting question
This is a common talking point
has been getting a lot o newspaper co!erage recently.
Eplaining the structure of the essay
I will look at and" and then in my conclusion.
To look at this matter rom both sides" I will
In this essay I will the main points and then
Starting paragraphs Eplaining why you chose that topic
There are many ad!antages to this/ possible ways o approaching this topic" the most
important/ most topical/ easiest to illustrate/ one I know most about
Starting paragraphs Showing a change of topic
#ooking (now) at the ad!antages/ disad!antages (o)
$nother area o this topic that is worth looking at is
I will now e%amine the arguments or/ about
Strong statements
It seems clear to me that
&e can thereore ob!iously conclude that
I don't think anyone can doubt that
It is almost uni!ersally agreed that
Wea! statements
I don't ha!e the data I would need to be conident on this matter" but
It could perhaps be said that
$lthough I am no e%pert on this matter"
Supporting your arguments " Personal eperience
In my own e%perience"
$ rele!ant e%perience I had was
I (once) e%perienced this when
Supporting your arguments " #ther people$s opinions and eperiences
(y own riends and amily
I once saw a tele!ision programme in which
$ccording to a newspaper article I read last week"
Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com 2011
Supporting your arguments " %i&ing eamples
)ne (well*known) e%ample is
$n e%ample rom my own e%perience is
To gi!e an e%ample"
+or instance
" such as/ " e.g
#ther ways of supporting your arguments
In other words
To put it another way
I can perhaps illustrate this point by
Listing
+irstly"/ ,econdly"/ $ third point to consider is/ +inally"
%eneralising
In general"
$lmost e!eryone (I know)
Summari'ing
To sum up/ To summari-e (what I ha!e written abo!e/ the two sides o the argument)"
(oncluding
$s should be clear rom the arguments abo!e" the outweigh the
I thereore conclude that.
.a!ing weighed up both sides o the argument"
$lthough the arguments or/ against are also /uite con!incing"
)n balance" I would say that
Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com 2011