Tips for writing a composition

1. Write in paragraphs using a) an introduction e.g. what the situation is now in your country, or defining
what the title means b) different points of view, points for and points against, or advantages and
disadvantages c) a conclusion summarizing and giving your final opinion.
2. Plan your arguments listing the points for and against before you attempt your final finished version
maybe use a mind-map. If you have difficulty thinking of ideas, try listing some questions and simply
answer them to come up with your points.
3. Support your points with reasons and examples, dont over-simplify.
4. Learn and use connectors to link your ideas.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of being famous?

Complete with linkers: in spite of, as a result, in addition, however, for example, consequently, in
conclusion, the main advantage, on the other hand, what is more
It seems nowadays that everybody is interested in people who are famous. The magazines that sell the
most are ones like HELLO, which tell us about the lives of famous people, especially film stars, pop or rock
stars, sports stars and royalty. Apparently most people would like to be famous. 1---------------------, there
are advantages and disadvantages.
2----------------- of being famous is probably the lifestyle it gives you. Most famous people are very rich and
can afford big houses with swimming pools and expensive cars. 3------------------------, they spend a lot of
time travelling, visiting different countries, and staying in luxurious hotels.
4---------------------, there are disadvantages. Every time famous people go out they are surrounded by fans
and photographers, 5--------------------- , it is very difficult for them to have a normal private life. 6-------------they often cant spend much time at home as they have to travel so much, 7-------------------- if they are
making a film or doing a concert tour, 8----------------------- its impossible for them to lead an ordinary
existence and do the every day things ordinary people do.
9----------------------, I think it is probably easier to be happy if you are not famous, 10-------------------- all the
money and riches famous people have.
Useful linking expressions
To list advantages and disadvantages an advantage/disadvantage is, the main advantage/disadvantage is,
a positive/negative aspect= a drawback, on the plus/negative side
To make contrasting points although. even though . however, nevertheless, despite, in spite
of the fact that/this
To add more points to the same topic also, as well as this., besides this, in addition,
moreover, whats more

To explain a consequence so.., consequently, as a result, therefore, thus

To introduce an example for example, e.g. , such as
To introduce the conclusion in conclusion, as a conclusion, to sum up, as a summary,
to conclude

Composition
Complete with the linkers: consequently, personally, to sum up, moreover, secondly,
in addition, for example, firstly, such as, as a result,
Top sports people earn too much money
In most countries today top sports people, 1------------------ footballers, tennis
players and basketball players, get enormous salaries. What they earn in a week
is often more than the average person earns in more than a year. Is this really too much?
2--------------------I dont think so. 3-------------------, the active life of a professional sports person
is relatively short- they often retire when theyre in their mid-thirties.
4--------------------, many of them dont even play that long, as they often get injured,
5----------------- they have to retire early.
6----------------------, although their salaries are very high, they are not much higher
than other successful people in the entertainment industry 7---------------pop singers,
actors or TV personalities, whose professional careers can last for fifty years. 8---------------sport today is watched by millions of people, 9---------------- it should be considered
entertainment just like the cinema or TV.
10---------------------, I think that top sports peoples high salaries are not unfair if you
compare them with people doing similar high-profile jobs.

Serial killings composition

1. In my view, I think that violence has become one of the most attractive
subjects on TV. I firmly believe that crime stories and dark stuff have the
power to catch the audiences attention according to the article, so as far
as Im concerned I think that people really like to sit down on their sofa
and entertained by violent TV shows. In the following paragraph Ill give
you some reasons about this audiences attitude.
If I have to think about my own country is undeniably that crime shows
have become more and more popular.
Putting everything into consideration we have to think about negative
effects that crime and violents shows can provoke on peoples behaviour.

2. Nowadays TV channels offer a lot of interesting programmes, e.g.

documentaries. Despite that, people often prefer watching a violent
movie instead of them. Thus, one is naturally led to wonder, why are we
so attracted by violence?
The answer may be that in our minds there is still those violent instincts,
that characterized our ancestors. So, to my mind, watching violent
programmes is a need and not so bad . On one hand it is a way to satisfy
our instict, on the other we should ask if it can drive one to commit
murders and crimes.
My idea is that violent serials should be limited but not cancelled,
otherwise they become too normal and, not less important, they should

be on in the evening, so that young vulnerable spectators cannot watch

them.
To sum up we can say that violence on TV is not necessary a bad thing.
But it is undeniable that in high dose it can create addiction and serious
consequences on ones personality. Naturally it regards all countries
these days, however I think that in Italy this phenomenon is not so
developed, probably because of the lack of big movie producers.

SMOKING SHOULD BE BANNED IN ALL PUBLIC PLACES

USE REASONS AND SPECIFIC EXAMPLES TO SUPPORT YOUR OPINION

1 bad for health

2 unfair for people who dont smoke

3 dangerous (fire)

Some countries still allow to smoke in public places, like pubs or restaurants, I firmly believe that smoking
should not be permitted in places shared by many persons. If a person wants to smoke he can do it at his
own home or outdoors and in the following paragraphs Ill give you some reasons.
The first reason and most important one: smoke can seriously damage people health. Many medical studies
have demonstrated that sigarettes are one of the main factors causing lungs cancer or hearth attack.
Smoker risks to get sick or even to die more than a no smoker.
The second reason is that smoking in a public place is a very unfair habit for no smoking people. Who
doesnt smoke have the right of enjoying fresh air while sitting at a restaurant. A baby in a restaurant would
breath all the smoke dangerous if someone would light a sigarette by his side.
My third and last reason is a cigarette in some places could become really dangerous because if we dont
pay attention it can provoke a fire in a very short time. Imagine what can provoke a sigarrette in a book
shop or, simply, on the tablecloth of a restaurant.
As a conclusion I want to mantain the necessity of condemning smoking in all public places all over the
world because smoking its so bad for the health.

The death penalty cannot be defended. Do you agree?

Some countries still have the death penalty,1
it no longer exists in Europe. 2
after a particularly violent murder, people sometimes call for it to be brought back.
3. the death penalty cannot be defended for a number of reasons.
4. and most important reason is that one can never be entirely certain that the
accused person is guilty.
5. people have been sentenced to death and later it
has been discovered that they were completely innocent.
6. it is often suggested that the death penalty prevents crime and that the risk of
death acts as a deterrent.
7. many serious crimes are caused by a sudden
and very powerful emotion. In these cases the individual is not thinking sensibly and
8. does not stop to consider the risks.
9. the death penalty sets a bad example. The laws of society should reflect
values. If it is wrong for one individual to murder another
10. it is also wrong for
the state to execute an individual.
11,
12 that the death penalty cannot be defended. There are other
ways of punishing criminals and these ways should always be tried.

Facebook, vampires.......
1. On the one hand she feels very uneasy about them reading this
unsuitable material, but on the other (hand) she's happy that they're
reading anything at all. She has mixed feelings about that.
2. She herself played with childish toys when she was a child, however
at the same time she was interested in/curious about more adult
literature and behaviour. In grown-up matters
3. It claims/maintains that children are pressurized by /under pressure from
the media and internet
and their peers Under a lot of pressure/there's a lot of pressure on them to do adult things,
they're nolonger allowed to enjoy the innocence of childhood,
introduced to an inappropriate lifestyle too early/young.
4. She disagrees with these findings/results. She believes that staying at home
surfing the net the children are more under control/protected/supervised,
parents shouldn't be so scared, worried but take the necessary precautions
5. She makes a number of observations: firstly/1. She says that childhood hasn't
really changed/is the same as it ever was because /in that some children
develop more quickly than others. 2. secondly there are dangers. more access
to porn mobile phones allow them to do unsuitable things
3. parents should really look after them and treat them like children

Exam September 2013 Burmese religious tensions

Answers
1. a)Shin Wirthau's justification for the violence against Muslims in Myanmar is
that Muslims want to change Myanmar into an Islamic state.
b) Wirthau justifies the violence as a means of preventing an Islamic takeover of the
country.
2. a) Wirthau's proposal for limiting the power and influence of Muslims in
Myanmar is a creation of defensive and nationalist organisation called 969.
That organisation takes care the buddhist culture and identity.
b) He proposes a Nationalist organisation called 969 to help promote Buddhist
affairs and simultaneously limit Muslim growth.
3. a)The journalist believes it is a long-term project because the present
estimates suggest Myanmar's Muslims are just 5% of the population and
would take a long time to increase.
b) The journalist asserts that Wirthau's fear of an Islamic state is a long-term
project because about all Myanmar's 60 million are Buddhist and only little part are
Muslim; that it is very hardly.
4. a) When Smar Nyi Nyi sys If someone is controlling things, he is a smart
man! he is imply that the global vision is focolisated only about the violence
between Buddhists and Muslims and not in other darck's cronicle facts.
b)Smar Nyi Nyi thinks the attention given to the violence is just a planned
propaganda to distract people from the more important internal issues.
5. a) He believes he is only trying to protect his nation from extremist Muslims
and using far less violence that the USA in their fight against terrorism.
b) Shin compares himself to President Obama because he wants to compare his
actions with the USA's actions where there are a lot of victim. However Wirthau
wants to justification his military and political actions in Myanmar.

Composition
There have been various clashes between different religious groups in history, all
of which has seen the death of numerous innocent souls. This might try to suggest
religion pushes people to be violent.
When we take a proper look into most of these religions, we find out the doctrines
actually preaches love, equality, respect for every human.
Religious people normally tend to follow their religious leaders and there ideals. In
a situation where the leaders take extremist positions and translate their ideas into
their preachings, the followers easily get mind washed blinded by faith and this
makes them act as asked.
Nevertheless There are a lot of places in the world where people of different
religions coexist in peace and harmony because they chose to respect one another
and their religious views.
As far as Im concerned Religion is not a cause of Violence, people are. We
humans are a naturally violent species known to fight for our own selfish reasons.
This has been proven over and over again by history. In a world absent of religion,
humans will still be violent. It is just our nature.