Doing research on the internet is fast and efficient. All necessary information can be gained by the click of a mouse. While Google is the search engine of choice for most, Wikipedia seems to be the go to place for information for most students. It has all the information they need about any topic assigned by their professor. It cuts the work time in half for students with a busy class workloads. Wikipedia gets the job done. Yet professors and teachers frown upon the use of Wikipedia as a primary source of research information for their students. Why is that? More importantly, does that mean that Wikipedia is not good for anything? Is it an educator's ally or foe?

Contrary to the popular educator's opinion, Wikipedia is a fantastic starting point for most students who are unfamiliar with their assigned reading topics or research work. It speaks in layman's terms that makes even the most complicated topic easier to understand. Sure, the content is editable by anyone, which makes the validity of the information presented on the website suspect. However, that does not negate the fact that underneath all of the information presented on the page, there are dozens of footnotes that have links to other external sites and sources. These footnote listings are what makes Wikipedia a useful research tool and a powerful information arsenal in the hands of a desperate student.

Wikipedia has never claimed to be the most accurate source of information. It only presents information. The validity of the information presented will depend upon the more accurate and intricate research that the student will be doing. In other words, Wikipedia is only a starting point for research. It is not the place for all the research information. It is true that the easily editable information creates questionable data, but that is why a person does research. Research is required to confirm any information that a person has. If one sees 2 supporting sources of the information from other sources either online or in print, then Wikipedia becomes a valid source of "starter" information.

Wikipedia helps the student get his research off to a good start. It allows for new information to be understood in a less complicated presentation that results in a student gaining the confidence to do more research and acquire more valid resources that can help him create an accurate paper. Sure, he will be doing research based on information gained from Wikipedia, the important thing is that he has some sort of information to go by. Without Wikipedia, most students would be lost, without a clue when it comes to how to get started with the research topic that they barely understand.

Wikipedia isn't an educator's enemy. Rather, it is an educator's ally when it comes to helping a student learn how to do proper research. Encourage students to use Wikipedia as a starting point for the research paper. It won't hurt. Just remind the students to get confirming information for anything they gain from Wikipedia that they use in their research because Wikipedia still, cannot be considered an accurate source of information because of its open-editing policy.

As a student looking to write an impressive essay, one of the most important considerations in choosing the topic to be written about is the thesis statement. A thesis statement is defined as the presentation of the central theme or idea behind the research paper which includes an explanation regarding the reasons why a topic is required for discussion. That said, a student must always be aware that without a properly developed thesis statement, not only will his research paper be difficult to complete, but it will also be hard for the reader to understand. Here are a few guidelines that can help a student develop a proper thesis statement for his research essay:

1. Narrow down the topic for discussion. If you find that your chosen topic has over 20 sub-topics, consider tying in the main discussion topic with one sub-topic to create a more interesting topic for discussion. A dual topic thesis statement helps to create a sense of importance regarding the research topic and tends to interest the reader in the research more than simply discussing one topic.

2. The student must focus on the reasons why this topic is important enough to be discussed as a research topic. Therefore, the topic chosen should be one that most readers may or should care about. It would help if the student can create a sense of personal importance or advocacy for the chosen topic.

3. Ensure that the student has more than enough resource material for the research. The amount of research material will help in the creation of the thesis statement as important discussion points can be noted beforehand for incorporation into the final thesis statement.

An effective thesis statement should inform the reader using an interesting introduction to the topic, create an interest for the reader by indicating the importance of the information to be presented, and finally, ensure that the thesis statement properly incorporates an outline of the upcoming discussion. By completing these elements in the thesis statement presentation, the researcher will find that not only will the topic be easier to research, but that the importance of the topic being discussed will be represented in the best manner possible, resulting in an increased interest of the reader in the research paper.

For most IELTS and TOEFL test takers, the most daunting task that the examinee faces would be to find the proper way to write the discussion essay portion of the test. While those who attend format tutorial sessions in preparation for these tests tend to be set on the right track by the exam instructor, there are some test-takers who prefer to study alone. They take practice test questions from online sources and then write up an essay on their own. This is where the problem lies. Most of them have no idea regarding the required elements of the essay, as well as how to properly approach the discussion. While there is no right or wrong way of writing the essay, there is a proper format for the opening or paraphrased statement that could help to increase the final score of the test taker. Regardless of whether you are taking the IELTS Task II or TOEFL test, both tests follow rudimentary essay opening statement elements. If a test-taker can properly represent the discussion in every paragraph, then there is a possibility of a higher overall score for this section of the test. What elements would ensure a better score?

Make sure to not just read the prompt topic but also understand the discussion instruction. Break down the prompt statement into 2 parts: (1) the subject and (2) the discussion style. For example in the prompt:

Some people prefer to live in a house, while others feel that there are more advantages to living in an apartment. Are there more advantages than disadvantages of living in a house compared with living in an apartment?

The subject is "Some people live in a house, others in an apartment", the instruction is "Discuss the disadvantages of house living when compared to living in an apartment."

After taking the time to analyze the required elements of the essay, and really understanding what discussion and information must be presented, a typical opening statement for this prompt should be similar to the following:

These days, people often find themselves faced with a difficult decision when it comes to their housing requirements. While there some people who dream of living in a house, there are those who would rather live in an apartment, believing that living in an apartment has more advantages than living in a house. This essay will explore the existing reasons as to why living in a house has more disadvantages than living in an apartment.

Note the method of the suggested paraphrased prompt writing. It follows the required minimum 3 sentence presentation requirement (maximum of 5 per paragraph) that also utilizes the following keywords from the original prompt: house, apartment, live discuss, advantages, disadvantages. By using the keywords from the original prompt in the paraphrased prompt, the examinee proves a degree of English comprehension skills and also manages to outline the upcoming discussions for the rest of the essay. Create the perfect opening statement and you will be sure to score well in terms of English comprehension skills.

Not only will the perfectly paraphrased opening statement help you to increase your score, but it will also help you to present a more interesting essay to the examiner because you have outlined the topics for discussion in the upcoming paragraphs. The examiner knows what to expect from your essay and can also accurately gauge the level of your English writing and comprehension skills at this point. By developing the best opening statement possible, the exam-taker will have already secured half the marks required to pass the test, be it TOEFL or IELTS Task 2.

Research and writing go hand-in-hand particularly in the academic world. What better way to illustrate your valuable research than good writing, and what's the use of brilliant writing when your research holds no significance. For a student often, if not both, either one of these skills need to be cultivated until they get embedded into the scholastic chromosomes.

Before the writing comes the research. The first lesson is to frame a strong research question. From the surface, drill down to most microscopic levels.

Simultaneously explore the breadth of the situation. For example, 'Micro-organisms in drinking water' could instigate questions on the sequence of steps from drinking water sources to you cup. It could trigger questions on types of micro-organisms, their nature, extent of harm to human health etc. The second lesson is to look around every nook and corner. Read or get in touch with experts in the field to understand the current situation before you remove the obvious and converge on the relative unknowns. Leverage on what is known to form a strong case for your research. In the example, if there are established studies on the types of micro-organisms present in drinking water, turn your question to stages of water processing. Your case is ready and you are ready for lesson three.

Lesson three is to design the study based on statistical data. You require a minimum and a maximum number of sample to come to a conclusion. It is important to devise a strategy, based on the research question you will have to define parameters such as geographies, collection methods, analysis of samples, logistics, etc. First timers will have to reach out to their teachers or experienced researchers. From here on, just follow what you conceived and designed with your eyes on the goal. Research is almost always time-bound and a lesson on time management is a must. Documentation is key. Never miss jotting down anything that you observe, that's why it's research, you never know what changes the game and ultimately the results. A piece of advice that helps, if the study permits, halfway through your research, stop and make a brief analyzes of our findings. This will help you make amendments to the journey you are yet to take.

Once the research is down, it comes down to put all your hard work into a palatable form - writing. The writing lesson is about gathering authentic information on the research question. As you walk through existing sources of information establish the gravity of the research and assertively stage reasons for undertaking such a study. Do not hesitate to bring out existing solutions if any, but strike a strong balance to highlight the gap in the existing studies, that your research fills up. Lesson six, the rules of writing are the same be it for research or a book. Keep it simple, easy to understand, and spell checked. Quality matter over quantity. Stay focused on the kind of information that you provide, that the next lesson. Lesson eight is all about numbers. Nothing talk louder than an easy math of the problem and the solution. Of course, if the research is on Mathematics, it'll be math all the way.

In many ways, it's the conclusion that clinches the paper. This is the grand combination of research and writing. This is the place you compare your findings and articulate why and how you stand out with something new to say to the world. If it's not new why should anyone give you a hearing.

There are so many examples online of essays written in the format of IELTS and TOEFL essays. Some of them have a single sentence per paragraph, some have 3,4,5, or even 6. Based upon the examples available online, it becomes difficult for the self-studying student who is preparing for one of the two tests to properly assess which format is best for the exam. It is easy to clear up the confusion. Use the essay format that will best allow the exam taker to properly show off his English comprehension, vocabulary, and writing skills. This leads the examinee back to the original question, "Which format is best?".

The best format for writing the exam essays is the 5 sentences, 5 paragraphs format. How can that be the best format when others score high on the test with only 2 sentences? That is, according to the examples online. Since I scored a perfect 9 in my IELTS Essay Writing Test and an amazing 5 in the TOEFL Essay Test using the 5 sentences in 5 paragraphs formula, I can safely say that writing 5 sentences per paragraph and properly completing 5 paragraphs is the best way to get the highest possible score for your essay. What are the reasons behind this reasoning?

When I was practicing for the test, the first thing that I took note of was the time that it took to complete the essay. Based upon the 30-minute allotment for the essay, it left me with only enough time to create an outline based upon a single reasoning per paragraph in defense or opposition of the given topic. Trying to present more than one reason per paragraph left me with half discussed and confusing paragraph presentations. Since I had only 30 minutes to complete the essay, I slowly came to realize that the exam only requires one reason to be discussed in the paragraph. Present the reason first then discuss it in the remaining 4 sentences. It worked like magic in increasing my overall scores.

If you closely study the prompt requirements per essay, you will find that the topics for discussion for each paragraph is already outlined for the test-taker. Take for example, the following prompt:

Alternative energy sources that use the natural power of the wind, waves, and sun are too expensive and complicated to replace the coal, oil and gas that we use to power our cities and transport. To what extent do you agree or disagree whit this opinion?

Based on the above example, the correct discussion format, per paragraph for this essay should be as follows:

1. Paraphrased introduction with the personal agreement or disagreement of the opinion;

2. Expanded discussion of the public opinion regarding the cost of renewable energy resource. The public opinion should serve as an introduction to the next paragraph;

3. Provide a personal opinion of the given discussion supported by personal knowledge or experience;

4. Supporting public evidence of the personal opinion in the preceding paragraph;

5. Concluding statement that summarizes the first 4 paragraphs.

The objective of these tests is to prove that the English as a Second Language learner has the ability to find the topic sentence in a prompt statement, understand what type of discussion is required, and then present the discussion in the manner expected. The 5-sentence rule allows an examinee to properly develop one idea, in a simple or complex sentence format, in a manner that best shows off his English abilities. The examiner is not interested in the reasons that you give in the essay, he is interested in how well you defend your single reason in English because that proves the ability to understand future English based lessons. More importantly, the examinee can use these tests to prove his ability to properly complete English based assignments in terms of research and essay writing.

When the essay has only one or two sentences per paragraph, that does not prove any English skills. If the writer has only 3 sentences in the paragraph, that proves some of his English abilities. However, when the writer presents 5 sentences in a paragraph, using only one fully developed / defended reason, the examiner sees a more complex set of sentences that an easily gain higher or the highest marks in terms of grammar range and accuracy.

That is whole point of the IETLS Task 2 and TOEFL essay writing test. To allow the examinee to prove that he has the English skills to achieve the highest possible grades in his classes at his American, Australian, Canadian, or British university. By presenting a logical English thought pattern during the qualifying tests (IELTS, TOEFL), the student will be deemed ready to take on an English language based education.

I always hear review students for the IELTS tests telling each other "Write more, you'll score better." Each time I hear that statement, I can't help but stifle a laugh. While it is true that writing more words could help to increase your IELTS score, if you are just writing for the sake of writing or filling the minimum word count, then you will not score better any better than if you just wrote the minimum number of words. This mistaken notion of writing more words for the purpose of just writing defeats the purpose of proving English comprehension, discussion, and writing abilities.

The prompts for IELTS Task 2 essays are always clear in its presentation. The paragraphs should be no less than 3, no more than 5 to gain an acceptable passing score. Each paragraph should be no less than 3, but no more than 5 sentences. In the prompt:

"It is important for children to learn the difference between right and wrong at an early age. Punishment is necessary to help them learn this distinction. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? What sort of punishment should parents and teachers be allowed to use to teach good behaviour to children? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience."

The number of paragraphs in this essay has been outlined per topic discussion as 5 paragraphs composed of:

1. Paraphrased statement.

2. One personal opinion with justification.

3. Type of punishment and public opinion that supports it.

4. Personal opinion with personal justifications as to why this punishment will be effective.

5. Conclusion.

To clearly discuss this type of essay, it is important that the writer focus on only one reason for every discussion. Since the maximum allowable sentence requirement is only 5 per paragraph, it is impossible to fully develop and discuss more than one idea per paragraph.

The problem with the test takers is that there is a tendency to forget that the IELTS test is not a test of English vocabulary. The aim of the test is not to prove the amount of English words that you know. The purpose of the test is to give you a chance to prove that you can be a good candidate for English curriculum colleges and universities based on several considerations. The purposes and / or considerations are:

1. To prove that you can understand English instructions through the execution of the instructions provided in the essay.

2. Provide an example of your English writing skills that will prove your ability to complete English based class and course requirements.

3. Allow the examiner to decide if you have the English speaking, reading, and writing capacity to compete with the native English speakers in a classroom setting.

By focusing on only one discussion topic per paragraph, the exam taker will stand a better chance of increasing his Coherence and Cohesiveness score along with his Task accuracy requirements. Writing a minimum of 3 simple sentences per paragraph, provided the English text can accurately express itself, and provided that the examiner can easily understand what the exam taker is trying to express in his paragraph, will gain a higher score than a disjointed essay composed of unrelated information of 2 sentences each per paragraph. That sort of writing will lower the score for the student in the previously mentioned scoring sections.

Many an IELTS taker say that they fear taking the Task 1 essay test because of the complicated way that it is set up. These test-takers claim that it is next to impossible to properly analyze and summarize the reports for academic presentation. This is far from the truth. The only reason to fear taking the IETLS task 1 essay is if you are incapable of applying common sense and observational skills when reviewing the supplied image.

Common sense applies the most in the writing of the Task 1 essay because, given the 20 - minute time constraint in writing, the most obvious information to be found in the diagram, illustration, or map will be written about. However, the obvious should not be the focal point of your writing. To increase the final score, the examiner needs to be convinced that the test-taker analyze the image on a more than superficial level. How can the in-depth analysis be proven? There are several ways of doing this:

1. In illustrated charts such as line charts and graphs, look for the points in the chart where the lines intersect. These intersecting lines are not part of the obvious presentation of the essay. Indicating these overlapping points will allow the exam taker to appropriately represent the "make comparisons where necessary" portion of the test. Whenever that term is mentioned, you can be sure that overlapping information exists and must be presented in the essay.

2. When dealing with diagrams, use observational skills throughout your drafting process. A descriptive essay of this sort is not done until all of the comparison points have been made and presented with regards to certain points of the illustration.

3. With regards to the pie chart covering 2 different years, the percentage points are the key information for representation. Review both pie charts and then present the information that, though the information is from 2 different years, similarities can be found.

The most important aspects of the IETLS Task 1 essay are the comparison and observational points. These are the parts of the essay that will always increase your final score when represented in the final version of the essay. When the comparison points are clearly based upon obvious observable information, as well as a serious analysis of the information provided, a high score is given in the end.

In all instances of essay writing, most students struggle with the proper format for its writing. Due to the numerous writing samples available online, there is a strong tendency for a new writer to get caught up in the various formats being presented. If one has not taken a writing class before, then that potential essayist will not have any idea that there is a standard format for "short" essay writing. This is the format that is followed by both IELTS and TOEFL exam takers. Let me break down the different parts of the essay for those who are still finding themselves scratching their heads with regards to the proper format.

Paragraph 1: THE INTRODUCTION

Based upon the original prompt requirements, the exam taker is required to explain the topic for discussion and how it is to be discussed in his own understanding. This is the most critical part of developing the essay because if the exam taker makes a mistake in the topic or instruction representation, then the whole essay will no longer be aligned with the original instructions and will have the potential to fail the test. One needs to increasingly practice English comprehension skills if the examinee is to pass the biggest hurdle of essay writing.

Paragraph 2 - 4: BODY OF PARAGRAPHS

This is the part of the essay that tests the English writing ability of the examinee. A talent in logic and reasoning in English is paramount for these sections of the essay. The work here will prove that he has the grammatical ability to write understandable English sentences. This is the proof that he can think in English and can express himself coherently in the same language. The grammar doesn't need to be perfect in every paragraph. It does need to be easily understood by the reader though. If the student cannot express himself clearly or make himself understood, then the essay will further deteriorate its chances of getting a passing score.

Paragraph 5: THE CONCLUSION

This is similar in nature to the introduction paragraph. The main difference is that the concluding paragraph will need to summarize the important discussion points in the body of paragraphs. The ability of the test taker to present his thoughts in various ways in written English is being tested.

Now that one knows what the standard essay writing format is for IELTS and TOEFL, it should be easier for the exam taker to develop a strong essay.

Remember, the grammar need not be perfect, but it does need to clearly get the point of the essay across somehow.

If you stopped to read this blog because you found yourself engaged by the title I chose to use for it, then I have succeeded in accomplishing one of the most difficult acts in writing, developing a catchy title. Honestly, if the title of this article did not catch your attention, then there is absolutely no way that I would have succeeded in getting you to read this blog article. The title is the perhaps the most important part of essay writing, and yet most writers tend to neglect the development of a proper, interesting, or engaging title for their essays. Writers don't realize that the title is what brings their words to the attention of the reader. Without an interesting title, the essay is dead in the water. The problem, is that not all writers can develop an interesting title. Is there a secret to developing an interesting title?

Use the topic title as a place holder - When the material is assigned to you, shorten the assignment instruction first. This will give you a pretty good idea of what your final title might end up being. So, if the assignment instruction is; "Discuss if there are benefits for the host country if they host foreign workers in their country.", the title holder can be something like; "Benefits of a country with foreign workers". Your place holder title will also help you keep in mind what the actual essay topic is. Eventually, your essay should begin to take shape and allow you to change the tentative title into a final title. For this essay, the final title can be "The Two-Way Benefit of Foreign Employment". The title immediately poses the question that is to be answered in the essay and the reader is also informed about the discussion outline at the same time.

Use adjectives to your advantage - Have you ever found yourself clicking on a link to a "related" article because of the way that it was written? Statements such as "Absolute Weight Loss Guaranteed!" or "Adele's Pain as She Fumbles Song!" Or even "My Nerd Boyfriend's Incredible Transformation into a Jock", are all word groupings designed to appeal to public interest. Whether the title is sensationalist or just an interesting fun description, the adjectives create a point of interest that makes you think, "I wonder what that's all about..." Which is the first step to getting you to read the essay or article.

Don't go for the obvious titles - The first title that comes to your mind should not be the final title because that is the title you developed on the fly. It isn't any good. Trust me on that. If you are writing about the joy of owning a Golden Retriever, don't use the title "I am Happy with My Golden Retriever". That will just be ignored because you are stating a fact instead of enticing interest. Instead, say something like "The Joys of Being a Golden Retriever Parent". That is less than obvious because not everyone who owns a pet considers himself a parent. Hence the word "Parent" will be the trigger word that entices the reader to learn about an interestingly different kind of parent. Be creative. Don't say what is expected.

The title already makes half of your essay. Once you have an interesting title, the reader will start to read the essay or article. You already reeled in the reader with the interesting title, he already wants to know what you wish to say. Make sure that your essay content is just as interesting as the title of your work. How do you make sure that your essay will hold the interest created by the title? That's coming up in my next blog discussion.

Having come across someone who said that an unnamed IELTS expert advised that one simple sentence will do in concluding an IELTS Task 2 essay, I decided to write about the importance of writing at least 3 sentences in the conclusion rather than getting into an academic argument about it. As we all know, nobody wins an academic argument. However, I wish to help more students get the best possible score in their test, which is why I am writing this explanatory blog. I will agree that writing a single simple sentence that accurately sums up an essay in the conclusion is acceptable. However, that is not going to increase your chances of gaining a higher score in terms of Task Accuracy, as well as Grammar Range and Accuracy. The reason that 3 sentences would serve a better purpose than a single sentence is simple, it shows off more of your English vocabulary and comprehension skills.

Let's not forget that the IELTS test comes with a minimum word requirement. Therefore, the more words you write over the limit, the better your chances of proving that you can write complex English sentences. You also get to show off your English composition skills because you get to restate the information in a more succinct manner. Thus proving that you are ready for higher level academic learning and writing in English. Normally, an IELTS essay with a chance of getting a more than decent passing score are those that are written with 300 words at the most.

That is why I advise students to always write 3-5 sentences, regardless of whether it is an opening statement, part of the body paragraphs, or a conclusion. I do not want test takers to neglect the fact that the complex sentence requirement of the essay is one of the most important scoring points. If only one sentence in summation is written in the conclusion, then the chance to increase your final score is lost.

Therefore, while I submit that the choice of how many sentences to write in the conclusion or opening statement is up to the exam taker, I will caution against not fully utilizing the opportunity to increase your score through every means possible. One of the means that makes it possible to increase the essay score is by accurately portraying your English writing skills in as many sentences as allowed by the exam criteria.

Professors these days seem to be hellbent on not leaving a student with any relaxation time after class. That's why they assign so much reading material for "essay" or "research" assignments. While there is a difference between the two forms of academic writing, not all students are familiar with it so they end up writing a research paper when they should have written an essay and an essay for what should have been a research paper. Sometimes, it is just that hard to tell the difference. So, let me spell it out for those who are going through their writing assignments in a dazed and confused state.

Let's start with the similarities of the two papers. Both papers have an assigned topic for discussion. Both have a minimum and maximum word requirement. Both papers require an academic tone in writing. Sources are mandatory. Finally, both papers are designed to trip up the student as to whether he has been listening in class or not. Yup. This is the professor's way of making sure he has your attention and that you have his notes from class. If you don't have the latter, then you are in for a heap of trouble, regardless of which paper style you are writing. Now for the differences.

ESSAY

The essay is written mostly as an opinion paper. The opinion will rely mostly on the way that you understand outside sources that are normally part of the assigned reading in a class. A professor will normally assign at least 3 sources for any given essay, depending upon the number of words in it. If you are looking at a 300-word essay, 3 sources, with one quote per paragraph should do the trick. A merciful professor will pre-assign the reading material, along with the prompt, and indicate the number of quotes he wants to see in the paper. This is to make sure that you do not just submit 5 paragraphs of cut and paste quotes and insist it is an essay. An essay is expected to build a student's writing skills. Which in turn, develops logical thinking and coherence in written presentations.

"But.. This Sounds Like a Research Paper to Me.."

Nope. Nothing like it. The essay is basically an analysis paper that has sources. The Research paper, asks the student to consider various facets of a given topic. The student basically reads the research materials and then tries to come up with a conclusion based on the available information. This type of paper asks the student to come to an educated analysis of a given topic as opposed to an opinion of a given topic in an essay.

RESEARCH PAPER

A research paper is also longer in the sense that one needs to write at least 8 full pages of material for the discussion. A complete and thorough evaluation of the source material is required; thus, the writer becomes more educated about the class topic outside of the classroom. The main aim of the research paper, is to provide a comprehensive look at all available materials in relation to a given topic. The analysis and presentation of the information will then, incorporate the point of view of the writer.

In a Nutshell

Both the essay and research paper function in a manner that helps a student gain a better understanding of a given topic. The difference lies in the number of source, length of presentation, and whether or not the writer's opinion will be required at the end of the written work. The essay asks for an opinion while the research adds to the information that a student gained about a topic while in class. Both extend the classroom lesson outside of the classroom, but an essay requires a simpler presentation when compared to a research paper.

There is some confusion among the IELTS test takers with regards to the proper approach or writing style for two similar, but different discussion instructions. They normally find it difficult to tell the difference between an "agree or disagree" and an "to what extent do you agree or disagree" essay. While the difference between the two discussion types stands out for a native English speaker, those whose main language is not English struggle to write these essays. Here are some points to help the exam taker figure out which is which.

When to Simply Agree or Disagree

An essay that requires an agree or disagree discussion states simply that. "Do you agree or disagree with the given viewpoint" means that the discussion would like the exam taker to discuss the essay based only on one opinion, supported by various facts, popular knowledge, or personal experience. The proper response to the prompt can only be one of two things; "I agree" or "I disagree". One can never discuss both sides as there is no option in the original prompt that indicates a comparison statements such as "Discuss both points of view." Since only the personal point of view is required in this statement, it makes it easier to develop a line of reasoning for the discussion. FYI, this type of essay can be completed in 4 paragraphs.

Here is a sample essay that responds to this type of prompt:

Topic: Some people believe that tourism does more harm than good. Agree or disagree?

Tourism is something that is often promoted as a good thing for a country. There are some people though who believe that tourism does not really do much good in terms of the country's situation. I agree with this statement for a reason.

One cannot deny that there are economic benefits to be reaped from an active tourism industry in a country. It creates jobs and generates income that helps the people of an area of the country. It promotes the beautification of the country, but not without damaging the same country or area in the process.

Take for example, the negative effects of beach tourism. While the tourists bring in the money, their activities, such as partying at night on the beach and leaving their trash to be carried out to sea, destroys the natural habitat of sea creatures. Coral reefs are damaged and birds end up eating poisonous substances from the leftover waste products. This creates an environmental problem for the city or national government. Thus, proving that tourism does more harm than good.

In the end, the positive effects of tourism are commendable. However, the negative effects that is has on the same tourist area could be a bigger problem in the future. Therefore, tourism does promote more harm than good.

When Do Emotions Come in to the Picture?

The minute the essay prompt directly asks the writer "To what extent do you agree or disagree?", the emotional play for the response begins. The word "extent" tells the exam taker that a strong, emotional response is expected. There are at least 3 ways of responding to this prompt. One can say any of the following in the discussion sentence:

1. I totally agree / disagree
2. I partially agree / disagree
3. I agree / disagree to a certain extent
4. I strongly agree / disagree

The emotional reference in the discussion is required because the discussion will be coming from a personal experience or knowledge of how the prompt has affected someone. Let me show an example of how to approach this essay:

Topic: Businesses today grow at a rapid rate. As such it is now commonly believed that businesses also have social responsibilities in terms of preserving the environment. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

In our modern world, businesses have been expanding at a rate far faster than in the 20th century. These expanding businesses are believed to also have social responsibilities because of their rapid pace of development. I strongly agree with this statement.

Businesses these days tend to have an environmental effect on society because of the way that they take down the natural habitat or animals or pollute the environment when they expand their business. Some businesses do this without any regard for the environment and end up destroying, rather than developing an area.

The skyscrapers of today were built on what were once forests and marshlands. These were converted to make it useful for business purposes. Before the environmental buildings of today were erected, this meant that environments were permanently altered and animals displaced, crops ruined, trees, destroyed, among other things. It was only recently that businesses began to heed the call of environmentalists and started preserving the naturally existing elements in an area even as they built their dream mega buildings.

These are the reasons why I strongly agree with the previously given statement. It is important for businesses to recognize the importance of preserving the environment upon which they are building. Their actions dictate the ability of our planet to survive, repair itself, and continue to support life.

In the end, businesses need to acknowledge that their business growth is tied in with a social responsibility such as protecting the environment. Their failure to act in a socially responsible manner will have direct effects on our planet. That is why I strongly agree that businesses have a social responsibility.

How Can I Remember the Difference?

The discussion instruction will always be your guide. If the phrase "to what extent" does not appear in the instructions, then is it a simple "agree or disagree" essay. When you see the "to what extent" phrase, then that means emotions come into play in the discussion.

Most ESL students find themselves suffering in silence as they prepare for their IELTS or TOEFL essay exams. The reason for their suffering? The fact that their English vocabulary remains highly limited and restrictive a month before they are to take the test. Their essays suffer because they are unable to use the proper keywords or relatively simple replacement words in their sentences because they do not know how to learn more words. Sadly, that is a requirement of the opening paraphrase of the Essay Task 2 exam. Little do they know that there is a secret which the tutors are not letting the students in on or telling them about. The secret, is that the students only need to learn the art of Synonym usage to build an impressive English vocabulary or collection of English words for their use. The what now? The Syno-duh? Okay, rewind and freeze!

The Synonyms are basically a collection of English words that, although different in presentation, all mean the same thing. The simplest way to explain it is; "One meaning, a dozen word equivalents". Put it this way, when I say "youngster" you think a young person. A person who is not yet an adult. That is the meaning of the word. What if I were to tell you that the singular word "youngster" has at least 12 different interpretations of the term that all mean the same thing?

Yep. Those 12-word variations of the same term are what are referred to as Synonyms (plural form). For the word "youngster", one could also refer to, say, or use any of the following words in written or spoken form to take its place:

- Adolescent
- Teen
- Youth
- Youthful
- Growing (boy / girl)
- Juvenile
- Young (boy / girl)
- Girlish
- Boyish
- Pubescent
- Teenage
- Teenager

Imagine that, one word meaning, 11 ways of saying it. Memorize those words, use them in sentences when applicable and guess what? The ESL student will have just added 11 new English words of the simple and complex kind which will definitely increase his vocabulary and Lexical Resource scores in the actual test.

I find that with the ESL students, this is one of the easiest ways to help them learn the English language. They only need to learn one meaning, add the synonyms and the worst-case scenario is that they learn how to write almost perfect simple to intermediately complex English sentences. Believe me, this learning method works. My students can attest to this.

If you are a self-studying ESL student, this method is easy to learn by yourself. All you need is an English dictionary, for the word meaning, and a thesaurus, for the synonyms. Both are available online at dictionary.com and thesaurus.com respectively. Or, you can download the apps at the usual places.