How to Write a Support Paragraph for your Task 2 Essay

 

Hey everyone, welcome back.

So far, we've learned about how to make an awesome outline, we've learned how to get our Task Achievement score for the various question types, and we've learned how to write a great introduction.

If you haven't yet, you should check out those lessons first!

Today we will learn how to write our two support paragraphs for IELTS Writing Task 2.

Today's lesson is contained in two separate videos, so that I can explain support paragraphs in person! The first is 7:30 minutes, the second 5 minutes. I hope you enjoy them!

 

How Do I Write a Great Support Paragraph?

 

So that’s it! Not too complicated, right? Let’s review how to write a great support paragraph:

  • Keep our support paragraphs focused on ONE overall point.
  • Keep them simple!
  • Keep moving forward!!

Use the following structure for the support paragraphs; this will get us a great score in the Cohesion + Coherence criteria:

- Main idea

         -How / Why

                   - Result / Effect

                            - Example

                                     - Tie it back to the main idea

 

Let’s Get Some Practice.

 

In this exercise, we are going to practice putting the sentences of a support paragraph in the correct order, according to the structure we learned.

Here is the Task we will use:

IELTS Writing Task 2 Topic

Let’s try one more.

The following paragraph is about the negative aspects of countries becoming similar. Put the sentences in the correct order according to the structure we learned:

Here are the two support paragraphs from the exercise above. These are perfect support paragraphs! Please notice how:

  • They are focused on one point, and they develop that point!
  • They are actually pretty simple.
  • They keep moving forward.

One positive aspect of access to similar products is that it helps people from all over the world understand each other. This is because we are all able to see the same TV programs, access the same websites, and even eat similar foods. The result is that we feel a connection with people all over, and this helps us to have more positive feelings toward each other. For example, someone in a place like Japan can bond with someone in Canada over a translated Japanese television program they both watch, and in this way they can both connect with other cultures.

For me, the major negative aspect of this homogenization of culture is that a country can lose its personality and traditions. This can happen when products that are more useful or cheaper from other countries replace those in one’s own country. This means that interesting traditions and special products can be lost, sometimes forever. For example, due to the prevalence of English (if English could be considered a product), many young people in China have lost interest in learning old Chinese language and characters, and have therefore lost an important tradition as well as a way to connect with their elders.