Essay writing strategies

The essay

Modern lifestyles are completely different from the way people lived in the past. Some people think the changes have been very positive, while others believe they have been negative.

Discuss both these points of view and give your own opinion.

Identifying the issues

The average person’s lifestyle has changed enormously

Life is much better than in the past Changes have had a negative impact on our lives

Clarifying position

Agreeing there are more positive changes Agreeing there are more negative changes

Putting the paragraphs in a logical order

1. Modern lifestyles are different, causes of these differences

2. Arguments for positive changes 3. Arguments for negative changes 4. Summarizing the key ideas, stating your view

Signalling the organization of the main ideas

1. It is undeniable that the average person's lifestyle has changed enormously

2. Some people believe that present life is much better than in the past.

3. On the other hand, it can also be argued that some changes may have had a negative impact on our lives

Supporting main ideas

1. It’s undeniable that the average person’s lifestyle has changed enormously over the last few decades. These changes are due to the huge impact of modern technology and economic development.

2. Some people believe that present life is much better than in the past. As evidence of this, they point to improvements in healthcare and education.

Furthermore, they think that machines have seriously improved working conditions.

3. On the other hand, it can also be argued that some changes have had a negative impact on our lives. For example, there has been a negative influence on both natural and human environment

In addition, stress from all the pressure we are experiencing nowadays seems to have reduced the quality of life

Using impersonal expressions for a more academic style

It’s undeniable that/It can also be argued that /there is evidence to suggest that/it is clear that