“FOR  AND  AGAINST  “  ESSAYS    

                                       

                                                   

   

• ••••••••••••••••Introduction

Paragraph 1

J

D expensiveE unhealthyF not hygienic

oooA fun to eat outB not as tiring ascookingC have to book in advance

1 a) Look at the pictures and talk about the pros and cons of eating out atrestaurants. Think about the sen-ice, the menu. the prices, and theatmosphere.

"For and against" essays are one typeof discursive writing in whichyoudiscuss theadvantages anddisadvantages ofa specific topic. A"Forandagainst" essay shouldconsistof:a) an introduction inwhichyoupresent the topic, making ageneral remark about

it withoutgiving your opinion ;b) amain body in wh ich you present the points for and the points against, in

separate paragraphs, supporting your argumentswith justifications/examples;c) a conclusion which includes your opinion (e.g. In myopinion/view, I believel

think,etc) or abalanced summary of thetopic.• You must not includeopinion words (I believe, I think, etc) in the introduction or the

main body. Opinion words canonlybeused in thefinal paragraph, where you may '--"====stateyour opinion onthetope.

• "For andagainst" essays are normally written in a formal style; therefore youshould avoid using strong language (I know, I amsure, etc), short sentences,colloquial expressions or idioms.You can tnd this typeofwriting inarticles innewspapers,magazines, etc.

ag b) Read the points below, then listen to the cassette and tick those mentioned.whi ch or these points are advantages and which are disadvantages?

UNIT 13 "For ond Agoinsl" Essoys

present topic lwithoulstating your opinionl

2 Read the rubric and underline the keywords, then answer the questions. Main BodyYou have had a class discussion about different forms of travel. Your teacherhas now asked you to write an essay presenting the arguments for andagainst travelling by boal.

1 What typeof essay shouldyouwrite?2 Should you use short sentences, colloquial expressions and idioms? If not,why?3 Which of the following points could be included in your essay? Tick (I ).Whichpoints arc pros andwhichare cons? Canyou addany other ideas?

cheaper than otherforms D 4 journeys can take a long time Dof travel 5 more comfortable and

2 can be unpleasant in bad D enjoyable than other Dweather forms of transport

3 lots of people goonsailing D 6 famous explorers travelled Dholidays the seven seas

•••••••••••••••••Paragraph 2

arguments for. withjustif ications/examples

Paragraph 3

arguments against. withjustifications/examples

Conclusion•••••••••••••••••Final Paragraph

your opinion/balancedsummary

82

• ••••••••••••••••Introduction

Paragraph 1

J

D expensiveE unhealthyF not hygienic

oooA fun to eat outB not as tiring ascookingC have to book in advance

1 a) Look at the pictures and talk about the pros and cons of eating out atrestaurants. Think about the sen-ice, the menu. the prices, and theatmosphere.

"For and against" essays are one typeof discursive writing in whichyoudiscuss theadvantages anddisadvantages ofa specific topic. A"Forandagainst" essay shouldconsistof:a) an introduction inwhichyoupresent the topic, making ageneral remark about

it withoutgiving your opinion ;b) amain body in wh ich you present the points for and the points against, in

separate paragraphs, supporting your argumentswith justifications/examples;c) a conclusion which includes your opinion (e.g. In myopinion/view, I believel

think,etc) or abalanced summary of thetopic.• You must not includeopinion words (I believe, I think, etc) in the introduction or the

main body. Opinion words canonlybeused in thefinal paragraph, where you may '--"====stateyour opinion onthetope.

• "For andagainst" essays are normally written in a formal style; therefore youshould avoid using strong language (I know, I amsure, etc), short sentences,colloquial expressions or idioms.You can tnd this typeofwriting inarticles innewspapers,magazines, etc.

ag b) Read the points below, then listen to the cassette and tick those mentioned.whi ch or these points are advantages and which are disadvantages?

UNIT 13 "For ond Agoinsl" Essoys

present topic lwithoulstating your opinionl

2 Read the rubric and underline the keywords, then answer the questions. Main BodyYou have had a class discussion about different forms of travel. Your teacherhas now asked you to write an essay presenting the arguments for andagainst travelling by boal.

1 What typeof essay shouldyouwrite?2 Should you use short sentences, colloquial expressions and idioms? If not,why?3 Which of the following points could be included in your essay? Tick (I ).Whichpoints arc pros andwhichare cons? Canyou addany other ideas?

cheaper than otherforms D 4 journeys can take a long time Dof travel 5 more comfortable and

2 can be unpleasant in bad D enjoyable than other Dweather forms of transport

3 lots of people goonsailing D 6 famous explorers travelled Dholidays the seven seas

•••••••••••••••••Paragraph 2

arguments for. withjustif ications/examples

Paragraph 3

arguments against. withjustifications/examples

Conclusion•••••••••••••••••Final Paragraph

your opinion/balancedsummary

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Unll13 "lorond Agoinsr' ESSDYS

3 a) Read the article and label the paragraphs with the correct headings. \\bat is the writer's opinion on thetopic? Finally, replace the topic sentences in the main body paragraphswithalternative ones•

b) Read the article again and fill in the blanks below. Then, using:expressions from the box on the right, talk about the pros and consof travelling by boat.

a Q •

Useful expressions andlinkingwords/phrases-

83

• to list and add points: In the first place,To start/begin with, Secondly, Thirdly,f inally, Inaddition (tothis), Furthermore.Moreover, Besides, etc.

• to introduce or list advantages: Themain/first/most important advantageof..., One/Another /An additionaladvantage of..., One point of view infavour of..., It is often suggested/believed/argued that..., Some/Manypeople suggest/feel argue rhat..; Some/Many people are in favour of fareconvinced that.. etc.

• to introduceor list disadvantages: Themain/most important disadvantage/drawback of..., One/Another/Anadditional disadvantage of..., Onepoint/argument against.; Some/Manypeople areagainst... , etc.

• to introduce examples/reasons/results:for example/instance, suchas, like, inparticular, therefore, for this reason,because, as, since, asa result. etc.

• to showcontrast: On the other hand,However, still, but, Nonetheless,Nevertheless, Although, Even though.Despite/In spite of(thefact that), etc.

• to introducea conclusion: Inconclusion,Toconclude/sum up,All in all, Finally,Lastly, All thingsconsidered, Takingeverything into account/consideration, etc.

•

Para 3

Para 2

Para 4

Para 1

• opinion• present topic

Justificalions/Examplesgofor awalk, eat in arestaurant, goshopping, have more space10 move around

IJustlficatlOns/ExamPI" .....

• arguments against• arguments for

FORArguments1) more comfortable than otherforms of travel

2) .3)

AGAINSTArguments1) .2) .

Did you know theboat was one of the first forms of transport?Ahundred years ago, the only way to make ajourneyacross thesea was by boat. Nowadays, however, when it ispossible to flyfrom one continent to another inthe space of afewhours, is thereany reason to travel by boat?

Alttlough the boat is arather old-fashioned way of travelling, ithas certain advantages. To beginwith, boats are usually morecomfortable than planes or cars. Instead of staying in your seat forthe whole journey, you can go for awalk on the deck, eat in arestaurant, or even go shopping. Having more space 10 movearound makes along joumey much more pleasant Furthermore,boats are often cheaperthanother forms of travel.For example,aboat ticket usually costs lessthan aplane ticket Finally, boatsare a safe alternative to cars and planes. There are feweraccidents at sea thanin the air or on the roads.

However, travelling by boat does have its disadvantages. Itusually takes muchlonger thanother forms of travel.Asaresult.itcan be more Uring. lnaddition,boat tripscan be very unpleasantwhen the weather is bad or the sea is rough, making journeysuncomfortable or even frightening.All things considered,although there are some disadvantages

to travelling by boat, I believe rt is avery enjoyable experience .Journeys maytake 10llger, but nyou havetime to spare, you cantake advantage of themanyfacilities whichboats haveto offer andenjoy apleasant voyage.

N•"- e,

0="""•

                                                                                             

     

Unil13 "for ond Agoins'" Essoys

4 Read the article again and replace the linking words/phrases in boldwith synonymous ones fromthetable onp. 83. Then, say which ofthelinkingwords/phrases in thearticle are used to:

7 a) Read the extract below andchoose the correct topicsentence to fill in the blank.

MAIN BODY PARAGRAPHS

First of all, you spend hours andsitting in fron t of a computer screenwThis can lead to severe backacheproblems with your eyesight. Moreover, using the Internet can be veexpensive, because the ..fees and phone bills are often higFinally, using the Internet requireslot of patience. Getting ontoInternet is not always easy and thimeans you sometimes have to waitlong time to get access.

b) What is the topic of theparagraph? List thearguments mentioned.

1 Therearemanyadvantages tousingthe Internet.

2 However, there arcmanyargumentsagainst using the Internet.

3 Computers have become the mostimportant means ofcommunication.

,,

supportingsentences

c) showcontrastd) introduce a conclusion

a) list/add pointsb) introducereasons/results

You should start eachmainbody parag raphwith a topic sentence whichintroducesor summarises themain topic of the paragraph. The topicsentenceshould befollowed by supporting sentenceswhich justify theargument presented in the topic sentence, bygiving examples or reasons.You should use linkingwords/phrases to present your justifications, suchas:first ofall, what ismore, forexample, because, since, inparticular,etc.e.g. Travelling bytrain has a lot ofadvantages. } topicsentence

First of all. it is comfortable as trains are spacious sothere is plentyofroom towalk about. What Ismore, trainsare corwenient. For example, you donothave totake anyfood or beverages with you, because most trains have arestaurant. Finally, when you travef by train you reachyour destination felrly quickly.

5 Underline thecorrect linking word/phrase.

1 Besides/Despite, television affects the way we think.2 Many people are against/argue that we need advertisements in order tokeep up to datewith the latest products on the market.

3 One point of view against/in favour of travelling is that it allows you tomeet peoplefromdifferent cultures.

4 EnDthough/Nevertheless most people nowadays use a computer atwork,it willbe a while before we stop puttingour ideas down on paper.

S For instance/Still, peoplewhoknowhowto playa musical instrument arcusually popular andmake friendsmore easily thanothers.

6 Read the paragraph below and underline the correct linking word/phrase,

There are many advantages to having children at an early age. 1)To heginwith/In addition to this, when you are young, you have a lot of energy.Thismeans youcancopequite easily withchildren'sdemandsforconstant careand attention. 2) To conclude/Secondly, young parents can relate to theirchildrenand3) therefore/neverthelessunderstand thembetter.4)Yet/Finally,whenyou become aparent at an early age, you are still youngenough toenjoylife whenyour child becomes independent.

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Unil13 "for ond Agoinsl" Essoys

8 a) Match each argument aboutmodelling to its correspond-ing justification.Whichpoints are "for' and whichare "against"?

Arguments ......-::--"'::-_ -]I]bean exciting career]I] opportunity to cam a lot of

money]I]models must constantly watch

what theyeat:J:LJ no privacy

TECllNIQUES10 BEGIN OR ENDVOIlR ESSAYToattract the reader's interest and make the beginning or ending of youressay more effective, you can use some of thefollowingwritingtechniques:a) address the reader directly e.g. "you take the time to train your dog, it

wiJIleam to obey you.b) include aquotation (i.e.asentence orphrase taken from abook, play, etc.)

When we use a quotation, it is necessary to mention the name of theperson who said/wrote it. e.g. As George Orwell wrote, -All animals areequal, but some are more equal than others.-

c) include a rhetorical question e.g. Isittrue thata dog isman's best friend?

9 Readthe extracts belowand sa)' which are beginnings and which areendings. Then identify wh ich writing technique(s) has/have beenused in each.

Justifications--"'>---------------a expected to stay thin so that theylook good all the time

b designers andfashion magazines arcwilling to pay high fees for popularmodels

c reporters arc always chasing themd models usually travel to interestingplaces andoftenmeet famouspeople

b) Use linking words/phrasesto complete the main bod)'paragraphs below.

e.g. There are certain arguments infavour of a career inmodelling.

A Doyoufancy yourself as ahandyman or handywoman? Forpeoplewhoaregood withtheir hands, home decoratingis certainly anoption. Withthe widerange of maienals available in the shops, and the increasingly high cost ofprofessional decorating,the trend istowards DIY. So what are the advantagesand disadvantages of 'doIT yourself'?

C More andmorecouples today choose tohave only onechild. Most of usimagine that being an only child must betenibly lonely, but is that reallythecase? Havingno brothers or sisters has both advantages anddisadvantages.

B Tosum up, although thereare many points against beingareporter, I believethere are certainly aspects in favour of IT. Besides, as JohnHerseyonce said,"Journalismallows ITS readers to witness history:

D All things considered, I believe that there are more disadvantages thanadvantages to dieting. Perhaps that was why wnter and lournallst GeoffreyCannon believed that "Dietingmakes you fat" After all, If you eat sensble,well-balanced meals and keep fit and active, youare more likely tostay slim.

Ontheother hand, many peoplebelieve that a career in modellingalso hasdrawbacks,

       

Unil13 "for nnd Agnins!" Essnys

On the other hand, there aredrawbacks to beinga firefighter.

-, f \.:::7

There is no doubt that going onholiday during the winter is anattractive option.

11 Read the topic sentences, thenwrite appropriate supportingones. Join the sentences withappropriate linking words!phrases in order 10 write acomplete paragraph.

••

2 Watching television has certa inly got itsadvantages.• keepup to date withcurrent news

1 Thereare certain drawbacks to being adoctor.• have to study all their lives in orderto keep up with the latest medicaldevelopments

•

•

3 Thereare many arguments against beingafamous rockstar.• never home because they travel allover the world giving concerts

•

•

10 a) Read the topic sentences and think of appropriate supportingones. The prompts below will help you.

h) Match the quotations to the topics above. Use the quotations towrite appropriate endings for each topic.

I3 There are certain disadvantages toowninga dog.

rn "Everybody wants to be, famous until they

Keith Richards(musician, songwn'ter) [II] "We are humble men in

profession.We do our best""Television! A Dickson Wright

IT] The entertainment (Eri/ish surgeon)which flows like tapwater)" r

DennisPotter(Elitish playwright)

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12 a) Discuss the following ques-tions in pairs.

• Do many people in your countryuse bicycles instead ofcars?

• What are the advantages anddisadvantagesof using a bicycle?

• What are the differences betweencycling in the cityand in thecountry?

• Do you think more people shouldcycle towork instead of usingotherforms of transport'! Why?

Unil13 "forondAga ins!"Essays

I cycling isan inexpensive form of transport 0 [4]2 fumes from cars and lorries arc bad for your health 0 0J therearc lots of different bicycles in the shops 0 0• cycling helps you to stay fit 0 05 cycling on busy roads is not very safe 0 06 my cousi ns go cycl ing at weekends 0 07 cycling is an environmentally-friendly way to travel 0 0S bicycles arc unsuitable for long journeys 0 0

b) Read the rubric and under-line the kCJ words, thenanswer the questions.

A health and fitness magazinehasaskedits readers to writeanarticle discussing the advantagesand disadvantages of cyclingas a form of transport. Writeyour article for the magazine.

What type ofessay is this?2 Which of the following should IlOtbe included in your introduction?Tick (I) .

A your opinion DB general remarks DC statemenl about the topic Do a quotation D

AJ In which part of the essay should Byou write about the advantages and Cthe disadvantages of cycling? D

• Inwhichparagraph can you include Eyour opinion about cycling? F

d) Match the relevant points fromabove to the justifications below.Then, make sentences using appropriate linking words/phrases.

it is a good formof exercise, particularly for the legs, heart and lungsit docs not create air pollutionyoudo not have to spend moneyon thingssuch aspetrolorcostly repairsdrivers do not always give way to cycliststhere is a limit to the distance a cycl ist can reasonably travel in one dayin some cities the fumes are so bad that cyclists have to wear masks toprotect them from pollution

13 Use your answers from Ex. 12 towriteyourarticle on the advantage-and disadvantages of cycling as a means of transportwords). You can use the text in Ex. 3a as a model.

KEY    3  a  

   4                                          

3  b    

5      

                 6          

             8  a                                      

                     

 9    

             

 10  a  

                                                         

 10  b    

   

       

   

         12  b                            12    c              

11                                                   12  d    

   

                       

12