IMPROVING WRITING SKILLS UNIT 9

A for and against essay

Practising connectors
1 Complete the lists with the phrases in the box.

lets consider the pros and cons therefore finally I believe

although to sum up furthermore

1 however nevertheless ______________________________

2 in addition to this moreover ______________________________
3 as a result so ______________________________
4 firstly secondly ______________________________
5 in conclusion ______________________________
6 its important to think about the advantages and disadvantages
______________________________
7 in my opinion I think ______________________________

2 Complete the sentences with words or phrases from Ex 1.

1 Doctors earn more than nurses. ______________________________, they

get longer holidays.
2 Firstly, the job is fun. Secondly, the pay is good.
______________________________, the office is very modern.
3 She decided to accept the job ______________________________ it was
very demanding and low paid.
4 Women work just as hard as men. ______________________________,
they deserve all the money they get.

Text Initiative TRB1 Macmillan Publishers Limited, 2015

Improving your writing
3 Read the for and against essay opposite and note the examiners comments.

Its not fair that women tennis players are paid the same prize money as
men. Discuss.

Since 2007, women tennis players have received the same prize money as men at
major tournaments. A lot of people think this is a good idea, howeverP there are
many others who think its unfair on men players. Lets look at some of the pros
and cons of the argument.

There are a number of arguments to support the statement. At first, on average,

mens tennis matches last much longer than womens matches. They often take
two or three hours. ButP womens games rarely last much more than an hour.
Secondly, the number of top players in the mens game is much greater. When
Rafa Nadal plays the world number 50 player, its often a tough match, but when
Serena Williams plays the world number 50 in the womens game, its often an
easy, one-sided match. In the end, the mens game is faster, tougher and more
athletic.

In the other hand, there are many reasons why women should be paid the same.
For example, however womens matches are shorter, the top players play as many
matches as the men. In addition, the best women players are as well known as the
men, and spectators and TV companies pay the same to watch or show their
matches.

At conclusion, I think that the top men and women should be paid the same
because the mens and womens games are equally popular with the public.

Examiners comments
Check use of prepositions and connectors!
___ = wrong word P = punctuation

Text Initiative TRB1 Macmillan Publishers Limited, 2015

4 Correct the seven connector and sequencer errors in the essay in Ex 3.

1 ____________________________ 5 ____________________________
2 ____________________________ 6 ____________________________
3 ____________________________ 7 ____________________________
4 ____________________________

5 Join the sentences using the connectors in brackets.

1 A lot of people think this is a good idea. Others think its unfair on men
players. (although)
__________________________________________________________
2 The best women players are as well known as the men. Spectators pay the
same to watch their matches. (whats more)
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
3 The mens and womens games are equally popular. The top men and women
should be paid the same. (therefore)
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

6 Write a for and against essay (about 100 words) with the following title. Use
appropriate connectors and sequencers.

There should be the same TV coverage of womens sports as there is of mens

sports. Discuss.
Introduce the topic; say there are two views.
Give arguments for.
Give arguments against.
Sum up the arguments and give your opinion.

7 Check your written work carefully and correct any errors.

Text Initiative TRB1 Macmillan Publishers Limited, 2015