THE ITU ENGLISH PROFICIENCY EXAM WRITING SECTION

1. As of September 2008, the writing section of the ITU English Proficiency Exam will consist of topics on which you are expected to write one of the essay types below: A cause essay An effect essay A compare/ contrast essay

* There will be no opinion essay topic in the exam anymore.

2. For the cause or effect essay type, you are expected to write an explicit thesis statement; such as Because of air pollution and excessive use of chemicals in food, the rate of cancer is increasing. Do not write thesis statements like: There are several reasons of the increase in cancer incidents.

3. For compare/ contrast essay, you could choose to focus on just the similarities, just the differences, or both the similarities and differences. If you decide to write only the similarities or differences, then the thesis statement should explicitly state your intention to do so.

4. For each essay type, you will be provided with some data, i.e. a piece of reading text, some clues, a chart/ graph, etc. You may use the data to write your essay. However, you do not have to use the given information. You may decide to group it and use it partially, or you may choose not to use it at all.

5. For each type of essay, you are expected to write an introduction paragraph, two body paragraphs and a conclusion paragraph. Thus, your essay will have four paragraphs. The word count should be 250-300 words. If your essay is clearly below 250 words, or if it exceeds 350 words, 3 points will be deducted.

6. If the essay is on a totally different topic than the ones on the question booklet, it will receive 0. If some parts of the essay are off-topic, up to 10 points are to be deducted depending on the extent of the irrelevance.

Sample Writing Questions

Write an essay of 250 300 words on ONE of the topics given below. Your essay must have an introduction with a clear thesis statement that includes controlling idea/s, 2 body paragraphs with relevant supporting ideas and a concluding paragraph. Some ideas are provided. You may use all or some of these ideas, but you do not have to. 1. The computer is one of the most significant technological developments. How has it changed life today? Discuss. access to information/ easier communication- e-mail, chat, text messaging, etc./ the Internet fast, cheap, convenient, anywhere, anytime 2. Modern cities have become huge, with populations that are continuously growing. Why are todays cities getting so crowded? Discuss. economic, social, educational, socio-cultural, personal reasons / freedom / more opportunities 3. Compare/ contrast football and basketball. team sports/ ball/ substitutes/ referees/ fans/ number of players/ the playing ground/ parts of the body used

DO NOT WRITE HERE.

WRITE YOUR ESSAY ON THE SHEET PROVIDED.

Essays written on the pages of this booklet will NOT be graded.

Sample Answers 1. The computer is one of the most significant technological developments. How has it changed life today? Discuss.

The Computer Revolution Only a few years ago, computers were special things. Now they are everywhere, in homes and businesses, even in cameras and cars. Things that were done on paper in the past are done on the computer now. In my opinion, however, the most important changes to life because of computers are related to information and general communication. To begin with, computers have made information easy to get. Computers have caused big changes in business life, because companies can use computers to store information. Not only businesses, however, but all of us are affected, because we can all find the information we want with computers through the Internet. Without computers, there would be no Internet. In the past, people had to go to libraries (if their villages and towns had libraries). Now, we can find out everything from home, at an internet caf, or a university. For example, when we are doing our research papers, it is easy to get the information we need. In short, computers have caused an information revolution. The second way in which computers have had a big effect on society is through general communication. Again, not only businesses but also common people use the Internet to communicate. We can chat and email via computers. We can communicate quickly with people, and we do not have to wait for them to answer the phone if they are outside the house. My parents used to send letters sometimes. That was so slow! Now we can chat to people in different countries in a minute. I chat to people in chat-rooms in English, so this is also good practice for learning English. To sum up, communication is now quick and easy, thanks to computers. In conclusion, information and communication have been changed by computers, and these are the areas where this technical development has most changed modern life. The speed of communication and access to information today is much greater than before. I believe these changes will continue, as we see with laptop computers. The computer will continue to develop: communicating and getting information will get even quicker and easier. 354 words

2. Modern cities have become huge, with populations that are continuously growing. Why are
todays cities getting so crowded? Discuss.

The Modern Metropolis Day by day, the worlds cities are getting bigger. Cities such as Tokyo, Istanbul, and New York are now considered mega-cities, because of their enormous size and huge populations. Why are cities becoming so large? There are two main reasons for this, one of which is economic, and the other socio-cultural. The primary cause for cities becoming so crowded is economic. As a country develops, its cities become the centers of industry. This means not only production, making things, but also service, distributing and selling. Thus, jobs are available in these areas. Tokyo, for example, was the centre for Japans fast economic development in the 1960s and 70s; so its population increased rapidly. People moved to Tokyo because they could find jobs. The main reason why so many people moved to Istanbul from all over Turkey was economic. These people often came from poor areas, where agriculture was the main source of employment and there was not a lot of money. In short, cities have industries and companies which need workers, and this causes people to come to the cities. Another factor in the huge increase in urban population is the socio-cultural factor. Many people move to cities not only for jobs, but also for educational and personal reasons. For instance, the best universities are always in big cities, and this attracts thousands of students every year. Moreover, these students stay on and work in the city after they graduate. The metropolitan cities also attract young people because of their nightlife, shopping, cinemas, etc. It is easy to go to a club or modern shopping centre or see the latest films, for example, if you live in a big city. Therefore, young people come to places like Istanbul to see the world and live a contemporary life. In conclusion, we can say that there are many causes of the huge growth in metropolitan populations, but the most significant causes are economic and socio-cultural. People move to places which can offer a large variety of opportunities and freedom. In the future, I think, cities will continue to get bigger and bigger. 353 words

3. Compare/ contrast football and basketball. a) Writing both similarities and differences

Basketball & Football Sports have been played all over the world for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. There are many different kinds of sports. Some of them are very popular, and most sports provide many benefits to anyone who plays them. Some of them are played individually, whereas others are played in teams. Basketball and football are two of these sports. There are many similarities between basketball and football in some respects, but there are also many differences in some other ways. There are some important similarities between basketball and football. Firstly, they are both team sports. A basketball team consists of five players, while a football team is made up of eleven players. In both of these sports, players can be replaced by substitutes when they are injured or tired. Another similarity between them is that they both use a ball, although these balls are rather different in size and weight. The third similarity is that both are recreational and fun activities. We play them or watch them to have a good time. In short, basketball and football have many things in common. Although there are some similarities, there are also some important differences between basketball and football. One difference is the part of the body used to control the ball. In football, the feet are used to dribble, kick and trap the ball. Also, people sometimes use their heads to hit the ball. In contrast, basketball players can only use their hands to control the ball, which they dribble, pass and shoot. Another obvious difference is the places that these sports are played. Football is generally played outdoors on grass pitches, whereas basketball is usually played indoors on a wooden surface, although quite a lot of people also play it outdoors on concrete basketball courts. Therefore, it could be concluded that these two sports have many differences. All in all, most sports, especially team sports like basketball and football have a lot in common as well as a number of differences. However, I believe basketball and football will remain the most popular team sports all around the world. 350 words

b) Writing only about similarities

The Similarities Between Basketball & Football Sports have been played all over the world for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. There are many different kinds of sports. Some of them are played individually, whereas others are played in teams. Basketball and football are two of the team sports. There are many similarities between basketball and football in some respects, such as the roles of the players and the balls used. To start with, both basketball and football are team sports. A basketball team consists of five players, while a football team is made up of eleven players. However, in each sport, players have specific duties. For example, there are strikers (forwards), defenders, midfielders and a goal keeper in football. Similarly, in basketball, players have specific duties, such as the guard, the forwards and the centers. The duties of players are also similar such as strikers in football and forwards in basketball. Nevertheless, we could say that both basketball and football players work hard as a team to win the game. The second similarity between these two types of sports is that in both games, players use a ball and they do their best to possess the ball as long as possible and to get a winning score at the end of the game. The balls used in basketball and football are rather different in size and weight. The football is round, light, and usually made of leather. It is usually black and white. On the other hand, a basketball is not as light as a football and it is made of hard rubber. A reddish brown surface with black ribs and a possible logo is the traditional color scheme of basketballs. However, the main aim in both of these sports is to use the ball to score goals. To sum up, basketball and football have a lot in common. The most obvious ones are that both are team sports, and a ball is used in both of the games. However, I believe the unchanging similarity between the two sports is that they are enjoyed all through the world by millions of people. 352 words

c) Writing only about differences

The Differences Between Basketball & Football Sports have been played all over the world for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. There are many different kinds of sports. Some of them are played individually, whereas others are played in teams. Basketball and football are two of these sports. Although they look similar at first glance, there are more differences between basketball and football than similarities, such as the parts of the body used and the scoring system. To begin with, different parts of the body are used to control the ball in both sports. In football, the feet are used to dribble, kick and trap the ball. Also, people sometimes use their heads to hit the ball. In football, only the goal keeper can touch the ball with the hands. If the players play with the hands inside the field, it is a foul. In contrast, basketball players can only use their hands to control the ball, which they dribble, pass and shoot. Players need to bounce and pass the ball away. Thus, football and basketball are different from each other because different parts of the body are used in each. Another obvious difference is the scoring system. Basketball players can throw the ball in three different forms to score points called goals. The first and more common form is when a player throws from inside the small area, which counts two points. The second form is when the player throws the ball from outside the small area, which counts three points. The final way of scoring is when they can have a free throw, and it counts only one point. Unlike basketball, in a football game, all the goals have the same point. Each goal counts one point. Therefore, because of the scoring system, these two sports are very different from each other. All in all, most sports, especially team sports like basketball and football have a lot of differences, especially on the points like the parts of the body used and the scoring system. However, I strongly believe that both of them will remain as popular team sports all around the world. 353 words

* Essays are graded according to the following criteria regardless of their type.

ESSAY GRADING CRITERIA

I. Structure and Content: 10 points Points are to be awarded for the following: 1. Introduction: 3 points The introduction should include: background information on the topic; the order of ideas must be from general to specific. (1 point) an effective thesis statement with a controlling idea. (2 points) (In cause or effect type essays and compare or contrast essays -not compare and contrast essays-, subtopics must be explicitly stated.) 2. Body: 6 points The body should have two paragraphs (2x3= 6 points). Each paragraph should include: a topic sentence which is consistent with the thesis statement (1 point) at least two supporting ideas related to the topic sentence with at least one supporting detail (2 points) 3. Conclusion: 1 point The conclusion should include: a restatement of the main idea in the thesis statement, a final thought/comment. II. Use of English: 10 points Points are to be awarded for the following: 1. Grammar: 5 points complete sentences as opposed to fragments or run-on-sentences, accurate use of tenses, subject-verb agreement, complex and /or compound sentences as opposed to simple sentences, accurate use of structures e.g. accurate use of participles/ reduced clauses, time adverbial clauses, 'if clause' conditionals, etc., in cause / effect essays, accurate use of cause-effect specific structures, in compare / contrast essays, accurate use of compare-contrast specific structures, appropriate use of modal verbs, punctuation.

2. Vocabulary: 5 points appropriate use of connectors (e.g. moreover, although, nevertheless, etc.), appropriate use of expressions (e.g. as far as I'm concerned, as a matter of fact, etc.), a wide range of vocabulary related to the topic (in cause/effect essays, vocabulary, connectors and transition signals relevant to cause-effect and in compare/contrast essays, vocabulary, connectors and transition signals relevant to compare-contrast), spelling. IMPORTANT: If parts of the essay are off-topic, up to 10 points are to be deducted depending on the extent of the irrelevance. If the essay is on a totally different topic, or if it is not on one of the assigned topics, it receives a mark of zero (0). 3 points will be deducted if the essay is clearly under 250 words or over 350 words.