Ielts-insight Into Ielts Extra Writing 009472

Writing UNIT 4

USE APPROPRIATE LINKERS • Now read this description.

TEST TIP

formed. Initially, heavy industry The diagram shows how acid rain is nitrogen into the atmosphere. These emits pollutants such as sulphur and d and deposited far away as acid pollutants are then carried by the win and poisons water resources. rain. Eventually this kills vegetation

You need to indicate the steps or stages in a process by using relevant linkers.

6 Which linkers show the steps in the process?

ORGANISE THE INFORMATION LOGICALLY • Here is another diagram of a process. N

Oldest volcano dates back 80 m years

Hawaiian island chain

Niihau Pacific Ocean

The major islands Oahu Molokai Kauai

Maui

Pacific Ocean Lanai Kahoolawe 0 50 100 Hawaii kilometres Youngest volcano develops, built up by numerous eruptions

Solid dense rock

Pacific plate

Magma spume ‘Hot spot’ spume remains static

Direction of shift of the Pacific tectonic plate (7-9 cm per year)

Eruption process begins here, originating 2883 km down

This is a more detailed diagram so in addition to asking yourself the questions on page 80, you also need to decide how to organise the information. As with graphs/charts, it is helpful to divide your answer into paragraphs. • Study the diagram for 2–3 minutes and then answer the following questions. 7 What is the topic of the diagram? 8 What vocabulary will be useful for your answer? 9 What information from the diagram could you include in a general first paragraph about the topic or subject matter? 10 What is a logical starting point for a description of the process (i.e. the second paragraph)?

TEST TIP Even if you know a lot about the subject matter, remember that you should only include information that you see in the diagram.

11 Is it possible to split the description into two parts? If so, what could you describe in the third and final paragraph?

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Writing UNIT 4 • Now read this sample description of the diagram on page 81.

It is believed that the chain began to form nearly 8O million years ago. Each island started to evolve after an eruption on the sea floor. First, a ‘hot spot’ developed on the ocean bed, which let out a plume of material called magma. This magma may originate as deep as 283km below the ocean bed. Next, further eruptions took place, which built up the volcano. Eventually it emerged above the surface of the ocean. The Hawaiian island chain is a long chain in the ocean. It is very famous and people often like to visit this area for their holidays. It is formed of volcanoes, and the active ones are at the south-east tip of the archipelago, where Hawaii itself is located. Since that time, the spume of magma has remained static as the Pacific tectonic plate moves in a north-west direction across it at a speed of 7–9m per year. The hot spot makes new volcanoes all the time.

• Find the following:

TEST TIP Any of these errors will cause you to lose marks.

12 one error in organisation. 13 two areas of inaccuracy. 14 two sentences that are imprecise. 15 one example of irrelevance. 16 Rewrite the answer, correcting all the errors that have been made. • When you have finished, underline all the linkers that indicate the steps in the process. • Complete the following which summarises the organisation of the answer:

TEST TIP You may write only two paragraphs or as many as four paragraphs. This will depend on how you can best organise the information.

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1st paragraph ................................................................... 2nd paragraph ................................................................... 3rd paragraph ...................................................................