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Escritura estilo IELTS: un ensayo de discusión de Task 2

Nombre:Fecha:

Práctica independiente al estilo del Task 2 de IELTS Writing, no es un examen oficial: estudia un ensayo de discusión de alto nivel, practica su lenguaje y luego escribe tu propia respuesta.

Elegir el lenguaje adecuado

Elige la mejor opción para completar cada extracto o contestar cada pregunta sobre el lenguaje de los ensayos.

___ preservation matters, it does not by itself justify a museum's existence.
- a) Despite
- b) Although
- c) However
- d) Because of
Which phrase introduces the most carefully hedged claim?
- a) Everyone knows that
- b) It is beyond all doubt that
- c) It could be argued that
- d) There is no question that
A paragraph that turns from one side of the argument to the other should begin with...
- a) Nevertheless,
- b) Similarly,
- c) For instance,
- d) As a result,
Which sentence has the most appropriate register for a formal essay?
- a) Museums gotta try harder to get people in.
- b) Museums are well advised to look for ways of attracting a wider audience.
- c) Museums should totally think about their visitors.
- d) It would be great if museums could sort this out.
Preservation keeps the evidence safe; engagement, ___, gives people a reason to care.
- a) on the contrary
- b) as a result
- c) for its part
- d) at any rate
Which is the best way to begin a conclusion?
- a) As everyone knows, museums are good.
- b) So that is why I wrote this essay.
- c) Finally, I want to say a few things about museums.
- d) On balance, I would maintain that both aims deserve support.
The task says Discuss both views and give your own opinion. Which plan answers it best?
- a) One paragraph on each view, a clear opinion stated early and confirmed in the conclusion
- b) Only the writer's own view, developed in four paragraphs
- c) A description of the history of museums
- d) Both views, with an opinion added only if there are words to spare
Which sentence makes a claim that is tentative but still specific?
- a) Such exhibitions always attract every kind of visitor.
- b) Such exhibitions may attract someone.
- c) Such exhibitions tend to attract audiences who might otherwise never visit.
- d) Such exhibitions have nothing to do with attracting people.

Completar el modelo

Escribe una palabra para completar cada frase del lenguaje del ensayo modelo. Usa la palabra entre paréntesis cuando haya una, cambiando su forma si es necesario.

The danger of this approach ___ in fashion.
Topics that seem urgent now can look ___ within a decade.
Objects that are lost cannot be ___ (RECOVER) by later generations.
Preservation alone does not ___ (give a good reason for) a museum's existence.
A museum that chases headlines ___ becoming a magazine with a larger budget.
It is often their ticket money and goodwill that ___ for the conservation workshop.

Tarea de escritura

Algunas personas sostienen que las universidades deberían enseñar solo materias que conduzcan directamente a un empleo. Otras creen que la educación superior debería tener objetivos más amplios. Discute ambas opiniones y da tu propia opinión.

260–340 palabras

Revisa tu texto

He respondido a las tres partes de la tarea: ambas opiniones y la mía.
Mi postura queda clara en la introducción y de nuevo en la conclusión.
Cada párrafo tiene una idea principal, respaldada por una razón o un ejemplo.
He usado la atenuación y la concesión (por ejemplo tend to, Although, Nevertheless) de forma natural y sin abusar.
He usado vocabulario preciso y formal y he evitado repetir las palabras de la tarea.
He revisado la gramática, la ortografía y la puntuación, y me he mantenido en unas 260-340 palabras.

Respuestas

Elegir el lenguaje adecuado

b) AlthoughAlthough introduce una oración concesiva. Despite y Because of necesitan un sintagma nominal, y However es un adverbio oracional que no puede unir dos oraciones de esta manera.
c) It could be argued thatIt could be argued that indica una afirmación cautelosa; las demás suenan absolutas.
a) Nevertheless,Nevertheless indica un contraste con lo que se acaba de decir.
b) Museums are well advised to look for ways of attracting a wider audience.Es formal, preciso y no conversacional.
c) for its partFor its part añade una aportación paralela del segundo elemento. On the contrary rechaza lo dicho, y as a result implica causa.
d) On balance, I would maintain that both aims deserve support.Resume una postura, usa una atenuación y conduce de forma natural a una idea final.
a) One paragraph on each view, a clear opinion stated early and confirmed in the conclusionLa tarea tiene tres partes: la primera opinión, la segunda opinión y tu opinión, así que las tres deben quedar claras.
c) Such exhibitions tend to attract audiences who might otherwise never visit.Tend to es una atenuación, y el resto de la oración es concreto. Las otras opciones son exageradas o vacías.

Completar el modelo

liesEl modismo es lies in, que significa que el problema se encuentra en.
dated / outdated / old-fashioned / stale / obsolete / irrelevantDated (u outdated, old-fashioned) encaja con la idea de temas que pierden su urgencia con el tiempo.
recoveredUna forma pasiva después de cannot be necesita un participio pasado.
justify / warrantJustify significa dar una buena razón para algo, y es el verbo natural con existence en este sentido. Warrant también es posible.
risksRisk va seguido de una forma en -ing, y el sujeto es singular.
pay / providePay for significa aportar el dinero para algo. El sujeto compuesto ticket money and goodwill lleva un verbo en plural.

Respuesta modelo

The question of what a university is for has rarely been more pressing, now that degrees are expensive and the labour market changes faster than syllabuses can be rewritten. While I accept that employability matters, I do not believe it should be the only yardstick.

Those who favour a strictly vocational curriculum make a reasonable point. Students and their families invest considerable sums, and it seems unfair to send graduates into the world with knowledge that no employer can use. A curriculum built around identifiable skills also offers a clarity that more open-ended study cannot, and it can open careers to people who lack family connections.

Nevertheless, a narrow approach carries risks of its own. Occupations that are in demand today may be obsolete by the time a cohort graduates, whereas the capacity to analyse evidence, write persuasively and learn unfamiliar material rarely goes out of date. Subjects with no obvious vocational purpose, such as philosophy or ancient history, are often where these capacities are most deliberately trained. Moreover, societies need more than a skilled workforce: they need citizens able to judge arguments, and it is hard to see how that ability could be acquired from training manuals alone.

On balance, I would argue that universities should pursue both aims, and that the apparent conflict is exaggerated. A degree in a practical field can be taught with intellectual rigour, and a humanities degree can include work placements or training in data skills. The task for institutions is to make these connections explicit, so that students understand what they are learning and why.