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Scrittura in stile IELTS: Task 2, saggio di opinione

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Esercitazione indipendente nello stile dell'IELTS Writing Task 2, non un test ufficiale: studia un saggio di opinione modello, esercitati con le parole di collegamento e la struttura dei paragrafi, poi scrivi un saggio di almeno 250 parole.

Connettivi

Scegli la parola o l'espressione che collega meglio le idee.

Working from home saves commuting time. ___, it can reduce travel costs.
- a) However
- b) Furthermore
- c) Although
- d) Therefore
___ online meetings are convenient, they cannot fully replace face-to-face contact.
- a) Despite
- b) However
- c) Although
- d) Moreover
Many young people have never learnt to cook. ___, they often buy expensive ready-made meals.
- a) As a result
- b) In contrast
- c) For instance
- d) Nevertheless
Some skills are hard to practise online, ___ giving a presentation to a live audience.
- a) in addition
- b) as a result
- c) whereas
- d) such as
___ the extra cost, many schools have introduced cooking lessons.
- a) Despite
- b) Although
- c) Even though
- d) However
Admittedly, office space is expensive. ___, a shared workplace has benefits that are hard to measure.
- a) Moreover
- b) For example
- c) However
- d) Therefore
Some employees prefer the office, ___ others are more productive at home.
- a) despite
- b) whereas
- c) moreover
- d) therefore
___, for all the reasons given above, I believe that a combination of both approaches is the best solution.
- a) For instance
- b) In addition
- c) On the other hand
- d) In conclusion

Struttura dei paragrafi

Scegli la risposta migliore sull'organizzazione di un saggio di opinione.

Which sentence is the best thesis statement for an opinion essay about working from home?
- a) Working from home has advantages and disadvantages.
- b) Many people work from home nowadays.
- c) I disagree that working from home is better for everyone, because both employees and employers lose important benefits of the office.
- d) This essay will talk about working from home.
What should the introduction of an opinion essay contain?
- a) a paraphrase of the question and your opinion
- b) all of your reasons and examples
- c) only the opposite point of view
- d) a question for the reader to answer
Which is the best topic sentence for a body paragraph?
- a) For example, my cousin works at home.
- b) Also, there are many other things to say.
- c) In conclusion, offices are important.
- d) The main advantage of home working is that employees save both time and money.
Choose the most logical order for these sentences in a body paragraph. (a) For example, a student who budgets carefully can avoid borrowing money at university. (b) Managing money is a skill that benefits people throughout their lives. (c) People who understand budgeting can plan for large expenses and avoid debt.
- a) a, b, c
- b) c, a, b
- c) b, c, a
- d) a, c, b
What should the conclusion of an opinion essay do?
- a) introduce a new argument
- b) restate your opinion and the main reasons
- c) give a long new example
- d) change your opinion to show balance
Why does the sample essay include a paragraph that begins with Admittedly?
- a) to change the writer's opinion
- b) to give the conclusion early
- c) to introduce an example
- d) to show that the writer has considered the opposite view and can answer it
Where should your opinion appear in an opinion essay?
- a) only in the conclusion
- b) in the introduction, and it should stay the same throughout
- c) in a different form in each paragraph
- d) nowhere: it is better to stay neutral

Compito di scrittura

Alcune persone ritengono che lavorare da casa sia meglio sia per i dipendenti sia per i datori di lavoro rispetto al lavorare in ufficio. In che misura sei d'accordo o in disaccordo? Motiva la tua risposta e includi esempi pertinenti tratti dalle tue conoscenze o dalla tua esperienza. Scrivi almeno 250 parole.

250–320 parole

Controlla il tuo testo

Ho risposto alla domanda e la mia opinione è chiara nell'introduzione e nella conclusione.
Ogni paragrafo centrale ha un'idea principale, introdotta da una topic sentence chiara.
Ho sostenuto le mie idee con ragioni e almeno un esempio.
Ho usato correttamente parole di collegamento come However, Moreover e For example, senza abusarne.
Ho usato un lessico ampio ed evitato di ripetere le parole della domanda.
Ho usato un mix di frasi semplici e complesse e ho controllato grammatica e ortografia.
Ho scritto almeno 250 parole.

Soluzioni

Connettivi

b) FurthermoreLa seconda frase aggiunge un altro vantaggio, quindi serve un connettivo di aggiunta: Furthermore.
c) AlthoughAlthough è seguito da una proposizione (soggetto + verbo) e introduce un contrasto all'interno di una sola frase.
a) As a resultComprare piatti pronti è una conseguenza del non saper cucinare.
d) such asSuch as introduce un esempio direttamente dopo un sintagma nominale, senza iniziare una nuova frase.
a) DespiteDespite è seguito da un sintagma nominale (the extra cost). Although e even though richiedono una proposizione completa.
c) HoweverDopo aver ammesso un punto con Admittedly, However introduce la controargomentazione dell'autore.
b) whereasWhereas unisce due proposizioni contrastanti in un'unica frase.
d) In conclusionIn conclusion introduce il riepilogo finale dell'opinione dell'autore.

Struttura dei paragrafi

c) I disagree that working from home is better for everyone, because both employees and employers lose important benefits of the office.Una thesis statement esprime un'opinione chiara e una breve ragione. Le altre opzioni non indicano la posizione dell'autore.
a) a paraphrase of the question and your opinionL'introduzione riscrive la domanda con parole tue ed esprime la tua posizione. I dettagli vanno nei paragrafi centrali.
d) The main advantage of home working is that employees save both time and money.Una topic sentence esprime chiaramente l'idea principale del paragrafo. Le altre sono un esempio, un'affermazione vaga e una conclusione.
c) b, c, aComincia con la topic sentence (b), spiegala (c), poi sostienila con un esempio (a).
b) restate your opinion and the main reasonsLa conclusione riassume la tua posizione e le ragioni principali. Non deve aggiungere nuove idee né cambiare il tuo punto di vista.
d) to show that the writer has considered the opposite view and can answer itUn paragrafo di concessione accetta un punto dell'altra parte e poi vi risponde, il che rende l'argomentazione più solida.
b) in the introduction, and it should stay the same throughoutIndica la tua posizione nell'introduzione e mantienila coerente fino alla conclusione.

Risposta modello

Since reliable internet connections became common, many people have started to work from home for at least part of the week. While I accept that home working brings real benefits, I disagree that it is better for everyone. In my view, a combination of home and office work is usually the most effective arrangement.

It is true that working from home has clear advantages for employees. Without a daily journey, workers save time and money and often have more energy for their families and hobbies. Many people also find it easier to concentrate on demanding tasks in a quiet room than in a busy open-plan office. Employers can benefit too, since they may need smaller premises and can recruit talented staff who live far away.

However, these benefits come with significant costs. New employees in particular learn a great deal by watching experienced colleagues and asking quick questions, and this is much harder over video calls. Moreover, people who work alone for long periods can feel isolated, and the boundary between work and home life may disappear, so that some end up working longer hours rather than shorter ones. For employers, creative ideas often emerge from informal conversations, which happen less often when teams rarely meet.

For these reasons, I believe a flexible approach is best. For example, a team might spend two or three days a week in the office for meetings, training and planning, and the rest at home for focused individual work.

In conclusion, although working from home offers convenience and flexibility, I do not agree that it is better in every respect. Combining both settings allows employees and employers to enjoy the advantages of each while limiting the drawbacks.