The IELTS Writing task can put students in a sticky situation. Since they will be required to write elaborately on a certain topic, they will need to ideate well before attempting to write. Coming up with relevant illustrations so as to substantiate their answers will help them in obtaining the marks that they need. Sometimes, people get so stuck in brainstorming for examples that they end up writing things that don’t make any sense. How can this be prevented?
Let us discuss four ways in which we can ideate for examples during the IELTS Writing tasks.
EXAMINE SAMPLE ESSAYS
There are no dearth of sample essays that are available. Many candidates have taken this exam and achieved a band score of 8 or more. Look specifically for those essays and go through them carefully. You will not only gain ideas but also understand how to place examples while composing essays. The more essays you analyze, the better you will get at ideating for examples during the main test.
QUESTION YOURSELF ABOUT THE TOPIC
The more you ask yourself questions, the more you will understand in depth. Always begin with the 5 W’s – Who, What, When, Where, Why and the 1 H- How?
You will automatically find yourself coming up with examples that you can insert into the main essay. Organize all your ideas together and weave them into the piece that you’re writing.
WORD LINK GAME
Do you remember that game where a word was picked and all the related words needed to be spelt out? If the word picked was love, people were asked to name 5 words that came to their minds when they thought about love. Related words could be red, hearts, couple, care and maturity. Try this same game when you’re dealing with the essay topic. If the topic revolves around shortage of fuel, list down 6-7 related words and then build your examples around those words.
USE ANECDOTES AS EXAMPLES
Your life is filled with memories and moments that have shaped you as a person. Use those instances as examples too. If the topic asks you for solutions to combat obesity, think of what you would do so as to tackle this problem. Include your opinion as an illustration to support your point and the writing will seem more authentic.
Do not get discouraged if you’re having a tough time coming up with examples. Everything needs to be practiced before it turns into something that seems natural and ideation too is the same.
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