Part 2 Writing: How to Produce a Band 8 Answer

The Internet has dramatically altered our lives over the past few decades. Although some of these changes have been negative, the overall affect of this technology has been positive. What are your opinions on this?

Write at least 250 words, and spend 40 minutes.

-

- Organize your time. The clock is ticking.

Introduction
- Don't rewrite any part of the question in your introduction—you’ll be deducted words and lose marks.
- Copy individual words, but not whole pieces.
- Say what you understand by the question.
- Mention main issues that you intend to write about. No details.
- Agree or disagree with the question. Or save that for the conclusion.

Spectacular is surely the right word to describe the effect the Internet has had both directly and indirectly on our lives. We just need look at the ways it has improved everything from business and industry to our personal habits. Despite having a few harmful consequences, I firmly believe that the Internet has been a force for good in the world

- Common sense: have a paragraph break after your introduction
- One paragraph for every main idea. Three or four.
- Have a final paragraph for your conclusion.

Body
- Examine all parts of the question.
- Check how many questions are being asked – answer all of them.
- Discuss both sides of a debate.
- Support ideas with examples.
- Make topic sentences for each paragraph.
- Use connecting phrases like: first of all, moving on to, furthermore, with regard to, etc.

Brainstorm and list your main ideas:
How it has changed our lives: do business more efficiently, online shopping, communicate, leisure time activities.
Positive effect: Business: transfer of information makes markets more efficient. Personal: keep in touch, entertainment.
Negative effect: cyber crime – credit card, id theft, pornography, dangers to kids, social isolation.
Conclusion: Agree with question. Difficult to imagine a world now without it

- Keep in mind the assessment criteria outlined below.

With regard to specific positive effects, we can start with business. Markets rely on the free flow of accurate and up-to-date information, which is facilitated well by the Internet. Business also relies on personal communication, handled nowadays by various web-based technologies such as e-mail, instant messaging, video conferencing, and Internet telephone.

In our personal lives, besides facilitating the communication mentioned above, the Internet has given us access to an almost infinite range of news and information, found on websites across the world. Furthermore, we can not only read what others’ say, we can publish whatever we want! We can fill our leisure time with surfing the Web, downloading or watching online videos, and chatting to friends. We can even bank and buy things online. Surely, life is made better.

However, as the question warns us, there have been some negative changes. Criminals have moved their activities to the Internet, and are involved in cyber crimes such as id theft, credit card fraud and child pornography.

The Internet also leads to social isolation among some users, especially teens.

Conclusion
- Short paragraph, under four sentences.
- Summary and a final perspective on your topic.
- Review main points if you have space and time.
- Describe your feelings about the topic.
- An anecdote or a question to ponder might be useful.

Overall, however, we have to agree that the positive changes far outweigh the negative ones and we simply need to be vigilant. It would be difficult now to imagine a world without the Internet.

Assessment Criteria
1.Arguments, Ideas and Evidence

This concerns the content of your essay.
Argument is how you present your case.
Ideas support your argument. How many and how good.
Evidence concerns the facts that back up ideas. Very important in Task 2. Use facts from your experience, news, general knowledge to support your ideas.
The three parts (Arguments, Ideas and Evidence) are not independent but blend together to give a good answer. Together they really present the content and substance of your essay.
2. Communicative Quality
How you pass information to the reader and communicate with him. How well he understands.
3. Vocabulary and Sentence Structure Words and grammar used correctly. Don’t overly worry about grammar.