b)Students have about two hours of homework a day.
c)In my view, we need more sport at school.
d)The school has two sports halls.
e)Everybody should learn a second language.
2Sort the phrases: I = introduction, A = argument, C = conclusion.
Where in a comment would you read this?
a)Firstly, …
b)To sum up, …
c)In my opinion, …
d)Another reason is …
e)All in all, …
f)The question is whether …
3Write one argument for and one against.
For: … because … / Against: … because …
a)School uniforms
4Write a short comment (five sentences): Should school start later?
I think … Firstly … Secondly … To sum up …
a)Opinion, two reasons, conclusion
1Opinion or fact? Write O or F.
Opinions: I think, in my view, should.
a)I think homework is useful.O
b)Students have about two hours of homework a day.F
c)In my view, we need more sport at school.O
d)The school has two sports halls.F
e)Everybody should learn a second language.O
2Sort the phrases: I = introduction, A = argument, C = conclusion.
Where in a comment would you read this?
a)Firstly, …A
b)To sum up, …C
c)In my opinion, …I
d)Another reason is …A
e)All in all, …C
f)The question is whether …I
3Write one argument for and one against.
For: … because … / Against: … because …
a)School uniformse.g. For: Uniforms save time in the morning because nobody has to decide what to wear. Against: Uniforms take away the freedom to show who you are.
4Write a short comment (five sentences): Should school start later?
I think … Firstly … Secondly … To sum up …
a)Opinion, two reasons, conclusionOwn text. Check: opinion, two reasons, conclusion.
1Which sentences belong to a comment, which to a report? Write C or R.
A comment gives a personal opinion with arguments. A report gives facts.
a)In my view, school uniforms are a waste of money.
b)The school introduced uniforms in September 2023.
c)Some people argue that uniforms reduce bullying, but I doubt it.
d)78 per cent of parents voted for the uniform.
e)To sum up, I believe students should decide for themselves.
2Put the parts of a comment in order. Write 1 to 5.
Opinion first, then arguments, the other side, conclusion.
a)Counter-argument and why it is weaker
b)Conclusion: opinion restated
c)Introduction: the topic and your opinion
d)First argument with example
e)Second argument with example
3Improve the arguments: add a reason or an example.
Weak: „Homework is bad." Stronger: „Homework takes up to two hours a day, which leaves no time for sport or friends."
a)Homework is bad.
b)Social media is dangerous for teenagers.
c)Everybody should learn to cook.
4Write a comment (120 to 150 words): Should mobile phones be banned at school?
Useful phrases: I strongly believe … / One reason is … / For example … / Admittedly … but … / All in all …
a)Introduction with your opinion, two arguments with examples, one counter-argument, conclusion
1Which sentences belong to a comment, which to a report? Write C or R.
A comment gives a personal opinion with arguments. A report gives facts.
a)In my view, school uniforms are a waste of money.C
b)The school introduced uniforms in September 2023.R
c)Some people argue that uniforms reduce bullying, but I doubt it.C
d)78 per cent of parents voted for the uniform.R
e)To sum up, I believe students should decide for themselves.C
2Put the parts of a comment in order. Write 1 to 5.
Opinion first, then arguments, the other side, conclusion.
a)Counter-argument and why it is weaker4
b)Conclusion: opinion restated5
c)Introduction: the topic and your opinion1
d)First argument with example2
e)Second argument with example3
3Improve the arguments: add a reason or an example.
Weak: „Homework is bad." Stronger: „Homework takes up to two hours a day, which leaves no time for sport or friends."
a)Homework is bad.e.g. Homework often takes two hours a day, so students have no time for sport, hobbies or their families.
b)Social media is dangerous for teenagers.e.g. On social media, teenagers compare themselves with edited pictures, which can damage their self-confidence.
c)Everybody should learn to cook.e.g. People who can cook eat more healthily and spend less money than people who buy ready meals every day.
4Write a comment (120 to 150 words): Should mobile phones be banned at school?
Useful phrases: I strongly believe … / One reason is … / For example … / Admittedly … but … / All in all …
a)Introduction with your opinion, two arguments with examples, one counter-argument, conclusionOwn text. Check: opinion in the introduction, two arguments with examples, counter-argument with admittedly/however, conclusion, 120 to 150 words.
1This comment has structural problems. Name four and suggest a fix for each.
Look for: opinion at the start, arguments with examples, counter-argument answered, conclusion at the end, a clear position.
a)Text: Phones at school are bad. Many students use them. Some people say phones can help in class. To sum up, phones are bad. Also they distract you. I think they should be banned, but maybe not.
2Strengthen the argument: Add a reason and an example or fact to each claim.
Claim – reason – example: three sentences each.
a)Public transport should be free for students.
b)Schools should teach more practical skills.
3Deal with the counter-argument. Write the sentence pair: admit the point, then answer it.
Admittedly, … However, … / It is true that …, but …
a)You argue for a later school start. Counter-argument: parents have to go to work early.
b)You argue against zoos. Counter-argument: zoos protect endangered species.
4Write a comment (180 to 220 words): Should social media have a minimum age of 16?
Vary your linking words: firstly, moreover, admittedly, however, therefore, all in all.
a)Introduction with the topic and your position, two arguments with examples, one counter-argument answered, conclusion with an outlook
1This comment has structural problems. Name four and suggest a fix for each.
Look for: opinion at the start, arguments with examples, counter-argument answered, conclusion at the end, a clear position.
a)Text: Phones at school are bad. Many students use them. Some people say phones can help in class. To sum up, phones are bad. Also they distract you. I think they should be banned, but maybe not.(text)
2Strengthen the argument: Add a reason and an example or fact to each claim.
Claim – reason – example: three sentences each.
a)Public transport should be free for students.e.g. Public transport should be free for students because many families cannot afford monthly tickets. In Berlin, a student ticket used to cost over 20 euros a month; since it became free, more students take the bus instead of being driven to school.
b)Schools should teach more practical skills.e.g. Schools should teach more practical skills because most students leave school without knowing how to cook or manage money. A weekly lesson on budgeting, for example, would prepare them better than another year of algebra.
3Deal with the counter-argument. Write the sentence pair: admit the point, then answer it.
Admittedly, … However, … / It is true that …, but …
a)You argue for a later school start. Counter-argument: parents have to go to work early.Admittedly, many parents have to leave for work early. However, older students can get themselves to school, and schools could offer supervised rooms for younger ones.
b)You argue against zoos. Counter-argument: zoos protect endangered species.It is true that zoos protect some endangered species. But this could be done in reserves in the animals' natural habitat, without keeping them in small enclosures for visitors.
4Write a comment (180 to 220 words): Should social media have a minimum age of 16?
Vary your linking words: firstly, moreover, admittedly, however, therefore, all in all.
a)Introduction with the topic and your position, two arguments with examples, one counter-argument answered, conclusion with an outlookOwn text. Check: position in the first paragraph, two arguments with examples, counter-argument admitted and answered, conclusion with outlook, 180 to 220 words, varied linking words.
Structure
Introduction: the topic and your opinion in one sentence. Body: two or three arguments, each with an example. One counter-argument, taken seriously and answered. Conclusion: opinion restated with an outlook.
A strong argument
Claim – reason – example. „Homework is bad" is a claim; „because it takes two hours a day, which leaves no time for sport" is the reason; a concrete case is the example.
Linking words
firstly, moreover, in addition — for adding. admittedly, however, on the other hand — for the counter-argument. therefore, consequently — for results. all in all, to sum up — for the conclusion. Vary them.