IELTS Unit 4 — Work: Revised interactive lesson (randomised answers)
Spotlight 2 Avoiding generalizations: using tend (not) to
In formal writing, avoid claims that sound true in every case.
People find it more difficult to get a job when they are living abroad. → People can find it more difficult to get a job when they are living abroad.
Another useful form is tend (not) to + infinitive (have, do, go, etc.). People living abroad tend to find it more difficult to get a job. This means “often, but not always”.
Another example from the interview with Mike Trent is: As IT is a global business, there tend to be cultural and linguistic issues.
1Match the ideas in the two parts of these sentences. (The main verbs are missing.)
Sentence beginning
Ending
1 Children nowadays …
2 People who cycle to work …
3 People who work from home …
4 Frequent Internet users …
5 Newly qualified drivers …
6 Many celebrities these days …
7 Those who live in large cities …
Answers: 1 g, 2 f, 3 b, 4 e, 5 a, 6 d, 7 c.
2Write the sentences from Exercise 1 in full using tend (not) to and a verb. Add a second sentence to give a reason.
1 Children nowadays …
2 People who cycle to work …
3 People who work from home …
4 Frequent Internet users …
5 Newly qualified drivers …
6 Many celebrities these days …
7 Those who live in large cities …
Suggested first sentences: 1 Children nowadays tend to do less exercise than in the past. 2 People who cycle to work tend to have more energy when they arrive at work. 3 People who work from home tend to be as productive as those who are office-based. 4 Frequent Internet users tend to have a shorter attention span. 5 Newly qualified drivers tend to have more accidents. 6 Many celebrities these days tend to be famous for no particular talent or ability. 7 Those who live in large cities tend to suffer from higher levels of stress. Your reason sentences can vary.
3Write sentences using tend (not) to to say what you think about some of these topics.
older peoplechildren who grow up in large familiescelebritiespoliticiansmenwomendisorganized peopletrainspeople who have travelled a lotlarge citiesprofessional footballers
Example: In my opinion, older people tend to have more experience and are able to give good advice about lots of situations in life.
4Choose two of a partner’s sentences from Exercise 3 that you like and write them down.
Generic you: acceptable, but not the default in Academic IELTS
You can mean “people in general”, and occasional use is not a grammatical error. However, repeated you / your can sound conversational or make the reference unclear.
Less precise:If you work from home, you can become isolated. More academic:Remote workers may become isolated.
Less precise:These distractions can reduce how much work you produce. More academic:These distractions can reduce an employee’s productivity.
For Task 2, prefer precise nouns such as people, residents, employees, remote workers and business owners. Direct you is still natural in instructions addressed to the candidate.
5Finish the sentences in a neutral academic style. Avoid generic you / your and use a precise subject.
One of the best parts of living abroad is that …
Owning a car means that …
One negative side of living in the countryside is that …
Living next to noisy neighbours can mean that …
Too much pressure at work can mean that …
Another benefit of running a business is that …
Possible answers: 1 people can experience a different culture first-hand. 2 car owners can travel more independently. 3 residents may have limited access to public transport. 4 residents may find it difficult to sleep or concentrate. 5 employees may experience stress and reduced motivation. 6 business owners can make their own decisions.
Unit 4
Model essay: Advantages and disadvantages
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic: Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of working from home.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Modern IELTS style: the model below answers the exact “discuss the advantages and disadvantages” prompt, uses cautious language, and keeps its references consistent with employees / remote workers / they rather than repeatedly using generic you.
1Before you read the model essay, decide whether each chunk is connected with the writer’s advantages or disadvantages of working from home.
Chunk
Writer’s section
1 greater freedom
2 attend meetings
3 extremely tempting
4 rush-hour traffic
5 feel cut off
6 make a personal phone call
“Attend meetings” and “rush-hour traffic” appear in the advantages section because the writer says home workers can avoid them.
Advantages: 1, 2, 4. Disadvantages: 3, 5, 6.
2Read the essay and check your answers.
Over the last two or three decades, the way businesses operate has changed dramatically due to major advances in technology. As a result, a growing number of people are now choosing to work from the comfort of their own homes. This development has both benefits and drawbacks. This essay will discuss the main advantages and disadvantages of working from home and draw a balanced conclusion.
One major advantage of remote work is that employees do not have to commute. Millions of people worldwide have to deal with rush-hour traffic to make their way to the office. This is unnecessary when their home is also their workplace.
Secondly, working from home gives employees much more freedom to manage their working day. In an office, employees may be required to attend meetings, and their timetable may be decided for them. This is not the case when they work from home.
On the other hand, it can be easy for remote workers to become distracted in their home environment. For instance, remote workers may be tempted to turn on the television, relax in the garden or make a personal phone call. These distractions can significantly reduce productivity. Another major disadvantage of working from home is that remote workers have much less contact with their colleagues. This can make them feel cut off, despite the extra freedom they have. What is more, daily contact with colleagues is often how friendships are formed.
Overall, there are both positives and negatives to this way of working. In spite of the fact that it removes the need to commute and gives employees greater freedom, many people find it difficult because of distractions at home and feelings of isolation. For this reason, employees need clear routines and boundaries to separate professional and private life and achieve a healthy work-life balance.
3Find the five key words in the introduction. Record the complete pieces of language around them.
1 major advances in technology; 2 a growing number of people; 3 from the comfort of their own homes; 4 the main advantages and disadvantages of working from home; 5 draw a balanced conclusion.
4Scan the rest of the essay for more useful chunks and collocations. Select at least five that you want to learn.
Structure and linking in spite of / despite
A useful way to link ideas in your writing is by using in spite of and despite. After in spite of or despite, we use: a a noun (e.g. the weather) b a pronoun (e.g. this / that / these / his) c (not) verb + -ing (e.g. having, being)
1Match the examples (1–3) to the rules above (a–c).
1 Working from home is becoming increasingly popular, despite having several major disadvantages.
2 In spite of these problems, many people still choose to work at home.
3 Despite the distractions, many people still choose to work at home.
1 c, 2 b, 3 a.
You can also use despite the fact that / in spite of the fact that + subject + verb (a full clause). Despite the fact that working from home has several disadvantages, it is becoming increasingly popular. In spite of the fact that technology is improving, working away from the office still has its problems.
2Scan the model essay on page 48 and the examples on this page. Copy three complete sentences containing despite or in spite of into the box. Include at least one example with each linker.
Possible examples: 1 Working from home is becoming increasingly popular, despite having several major disadvantages. 2 In spite of these problems, many people still choose to work at home. 3 Despite the distractions, many people still choose to work at home. 4 In spite of the fact that it removes the need to commute and gives employees greater freedom, many people find it difficult because of distractions at home and feelings of isolation.
3Rewrite the ideas using despite or in spite of as indicated.
Millions of people work in the comfort of their own homes. However, they are not very productive. (despite)
Although rush-hour traffic around London is awful, hundreds of thousands of workers commute on a daily basis. (in spite of)
There are many clear advantages to using email for business communication. However, it often leads to breakdowns in communication. (despite)
Although using email can cause breakdowns in communication, it is still used widely in business. (in spite of)
1 Despite not being very productive, millions of people work in the comfort of their own homes. 2 In spite of the awful rush-hour traffic around London, hundreds of thousands of workers commute on a daily basis. 3 Despite the many clear advantages of using email for business communication, it often leads to breakdowns in communication. 4 In spite of causing breakdowns in communication, email is still used widely in business.
4How are although and however different from despite / in spite of?
Although is followed by a full clause (subject + verb). However links two separate clauses or sentences and is normally followed by a comma. Despite / in spite of are followed by a noun, pronoun or verb + -ing.
5Rewrite each sentence from Exercise 1 twice: once using although and once using however.
Example 1: Although working from home has several major disadvantages, it is becoming increasingly popular. Working from home has several major disadvantages. However, it is becoming increasingly popular. Use the same two patterns for sentences 2 and 3.
6Connect these ideas with despite or in spite of.
still buy a newspaper / advances in wireless Internet connection
is good for your health / people never ride a bicycle to work
millions of students study abroad / language barrier
extremely difficult at times / excitement / starting own business
advantages of owning a pet / cause problems
Possible answers: 1 In spite of advances in wireless Internet connection, people still buy newspapers. 2 Despite being good for your health, riding a bicycle to work is not popular. 3 In spite of the language barrier, millions of students study abroad. 4 Despite being extremely difficult at times, starting your own business can be exciting. 5 In spite of the advantages of owning a pet, it can cause problems.
Language workout Word formation
1Complete each sentence using the correct form of the word in brackets.
Scientists are trying to new types of genetically modified foods. (development)
In the last 15 years, there has been a huge in the number of low-budget flights. (grow)
Food, water and access to medical care are three basic which many people in developing countries are deprived of. (necessary)
If every individual the amount of waste that they produced, then this would have a positive effect on our environment. (reduction)
Furthermore, if children watch too much television at home, they may become less when they are with their peers at school. (sociability)
For many, it can be to switch jobs if there is the chance to earn more money. (temptation)
2Match each noun from the word families in Exercise 1 to its meaning (A–F).
A a strong desire to do something, often something unwise B the quality of enjoying other people’s company C something essential or unavoidable D the process of becoming bigger or increasing in number E the act of making something smaller or less F a new stage, product or improvement
1 development
2 growth
3 necessity
4 reduction
5 sociability
6 temptation
1 F, 2 D, 3 C, 4 E, 5 B, 6 A.
Useful prefixes
Tip Another way to increase the range of your vocabulary is to use prefixes. Prefixes are added at the beginning of words to create new meanings.
3Match the prefixes (1–5) to their meanings (a–e).
1 over-
2 under-
3 multi-
4 semi-
5 anti-
1 d, 2 a, 3 e, 4 b, 5 c.
Some words connect to prefixes with a hyphen (e.g. semi-skilled) and others do not. The rules are complicated, so check a good dictionary when you are unsure.
4Match each work-related phrase to the correct definition (A–M).
A receive more pay than seems fair B have too few employees C be partly retired but still work D have many different abilities E do several tasks at the same time F operate in several countries G receive less pay than seems fair
H work late nights, early mornings or weekends I have more work than can reasonably be managed J require some training but not advanced qualifications K not be appreciated enough L perform below one’s ability or potential M do an activity seriously but not as a full professional
1 be overworked
2 be undervalued
3 be underpaid
4 be understaffed
5 a multinational company
6 to multitask
7 be semi-skilled
8 be semi-professional
9 be semi-retired
10 work antisocial hours
11 be overpaid
12 be multitalented
13 to underachieve
1 I, 2 K, 3 G, 4 B, 5 F, 6 E, 7 J, 8 M, 9 C, 10 H, 11 A, 12 D, 13 L.
5Translate the following work-related words and phrases from Russian into English.
Exam skills 1: Using pronouns to link ideas and avoid repetition
As a writer, one of your main objectives is to make life as easy as possible for the reader. Obviously, in the IELTS exam, the reader will be the examiner. One way to present your ideas clearly is by using pronouns. Pronouns help the reader to follow your argument. Pronouns also reduce repetition.
1Complete the chunks from the model essay using the pronouns in the box.
thisthisthisthistheirtheirititthesethemthey
1 As a result, a growing number of people are now choosing to work from the comfort of own homes. development has both benefits and drawbacks.
2 For instance, remote workers may be tempted to turn on the television, relax in the garden or make a personal phone call. distractions can significantly reduce productivity.
3 In an office, employees may be required to attend meetings, and their timetable may be decided for them. is not the case when they work from home.
4 Another major disadvantage of working from home is that people have much less contact with colleagues. can make feel cut off, despite the extra freedom have.
5 Overall, there are both positives and negatives to way of working. In spite of the fact that removes the need to commute and gives employees greater freedom, many people find difficult because of distractions at home and feelings of isolation.
4Complete the improved version of the paragraph at the top of the page.
As a writer, one of your main objectives is to make life as easy as possible for the reader. Obviously, in the IELTS exam, 1 will be the examiner. One way to do 2 is to present your ideas clearly by using pronouns. 3 pieces of language help to connect ideas and reduce repetition. 4 is very important if you want to achieve a higher score. Try using 5 in your next essay.
1 it, 2 this, 3 these, 4 this, 5 them.
Lesson summary
Use tend (not) to + infinitive to avoid overgeneralizing.
Generic you is not forbidden, but precise nouns such as employees or remote workers are usually clearer in Academic Task 2.
After despite / in spite of, use a noun, pronoun or verb + -ing.
Use despite the fact that / in spite of the fact that before a full clause.
Build vocabulary through word families and prefixes.
Use pronouns to connect ideas and avoid repetition.