📝 Avoiding repetitions

This is what we need when we write for exams. The main way many people rely on is synonyms—a valid way, but not the only one. What else is there?

Since I am a teacher through and through, I prepared a great exercise (in my opinion, at least) for my writing students.

1️⃣
I took a paragraph from a New Scientist article and removed all the good ways, adding repetitions instead. I asked students to rewrite the paragraph, making sure to avoid repetitions.

"Another idea that purports to explain our love of the wild is known as attention restoration theory. In a nutshell, it says that our ability to pay attention is restored by time in nature. Attention can be divided into two types of attention: involuntary attention, in which our attention is captured by intriguing or important stimuli (an intimate conversation between a couple sitting at a table behind you in a cafe, for instance), and directed or voluntary attention, where you actively pay attention to something (the book you were trying to read before you started eavesdropping). Voluntary attention requires what psychologists call top-down control, which means that our thoughts are regulating our actions."

2️⃣
And here is the original.

"Another idea that purports to explain our love of the wild is known as attention restoration theory. In a nutshell, it says that our ability to concentrate is restored by time in nature. Attention can be divided into two types: involuntary, in which our attention is captured by intriguing or important stimuli (an intimate conversation between a couple sitting at a table behind you in a cafe, for instance), and directed or voluntary attention, where you actively focus on something (the book you were trying to read before you started eavesdropping). The latter requires what psychologists call top-down control, which means that our thoughts are regulating our actions."

So, what ways does the original writer use? Would you have paraphrased some phrases differently?

📝 This just a tiny little glimpse of what we do in my "Writing with New Scientist" course. We learn from professional writers and build the writing skill thoroughly, with carefully crafted exercises.

📝 Schedules, levels, testimonials, and more details: https://vk.com/market/product/writing-with-new-scientist-47977221-5061302

☂️ Link to the article "Blue Therapy" ☂️

❤️ IELTS Writing Task 2: Paragraph Rewrite ❤️

First and foremost: I love writing. I love rewriting. I love teaching writing. ❤️

Now, on to IELTS.

The paragraph below was written by a student. It's not a bad paragraph—the ideas are there, and so is a lot of good language. But why don't we improve the flow and tone the language down? 🎵

Topic: "More and more people say that they do not feel safe when they leave home. Why is this? What could be done to address this issue?"

✏️ Body paragraph 1: Original paragraph by a student

"Granted, this world has never been a perfectly safe place to live in, but never before has this imperfection seen such abundant evidence, distorting people’s perception of the environment beyond the walls of their homes. Nowadays, hardly a minute passes after a terrorist attack, a fatal car accident or even a casual brawl, when all the media start bombarding their vulnerable users with shocking headlines and damning reports, all of which subtly, but inevitably alter the human psyche – fragile and highly perceptive to everything that may compromise our safety in the street. While journalists and reporters are having a field day, intentionally exaggerating the extent of incidents and amplifying feelings of sorrow or horror in a bid to get more views, people cannot help but extrapolate these negative experiences to their own lives, thus becoming apprehensive, insecure or even paranoid about what might happen outside."

✏️ Body paragraph 1: My rewrite

"The main reason for the people's fear is the distorted perception of the world, which, in turn, stems from increased exposure to bad news. Nowadays, hardly a minute passes after a terrorist attack, a fatal car accident, or even a casual brawl, when all the media start bombarding their vulnerable users with reports of these events. This is only exacerbated by the fact that journalists and news editors often intentionally exaggerate the extent of the incidents and amplify feelings of sorrow or horror in order to get more views. The audiences, however, cannot help but extrapolate these negative incidences to their own lives, thus becoming apprehensive, insecure or even paranoid about what might happen outside."

Now the paragraph has the same ideas, but it flows better and is less emotional.

#ieltswritingtask2 #ieltswriting

Tiny words and cool sentences for writing 💡

Even though some sesquipedalian words are certainly pulchritudinous, I am a huge fan of tiny and deceptively familiar words, like "so" or "if" or "one." These words can sometimes be harder to use than sesquipedalian ones.

Here are seven sentences from my recent quizzes. Check yourself one more time. Do you remember all these words and phrases? Do you understand the meanings? More importantly, do you share my love for such tiny words?

1️⃣ "Another possible, if more controversial, explanation for the benefits of blue spaces goes back much deeper into our evolutionary past."

2️⃣ "Another big question is one being voiced by many people excited by semaglutide's widespread effects: could everyone benefit from it in some way?"

3️⃣ "We tend to be optimistic about our own lives. We are also optimistic, although less so, about our family and friends."

4️⃣ "The behaviour of simple animals like fruit flies is usually assumed to be highly deterministic, involving reflexive responses to external stimuli. In fact, it is anything but."

5️⃣ "But as the technology evolved, so too did an extraordinary idea."

6️⃣ "... if we can formalise enough proofs so Als can access them, we could train these systems such that they can themselves generate proofs more quickly, and maybe even more effectively, than we can."

7️⃣ "The scientists reasoned that, for a given statement to count as common sense, the majority of people would have to agree that it was, and individuals would also need to be aware that other people viewed it as such."

The source of all these sentences is the "New Scientist" magazine. I have a whole writing course based on articles from this magazine. The patterns above are just a tiny glimpse of what we do in this course. Click to find out more and 💌 @iraluts.

So, how did you do? Do you know all these patterns? More importantly, do you love them?

IELTS Writing Task 2: Staying on Topic 💡

As usual, I won't hand you the answer on a silver platter. I'll invite you to think first.

Below are two short excepts with the same key argument. Which one seems on topic and which one seems off topic? Why?

Topic: "Many students find it harder to study when they are at university or college than when they were at school. Why is this? What can be done to solve the problem?"

1️⃣
"The second reason is that students often find part-time jobs when they are at university. In many countries, tertiary education is not free, and tuition fees are exorbitant, which means students have to start working very early to put themselves through college. In countries where higher education itself is free, students still have to get jobs to cover their living costs as the stipends or financial aid are typically not high enough to cover rent, food, and entertainment."

2️⃣
"The second reason is that students often find part-time jobs when they are at university. Whether they do so to cover tuition fees or to earn some pocket money, the result is that they fall behind on their studies as they do not have the time to do what is required, for example, to attend lectures, to complete the background reading, or to do the proper research for their writing assignments. As a consequence, the amount of material they have to cover piles up each week, making it harder to catch up and to progress."

See how the same key argument can go in different directions?

The first piece goes off topic because it focuses on money. The second piece stays on topic because it focuses on studies. 💡

To help yourself stay on topic, brainstorm for some things typically associated with the topic. What do people do when they study at university? They go to lectures, they read text books, they do writing assignments etc. Connect your key argument to these things.

PS: Yes, I know "pile up" and "catch up" are too informal, but my brain is not braining this morning. What would you use instead?

#ieltswriting #ieltswritingtask2

Cohesion, grammar, and lexis at a leisurely pace combined with in-depth ideas—what can be better to build your writing skills?

My unique writing course "Writing with New Scientist" is a writing course based on academic articles and geared towards IELTS writing and academic writing in general. A perfect pre- or post- #IELTS course! And now a #CPE track!

📝 C2, CPE track, experienced writers:

Saturday 11-12:30 Moscow time

Course instructor Irina Lutsenko

📝 C1, brand new group, IELTS track:

Thursday 12:30-14:00 Moscow time

Course instructor Anastasia Beisova

Testimonials, schedules and more details at: https://vk.com/market/product/writing-with-new-scientist-47977221-5061302

💌 @iraluts

IELTS Writing Task 2: Repetition or development? 🐼

Repeating rather than developing an idea is a Task Response weakness I talk about on a regular basis in my IELTS classes.

And, as usual, to vividly illustrate this weakness, I write two excerpts on the same topic. Here is an example. Which excerpt repeats the ideas and which one develops them? ❓

Topic: "The numbers of plants and animals is decreasing in most countries. Why is this happening? What can be done about it?"

1️⃣
"Both reasons for this development stem from human activities. The first one is that as the population of the planet grows, people increasingly encroach on territories where wildlife lives. They do so because they have to invade plant and animal habitats, and since the number of people is high, it, in essence, replaces biodiversity. After intruding into natural environments, people cause flora and fauna to die out due to human intervention."

2️⃣
"Both reasons for this development stem from human activities. The first one is that as the population of the planet grows, people increasingly encroach on territories where wildlife lives. They do so for a range of purposes, from construction and expansion of cities to clearing the land for farming and agriculture. These activities either obliterate flora and fauna entirely or cause them to move to new habitats, where they might not necessarily survive."

KEY: The first excerpt repeats the same idea over and over again—in different words. The second one develops it.

Don't let paraphrasing or fancy language fool you—or don't fool yourself by thinking that if you've written something complex, you've developed your ideas.

"Development" means adding new bits of information—examples, comparisons, causes, effects, definitions, you name it—in every clause or sentence so that the paragraph moves forward. 🐼

#ieltswritingtask2 #ieltswriting

Attaching an example of a typical worksheet in my "Writing with New Scientist" course.

Each worksheet is different. This one is 13 pages long (!!!!!) and contains an #IELTS Writing Task 1 process task. 🎀

My unique "Writing with New Scientist" course is a solid, thorough writing course very rich in language and cohesion. It's designed to take your writing to the next level. A perfect pre- or post-IELTS or -CPE course.

✏️ Worksheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JJVxEWgLj8DFA9qb43ZLKUjReUNXrzNYpvB4D3eWhb0/edit?tab=t.0

✏️ Link to the magazine with the article.

💌 @iraluts
🎀 https://news.1rj.ru/str/irinalutsenko

IELTS Writing Task 1: writing about exceptions 📊

If you've seen enough #IELTS tasks, you'll know that most of them contain exceptions—one category that is different.

For example, a line graph where three lines go down, but one goes up. Or a bar chart about men and women where the figure for men is higher in all the groups, but in one the figure for women is higher. Things like that.

Here are some phrases you can use to talk about exceptions in IELTS Writing Task 1:

1️⃣ except / with the exception of ...

2️⃣ ... was the only (category) to have witnessed a decrease

3️⃣ all (categories) but (one) saw growth

4️⃣ (This country), however, bucked the trend ...

5️⃣ Unlike the rest (of the categories), (this one) saw ...

6️⃣ (This category) stands out because ...

To practice the patterns above, write a sentence with one of them about the task in the picture. Use the "spoiler" feature so that other subscribers don't see your sentence immediately and have a chance to practice too.

And if you can think of more phrases for exceptions, share in the comments. ❤️

#ieltswritingtask1 🌸 @irinalutsenko

💡 Insights about writing college applications 💡

Our awesome course "Writing College Applications" with our awesome American instructor is in full swing. 🇺🇸

Here are some super-useful brainstorming techniques that will help you find what to write about in your application.

1️⃣ Values
- List your values for 10 minutes.
- Go through and identify 5-7 values you’d really like to share.
- For each of these, come up with 1-2 life experiences you can use to demonstrate these values.

2️⃣ Who are you?
- Take 10 minutes to list nouns/noun phrases to describe you.
- Try to move beyond the obvious options (family relations, nationality, job, etc.).
- Identify the top 3 you want to highlight.
- Identify 3 you’re trying to build up and reflect on how you’re trying to build that in your life.

3️⃣ Timeline
- Create a timeline of the last 3-4 years of your life.
- Include all of the most important/informative events of each year.
- Pull out a few key events and list the values that these events demonstrate.

Once you’ve identified what you would like to highlight, go back and compare what you want to show with what you need to show. Now you're all set to write.

Even though our course is about writing college applications, these techniques are super-useful for many kinds of writing that require self-presentation.

💡 More insights from this course:

- https://news.1rj.ru/str/irinalutsenko/469

- https://news.1rj.ru/str/irinalutsenko/464

IELTS Writing Task 1: Commas with relative clauses in maps 🏝

Commas with relative clauses are one of the most common mistakes I have to correct. Most grammar books will tell you: "If the information is essential (necessary etc), you don't need commas. If the information is not essential (necessary etc), you need commas."

And then students spend valuable time racking their brains whether the information is essential—and then make mistakes anyway.

I explain this topic in a different way: It all boils down to whether there is one of something or more than one of something.

1️⃣ "The entrance, which was located in the western wing, was renovated." = There is only one entrance in the building. The relative clause provides a side comment.

2️⃣ "The entrance which was located in the western wing was renovated." = There are several entrances. Without the specification in the relative clause, the reader won't understand what entrance I mean.

To help you better understand this, here is an exercise. The two excerpts about the task above contain relative clauses. Do you need the commas? ❓

1️⃣ The first lava flow took place on 6 May and affected the western part of the town. Before the eruption there used to be a town square with houses around it. The whole square was buried under lava. The lava, however, did not reach the coastal line, so the houses [1] which were located along it were untouched. Another construction that was not destroyed was the castle [2] which was located in the central part of the town.

2️⃣ The eruption resulted in two large lava flows, one on 6 May and one on 12 May, affecting the western and eastern parts respectively. The first flow [3] which reached much of the coastal line buried the square and most of the buildings, with the only ones remaining intact being the castle and a few right on the coast. The flow [4] which reached the town six days later did not cause structural damage to any infrastructure.

KEY

[1] No comma_
[2] A comma__
[3] Commas__
[4] No commas

PS: My IELTS Task 1 pictures, including this one, are real tasks. They look oh so cute because they are drawn by my wonderful colleague Anna Skopina. 🏝

#ieltswritingtask1

How to read in order to write 💡

How? By paying attention to what you are reading and purposefully choosing what to steal for your writing.

In my "Writing Incubator" workshop yesterday, 20 people came together to steal and practice a bunch of patterns for writing. Here is just a tiny glimpse (with 22 pages of content, I had trouble choosing).

IELTS track (stolen from "New Scientist")

1. when combined (reduced clause)

Veronika Shirobokova: There are numerous ways to uplift one's mood, but vigorous exercise, when combined with groovy music, offers the best results.

2. rather than + -ing

Aleksandra: If you get a score lower than you expected, rather than sulking and feeling miserable, try to perceive this experience as a form of practice instead.

3. If so: clausal substitution

Irina Sidorkina: Are you struggling to come up with ideas for your essay? If so, it's high time you started reading good stuff—Irina keeps advising to.

CPE, social media track (stolen from "The Guardian")

1. Brackets, a self-answering question

nadya: If you want to get IELTS 9 (who doesn't?), then you need to pull yourself together and stop making excuses. sorry.

Lena Look: If you want to get IELTS 9 (who doesn't ?), then you need to enroll on Irina Lutsenko's course and follow her instructions ))))

2. Polysyndeton (overuse of a conjunction)

Aysel: So, you sit down to write an essay. You are determined. You are focused. But then, one by one, you face a whole host of distractions—kids and cooking and the boiling kettle and pets fighting and floors creaking.

Tatiana Zemlerub: So, you sit down to write an essay. You are determined. You are focused. But then, one by one, you face a whole host of distractions—kids and cooking and cats and students and dirty floors and Carrie Bradshow.

3. Asyndeton (omission of a conjunction)

Anastasia B: So you sit down to write your essay. You're determined. You're focused. But then, one by one, you're faced with a series of distractions—a dog with puppies on the street, a stranger walking past, a neighbor backing out of his garage.

💡 Your turn. Finish the sentences frames with your own ideas:

1️⃣ If you get a score lower than you expected, rather than ... ing,

2️⃣ Are you struggling to come up with ideas for your essay? If so, ...

3️⃣ If you want to get IELTS 9 (who doesn't?), then ...

4️⃣ So, you sit down to write an essay. You are determined. You are focused. But then, one by one, you face a whole host of distractions— ...

🎵 IELTS Writing Task 2: What can the arts tell us about life that science cannot? 🎵

This is one of the most challenging—and therefore interesting—topics I’ve ever had to write an IELTS essay on. That’s why I can’t help sharing.

Topic: “In today’s world of advanced science and technology, many still greatly value artists such as musicians, painters and writers. What can the arts tell us about life that science cannot?”

"Arts and sciences are often viewed in opposition to each other. Some people even argue that since arts—unlike science—do not deal with objective facts, they do not help us gain a deeper understanding of life. They do, however, give us insights into what science does not or cannot explain.

First and foremost, arts provide individual perspectives on and personal reactions to facts. While science aims to discover and describe the laws that govern our world, arts aim to communicate how these laws affect or are perceived by a specific person. For example, a scientific text can describe how malignant cells spread in a cancerous tumor, but it is a creative text that will give a first-hand account of what the patient feels upon learning the news they have cancer or of how they handle combating the disease. Thus, in a sense, arts allow one individual to access many different experiences, ones the individual might ever not encounter in their real life.

Another important function arts serve is explaining—or at least attempting to explain—some elusive concepts that science has thus far been unable to. “Soul” is a good case in point. As yet, scientists haven’t been able to detect it, with some even arguing that there is no such entity as a soul. Yet, most of us intuitively understand that we have one—an intangible combination of our feelings and thoughts. This is where arts come into play. Most people report that some works of art, music or visual arts in particular, speak to their soul in some unfathomable way. Other art forms, such as literature or cinematography, enable the creators to explore what a soul is by placing the characters of the narrative in testing life situations. More examples of similarly nebulous notions would be love or the meaning of life. Even when arts, like science, cannot provide a precise and coherent explanation of a certain phenomenon, audiences still relate not only to the topics explored but also to the search for explanations.

To conclude, dealing with the subjective and the ephemeral, arts play an important role in helping us make sense of the lesser-understood aspects of life. Given that such aspects are inherent in our human experience, is it any wonder that arts are as popular as ever?"

By Irina Lutsenko 🎵

#Irina_writes_IELTS #ieltswritingtask2

How to order data and ideas in IELTS writing (and elsewhere) 📊

If you want to arrive at a coherent text that is easy to follow, you can't just write whatever you want in any order you want (bummer, I know).

To organize information in a way that makes processing it easier for the reader, follow the principles below. Use them to organize your IELTS answer, particularly IELTS Writing Task 1, and any text that involves reporting facts and communicating objective information.

1️⃣ Chronological order: from beginning to end, from the past to the present to the future, from young to old. (This is a really strong one because we think chronologically.)

2️⃣ From the largest to the smallest or from the smallest to the largest.

3️⃣ From the least important to the most important and the other way around. (This can sound somewhat vague. I'll write a special post about this principle.)

4️⃣ From general to specific (or from specific to general—but this is less likely to be used in IELTS).

5️⃣ Order of familiarity: from familiar to unfamiliar, from the most familiar to the least familiar. ("Familiar" means familiar to the reader!)

6️⃣ Spatial, if applicable: from left to right, clockwise, from the entrance to the far end of the room (for example, in IELTS map/floor plan tasks).

In IELTS terms, these principles will fall under "Coherence and Cohesion" and, more specifically, "Progression." And perhaps "Task Achievement" too because well-organized reporting improves clarity.

These ways to order ideas will make your writing easier to follow. For example, compare the texts below. Which one is easier to read? Which principle is broken in the less effective piece? ❓

Example 1:

1. Make sure to proofread and edit your essay. But before you do, begin by brainstorming for ideas and lexical items. Then write the first draft. It's a good idea to take notes during the brainstorming stage.

2. Begin by brainstorming for ideas and lexical items on the topic. Make sure to take notes during the brainstorming stage. Then write your first draft. Finally, proofread and edit your essay several times if needed.

Example 2:

1. The highest level is observed in Japan, at 120. In Brazil, the level is only 60, while Canada is in second place with 100.

2. The highest level is observed in Japan, at 120. Canada is in second place, with 100. Meanwhile, the level in Brazil is fairly low—60.

In longer texts, these principles are even more important because there is more information for the reader to process. Don't break these principles unless you have a good reason.

Breaking them, on the other hand, is great in more creative genres—precisely because it's unusual to organize information differently. For example, the chronological principle is often broken in novels or movies to keep the reader engaged and intrigued. But this is not the goal you want to achieve in IELTS.

Have I missed some organizational principles? Share in the comments. 📝