Technological Advances - Essay TU2

Swap your essay with a friend's.
Read the essay and check if it has the following:
 Put a tick if the sentence is correct for the essay you are reading, put a
minus (-) if it doesn't)
TASK COMPLETION
The essay has an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion

The introduction contains general statements about the topic and a thesis
statement.
The conclusion contains a summary of the main points and a personal opinion.
Both parts of the topic are discussed at equal length.
There are at least two arguments with support in each of the body paragraphs.
COHERENCE AND COHESION
There are 4 paragraphs in the text.

Each paragraph is graphically separated from the previous and the following
one.
Body paragraphs start with a topic sentence which announces what the
paragraph is going to be about.
Body paragraphs contain only ideas which concern the topic of that paragraph.
The writer’s opinion is given in the conclusion and not in any of the other
paragraphs.
The sentences within the paragraphs follow each other in a logical way.
The flow of ideas is easy to follow thanks to the usage of linking words.
The linking words are used appropriately and not excessively.
GRAMMAR
A wide range of grammatical structures is used.

The writer mainly uses complex sentences.
There are not many incorrect language structures in the text.
Grammatical mistakes (if any) do NOT cause misunderstanding. (the reader
doesn’t have to pause while reading in order to understand the text)
VOCABULARY
A wide range of vocabulary is used, there are not many repetitions in the text.
There are not many vocabulary mistakes in the text (misspelling, wrong
prepositions, wrong collocations)
Vocabulary mistakes do not cause misunderstanding. (the reader doesn’t have
to pause while reading in order to understand the text)
AN ESSAY FOR AND AGAINST
1 Read the following sentences. They come from an essay with the following topic:
Some people say that technological advances mean a better and a brighter future. Others
disagree. Where in the essay do you think each sentence belongs? Circle I for
introduction, B for body or C for conclusion. Explain your choices.
a However, because of technology there’s also room for some pessimism about our future.
I B C
b Personally, I can’t wait for that time to arrive because I hate cleaning and my robot Max
could do it for me; Max stands for maximus, the best—I learned that in my Latin class.
I B C
c Moreover, many people might lose their jobs because new technology will replace them.
I B C
d I want to believe that technology will only be positive, but we should be aware that our
future with technology is uncertain at best.
I B C
e Whereas many people believe there is no other way to a better future but through further
development of technology, we can hardly be sure that technology doesn't have negative
aspects as well.
I B C
f Let's take, for example, robotics.

I B C
2 Match the parts of the essay with the information each section should contain. You
will have to use some letters more than once.
A arguments in favour of the first statement

INTRODUCTION ____, _____, _____
B thesis statement – the topic of the essay
C general statements about the topic

st
BODY I. (1 body paragraph) _____, _____
D arguments in favour of the second
statement
E attention catching sentence (a question, a
quote, a proverb….)
BODY II. (2nd body paragraph) _____, ____
F illustrative examples or development of
arguments (support)
G summary of all the arguments that have
CONCLUSION _____, _____ been mentioned (the main points)
E personal opinion
3 Put the sentences from Exercise 1 back into the essay. There is one sentence you
will not need.
From inventing the wheel to today's nanotechnology, humankind has not stopped
creating and making progress. 1 ______
Technology enables us to be positive about our future. First of all, technological

advances will make our lives more enjoyable. 2 _____ Soon, we will be able to have
domestic robots for household chores and we can forget all about vacuuming or taking out
the garbage. Secondly, thanks to technology, communication is going to improve. In the
future, we will do everything over social networks – from everyday shopping to doctor’s
appointments and studying.
3 ______ Firstly, the development of technology is unpredictable and we are not aware of
the dangers it might bring. To illustrate this take the case of Nobel who, when he invented
dynamite, didn’t know people would use it for destructive purposes. 4 ______ For instance,
robots can work around the clock without having to eat or rest, so people may become
unnecessary.
To conclude, while we can be optimistic about our future because technology will
improve many aspects of our lives enabling us to have robots and making social networks
work for us, it also gives us reasons to be concerned about its implications for our future
existence because it might be dangerous or make us redundant. 5 _______.
4 Look for linking devices in the essay. What is their function? Write them down
according to what they express.
Words that show the order of things: __________, ___________, _____________,

Words that show addition: _____________, ___________
To give examples or illustrate meaning: _____________, __________, _________
Words that show contrast: ___________, ____________, ____________. _________
Words that show results: ________
Words that show causes: __________, _________
Summing up, concluding: ___________
Expressing opinions: ___________
5 Use the words from Exercise 4 to link the following sentences. Sometimes more than
one choice is possible.
1 __________ I am quite optimistic about the future, though my brother isn’t. He is afraid of
it.
2 _______________, when we talk about technological advances in the future, we must
consider the environment. ___________ we will definitely need environmentally friendly
energy. _____________we'll have to think of a solution for the growing population of the
planet ________ there probably won't be enough food for everyone.
3 The Internet will surely bring us more free time, ___________ we will be able to work from
home ___________ we will not have to go to the office. ___________ we will probably be
educated at home.
4 _____________, I am looking forward to the changes technology will bring us in the future.
____________, many people are afraid of technological advances.

Technological Advances - Essay TU2

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Technological Advances - Essay TU2

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Technological Advances - Essay TU2

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Swap your essay with a friend's.

Read the essay and check if it has the following:

The essay has an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion

There are 4 paragraphs in the text.

A wide range of grammatical structures is used.

f Let's take, for example, robotics.

A arguments in favour of the first statement

C general statements about the topic

Technology enables us to be positive about our future. First of all, technological

Words that show the order of things: ____, _, _________,

You might also like