IELTS Opinion Essay
This article is a quick run through of how you answer a task 2 opinion based question.
Although more and more people read the news on the internet, newspapers will remain the most important source of news for the majority of people. Do you agree or disagree?
Paraphrase the statement
Paraphrasing means you are saying the same thing, in a different way
‘It is argued/It is believed/Some hold the view that/People are of the opinion that/There is a belief that…… although many people read news on the internet, newspapers prevail over digital news and will continue to outweigh its importance for the majority of people’
Thesis statement
This is where you state whether you agree or disagree
‘This essay will discuss how it agrees/disagrees with the given statement’
Paraphrase- It is argued that although many people read news on the internet, newspapers prevail over digital news and will continue to outweigh its importance for the majority of people.
Thesis- This essay will discuss how it disagrees with the given statement.
Outline statement
Idea 1- the accessibility and convenience of digital news cannot be replicated with a newspaper
Idea 2- online news is more versatile and more inclusive
Outline statement- I believe digital news is more accessible and convenient in comparison to newspapers, as well as being more versatile and inclusive.
Completed introduction
It is argued that although many people read news on the internet, newspapers prevail over digital news and will continue to outweigh its importance for the majority of people. This essay will discuss how it disagrees with the given statement. I believe online news is more accessible and convenient in comparison to newspapers, as well as being more versatile and inclusive.
Main paragraph 1
Topic sentence 1-
The accessibility and convenience of digital news cannot be replicated with a newspaper.
Explanation
Online news allows people to consume news in an immediate manner where any news story can be accessed by the tips of our fingers. This is even more relevant when we consider how fast-paced life can be, and how digital news can serve this purpose so efficiently. In our speedy times, the more sedentary nature of newspapers seems less fitting. Being able to access news so quickly and just as thoroughly, is more convenient for the majority of people. People are used to absorbing information on-the-go and online news there is the perfect solution for this. Moreover, not only is online news readily available, it is incredibly straightforward to circulate and share amongst friends, leading to more of a cultural awareness amongst people and sparking important conversations amongst people.
Example
Take for example the situations in which you want to be updated with the news but don’t have the leisure of time. This could be on the way to work, queueing to board a flight, or simply travelling between destinations, where such situations create pools of time that are ideal for a quicker digestion of news. Moreover, sharing pertinent news can be shared within seconds.
Main paragraph 2
Topic sentence 2
Online news is more versatile and more inclusive
Explanation
Online news offers a more versatile range of content as you can read from a multitude of news sources. When reading a newspaper, you are reading their house style and thus reading a particular style of writing. Whereas, online news incorporates multiple styles of writing and encompasses a wider range of language. This would assist in improving a person’s own usage of English.
Additionally, online news has the versatility of video content which invites a wider audience in. Many people prefer to engage with the news in video format, particularly as this can be more visceral. Online news offers itself as being more inclusive because it can create a chain of engagement, where one article leads to a review, to an interview, to trending stories and so on.
The individual reading news online means that their library of knowledge can easily be topped up and they can gain a more informed perspective by reading news from different sources. Due to the myriad ways of online news, this also makes it more inclusive to print news where it can be read in all languages, including its video element that may be more suited to people.
Example
If for example an article needs to be used in a lesson at school, it is more engaging and inclusive for the teacher to provide their students with its digital format. If a portion of the students have English as a second language, then the teacher can easily supply them with the article in its many languages. Furthermore, students are likely to be more receptive to supplementary video material alongside text.
Conclusion
To summarise, I believe that reading the news on the internet has more advantages in terms of its accessibility, levels of engagement and inclusive nature, than reading a newspaper and is therefore a more significant source of news for the masses.
Completed essay
It is argued that although many people read news on the internet, newspapers prevail over digital news and will continue to outweigh its importance for the majority of people. This essay will discuss how it disagrees with the given statement. I believe online news is more accessible and convenient in comparison to newspapers, and online news is more versatile and more inclusive.
As my first point, I believe that the accessibility and convenience of digital news cannot be replicated with a newspaper. Online news allows people to consume news in an immediate manner, where any news story can be accessed by the tips of our fingers, is an incomparable advantage. This is even more relevant when we consider how fast-paced life can be, and how digital news can serve this purpose so efficiently. In our speedy times, the more sedentary nature of newspapers seems less fitting. Newspapers evoke a sense of study, leisure and sitting somewhere comfortable enough to enjoy your paper. This however contrasts the ease in which people can otherwise access news online. Moreover, not only is online news readily available, it is equally as easy to circulate and share amongst friends, leading to more of a cultural awareness amongst people. Take for example the situations in which you want to be updated with the news but don’t have the leisure of time. This could be on the way to work, queueing to board a flight, or simply travelling between destinations, where such situations create pools of time that are ideal for a quicker digestion of news.
Secondly, online news is more versatile and more inclusive. Online news offers a more versatile range of content as you can read news from hundreds of sources. The immediate benefits of this lies in reading numerous writing styles from a multitude of news sources. When reading a paper, you are reading their house style and thus reading a particular style of writing. Whereas, online news stretches across multiple styles of writing and encompasses a global perspective with more linguistic variation. As well as this, news can be digested in the form of video. Some people may find that they would rather watch a short video and be updated in this manner. A newspaper simply cannot perform this action. Consuming news online can create a chain of engagement where one article can lead to another, to a review, to an interview, to trending stories and so on. The individual reading news online means that their library of knowledge can easily be topped up and they can gain a more informed perspective by reading news from different sources. Due to the myriad ways of online news, this also makes it more inclusive to print news where it can be read in all languages, including its video element that may be more suited to people. If for example an article needs to be used in a lesson at school, it is more engaging and inclusive for the teacher to provide their students with its digital format. If a portion of the students have English as a second language, then the teacher can easily supply them with the article in its many languages. Furthermore, students are likely to be more receptive to supplementary video material alongside text.
To summarise, I believe that reading the news on the internet has more advantages in terms of its accessibility, levels of engagement and inclusive nature, than reading a newspaper and is therefore a more significant source of news for the masses.
583 words.