STUDY AND WRITING SKILLS
35
3.5
It can also be argued that most sports
stars have a relatively short career, and
so need to earn a lot of money in a
short time to support them when they
retire. In some sports, there is a risk of
serious injury and death. Sportsmen
and women should be compensated
for this risk.
4 In contrast, some people argue that
it is wrong to pay sports stars these
huge amounts of money when there
is so much poverty in the world.
Sports stars do not save lives or really
contribute much to society, apart
from providing entertainment, which
can be seen as unnecessary. It is also
clear that these sports stars often
have extravagant lifestyles, appearing
in celebrity magazines and generally
not using their wealth in a positive
way. Some, even though they are role
models for young people, actually
behave very badly.
5 In conclusion, it is obvious that there
are differences not only between
sports, but also between individuals
in the same sports. On balance it can
be said that sports stars are worth the
money they earn, as they have the
ability to enhance people’s lives by
their achievements. They manage to
unite whole countries during significant
competitions, which is something even
politicians are rarely able to do.
WRITING SKILLS
A FOR AND AGAINST ESSAY
5
Work with a partner. How do you feel about the amount of
money top sportspeople earn?
6
Read the essay and answer the questions.
1
Which sports are mentioned?
2
What sources of income are mentioned?
3
What is the writer’s opinion?
7
Read the essay again and match ideas a–e with paragraphs 1–5.
a
arguments against the proposition
b
conclusion and opinion
c
introduction and restatement of question
d
arguments for the proposition
e
background information
8
a
Introductions
Which of the following might you find in the
opening paragraph of this type of essay?
1
your opinion
2
a context for the question, or background information
3
your aim/target (i.e. what you are going to argue in the essay)
4
a restatement of the question
5
arguments and examples
6
a recommendation
8
b
Look at the introduction of the essay and check your answer.
9
a
Two common ways of starting an introduction are to talk about
changes over time or to generalise about the current situation.
What do opening expressions 1–7 do? Which tenses are used with each?
1
Over the last twenty years, …
2
Many people nowadays, …
3
In the past decade, …
4
Since the late 1990s, …
5
These days, …
6
For centuries, …
7
At the present time, …
9
b
Look again at the essay questions in Exercise 2a and write some
opening sentences using phrases from Exercise 9a.
10
Formal expressions
Match formal expressions in the essay with
meanings 1–8.
1
My aim here is to look at ... (paragraph 1)
2
like (paragraph 2)
3
A lot of people feel ... (paragraph 3)
4
In other words, ... (paragraph 3)
5
On the other hand, ... (paragraph 4)
6
It also seems to me that ... (paragraph 4)
7
To sum up, ... (paragraph 5)
8
Overall, ... (paragraph 5)
11
a
Work with a partner to discuss the essay questions.
1
There is too much emphasis on winning in sports today. Discuss.
2
Sports involving animals should be banned. Discuss.
3
Men are more interested in sport than women. Discuss.
11
b
Choose one essay to plan together. Then write your essays
individually, using the notes you made in Exercise 3b, the structure
in Exercise 7 and expressions from Exercise 10.
