A for and against essay about the internet

Look at the essay and do the exercises to improve your writing skills.

Preparation

Complete the tips for writing a for and against essay with a word from the box.

disagree          formal          plan          reasons          opinions

1. You should give your _______________ on the topic.
2. Always give _______________ for your opinions.
3. You can agree, _______________ or discuss both sides of the statement.
4. The register used in an essay is usually quite _______________.
5. You need to _______________ your essay carefully before you start writing.

1. Check your writing: grouping – ideas

Here are some ideas for a new essay entitled ‘Is it acceptable to keep animals in zoos?’ Circle whether each point answers Yes or No to the question.

1. Zoos educate the public and give children the chance to see animals they could never normally see. Yes No
2. Animals in zoos often suffer from stress and boredom. Yes No
3. Sometimes animals escape from their enclosures, which is dangerous for humans. Yes No
4. Zoos protect animals by bringing them into a safe environment. Yes No
5. Bigger zoos have lots of space and make sure the animals have everything they need to be healthy and happy. Yes No
6. It is not right to imprison an animal, just for the entertainment of humans. Yes No
7. Unwanted animals from zoos are sometimes sold to circuses, hunting parks and even for meat. Yes No
8. Many zoos help endangered species to find a mate and breed. They would not have this help in the wild. Yes No

2. Check your writing: gap fill – useful phrases

Fill the gaps in the essay with the correct word or phrase from the box.

Another drawback is      One advantage of      Personally,      In addition,     On the other hand,                There is no doubt that           Another positive aspect of          To conclude,

1 __________________________ the subject of keeping animals in zoos creates a lot of debate. Some people say zoos are traditional family entertainment and good for animals. Others say keeping animals in zoos is cruel and inhumane. 2 __________________________ zoos is that they give people the chance to see and learn about animals. This makes people more likely to want to look after animals and protect their natural habitats. 3 __________________________ zoos is that they help to protect endangered species by offering them a safe place to live. 4 __________________________ zoos help to find mates for endangered species. For example, many pandas would not find a mate to breed with if they were on their own in the wild. 5 __________________________ there are many arguments against keeping animals in zoos. Firstly, zoo animals often suffer from stress and boredom when they are not in their natural habitat. Secondly, unwanted animals are sometimes sold to circuses, hunting parks or for meat. 6 __________________________ that animals sometimes escape from their enclosures, which is dangerous for humans. 7 __________________________ there are strong arguments for and against keeping animals in zoos. 8 __________________________ I think it is acceptable to keep animals in zoos, as long as they have enough space and are properly looked after.

Discussion

What's your opinion? Do you think the internet is bad for young people?             Do you think it is acceptable to keep animals in zoos?

KEY

Preparation

    1. opinions 2. reasons 3. disagree 4. formal 5. plan

1. Check your writing: grouping – ideas

    1. Yes 2. No 3. No 4. Yes 5. Yes 6. No 7. No 8. Yes

2. Check your writing: gap fill – useful phrases

1. There is no doubt that
2. One advantage of
3. Another positive aspect of
4. In addition,
5. On the other hand,
6. Another drawback is
7. To conclude,
8. Personally,