Cambridge IELTS 12 Academic Writing Test 4 couples a Task 1 process diagram with a Task 2 discussion essay; the trick on this paper is to leave Task 1 cleanly rather than perfectly. Task 1 asks you to summarise how geothermal energy is used to produce electricity. Task 2 then turns to a discursive prompt: Some people believe that allowing children to make their own choices on everyday matters (such as food.
Use the passive voice consistently and chain stages with sequencers like 'subsequently', 'once' and 'at this point' rather than counting 'firstly, secondly, thirdly'. Use two body paragraphs, one per view, then a balanced concluding paragraph that explains why both perspectives have merit. Use evaluative connectors — 'while it is true that', 'a stronger case can be made for' — to keep the discussion analytical rather than purely descriptive.
Budget twenty minutes for the Task 1 report and forty for the Task 2 essay, and resist the temptation to keep polishing Task 1 once your overview and two body paragraphs are in place. On a discussion essay, the introduction and conclusion deserve at least seven minutes of focused work between them — they frame the marker's first and last impression of your Coherence and Cohesion.
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