A student asked about how to brainstorm for task 2. I thought I’d say a few words here about this and why you should do it.
Brainstorming is just a way of generating ideas. It’s part of your planning.
When you get the question the first thing you need to do is look at what you have to do – this will be at the end of the question and is the ‘type’ of question. So should you agree/disagree, give an opinion, discuss or present problems and suggest solutions for example. This is the most important part of the question, get this wrong and you are in big trouble!
After you have ascertained this, you can turn your attention to the topic of the question. The thing to be careful about here is the aspect of the topic that is required for the answer. No IELTS question will tell you to write down all you know about transportation or the environment but often students try to do this and they set off writing straight away and out comes a flood of everything they know about the topic. In order to truly answer the question you need to spend a little time brainstorming some ideas about the topic of the question and then make an outline using these ideas.
Here’s a task 2 question:
Some people believe that punishment is the only purpose of prisons, while others believe that prisons exist for various reasons. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
This is a straightforward discussion and opinion task – so you need to look at both sides of the argument and decide where you stand. This could be with either side or perhaps you think both sides have merit.
To brainstorm this you need to think about why people think prisons are just about punishment and why some people think they need to be about more than that.
Brainstorm:
Punishment only
stop them doing it again, stop others (deterrent), secure society, protect society, justice for victims, stop revenge acts, strong government, protect society, please electorate (stay in power)
Other reasons
change behaviour, do useful work, new craft/trade to help make a living after prison, therapies and counselling, make useful members of society after prison, improve their lives in the future, help their families to move forward after prison – a positive step
This is just a quick ‘brain dump’ to get some ideas out – you will not use all of them. This is NOT your plan and it is important that you go one more step and organise these ideas into an outline that you can use to direct your writing. Something like this:
Introduction
- People - different views about purpose - prison
- Some believe prison is only for punishment
- others argue prison serves different purpose for criminals
- opinion agree group 2
Paragraph 1
- Public safety – need to punish – cause threat and fear in society
- For instance, sex offender/ murderer shouldn’t live in neighbourhood
- Strict laws by government expected – to decrease crime
- Offender – deterrent - reconsider before committing more crime
- e.g. some countries - death penalty for drug dealer
Paragraph 2
- Education and vocational training to decrease re-offending – provide education in prison
- e.g. juvenile detention - creating different environment for education, opportunity for teenager to be better citizen
- Prison offers chance to reform – become good members society
Conclusion:
- in my opinion, prison serves different purpose
- not only as place for punishment for criminal