15 ADVANCED (C1) Essay Phrases for Writing Like a PRO! | IELTS | ACADEMIC | BUSINESS

Hi there, this is Harry, welcome back to advanced  English lessons with Harry, where I try to help  

you to get a better understanding of the English  language. Helping you with all of your vocabulary,  

adjectives, adverbs, transformation,  phrasal verbs. Whatever you need,  

we're here to help you. And indeed, if  you're preparing for proficiency exams,  

or you're preparing, preparing for a job  interview, well, you've come to the right  

place. If you've got any worries, any  concerns, drop me a line, and we'll see  

what we can do to help you. And at the end of  this particular lesson, of course, as always,  

I'll give you my address. And if you want to  contact me, well, you'll have the details there.

Okay, so as I said, this is  an advanced English lesson.

And in this particular lesson, we're looking at  useful phrases for essays. So this is all about  

your written English. Useful phrases for essays  and most of the phrases I'm going to give you now  

are really good for more formal type of writing.  So if you're writing an essay for a particular  

exam, whether it be IELTS or FCE or CAE, these  expressions are really useful. You could be  

writing a thesis, you could be writing reports,  you could be getting your students to write  

essays, so they're going to be helpful for you in  that respect. So as I said, they're quite formal.  

I've divided them into different sections, but  it's all about phrases that you would use to make  

your English sound a little better. And in exams,  in particular, IELTS and CAE the examiner loves  

to see these types of phrases used, because it  indicates that you've got a better understanding  

of the English language, that you can use these  phrases in certain paragraphs throughout your  

essay, either at the beginning or the middle, or  the end of your essay. So look at them carefully,  

practice them, try and use them and see how  you can introduce them into your writing.

Now, they're not expressions that I  would generally use in spoken English,  

you might use one or two of them in a real formal  setting. Or if you're making the presentation,  

for example, to your colleagues, or clients or  some convention, then of course, you might find a  

use for these expressions, because you'll probably  include them in a PowerPoint presentation.  

But ultimately and mostly I've put them down  here for ways of helping you to improve your  

written English and particularly, when you're  writing essays is really, really important.

When you're writing an essay that you have  the right structure. You know that you have  

the beginning, your which is really the question  that you've been asked, you have the main body,  

which is your views, or your arguments or  your points of view, and then the very end,  

which is your conclusion or summary of your  particular essay. So these are the types of  

expressions that you can use in different  parts of your essay. Okay, so as I say,  

I've split them into different sections. One  section is called expressing an opinion. So  

where you want to express an opinion, second,  is commonly held views. Third, saying what other  

people think so giving other people's opinion.  And then finally, referring to sources. Which is  

always important when you're writing more formal  documents is that you must refer to your source,  

where did you get the information from. Okay,  we'll take it one section after another.

So the first one is expressing an  opinion. So here, we've got three,  

it's probably true to say that okay,  so here you're expressing your opinion,  

it's probably true to say that most people  haven't travelled more than six countries  

a year or three countries a year. Okay. So  it is probably true to say that most people  

never travel to more than three or four or  five or six countries a year. It's probably  

true to say that that means that it can't be  disputed because it's general information.

A little bit stronger, that  can be no doubt that Okay,  

so there can be no doubt that the longest days of  the year and the darkest days happen in winter,  

there can be no doubt. So nobody is going to  dispute it because it's more or less a fact.

It is simply not the case that everyone enjoys  black humour. It is simply not the case that okay,  

so you're again expressing your  opinion. So three ways to say it,  

it is probably probably true to say that. There  can be no doubt that. Or simply not the case that.

Okay, second section commonly held views so  these are general views held by lots of people,  

so they're not Your opinion, they're not  my opinion, they are commonly held views  

or views held generally by people. So here's  how we express it. It is widely believed that  

this is very, very commonly used as a  really good way to introduce a point.  

So you're not saying this is my opinion,  your opinion, but it is widely believed  

that so widely meaning lots of people  in every country, all over the world.

No one would dispute the fact that... So again,  

you're putting it out there that not you or  me, no one would dispute the fact that...

Few people would contest the fact that. Or few  people would dispute the fact that. So another  

way so we're not saying no one here, we're  saying few people would Okay, so few people  

would mean that it's the very, very likely that  some might, but few people would contest that  

or few people would dispute the fact that okay.  So, it is generally agreed that it is generally  

agreed that again, a common way of telling  people that not your opinion, not my opinion,  

but generally most people or unbalance a  lot of people would have these opinions

So commonly held views, it is widely believed  that. No one would dispute the fact that. Few  

people would contest or dispute the fact  that and then it is generally agreed that.

So let's give a couple of examples when you might  use it. It is widely believed that birds all fly  

south, in the autumn. It is widely believed that  all birds fly south in the autumn. No one would  

dispute the fact that the sun rises in the east  and it sets in the west. No one would dispute  

that because it's a fact. Few people would contest  the fact that people get a little weaker and lose  

strength as they get older. So few people would  contest meaning disagree or dispute the fact that  

as we grow older, we get a little weaker. And  then finally, it is generally agreed that it is  

generally agreed that it is much better to live  in peace and harmony with each other than to be  

continuously fighting with our neighbours.  It is generally agreed that so of course,  

some people might dispute those facts, but  on balance, everybody would agree. Okay.

Now, the next section is saying what other people  think. So here, we're very specifically focusing  

on other people's opinion, not your opinion, okay.  You're the writer, the author of this particular  

essay, but this is what other people say, okay,  so there are those who argue that, okay, so you've  

made your point in your essay, but then you're  going to give a counter argument by introducing it  

as follows. There are those who argue that people  should have to pay for their hospital care. Okay,  

so some people think it should be free. But there  are those who argue that nothing should be free in  

this life, you should have to pay for everything,  including your hospital care hospital treatment.

It has been suggested that it has been suggested  that people who pay for their hospital care are  

more likely to appreciate it. Yeah. So it has  been suggested that so you're not suggesting it,  

but you're using this expression. It has  been suggested that you're not saying who,  

but generally people it has been suggested that.

Or it is often claimed that. It is often  claimed that people who have three or more  

children really don't control them as well  as people with just one child. So it is often  

claimed that people who have three or more  children don't have the same control over  

the children as those who have only a single  or one child. I'm not making these statements.  

I'm just using them as an example of  course, but it is often claimed that.

And then finally, opponents, those people who are  against you or supporters, people who are with  

you, proponents of something. So they argue that.  What do they argue? So opponents of this proposal  

argue that supporters of this proposal argue that,  and those who have put forward the suggestion  

proponents of this suggestion argue that. So  what we're saying is these are different people,  

the opponents have a suggestion. So perhaps  there's a plan to build a motorway through your  

city. Okay. So the opponents of this suggestion  argue that it will destroy the character of the  

town or the city. Supporters of this motorway, say  that they will bring more people into the town and  

city and therefore they will spend more money. And  then proponents, the people who have put forward  

have argued that this is the way forward, this is  progress, and you can't stop progress. So here,  

we're using these words to tell us other  people's views or the other people think.

So let me go through them again. And so here we're  saying what other people think not what you think.  

But what other people are thinking. There are  those who argue that it has been suggested that.  

For example, so there are those who argue that  white is a better colour than black or black is  

a better colour than white. It has been suggested  that heavy people have more fun or laugh more.  

It is often claimed that people with blonde  hair have more fun. And then opponents of a  

particular scheme, supporters of a particular  scheme, proponents of particular scheme argue  

their point of view. Okay, so different ways when  people say what they believe or what they think.

And then the final section is where we're  referring to sources, which is where we  

get our information from the source of our  information. All the evidence suggests that. Okay,  

all the evidence suggests that this is  the best way forward for everybody. Our  

recent survey proved that 80% of people  would be in favour of high-rise buildings  

in the city. Judging by the comments  made by the people in on the internet,  

most people will be in favour of bigger schools,  larger classrooms. And interviews with students  

or residents have revealed that 80% of students  will drop out of college if they get bad marks.

Okay, so these are expressions that we can use  when we're referring to sources of information  

that we have used in our essay to support our  argument to oppose our argument, or to get our  

point of view across so let me go through those  ones again. So we're referring to sources of  

information. All the evidence suggests that blah,  blah. A recent survey proved that blah blah,  

judging by the comments made by people and then  interviews with students have revealed that Okay

So let me give you some specific examples of  those. All the evidence suggests that the British  

people voted for Brexit, using wrong information.  A recent survey proved that the people who voted  

for Brexit would change their mind if they had a  chance to vote again. Judging by the comments made  

by people on the internet, nobody understood what  they were voting for when they voted for Brexit,  

an interview with students have revealed that  none of them voted either yes or no in the  

Brexit referendum. Okay, so different ways to give  information or sources of information that help  

you with any particular argument in an essay that  you are writing and the examples I gave you there  

were relating to Brexit and the British government  and the vote that they had five, six years ago.

Okay, so let's go through them  again. We've got 1 2 3 4 sections,  

all relating to phrases that you can use when  you're writing essays. Particularly when you're  

writing those proficiency essays and exams like  FCE or IELTS, or indeed any college entry essay.  

Or if you're teaching yourself which many  of you are, then these are expressions that  

you could give to your students to use in their  essays. So when you want to express an opinion,  

it is probably true to say that. There can be no  doubt that. It is simply not the case that. All  

about expressing an opinion. Commonly held views  not just by you commonly held views. It is widely  

believed that. No one would dispute the fact that.  Few people would contest or dispute the fact that.  

It is generally agreed that, so commonly held  views. And then what other people think there  

are those who argue that not necessarily me  there are those who argued that it has been  

suggested that it is often claimed that and then  opponents or supporters of something, argue that,  

whatever their point of view happens to be. And  then finally, when we want to refer to our sources  

of information to make our arguments, all the  evidence suggests that a recent survey proved  

that or indicated that judging by the comments  made by people on the internet or on Instagram.  

And then interviews with students or the elderly  or the residents, whoever they happen to be,  

whatever the group of people happen to  be, have revealed that blah, blah, blah.

Okay, so, good expressions, useful phrases for  you to improve your writing skills examiners  

love them, they really really love them, it shows  a good command of English, drop a few of those  

into each of the paragraphs, and it's certainly  going to improve your chances of getting a really,  

really good score. Now if you need any more  help, any other suggestions, then you can  

contact me on www.englishlessonviaskype.com.  Very happy to hear from you and very happy  

to help you with any further information that  you need. Okay, this is Harry, thanking you for  

watching. Thank you for listening. Just a gentle  hint, make sure you join me for the next lesson.