Writing
Write a 200-300 word argumentative essay on a given topic.
Some argue that public funding for the arts is difficult to justify when health and education budgets are under pressure. Discuss both views and give your opinion. Write 200 to 300 words.
Plan a position, two supporting arguments each with a concrete example, and one concession. Four or five paragraphs, roughly 250 words, three minutes left to proofread.
Read the question twice and identify what it actually asks: whether you agree, which of two views you favour, or what causes and solutions exist. An essay that answers a neighbouring question is the most expensive error available in 20 minutes.
Write down your position, two arguments, a concrete example for each, and one counterpoint you will concede and answer. Human reviewers assess development and coherence, so this outline is what separates a reasoned essay from paragraphs that merely sound academic.
Open by stating your position outright, give each argument its own paragraph led by a clear topic sentence, handle the counterpoint, then conclude. Aim for the middle of the 200 to 300 word range so you are never counting under pressure.
Keep three minutes back. Read for subject-verb agreement, article use, plural endings and spelling, then check every paragraph after the first opens with a sentence that connects back to your position rather than starting an unrelated topic.
Spend two minutes planning: position, two supporting arguments with a concrete example each, and a counterpoint you concede. Write four or five paragraphs and leave three minutes to proofread for agreement and spelling.
Filling the word count with memorised scaffolding. Human reviewers score development and coherence, and generic structure with thin argument reads exactly as it is.
A four- or five-paragraph frame carries most argumentative prompts: an introduction that states your position outright; two body paragraphs, each opening with a clear topic sentence and developing one argument with a concrete example; a paragraph that concedes and answers a counterpoint; and a conclusion that restates your position without repeating it. Treat it as a skeleton to think inside, not a text to memorise — reviewers score development and coherence, so the argument you put in each paragraph is what earns the marks.
5-75 words
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