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To enter our IELTS Writing competition, all you have to do is read and complete the essay below which was written in response to this Task 2 question:

Very few people who commit crime want to. They do it because they feel they have no choice. This is the reality of the situation, and it means that police and prisons are not relevant to reducing crime.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

You will see that most of the linking words and phrases from the candidate’s essay have been removed.

Complete the essay by putting the following linkers in the correct places (1-10). There are two extra ones that you don’t need.

due to     in my view     on the one hand     for example     however     because of     having said that     it is true     such as     in conclusion     therefore     I believe

In my country, crime is high on the political agenda because people believe that the current laws are too lenient and that much tougher penalties are needed to make it a safer place to live in. 1. __________, before discussing the issue of handing out stricter punishments, we have to look at the primary causes of crime and take into consideration the reasons why people commit such acts.

2. __________ that some do it because it is an easy option or because they are lead astray by others, but there are some who are maybe forced into a life of crime 3. __________ their social and economic conditions. It is easily proven that crime rates are higher in deprived areas, where drug abuse and high unemployment go hand-in-hand to create a criminal underworld. 4. __________ before governments implement new legislation to combat crime, they should invest more money into these areas to tackle the social problems that lead to illegal activity 5. __________ theft, drug trafficking and even murder.

At the same time, 6. __________ that police and prisons are essential institutions in creating a safer society, because they serve as a strong deterrent to potential criminals. However, they are only effective if the laws are properly enforced and if the punishments fit the crimes committed. 7. ___________, if a person steals out of desperation in order to feed their family, a prison sentence is clearly not the solution.

8. __________, police and prisons do play a key role in our society, but 9. __________ much more needs to be done to prevent crime rather than focusing on increasing punishments. 10. ___________, harsh sentences do need to be issued to reoffenders and violent criminals in order to send out a clear message that crime doesn’t pay.


Send your answers (1-10) to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) before 30 April

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Congratulations to Rui Duarte Armindo who answered all 10 questions correctly:

1- However;
2- It is true;
3- because of;
4- Therefore;
5- such as;
6- I believe;
7- For example;
8- In conclusion;
9- in my view;
10- Having said that.

*Note that answers to questions 1 and 10 are interchangeable and answers to questions 2 and 6 are also interchangeable
**Note also that the answer to question 3 could be ‘due to’ or ‘because of’

By Jenny Bedwell on 2016 05 03

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