Unit 2. Competitions — Student’s Copy

Understand

About this text type

What is opinion writing?

An opinion paragraph states your personal view on a topic and supports it with reasons and examples. Your aim is to persuade the reader that your opinion is reasonable and well supported.

Purpose. to state your view clearly and convince the reader by giving reasons and examples.

Key features

Begin with a clear opinion statement — use I think / I believe / In my opinion.
Give 2–3 reasons to support your view. Each reason should have an example.
You may briefly mention the other side before restating your conclusion.
End with a concluding statement that restates your opinion in different words.

Remember — your paragraph has three parts

Topic sentence. State your opinion clearly. Do not write “In this paragraph I will…” — go straight to your view.
Body sentences. Give 2–3 reasons. Use First of all, / Secondly, / For example, / However
Concluding sentence. Restate your opinion in different words. Use In conclusion, / To sum up

Study

Grammar & vocabulary

Vocabulary bank

Word / phrase	Meaning	Example sentence
competition	an event where people try to win	She entered a national writing competition.
competitive	wanting very much to win	He has a very competitive personality.
achieve	to successfully reach a goal	Hard work helps you achieve your goals.
effort	the energy you use trying to do something	Competitions reward both effort and talent.
pressure	stress caused by high expectations	Some students feel too much pressure when they compete.
fair	treating everyone equally according to the rules	The judging process must be transparent and fair.
motivate	to encourage someone to try harder	Winning a prize motivates students to continue improving.
team spirit	a feeling of shared purpose when working together	Team competitions are excellent for building team spirit.

Grammar Opinion phrases + should / shouldn’t

Structure	Example
I think / I believe (that)…	I think competitions are very beneficial for young people.
In my opinion,…	In my opinion, all students should have a chance to compete.
should + verb	Schools should organise more competitions for all age groups.
shouldn’t + verb	Competitions shouldn’t create so much pressure that students feel anxious.

Useful linking words Notice the example sentences — they show you exactly how to use each word.

Linking word	When to use it	Example sentence
I think / I believe / In my opinion,	To state your opinion	I believe that competitions are good for young people.
First of all, / Secondly	To introduce and sequence your reasons	First of all, they motivate students to work harder.
For example, / For instance,	To support a reason with a concrete example	For example, students practise more when there is a prize.
In conclusion, / To sum up,	To restate your final opinion	In conclusion, competitions are positive when well organised.

Extra practice · Part A Choose the correct word or phrase from the box. There are six options but only four gaps — two are extra. Think about the meaning of each sentence before you choose.

For exampleHoweverSecondlyFirst of allIn conclusionIn my opinion

1Many students enjoy studying abroad because it helps them become more independent. , it can sometimes be expensive.

2, learning a foreign language improves communication skills.

3Some students join clubs after school. Sports teams, , help students develop teamwork skills.

4, extracurricular activities are beneficial for students’ personal development.

Part B · Write your own Rewrite each pair of sentences using the linker in brackets. Keep the meaning the same.

1Students should read books regularly. It improves their vocabulary. Also

2Some students feel anxious during competitions. They still benefit from the experience. However

Analyse

Sample paragraph

Read the paragraph, then use the panel beside it to see how it is built. Click any row to light up that sentence.

Competitions and Young People

I believe that competitions are very beneficial for young people because they help develop important life skills. First of all, competitions motivate students to work hard and improve themselves. When they know there is a goal to reach, they put in more effort and become more disciplined in their daily habits. Secondly, competitions teach young people how to deal with both success and failure, which is one of the most valuable lessons in life. For example, a student who loses a sports competition learns not to give up — instead, they try to understand what went wrong and train harder next time. However, I think competitions should always be fair and well organised so that all participants feel valued, not just the winners. In conclusion, competitions are a positive experience for young people as long as the focus remains on effort and personal growth, not only on winning.

Topic sentenceBody sentencesConcluding sentence

Discussion Talk to your partner.

What is the writer’s opinion? How do you know? Which words tell you?
How many reasons does the writer give? Are they supported with examples?
Do you agree with the writer’s opinion? Give your own reason.

Practise

Controlled exercises

Exercise 1 Choose the correct word or phrase to complete each sentence.

1? competitions are a great way to challenge yourself and grow.

2First of all, competitions help students to ?their skills.

3Schools ?organise fair competitions for all students.

4?, some students feel too nervous when they compete.

5?, competitions are very valuable when they are fair and well organised.

Exercise 2 The body of this paragraph is written for you. Add a topic sentence and a concluding sentence.

Competitions help young people learn discipline. For example, students practise regularly before a competition. Competitions can also build confidence. When students do well, they feel happy and want to improve more.

1Write the topic sentence that belongs above this body. your opinion

2Write the concluding sentence that belongs below this body. restate, don’t repeat

Write

Your own paragraph

Are competitions good for young people? Write a paragraph of at least 130 words.

One paragraph · three parts · minimum 130 words.

My plan Notes first — then write.

Topic sentence idea (your opinion)Reason 1 + exampleReason 2 + exampleConcluding sentence

Self-check Tick each box when you are sure.

Topic sentence. I introduced my main idea in my own words — I did not copy the question.
Linking words. I used at least three different linking words to connect my sentences.
Example. I included at least one example using For example, / For instance, / such as.
Concluding sentence. I ended with a sentence that summarises my main idea. I used In conclusion, / To sum up, / Overall,
Proofreading. I read my paragraph again and checked my spelling and punctuation.

0 of 5 checked.

My paragraph

0 / 130 words

Nothing is saved automatically. Copy or save your paragraph before you close this tab — only your own writing is saved, not the exercises.

Vocabulary review — Units 1 & 2

Covers both units

Part A · Matching Match each word (1–5) to its correct definition (A–E).

Word	Answer	Definition
1. pressure		A. the energy and hard work you put into doing something
2. effort		B. a feeling of stress caused by high demands or expectations
3. motivate		C. something you do regularly, often without thinking about it
4. fair		D. to encourage someone to work harder and do their best
5. habit		E. treating everyone equally and according to the rules

Part B · Gap fill Complete the sentences using the words below. Use each word once.

habitmotivatepressureeffortfair

1Teachers should be and treat all students equally.

2Doing homework every evening can become a good .

3Parents often try to their children to study harder.

4Students sometimes feel a lot of before an important exam.

5Learning a language requires time and .

Part C · Word formation Choose the correct form of the word to complete each sentence.

1The final match was incredibly ?.

2Winning the gold medal was her greatest ?.

3I felt very ?after swimming in the sea.

4Daily practice leads to great ?in your performance.

5The coach’s words ?the whole team to work harder.