Source: www.rubenvalero.com
Writing Part 2 Article 2
You have seen the following notice in an international magazine:
Describe your ideal friend
What qualities do you look for in a friend and which are the most important?
The best article will be published in our magazine next month.
Write your article in 140-190 words in an appropriate style.
ARTICLE PLAN
I ‘brainstormed’ the subject of friends for 2 minutes, then I made a plan. Brainstorming is a great solution when you are writing articles.
In this case, it was easy. I just thought about my best friend and all his positive characteristics!
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TITLE |
A real friend |
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Introduction |
My best friend for 30 years. Why? |
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Important qualities |
Honest, generous, fun, easy-going, reliable, similar interests and views about life. |
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Essential qualities |
Kindness, sense of humour, intelligence, tolerance |
Conclusion: A great friend needs a good balance of these qualities. There are some qualities that are necessary.
SAMPLE ANSWER FOR ARTICLE 2
Friends forever
Friends come and go, and sometimes we even lose touch with people. I’ve been living abroad for most of my life, but still keep in touch with my best friend in England. Have you ever wondered what makes a friend special?
Important qualities in a friend
We need friends for different occasions and circumstances. If we’re having fun, we look for amusing company. A sense of humour, a joke and a funny comment make life easier. How many friends have you met doing activities in a club or having a drink in the pub?
Essential qualities in a friend
But life is not all fun and games. If we’re feeling down, we seek a sympathetic, kind person who is good at listening. In hard times, we all need a kind, reliable friend. A friendly face, and an intelligent conversation is, in my opinion, essential. I also share musical taste with my friends (we even sing after a few beers on Friday evening!).
The right balance
Fortunately, I’ve had the same friends for a long time with the qualities I mentioned before. This balance of kindness and understanding has helped me at many stages of my life. Never lose your sense of humour.
NOTES AND IDEAS
The instructions for this question are clear…DESCRIBE SOMEONE! So why don’t you use some nice adjectives and win points?
I would get extra points for showing my ability to use adjectives and nouns: Kind/kindness, honest/honesty, understanding, sympathetic, reliable, etc…
It’s very easy to think of arguments when the subject is familiar to you. I just described my best friend. Easy!
I brainstormed his characteristics to think of some nice adjectives.
My introduction tries to get the reader’s attention.
I used ‘rhetorical questions’ (it’s a kind of open question which makes the reader think).
I used a style of writing to bring me close to the reader in a familiar way.
Technical stuff
I wrote 4 paragraphs. Total number of words in the article (not including headings): 188
I gave each paragraph an underlined heading:
Friends forever
Important qualities in a friend
Essential qualities in a friend