Essay Practice 3: Technology in education
Essay Practice 3 of a set220-260 words. Semi-formal discursive essay.
Four paragraphs: introduction → body on bullet A → body on bullet B → conclusion with a clear verdict. Two bullets developed in depth. Your opinion lives in how you evaluate each bullet (concession, comparison, qualifier) and is stated cleanly at the end. The structure card below has the word counts.
In your English class you have been discussing the role of technology in modern education. Now your teacher has asked you to write an essay on this topic.
Write an essay discussing TWO of the tools below. Explain which one you think has had the most positive effect on students, giving reasons in support of your answer.
Some opinions expressed in the discussion:
Write your essay in 220-260 words in an appropriate style.
This is the structure Cambridge expects. Four paragraphs, two bullets developed in depth, opinion delivered through evaluation and verdict — not through a fourth invented idea.
Paraphrase the topic + name the two bullets you'll discuss + hint at your verdict.
Topic sentence + advantages + concession (limits/qualifier) + example. Develop in depth.
Topic sentence + evaluation + explicit comparison with Body 1 + your evaluative angle.
Clear verdict — which of the two bullets matters more, and why. No new arguments.
Which two of the three given bullets will you discuss? (The model below uses online courses and educational apps.)
What OTHER aspect of modern education matters most, that isn't in the three bullets? Some examples (but come up with your own):
From memory — no notes, no dictionary — brainstorm arguments for the two bullets you picked AND your own third factor.
Read carefully. Notice how the writer (1) discusses two of the three bullets, (2) adds a fresh point of their own, and (3) delivers a clear verdict. Highlighted phrases are the advanced structures examiners reward.
Total: 250 words ✓ (within 220-260)
Superlative opener (intro): "Few areas of modern life have been transformed by technology as dramatically as education" — strong, evaluative first sentence instead of the bland "Technology has changed education..."
Emphatic opener (Body 1): "It is clear that..." — asserts a shared starting point before the qualifier lands
Embedded relative clause: "audiences who, only a generation ago, would have been shut out..." — shows range by packing historical context inside a relative clause
Specific-over-vague evidence (Body 1): "delivered from Cambridge or Stanford" — named institutions beat generic "famous universities"
Colon-led topic sentence (Body 2): "succeed precisely where traditional study falters: engagement" — the colon pivots elegantly to the key word
Concessive linker (Body 2): "That said,..." — flips from benefit to limitation in one phrase
Own-point signal (Body 3): "A further factor worth adding is..." — the examiner IMMEDIATELY recognises independent thinking
Tricolon (Body 3): "read confusion on a face, reframe an explanation on the spot, or inspire a reluctant student" — three parallel actions = rhetorical weight
Specific example (Body 3): "Schools in Finland, consistently world-leading" — real evidence lifts the paragraph
Conditional inversion (Conclusion): "Were schools to invest..." — instead of "If schools invested..."
Cleft-pattern (Conclusion): "it is the trained teacher who remains the decisive influence" — puts emphasis exactly where you want it.
Discuss TWO of: online courses / educational apps / traditional textbooks. Add your own point. Explain which has had the most positive effect.
Few areas of modern life have been transformed by technology as dramatically as education. With countless tools now competing for students' attention, the question of which innovations deserve priority has become pressing. This essay will examine online courses and educational apps before adding a further consideration of my own.
49 words
Evaluate it — show the benefit AND an honest limit. Band 5 essays reward balance, not cheerleading.
It is clear that online courses have opened learning to audiences who, only a generation ago, would have been shut out by geography or cost. A learner in a remote village can now follow a university lecture delivered from Cambridge or Stanford. However, without self-discipline, completion rates remain stubbornly low, and isolation often undermines genuine understanding.
56 words
Less scaffolding — you lead. Your job: contrast this bullet with Body 1, and hint at which is more effective.
Educational apps, by contrast, succeed precisely where traditional study falters: engagement. Short, gamified exercises turn vocabulary drills or maths practice into something students willingly return to. That said, many apps prioritise entertainment over depth, producing learners who can answer quick-fire questions but struggle to sustain a long argument or write extended analytical prose.
53 words
This paragraph is not required by Cambridge. Most candidates score better by developing the two bullets in depth and skipping this tab. Add a fourth body paragraph only if you (1) write naturally short and need help reaching 220 words, or (2) are confidently aiming for Band 5 and have spare word-count budget. If you add it, keep it to 45-55 words so the two main bullets still get full treatment.
This is the paragraph that lifts the essay to top-band territory. You add a factor NOT in the three bullets — showing independent thinking. Keep it slightly shorter (45-55 words).
Any genuine educational factor that isn't "online courses", "educational apps" or "traditional textbooks". Strong options include: the role of the skilled teacher, peer collaboration, hands-on practical work, mentoring, real-world internships, libraries and physical study space, or parental involvement.
A further factor worth adding is the irreplaceable role of the skilled teacher. No algorithm yet matches a human who can read confusion on a face, reframe an explanation on the spot, or inspire a reluctant student. Schools in Finland, consistently world-leading, have built their success around exactly this human expertise.
51 words
Short and decisive. Name the winner — and weave in your own point from Body 3. No new arguments.
In conclusion, although online courses and apps have undeniably expanded access and motivation, it is the trained teacher who remains the decisive influence. Were schools to invest as heavily in staff development as in software, outcomes would improve far more reliably.
41 words
Read it as one piece. Do the five sections flow? Is your own point distinct from the two given bullets? Is the verdict clear?