In the minds of ESL exam candidates, e ssay writing is one of the most daunting tasks they are required to complete, regardless of the level of the exam, the administering body or the ease with which they themselves use the language. The same applies to students who are asked to write an essay by their teachers at school. In the previous sample essays posted on the blog, the main point I stress is the need to become acquainted with this form of writing (as opposed to writing a letter, review or report, for instance), to get a feel of what authorial voice is and how to organize and progressively express the arguments you wish to make in a coherent manner. Unfortunately, the best way to prepare for exam writing or learn how to write good essays for school is to read as many essays from as many sources as possible, then write as
The topic of this essay is to give your opinion about the statement "failure is proof that the desire wasn't strong enough." If you are not taking an exam but need to discuss this topic, then read on and note down what you deem useful. If you intend to use this essay as part of an assignment, remember to paraphrase so as not to plagiarize.
The topic is similar to what candidates expect in any other C2-level examination in that examiners want to see a well-organized, coherent and cohesive discussion of the issue with arguments and examples written in approximately half an hour.
For those who'd like to read more sample essays and useful essay-writing posts, click on the image below.
“Failure is proof that the desire wasn’t strong enough.” To what
extent do you agree with this statement? Give reasons for your answer.
In the annals of
history there are many who have tried and failed. At times this failure has
been attributed to a lack of personal motivation, that burning desire to reach
one’s goal. However, beside this runs the contrasting view that other
circumstances are to blame.
Those who profess the
former of these two opinions, validate their ideas with innumerable examples of
students, for instance, who fail exams or even an entire academic year because
of laziness or lack of interest in specific subjects. This shows that they
never wanted to work hard in order to pass their exams or school year.
Secondly, many are those who believe in the age-old advice that an individual
is capable of achieving anything so long as he wants it badly enough. These are
reasons enough to prove that if you do not want to succeed, you will indeed not
succeed.
On the other hand,
failure is not entirely based on lack of self-motivation. Luck has always
played an important part in practically everything. Someone may, for example, have prepared
a superb presentation for the board of directors, but on the day of the
presentation have had the misfortune of misplacing their note-cards or flash drive, or of
someone stealing their briefcase, or even still of having their transparencies
chewed to bits by their dog. Organizing a wedding reception outside could lead
to disaster as well if the weather turns awry. In these cases, it is not that
the individual did not wish to do well, but that fate conspired to see things
turn out otherwise.
All in all, the
success of any undertaking depends, in my view, on both personal motivation as well as
chance. Few are those who are satisfied with the knowledge of failing able to give
the saying “failure is proof that the desire wasn’t strong enough” substance.
Looking for useful vocabulary for the Speaking and Writing sections of ESL exams? Click on the image below.
For tips on essay writing, you might want to take a look at the following post
