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A Writing Task 2 essay lives or dies on its sentences. Not the big words — examiners see through those — but the frames that carry position, contrast and consequence from line to line. Candidates who memorise vocabulary lists write stranded sentences; candidates who drill starters write essays that hold together under the examiner’s first skim.

This card collects the highest-value sentence starters for Task 2 — introductions, body paragraphs, refutation, examples and conclusions — and pairs each with the job it does. It joins the speaking-pattern strand of this series: the advanced speaking patterns are in the advanced speaking patterns in Part 3, and the opinion and comparison frames that also lift writing scores are in the opinion and comparison patterns of Part 4.

What Starters Actually Do

The functions first — a starter is a tool with a job, not a decoration.

1. They signal structure. Coherence—the first marker examiners apply—is judged largely on whether paragraphs announce their turn: however, in addition, to conclude do that announcing.
2. They buy correctness. A memorised frame carries grammar already correct; the candidate supplies only the content — points banked before the sentence even finishes.
3. They control the clock. Forty minutes for 250 words leaves no time to invent joinery — starters pre-fabricate it.
4. They prevent loop-writing. Repetition of the same opener in adjacent sentences is the most visible fluency fault at band 6 — a varied frame bank removes it.
5. The warning. Starters are scaffolding, not substance — an essay of pure connectives with thin ideas scores lower than simple writing with real content; frames deliver ideas, never replace them.

Introduction Starters

Four moves, four frames — position the topic, no padding.

1. The hook frame. It is often said that…; in recent years, … has become one of the most debated issues in… — one sentence to lift the topic from the prompt.
2. The paraphrase frame. Many people believe that X, while others contend that Y — the prompt’s two sides restated in the candidate’s own grammar, which the descriptors name directly.
3. The position frame. While I accept both views have merit, I firmly believe that… — the writer’s line stated early; examiners reward decisiveness over fence-sitting.
4. The roadmap frame. This essay will discuss both perspectives before arguing that… — mechanical but effective at band 6-6.5; drop it at band 7+ where implicit threading reads better.
5. The length rule. Two or three sentences for the introduction — a fourth sentence is almost always padding that dilutes Task Response.

Opinion and Position Starters

Where the essay’s voice enters — these frames carry the thesis and every topic sentence.

1. The arguer. I would argue that…; it seems clear that…; I am convinced that… — position with commitment, the spine of an opinion essay.
2. The conceder. Admittedly, …; it is true that…; there is some validity to the claim that… — concession that sets up a counter-turn; examiners circle these as balanced argument.
3. The emphatic. There is no doubt that…; it cannot be denied that… — strong claims, each requiring one sentence of support immediately after.
4. The personal-scope. From my perspective as a student, …; in my country at least, … — scope that keeps big claims honest and adds a personal register examiners enjoy.
5. The calibration rule. Strong frames with weak support crash Task Response — match the force of the opener to the evidence available in the next two sentences.

Body Paragraph Openers

Topic sentences decide the paragraph’s band before the reader arrives at the evidence.

1. The topic+reason frame. The main reason for this is that…; this is largely because… — claim and cause in one sentence, the shape band 7 paragraphs open with.
2. The first/second ladder. Firstly…; secondly…; finally… — the plain ladder; safe at 6.0, thin at 7.0 unless the content under each rung is specific.
3. The more sophisticated ladder. The primary factor is…; a further consideration is…; beyond this, … — same sequence, upgraded register; one drill slot each.
4. The two-sided opener. On the one hand…; on the other hand… — reserved for discussion essays; using it in an opinion essay signals the wrong essay type.
5. The example-led opener. Consider the case of…; a case in point is… — paragraph starting with evidence and returning to the claim; rare, and memorable when done cleanly.

Contrast and Concession Starters

The machinery of a balanced argument — the highest-value grammar in Task 2.

1. However and nevertheless. However, this view ignores…; nevertheless, the costs remain high — full-sentence contrast; the comma after however is the detail that separates careful writers.
2. Although and while. Although technology connects people, it can also isolate them — subordinators that build the complex sentences the band 7 descriptor requires.
3. Despite and in spite of. Despite the convenience, … — preposition plus gerund or noun; the single most tested concession structure in the test.
4. Even so and that said. The evidence is mixed; even so, the trend is clear — spoken-register turns that keep an argument nimble between paragraphs.
5. The despite-of trap. Despite of does not exist — the error appears in thousands of scripts every year and is always marked; drill the correct pair until the wrong one feels foreign.

Cause and Result Starters

Consequence chains are the heart of Task 2 body paragraphs.

1. The causals. This is because…; owing to…; as a result of… — three registers of cause; variety among them is free coherence credit.
2. The resultive. As a result, …; consequently, …; this has led to… — effect frames that follow a cause sentence without missing a beat.
3. The conditional. If this trend continues, …; were the government to intervene, … — consequence with hypothesis; the inverted were-structure is compact band-7 grammar.
4. The purpose frame. In order to address this, …; so as to reduce… — policy-flavoured purpose, ideal for problem-solution essays.
5. The chain drill. One cause sentence, one result sentence, one conditional — three frames stitched in under a minute of practice each, reusable in any topic.

Example Starters

Examples carry Task Response — these frames introduce them without cliché.

1. The standard. For example, …; for instance, … — correct, universal, invisible; fine as the frame, weak as the only frame.
2. The specific. Take my own country, where…; a clear case is the way… — example with built-in specificity, which the descriptors reward over generic illustration.
3. The research frame. Studies have repeatedly shown that… — use only when the claim genuinely admits such support; fabricated precision reads worse than honest anecdote.
4. The experience frame. In my own experience, … — one personal example per essay is a strength; three is a memoir.
5. The example rule. One well-developed example beats two listed ones — develop means two sentences: what happened, and why it proves the point.

Refutation Starters

Discussion essays need the counter-view handled — these frames do it without rudeness.

1. The polite dismissal. While this argument has some force, it overlooks… — concession then pivot, the complete refutation in one frame.
2. The reframe. This view, however, confuses correlation with cause — naming the flaw directly; precision here reads as authority.
3. The limits frame. This may be true in some contexts, but as a general rule… — scoping the counterclaim down until it stops threatening the thesis.
4. The weight frame. Even if this were the case, the benefits would still outweigh… — the hypothetical concession, conceding everything and losing nothing.
5. The placement rule. Refutation paragraph goes fourth in a five-paragraph opinion essay — after two supporting paragraphs and before the conclusion.

Conclusion Starters

The examiner’s last read before the band is decided — land it cleanly.

1. The standard. In conclusion, …; to conclude, … — unavoidable and fine; variation is available but never required.
2. Weighed. Weighing both sides, it is evident that… — conclusion that mirrors a discussion essay’s structure back at the reader.
3. The restatement frame. Overall, my position remains that… — thesis restated with one phrase of development, not verbatim repetition which reads as memory not thought.
4. The recommendation. Were authorities to act on this, the outcome would likely improve — conclusions in problem-solution essays want a forward edge; the frame provides it.
5. The no-new-idea rule. A conclusion introduces nothing — one new argument here costs coherence marks no matter how good the idea is.

How the Essay Types Use Them

Match frame bank to essay type — the test only asks four things.

1. Opinion (agree/disagree). Position starters dominate: the arguer in the introduction, two body paragraphs of topic+reason frames, refutation fourth, restatement conclusion.
2. Discussion (both views). The two-sided opener owns body one and body two; the weighed conclusion arbitrates; position starters appear only in the introduction and conclusion.
3. Advantages and disadvantages. Contrast starters carry both paragraphs; the graded-adverb habit — far outweighs, marginally exceeds — from the comparison bank sharpens the verdict.
4. Problem-solution. Cause and result starters build the problem paragraph; purpose and conditional frames build the solution; the recommendation closes.
5. The transfer rule. Most starters transfer across types — learn the frames by function, then assemble per essay type in the plan minute before writing.

Common Mistakes With Starters

Six ways candidates undo their own frames.

1. The memorised essay. Pre-written paragraphs pasted around any topic — examiners detect them in one read and cap both Task Response and coherence.
2. Comma splices. However, this view ignores… attached with a comma to the previous sentence — the classic mechanical error; however starts a new sentence with a full stop behind it.
3. Override stacking. On the other hand followed by however in the same sentence and the argument contradicts itself twice in ten words.
4. Misplaced internals. Finally in a second paragraph, in addition leading a conclusion — sequencing starters have homes; stray ones confuse the map.
5. Formality mismatch. A lot of and stuff like that in an academic essay — spoken register drops Lexical Resource a full band.
6. Frame without freight. There is no doubt that X — followed by no support — strong opener, empty wagon; every frame names a debt the next sentences must pay.

Quick Revision: One-Glance Starters

The whole bank in one card.

1. Introductions. It is often said that; many people believe X while others contend Y; while I accept both views, I firmly believe.
2. Position. I would argue; admittedly; it cannot be denied; from my perspective as a student.
3. Body openers. The main reason for this is; a further consideration is; on the one hand; consider the case of.
4. Contrast. However,; although; despite the convenience; even so — and never despite of.
5. Cause and result. This is because; as a result; if this trend continues; in order to address this.
6. Examples. For instance; take my own country where; in my own experience — one developed example per essay.
7. Refutation. While this argument has some force, it overlooks; even if this were the case.
8. Conclusions. In conclusion; weighing both sides; overall my position remains that.

Conclusion: Frames to Fluency

A Writing Task 2 essay is an argument assembled under time pressure, and starters are the joinery holding the assembly together. Drill the frames by function — hook, position, contrast, cause, example, refutation, conclusion — until each arrives without translation, then spend the saved seconds on the ideas inside them. The examiners’ descriptors are explicit about what they want: position stated and maintained, sequenced coherence, and grammatical range that survives the clock. Starters deliver all three by pre-fabricating the grammar and letting the candidate supply the thought. Learn the bank, plan the minute, write the essay — the frames will carry it.

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