Comments on UE Set 1 Section B

3. More and more people are using the Internet as their primary means of social
interaction – chatting, playing online games, documenting their lives in a weblog, or
reading and commenting on other’s weblogs. Although users argue that the
Internet is a good way to make new friends, psychologists argue that heavy
Internet use can lead to isolation, and should not be seen as a substitute for real–
life social interaction.

Your teacher has asked you to write an essay discussing the advantages and
disadvantages of social interaction via the Internet. Write the essay, ending it by
giving your own opinion.

Possible mistakes by candidates (content):

Mistake Example Correction
not having a The advantages and Having Our Social Lives via the
clear/ disadvantages of using the
appropriate title Internet Internet – Good or Bad?
copy the More and more people are An increasing number of people
question from using the Internet as their
word to word primary means of social are having most of their social
interaction.
lives in the cyber world – the

Internet.
lack of You must have heard the phrase
explanation of
your writing “train man”. As related topics
purpose/ not
having an become more and more popular, I
interesting
introduction have done some research and

now I am glad to share with you

my findings on having social

interaction via the Internet….

not addressing We may meet bad people … we don’t know them well.
the audience easily because you don’t
appropriately know their real names.
not writing a For advantages of social While the Internet enables us to
plan of interaction via the Internet
development are the following, making make new friends and keep in
well new friends, keeping in touch
with old friends. For touch with our old classmates, the
disadvantages of …
virtual world also…
having too many [follow the sample essay in UE
or too few
paragraphs/ Writing Notes P.3-4]
arguments
not thinking of We may meet bad people …don’t know them well.
an idea carefully easily because you don’t
know their real names.
having off-topic Downloading movies/

Victor Chow – Comments on UE Set 1 Section B P. 1 of 2

ideas Pornography is one of the
serious problems…
having weak/ This may affect students’
irrelevant writing skills as they always
arguments use spoken language
We may have short-
sightedness if we use the
computer all the time…
unbalanced
discussion of the
advantages and
disadvantages

Victor Chow – Comments on UE Set 1 Section B P. 2 of 2