Unit 7: Citizenship

Vocabulary Gateway 2 Unit 7

According to Wikipedia:

Citizenship is the status of a person recognized under the custom or law as being a member of a country. A person may have multiple citizenships and a person who does not have citizenship of any state is said to be stateless.

NB: these are possible answers, others may fit as well.

Rights

• to have a job
• to be respected
• have access to leisure activities
• to have a say in what happens
• to be free to tell your opinion
• to have access to healthcare
• to be safe
• to have access to education
• to be free to move

Responsibilities / Duties

• to tell the truth
• do your personal best
• respect others
• to be concerned for the common good
• to respect the flag of your country
• to participate in community activities
• to believe in human dignity and equality
• respect the rules and laws
• to respect the environment
• to pay taxes

Can be both

• earn your livelihood
• to have somewhere to ‎live
• to volunteer in your ‎community service
• to vote ‎

Functions: Expressing Regret 

A regret can be about something in the present or in past.

If it is in present then we use the rule of present wish or conditional 2

If it is in past then we use the rule of past wish or conditional 3.

Examples:

1 ) Present Regret 

 2 ) Past Regret 

Grammar: Reported Speech

To see this lesson click on REPORTED SPEECH.

Exercises are here: REPORTED SPEECH EXERCISES

Writing: Argumentative / Opinion Essay

An Argumentative / opinion essay is an essay in which you agree or disagree with an issue. It is in this kind of essay where you are whether for or against an idea or matter. You need to convince the reader that your idea is right. Of course, this is done by providing reasons to support our opinion. It is one of the most common essays in TOEFL, IELTS, and TOEIC tests.

The outline would be like that:

I. Introduction
Explanation of the issue

II. Body

Paragraph one:
A. Your first argument.
B. Your second argument.
C. Your Third argument.

Paragraph two
D. First opposite argument.
E. Second opposite argument.
F. Third opposite argument.

III. Conclusion
State a summary of your point of view.

Usually, the questions are like that: What is your opinion / give your opinion / what do you think of / do you think that …..?

• Introduction (explanation of the issue)
  Nowadays the issue of …………(name the subject matter you want to discuss)…………………….. is a serious matter, because (give a general reason, don’t rush into details now)……………………………... Yet, a lot of people don’t think so. The reason for this is …………………………………….(give a general reason, don’t rush into details now).
• Body

1. Paragraph 1 (your arguments)

There are several reasons behind the importance of ……………………(name the subject)……..To begin with, ……………….(The 1st reason)…………………………………………. secondly, ….…….(The 2nd reason)………………………... Also, ………………….(the 3rd reason)…………(note here, you can use as much as you can of reasons).

2. Paragraph 2 (the opposite arguments)

On the other hand, there are people who don’t stand on the same ground on this matter. They think so because of different arguments. First of all, ……………….(The 1st reason)………………….. Moreover, ……………….(The 2nd reason)…………………………………. In addition to this, ……………….(The 3rd reason)………………………… (note here, you can use as much as you can of reasons too).

• Conclusion (Stating your point of view)

To sum up / in my opinion / as I see it / I think / I believe that the issue of……………………. is of paramount importance because of (state some of the reasons you provided before in another way).

Example of an Argumentative Essay

The Prompt:

Parents are the best teachers for their kids. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?

In my opinion, parents are definitely the best teachers for their children. While it is important to recognize that there are other sources of knowledge and guidance that can contribute to a child’s development and education, I believe that parents play a uniquely important role in their children’s lives.

One reason why I believe that parents are the best teachers is because they have a deep understanding of their children’s needs and abilities. They are with their children on a daily basis and have a close personal relationship with them. Another reason is that parents have a strong emotional connection with their children. When children feel loved and supported by their parents, they are more likely to be confident and motivated to learn and explore new things.

Although parents may play a crucial role in their children’s education, there are other sources of knowledge and guidance that can also be important. Teachers, mentors, and other role models can all provide valuable insights and experiences that can help children learn and grow. Additionally, children learn from their own experiences and observations, and they can often teach themselves new things through exploration and experimentation.

To sum up, while there are other sources of knowledge and guidance that can be valuable for children, I believe that parents are the best teachers because they have a unique understanding of their children’s needs and abilities, and they have a strong emotional connection with them. By providing children with a supportive and nurturing environment, parents can help their children develop their full potential and become confident and successful learners.