Lesson 8 · Lesson guide
Writing: Introducing Yourself
Hello, my dear student!
Hello, my dear student!
In this module you learned to talk about yourself, your family and your hometown. Today you will write about yourself: one short paragraph with your name, your city, your studies, your free time and your plans.
A good paragraph is simple. First a topic sentence, then a few details, then a closing sentence. Every sentence starts with a capital letter, has a subject and a verb, and ends with a full stop.
This is the base of every IELTS Writing answer, so we start building it today. Write slowly, check every sentence, and you will be surprised how good your English looks on paper.
See you in the exercises,Your teacher
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A paragraph in three steps
Step 1
The topic sentence
The first sentence says what the paragraph is about. In a paragraph about you, it says who you are.
- My name is Aziz, and I am a 17-year-old student from Samarkand.(Mening ismim Aziz, men Samarqandlik 17 yoshli oʻquvchiman.)
Step 2
The details
Then write four to six details: your family, your studies or job, your free time and your plans. Write one idea in each sentence.
- I live with my parents and my little sister.(Men ota-onam va singlim bilan yashayman.)
- In my free time, I play football with my friends.(Boʻsh vaqtimda doʻstlarim bilan futbol oʻynayman.)
Step 3
The closing sentence
The last sentence finishes the paragraph. It can say the main idea again in new words, or give a feeling or a plan.
- I am a busy student, but I am very happy with my life.(Men band oʻquvchiman, lekin hayotimdan juda mamnunman.)
IELTS
Why it matters
In IELTS Writing Task 2, every paragraph has the same shape: a topic sentence first, then details. Today’s short paragraph is your first step.
Remember!
Topic sentence → details → closing sentence. Write it as one block: no list and no new line for each sentence.
Sentence basics
Capitals
Big letters
Start every sentence with a capital letter. I, names, cities, countries, languages, days and months always have capitals. Seasons and school subjects do not: summer, maths, history. English has a capital because it is a language.
- I speak Uzbek, Russian and English.(Men oʻzbek, rus va ingliz tillarida gapiraman.)
- We have maths on Monday.(Dushanba kuni bizda matematika bor.)
Subject + verb
No sentence without a subject
In Uzbek you can leave out the subject. In English every sentence needs a subject (I, it, my city…) and a verb (am, is, live, like…).
- It is a very beautiful city.(Bu juda chiroyli shahar.)
- My brother works in a bank.(Akam bankda ishlaydi.)
Tense
Present simple for facts about you
Use the present simple for facts and habits: I live, I study, she works. With he, she and it, add -s or -es.
- My mother teaches maths.(Onam matematikadan dars beradi.)
Full forms
Write I am, not I’m
In IELTS writing, use full forms: I am, it is, do not. Short forms like I’m and don’t are for speaking and messages.
- I am 18 years old.(Men 18 yoshdaman.)
Remember!
Capital letter + subject + verb + full stop. One idea in each sentence.
Linking words and sentence starters
Tap to hear. Look at the commas: before but and so, and after In my free time, At the moment and In the future.
I have a brother and a sister.
(Mening akam va opam bor.)
and: one more idea
My city is small, but it is very beautiful.
(Shahrim kichik, lekin juda chiroyli.)
but: a different idea
I study English because I want to study abroad.
(Men ingliz tilini oʻrganaman, chunki chet elda oʻqishni xohlayman.)
because: the reason
I love animals, so I want to be a vet.
(Men hayvonlarni yaxshi koʻraman, shuning uchun veterinar boʻlishni xohlayman.)
so: the result
I also play the piano.
(Men pianino ham chalaman.)
also: before the main verb
I am also a member of a chess club.
(Men shaxmat klubiga ham aʼzoman.)
also: after am, is, are
My sister plays the piano too.
(Singlim ham pianino chaladi.)
too: at the end
In my free time, I read books.
(Boʻsh vaqtimda kitob oʻqiyman.)
a starter + a comma
At the moment, I am in my last year at school.
(Hozir maktabning oxirgi sinfida oʻqiyman.)
now
In the future, I want to be an engineer.
(Kelajakda muhandis boʻlishni xohlayman.)
plans
Remember!
Never join two full sentences with only a comma. Use a full stop or a linking word.
Ms Green checks a paragraph
Lola shows her paragraph to her teacher. Listen to what Ms Green checks.
- Ms Green
Lola, your paragraph is a good start!
- Lola
Thank you! Are there any mistakes?
- Ms Green
Two small ones. In your second sentence, I and Samarkand need capital letters.
- Lola
Oh yes. A capital I, and a capital S for the city.
- Ms Green
And here you wrote “Is very old.” What is missing?
- Lola
The subject! It is very old.
- Ms Green
Perfect. Now add a closing sentence.
- Lola
OK. I love my life in Samarkand.
Ms Green checks three things: capital letters, a subject in every sentence and a closing sentence. Check your own paragraph in the same way.
Mistakes I see in every first paragraph
Not: i live in tashkent.Say: I live in Tashkent.
I and city names always start with a capital letter.
Not: Tashkent is my city. Is very big.Say: Tashkent is my city. It is very big.
Every English sentence needs a subject. Here the subject is it.
Not: I have 18 years.Say: I am 18 years old.(Men 18 yoshdaman.)
Age uses be: I am … years old.
Not: My father work in a hospital.Say: My father works in a hospital.
He, she, it in the present simple: add -s.
Not: I like football, I play it every day.Say: I like football, and I play it every day.
Two full sentences need a full stop or a linking word, not only a comma.
Not: I like also music.Say: I also like music.
Also goes before the main verb.
Not: I want to be a doctor. Because I like biology.Say: I want to be a doctor because I like biology.
“Because I like biology.” is not a full sentence alone. Join it to the main idea.
Check yourself
What are the three parts of a paragraph?
Correct it: “Is a very old city.”
Which linking word gives a reason: so or because?
Which is right: “I like also music” or “I also like music”?
Now it’s your turn!
6 short parts, each a little harder than the one before. Take your time: mistakes are how we learn.
— Your teacher