Claim and stance

• take a stance, hold the view, it is widely believed that
• argue that, contend that, maintain that
  Template: I hold the view that city funds should prioritise public transport.

Cause and effect

• lead to, result in, give rise to, stem from
• contribute to, translate into, trigger a change
  Example 1, upgrade
  Weak: Technology causes problems.
  Better: Unchecked social media use can lead to distraction and reduce study time.

Problem and solution

• pose a risk, face a shortage, experience a decline
• address a challenge, tackle congestion, bridge a gap
• allocate resources, enforce regulations, introduce a tax, offer incentives
  Mini frame: X poses a risk to Y, so the city should enforce regulations and offer incentives to change behaviour.

Comparison and balance

• by contrast, in comparison, on balance, to a large extent
• weigh the costs against the benefits, strike a balance
  Tip: Use one contrast per sentence to avoid clutter.

Evaluation

• provide evidence, strong evidence, clear trend
• feasible solution, cost effective measure, long term benefit, short term cost
• unintended consequence, limited impact
  Rule of thumb: Pair evaluation with a noun, not a verb only, for example a feasible solution rather than just feasible.

Recommendation

• should prioritise, ought to invest in, is advised to, could pilot
• set a target, phase in a policy, scale up a programme
  Micro template: Government should prioritise bus lanes and phase in congestion pricing.

Evidence talk

• studies suggest, data indicate, surveys report, there is growing evidence
• according to recent findings, a body of research shows
  Caution: If you do not have numbers, use careful language such as suggest or indicate.

Topic buckets you can copy

Education

• raise standards, improve attainment, reduce the dropout rate, expand access
  Line: Scholarships expand access and reduce the dropout rate among rural students.

Environment

• curb emissions, enforce waste segregation, restore wetlands, protect habitats
  Line: Tree corridors mitigate heat and protect habitats along rivers.

Public health

• launch a campaign, increase uptake, improve access to primary care, reduce disparity
  Line: Clinics near markets improve access to primary care and reduce disparity.

Technology

• adopt open source tools, automate routine tasks, strengthen data privacy, reduce algorithmic bias
  Line: Clear rules strengthen data privacy while audits reduce algorithmic bias.

Paragraph starters that sound natural

• In practical terms, cities should...
• From a cost lens, the plan...
• By comparison, rural areas...
• On balance, the benefits outweigh the costs when...

Measurable drills

• Replace three weak verbs today: do, make, get.
  • do a survey → conduct a survey
  • make a law → pass a law
  • get results → obtain results
• Set a quota: use at least one collocation per body paragraph.
• Run a 10 minute edit: underline linkers, keep only one contrast per sentence, add one recommendation pair.

Mini case, Dhaka candidate

Arif’s essays were vague and repetitive. He built a 20 item collocation bank: curb emissions, bridge a gap, pose a risk, provide evidence, phase in a policy, and so on. In the next draft he changed “The city should do more” to “The city should enforce regulations on diesel buses and phase in cleaner fuel standards.” His teacher marked clearer claims and tighter support, and his coherence score rose in class rubrics.

Two full examples

Example 2, balanced opinion
Claim: Bike lanes are more effective than wider roads in dense areas.
Reason: Lanes reduce short car trips and improve safety.
Counterpoint: They can displace parking, but cities can pilot routes and phase in changes.
Close: On balance, protected lanes deliver long term benefits at lower cost.

Example 3, problem-solution
Problem: Peak hour traffic poses a risk to air quality.
Solution: Authorities should curb emissions by introducing a tax on the oldest vehicles and offering incentives for cleaner buses.
Result: These steps translate into fewer idling engines and improve public health.

Mistakes to avoid

• Over-formal pairs such as commence an initiative. Prefer launch a programme.
• Mixed metaphors, for example fight congestion and heal the economy in one line.
• Double linking, therefore, as a result. Keep one.
• Unnatural pairs, for example strong evidence is correct, heavy evidence is not.

Edge cases

• Some nouns prefer certain verbs: you draw a conclusion, not make in formal style.
• Countability traps: research is uncountable, write research shows, not researches.
• Register: exam essays prefer neutral tone. Avoid slang such as totally fix.

Mini glossary

• Collocation: words that often appear together, for example pose a risk.
• Hedge: a softener like to some extent to stay accurate.
• Stance: your position on the question.
• Concession: a brief admission of a valid counterpoint.
• Lens: a viewpoint for analysis, for example cost or equity.

Actionable closing
Build a 20 item bank today. Pick five from each of four buckets, education, environment, public health, technology. Write one sentence for each, then paste at least one collocation into every body paragraph you write this week. Before you submit, run the 10 minute edit and replace three weak verbs with precise pairs.