IELTS Writing : Fame

Due to television and the internet it is easier today for a large number of people to become famous.

Is this a positive or negative development?

Analysis

1. It is easier than ever today for people to become famous because of increased channels for distribution such as television and the internet. 2. This is clearly a positive trend as it opens up the entertainment industry to greater diversity.

1. Paraphrase the overall topic for the essay.
2. State your opinion clearly – don’t sit in the middle. You must choose a side.

1. Those that decry this trend typically point to talentless celebrities. 2. In the past, a comedian or musician might work for years honing their craft in order to get a slot on one of the few talkshows and then become famous overnight. 3. Nowadays, many celebrities start on reality TV or a YouTube channel and do not have any discernible talents. 4. The socialite Paris Hilton was one of the first to take advantage of her wealth and personality to build a brand without any real product. 5. Kim Kardashian is a more recent example of an individual who through dating celebrities and canny use of social media and television was able to become a celebrity in her own right.

1. Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
2. Begin to develop your main idea. A good way to start is by comparing with the past.
3. Contrast the past with the present and explain a specific difference.
4. Give a clear example.
5. You can develop the same example or add another like I did here.

1. Despite the aforementioned cases, this is on a whole a positive trend because of the more diverse range of famous people today. 2. Fame used to be the prerogative of white men and women, with the occasional exception from an ethnic group. 3. One of the reasons for this is that whites typically come from more privileged backgrounds and have greater opportunity, thereby making up a disproportionate share of success stories. 4. The internet in particular has levelled the playing field to an extent. 5. Anyone with a smartphone today has the ability to broadcast their talents and cultivate a loyal fanbase, regardless of gender or ethnicity and without the barriers that existed in the past such as ingrained reluctance from authority figures to give certain ethnicities an honest chance.

1. Include another topic sentence with a new main idea.
2. Begin to develop your new main idea.
3. You can support your main idea with a logical arguments. Make sure that your ideas connect and flow naturally.
4. Vary your use of long and short sentences.
5. Draw out the conclusions/results of your argument to make your paragraph really strong.

1. In conclusion, there are clear cultural drawbacks to the ease with which many achieve fame but today it is nonetheless more inclusive. 2. A greater concern should be the age at which people become famous as it can have developmental side effects.

1. Repeat your opinion.
2. Add in an extra detail or final thought for full points from the examiner.