Unit 6 Review

Welcome to Unit 6 Review.

Over the past few units, you have built up a confident B2 toolkit in three core areas: modal probability, relative clauses, and the language of discussion. This review pulls those threads together so you can see how they work in combination, both in conversation and on the page.

Modal probability: certainty on a sliding scale

English uses modal verbs to show how sure a speaker feels about a fact. At one end, must and can't express almost total certainty; at the other, may, might and could show real doubt. The same verbs work for the present and the past, but the past form needs a perfect infinitive.

Must have and can't have are particularly common in news reports, detective stories and any situation where you are drawing a logical conclusion about what probably happened. In a discussion, you can also use must to back up a strong claim — "The data must have been sold to advertisers" — and your listener immediately knows that you are certain.

Relative clauses: who, which, where, whose, that

Relative clauses give extra information about a noun. Defining clauses (no commas) identify the noun; non-defining clauses (with commas) add a side comment that is not essential to the meaning.

• The scientist who discovered penicillin was Scottish. (defining — tells us which scientist)
• Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin, was Scottish. (non-defining — extra fact about an already identified person)

After a preposition, use which (for things) or whom (for people) in formal English: the office in which I work / the colleague with whom I share a desk. Whose shows possession: the writer whose book I am reading. Where replaces in/at which for places: the café where we first met.

One important rule: in non-defining clauses, you cannot use that — only who, which, where, whose, or whom. Many B2 students lose marks in writing because they slip a that into a non-defining clause by accident.

Discussion language: sounding measured and polite

Strong discussion language lets you put forward an opinion without sounding rude or too dogmatic. Three families of phrases are essential.

Hedging softens a strong claim: As far as I'm concerned… / It seems to me that… / To some extent… / In a way…

Agreeing and disagreeing go beyond a simple "I agree": I couldn't agree more / I take your point, but… / I'm afraid I disagree / That's a fair point, however… / I see what you mean, although…

Organising an argument: First of all… / What is more… / In addition… / On the other hand… / All in all… / To sum up…

In a formal essay, these markers act like signposts that guide the reader through your reasoning. In a spoken discussion, they buy you time and show that you are listening carefully to the other speakers.

Putting it all together: writing a discussion essay

The writing task in this unit asks you to write a short discussion essay on the topic: "Should social media companies be allowed to collect users' personal data?" A discussion essay presents both sides before giving your own view in the conclusion. You will use relative clauses to define key terms such as personal data and social media platforms, modal probability to talk about possible consequences, and the discussion phrases above to structure your argument paragraph by paragraph.

The writing strategy below reminds you to plan your For and Against points before you start writing, and to leave a few minutes at the end to check your work. Pay particular attention to using capital letters correctly at the start of every sentence and for proper nouns, and to using linking words to connect your ideas smoothly.

Which sentence shows the strongest agreement?

Read the discussion sentence aloud. Pay attention to the stress on 'concerned' and the rhythm of the long noun phrase at the end.

PREPARE — gather your ideas. Before you write, take five minutes to make two lists. Under For, write two or three arguments in favour of social media companies collecting user data (for example, free services, personalised content, better security). Under Against, write two or three arguments against it (for example, loss of privacy, data breaches, manipulation of users). Choose your strongest point from each side — these will become the body paragraphs of your essay. Decide where you stand personally so you can give a clear opinion in the conclusion.

WRITE — your essay. Write a discussion essay of 180–220 words on the topic: "Should social media companies be allowed to collect users' personal data?" Begin with a short introduction that paraphrases the question and tells the reader you will discuss both sides. Write one body paragraph with For arguments, one with Against arguments, and end with a short conclusion that gives your own view. Use at least three relative clauses, two modal probability expressions, and four discussion phrases from the unit. Aim for a formal register.

REVIEW — check your work. When you finish, read your essay once from start to finish. Then use this checklist: 1) Are capital letters used correctly at the start of every sentence and for proper nouns? 2) Have you used a comma on both sides of every non-defining relative clause? 3) Have you avoided 'that' in non-defining clauses? 4) Are your modal probability expressions in the right form (must/might/could + have + past participle for past, plain infinitive for present)? 5) Have you used at least four different discussion phrases, and do they fit the meaning of the sentence?