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Who needs a referee? A for and against essay: paragraph plan and linkers

This B2 ESL lesson plan teaches the for and against essay through Ultimate, a flying-disc sport in which players call their own fouls.

Grammar
A four-paragraph plan, with linkers that add a point (furthermore, what is more), turn to the other side (on the other hand) or sum up (all things considered).
Topic
Ultimate's start at a New Jersey high school in 1968 and its self-refereeing today, with words such as sportsmanship, honor system and drawback.
Activities
A model essay, an office argument and a reader's voice memo, self-checking drills, a planning chat, an essay to order and a debate wheel.

What's inside

  1. Chapter 1Warm-up: who makes the call?

    • PictureUnlock
    • Open a box and answerOpen the boxUnlock
    • Study the words: fair playVocabularyTry it
    • Look at the pictures and choose the wordChoose by pictureUnlock

  2. Chapter 2Let's read: no lines, no referee

    • Look at the picture: a game in a parking lotPictureUnlock
    • Read Leona's essay on The Why DeskArticleUnlock
    • Read and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Read again and choose the correct answerQuizUnlock
    • Match the paragraphs and the headingsMatchUnlock

  3. Chapter 3Let's listen: kids, calls and a bet

    • Listen to Leona and IsaiahListeningTry it
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and choose the correct answerQuizUnlock
    • Listen to the Reader's Rebuttal: Benedict's voice memoListeningUnlock
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock

  4. Chapter 4Grammar: Furthermore, and yes, I said furthermore

    • Study the scheme: a for-and-against essayGrammar schemeTry it
    • Choose the correct optionChoose the optionTry it
    • Fill in the gaps: choose the linker in bracketsFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Sort the words into the correct columns: what does the linker do?Sort into columnsUnlock
    • Put the words in the correct orderUnjumbleUnlock

  5. Chapter 5Let's write: for, against and a verdict

    • Choose the right replies: help Ethel plan her essayChatTry it
    • Sort the arguments into the correct columns: should young players referee their own games?Sort into columnsUnlock
    • Put the parts of Isaiah's essay in the correct orderDrag and dropUnlock
    • Choose the correct answer: which version is better?QuizUnlock
    • Spin the wheel and answer: argue for and againstSpin the wheelUnlock

  6. Chapter 6Homework

    • Match the words and the meaningsMatchUnlock
    • Unscramble the wordsAnagramUnlock
    • Fill in the gaps with the lesson's wordsFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Find the matching pairs: words and meaningsMemory gameUnlock
    • Choose the correct option: new sentencesChoose the optionUnlock
    • Choose the correct answer: which sentence is correct?QuizUnlock
    • Put the words in the correct order: new sentencesUnjumbleUnlock
    • Put the parts of Virgil's essay in the correct orderDrag and dropUnlock
    • Choose the correct option: Leona answers BenedictChoose the optionUnlock
    • Drag the words into the gaps: the Why Desk fact boxDrag and dropUnlock

35 exercises in 6 chapters. Start a 7-day free trial to open all of them, copy any part into your own lessons, and teach the lesson live.

Vocabulary

12 words and phrases from the lesson, each with a picture and audio in edio.

+9 more with pictures and audio in the lessonMore words

  • sportsmanship
  • honor system
  • step in
  • flying disc
  • end zone
  • sideline
  • motion
  • drawback
  • pros and cons

Grammar: the for and against essay: plan and linkers

A for and against essay weighs both sides of a question before the writer gives a view. Leona's essay on self-refereeing is the model, with a paragraph for each side and a verdict at the end, so learners let each linker show which side a point is on: adding, turning or summing up.

Furthermore, … On the other hand, … All things considered, …

A for-and-against essay weighs the pros and cons of an idea in four paragraphs. Linkers show the reader which side each point is on.

Four paragraphs, one job each

The introduction presents the question and says there are two sides. Paragraph two gives two or three reasons for, each with an example; paragraph three gives the drawbacks. The conclusion sums up and gives your view, with no new arguments.

ParagraphWhat it doesUseful phrases
1. IntroductionPresents the question and says there are two sides.There are good arguments on both sides.
2. Arguments forGives two or three reasons for, each with an example.The main argument for… is that… / Furthermore, …
3. Arguments againstGives two or three reasons against: the drawbacks.On the other hand, … / What is more, …
4. ConclusionSums up both sides and gives your view. No new arguments.All things considered, … / In conclusion, …

Add, turn or sum up

Furthermore, moreover, what is more and in addition add a point on the same side. On the other hand and however turn to the other side. Three linkers close the essay: all things considered, to sum up and in conclusion.

Linkers and their jobs

JobLinkersExample
add a point on the same sidefurthermore, moreover, what is more, in additionPlayers learn the rules. Furthermore, they learn to settle a dispute.
turn to the other sideon the other hand, howeverSelf-refereeing builds trust. On the other hand, it can slow a game down.
sum up and give your viewall things considered, to sum up, in conclusionAll things considered, I think young players can do it.

At The Why Desk

  • Furthermore, players are expected to be fair-minded.
  • What is more, an experienced player may guide beginners.
  • On the other hand, the first rules allowed a referee.
  • In addition, one argument held up a final for 25 minutes.
  • All things considered, self-refereeing works for experienced players.
  • To sum up, Isaiah's spreadsheet is still sitting on the fence.

Same side or the other side?

Kids learn the rules. Moreover, they learn to listen stays on one side; a drawback needs on the other hand or however. Never open a conclusion with furthermore: it adds a point, and a conclusion only sums up.

Same side or the other side?

Add a point on the same side

  • Kids learn the rules. Moreover, they learn to listen.
  • Games are fast. What is more, they're fun to watch.

Turn to the other side

  • Kids learn the rules. On the other hand, some kids care only about winning.
  • Games are fast. However, one argument can stop them.

The conclusion adds nothing new

Start the conclusion with all things considered, to sum up or in conclusion, never with furthermore, moreover or what is more: they add a new point, and a conclusion only sums up and gives your view. And none of them turns to the other side: for that, use on the other hand or however.

A comma, and what is more in writing

These linkers usually start a new sentence and take a comma: Furthermore, … On the other hand, … The four adding linkers mean the same, so mix them. In an essay, write what is more; what's more and also suit a chat or a talk.

Where they go

These linkers usually start a new sentence and take a comma: Furthermore, … On the other hand, … To sum up, … You already know in addition and however. Furthermore, moreover, what is more and in addition mean the same, so mix them. In an essay, write what is more; in a chat or a talk, what's more and also sound more natural.

Common mistakes

Three slips are about form: in the other hand, what's more of and in conclusion of, with no of in the right versions. The fourth slip is moreover before a contrast: Kids learn the rules. Moreover, games can stop for long arguments needs on the other hand.

  • In the other hand, a referee keeps things fair.

    On the other hand, a referee keeps things fair.

    always on the other hand

  • What's more of, kids learn fast.

    What is more, kids learn fast.

    no of after what is more

  • In conclusion of, both sides have a point.

    In conclusion, both sides have a point.

    no of after in conclusion

  • Kids learn the rules. Moreover, games can stop for long arguments.

    Kids learn the rules. On the other hand, games can stop for long arguments.

    moreover adds a point on the same side; it never contrasts

More lessons on this grammar: Linking words lessons and exercises

Try the for and against essay exercises

Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.

More exercises

What's in the lesson

  • 20 auto-checked exercises
  • 6 games
  • 1 article
  • 1 grammar scheme
  • 1 set of word cards
  • 2 audio clips
  • 2 pictures
  • 2 transcripts

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

  • plan the essay in four paragraphs, from There are good arguments on both sides to a conclusion that gives your view
  • add a point on the same side: Players learn the rules. Furthermore, they learn to settle a dispute.
  • turn to the other side with on the other hand or however, never moreover: On the other hand, a losing player may call too many fouls.
  • open the conclusion with all things considered, to sum up or in conclusion, and add no new argument there
  • avoid the form slips: on the other hand, not in the other hand; what is more, not what's more of

Lesson 23 is the third lesson of Sport and society, unit 6 of English B2.2 · Culture and Society, and it carries the unit's writing task. In addition came in B1.2 lesson 4 and however in lesson 15 of this course; now they join new linkers in a four-paragraph plan. Lesson 24 ends the unit with nouns from phrasal verbs. A sport whose players are their own referees gives an essay real arguments on both sides.

Students open boxes of questions about referees, fair play and backyard games, then learn twelve words, from call a foul and honor system to drawback and pros and cons, with pictures and audio. They read Leona's essay on self-refereeing, then hear Leona and Isaiah argue whether young players should make their own calls, and Benedict, a college player from New Jersey, answer back; both are AI-voiced. The grammar chapter has the scheme and four self-checking drills. The writing chapter builds the essay in steps: a chat with Ethel about her plan, arguments to sort, Isaiah's essay to put in order, the better version to choose and a debate wheel.

All ten homework tasks check themselves: a word match, an anagram, gaps with the fair-play words and a memory game, then linkers to choose in new sentences, a quiz on the correct sentence, word order, Virgil's essay on keeping score to put in order, Leona's answer to Benedict with linkers to choose and a fact box with words to drag in.

Grammar:
for-and-against essay · paragraph plan · linkers of addition · linkers of conclusion · furthermore, moreover, what is more · on the other hand · all things considered, to sum up, in conclusion
Topic:
Ultimate · Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey · self-refereeing · Spirit of the Game · fair play and sportsmanship · sport and society · The Why Desk

Teaching tips

  • Collect arguments before any linkers: pairs list three reasons for and three against letting young players referee themselves. Only then do they join the reasons with furthermore and on the other hand.
  • Ask who has played a game with no referee before the reading: tag, pickup basketball, a backyard match. How did they settle a dispute? Students then read how Ultimate players do it.
  • Color-code the model essay: students mark the linkers that add in one color, the ones that turn in another and the conclusion's opener in a third. The colors show the plan at a glance.
  • Score the office argument: on the first listen, students give each point to Leona or Isaiah; on the second, they note the linkers the two say out loud, from furthermore to all things considered.

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The whole course: English B2.2 · Culture and Society

32 more lessons for adults at B2 in American English, with the same Why Desk team in Pittsburgh. Each lesson answers one question about how Americans learn, work, travel and remember, from the law behind the 40-hour week to the oral histories of StoryCorps. Learners link ideas in formal writing, report what is said and believed, and pack more into a sentence with participle and relative clauses. The practice exercises check themselves.See the course

  1. Unit 1 Learning reimagined

    adjective suffixes and negative prefixes, mixed conditionals, provided that and on condition that

    1. Lesson 1College for farmers' kids?Adjective suffixes and negative prefixes
    2. Lesson 2One cousin, one video, millions of learnersMixed conditionals: a past cause, a result now
    3. Lesson 3A college that says yesConditional linkers: provided that, on condition that, assuming, otherwise
    4. Lesson 4School in the woodsMixed conditionals: a present state, a past result

  2. Unit 2 Work-life balance

    be required to and be entitled to, present and perfect participle clauses, participle clauses after conjunctions

    1. Lesson 5Who decided a week is 40 hours?Formal rules: be required to, be entitled to, be exempt from
    2. Lesson 6A paid year off: rest or research?Present participle clauses for time and reason
    3. Lesson 7Was the coffee break born in Wisconsin?Perfect participle clauses: having done and having been done
    4. Lesson 8Why is the first Monday of September a day off?Participle phrases after conjunctions

  3. Unit 3 Turning points

    reduced relative clauses, preposition + which and whom, which for a whole clause, noun + preposition

    1. Lesson 9The keyboard that opened the officeReduced relative clauses: -ing and the past participle
    2. Lesson 10Earthrise: the photo that changed how we see EarthPreposition + which and whom
    3. Lesson 11A city of white palaces for six monthsSentence relative clauses: which for a whole clause
    4. Lesson 12The count that took eight years?Noun + preposition: a need for, a solution to, access to

  4. Unit 4 News and truth

    although, whereas and while, the impersonal passive, despite and however, is said to have

    1. Lesson 13A newspaper of their ownLinkers of contrast: although, even though, whereas and while
    2. Lesson 14Bat-people on the Moon?The impersonal passive: It is said that…
    3. Lesson 15Read like a fact-checkerLinkers of contrast: despite, in spite of, however and even so
    4. Lesson 16Did George Washington really chop down a cherry tree?Passive reporting verbs: is said to have done

  5. Unit 5 Travel that gives back

    so as to, in order to and so that, modifying comparatives, linkers of reason and result, verb + object + preposition + -ing

    1. Lesson 17Seven rules for the wild?Linkers of purpose: to, in order to, so as to, so that
    2. Lesson 18A lottery to see firefliesModifying comparatives and superlatives
    3. Lesson 19Sunrise with the turtlesLinkers of reason and result
    4. Lesson 20Volunteer on vacation?Verb + object + preposition + -ing

  6. Unit 6 Sport and society

    verb + noun collocations, what phrasal verb particles mean, a for-and-against essay, nouns from phrasal verbs

    1. Lesson 21The college team that changed disability sportVerb + noun collocations
    2. Lesson 22When women played pro baseballPhrasal verbs: what the particles mean
    3. Lesson 23 · you're hereWho needs a referee?The for and against essay: plan and linkers
    4. Lesson 24The comeback of Jim ThorpeNouns from phrasal verbs

  7. Unit 7 Buildings and heritage

    past participle clauses, quantifier + of which and of whom, report language, turn out and prove

    1. Lesson 25Homes built into the cliffsPast participle clauses with a passive meaning
    2. Lesson 26A house over a waterfallQuantifier + of which and of whom
    3. Lesson 27From factory to art museumReport language: headings, impersonal style, recommendations
    4. Lesson 28The towers the city tried to pull downTurn out and prove + to-infinitive or that clause

  8. Unit 8 Generations

    adverb + adjective collocations, three-part phrasal verbs, negative and echo questions, prepositional phrases

    1. Lesson 29Who decides where a generation ends?Adverb + adjective collocations
    2. Lesson 30Music students living in a retirement home?Three-part phrasal verbs
    3. Lesson 31Conversations kept for historyNegative questions and echo questions
    4. Lesson 32A day for grandparentsFixed prepositional phrases

Questions about this lesson

What is a for and against essay?
It's an essay that weighs both sides of a question before the writer gives a view, such as Should young players referee their own games? It has four paragraphs: an introduction, the arguments for, the arguments against and a conclusion. Linkers show which side each point is on. The B2 lesson Who needs a referee? on edio.ai teaches it with an essay on Ultimate, a sport whose players call their own fouls.
How do you structure a for and against essay?
Give each of the four paragraphs one job. The introduction presents the question and says there are two sides. The second paragraph gives two or three reasons for, each with an example, and the third gives the drawbacks. The conclusion sums up both sides and gives your view, with no new arguments. In Who needs a referee? on edio.ai, students put the parts of Isaiah's essay in this order.
What linking words are used in a for and against essay?
There are three groups. To add a point on the same side: furthermore, moreover, what is more, in addition. To turn to the other side: on the other hand, however. To sum up and give your view: all things considered, to sum up, in conclusion. They usually start a sentence and take a comma. The scheme in Who needs a referee? on edio.ai gives each group an example about self-refereeing.
What's the difference between moreover and on the other hand?
Moreover adds a point on the same side, while on the other hand turns to the other side. Kids learn the rules. Moreover, they learn to listen. Kids learn the rules. On the other hand, games can stop for long arguments. Using moreover before a drawback is a common mistake. In Who needs a referee? on edio.ai, students choose between linkers like these in a drill, in Ethel's chat and in the homework.
Is it “on the other hand” or “in the other hand”?
It's always on the other hand: On the other hand, a referee keeps things fair. Two more slips add an of that doesn't belong: write what is more, not what's more of, and in conclusion, not in conclusion of. Who needs a referee?, a B2 lesson on edio.ai, lists all three among its common mistakes, and its homework quiz asks which sentence is correct.
Where did Ultimate frisbee start?
Ultimate began in 1968 at Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey. A student, Joel Silver, jokingly asked the student council to form a committee to study adding Frisbee to the school's classes; the motion passed, and students wrote the first rules. The first games were played at night in the school parking lot, with no sidelines. Some say the story starts earlier, with a similar game a college student taught Silver. Who needs a referee? on edio.ai tells it.
What is the Spirit of the Game in Ultimate?
It's Ultimate's idea of fair play: with no referees, every player is responsible for fair play. A player who sees a foul calls it; the other player agrees or contests, and after a contest the disc goes back to the last thrower. At higher levels, observers rule on a dispute only when players ask. After a game, teams can score each other on points such as knowing the rules. Who needs a referee? on edio.ai weighs it.
How do I teach the for and against essay to B2 students?
Build it in steps before anyone writes: collect arguments, sort them for and against, put a model's paragraphs in order, then choose the linkers. Who needs a referee? on edio.ai follows that path: Leona's essay as the model, the scheme and four drills, then Ethel's chat about her plan, arguments to sort, Isaiah's essay to order and a choice between better and worse versions.
What's a good game for practicing for and against arguments?
Run a quick-fire debate: one student gives an argument for, the next must answer with On the other hand, …, and the third adds a point with What is more, … before someone sums up. The wheel in Who needs a referee? on edio.ai gives topics such as Should school sports use video replay? Give the pros and cons in one minute., in pairs or as a class.
What's good homework for a for and against essay?
Good homework checks the plan as well as the linkers: a whole essay to put in order, linkers to choose in new sentences and a quiz on forms like in the other hand. All ten homework tasks in Who needs a referee? on edio.ai check themselves, including Virgil's essay on whether youth games should keep score and Leona's answer to Benedict, a college player.
How do you practice for and against essays one-to-one?
Argue the side the student doesn't hold: the student gives a view, the teacher answers with On the other hand, …, and the student sums up with All things considered, … Then swap sides. The chat in Who needs a referee? on edio.ai is done alone: Ethel plans her essay, and the student picks the replies that fix her plan and her linkers.
Are there interactive exercises on for and against essay linkers?
Yes. With no account, this page plays three parts of Who needs a referee?, a B2 lesson on edio.ai. They are Leona and Isaiah's argument about young players, a drill that asks for the right linker in each sentence and Ethel's chat about planning her essay. Everything else needs an account.
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