Attitudes In IELTS Writing

The theory this thesis uses is appraisal theory, which is proposed by the famous linguist:Martin. This theory is an improvement, a consummation, further development and enrichment of one of Halliday’s (a representative figure of Systemic Functional Linguistics) three meta-functions (concept function, interpersonal function and textual function):the interpersonal function. Appraisal theory also consists of three subsystems, namely, attitude, engagement and graduation. The three subsystems combined constitute as a whole. Attitude system and graduation system are used to analyze the difference on the use of attitude between candidates’IELTS writings and examiner’s full mark models in IELTS writing task two. Attitude words can be used to express attitude and graduation words can also be used to intensify or weaken the attitude. What’s more, the words to show attitude in the topic of IELTS writing is discerned carefully and how well the examiner’s and candidates’IELTS writings respond to the attitude in the topic is also recognized carefully.The data of this thesis is from thirty students’ and an examiner’s four IELTS writings. Students’and the examiner’s two IELTS writings of the same two topics is discussed in detail in terms of the use of attitude words and graduation words.The result shows that low score candidates perform badly in response to the attitude of IELTS writing topic and show limitation on the variation of using words to show attitude.