Showing posts with label Essay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Essay. Show all posts

Friday, 8 March 2019

IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample: Searching other planet to live

bài mẫu BAND 8.5+
TOPIC: In the future, it seems more difficult to live on Earth. Some people think more money should be spent on researching another planet to live, such as Mars. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
ANSWER:
It is true that living on Earth has been becoming increasingly challenging. However, I believe that humans should not increase the budget on exploring other planets for the human's use in the future.
To begin with, it seems impossible for people to settle on other planets. The first reason is that living conditions significantly vary from planet to planet, and those in distant planets like Mars are often very extreme and uninhabitable. As a result, the human race might be far from able to adapt to such inhospitable environments. Anther problem...

Tuesday, 8 January 2019

New technologies have changed the way children spend their free time: advantages and disadvantages

New technologies have changed the way children spending their free time. Do the advantages and outweigh the disadvantages?

Model Essay

Sample 1

Currently, it is true that the way children spend their leisure time has been changed by modern technology. While this has several benefits, I believe that the drawbacks far outweigh them.

On the one hand, there are some advantages of children spending their spare time on advanced technologies. Firstly, many children tend to enjoy playing computer games, and such games might help improve their cognitive development. For example, strategic games require players to be good at problem-solving and be able to deal with unexpected situations, so children who play these games can better their logical thinking and problem-solving skills. Secondly, since the free source of online information is huge and readily available, young people might benefit from early exposure to the Internet. If people are able to browse the Internet at a young age, they can start their learning process earlier and as a result, can advance their knowledge as they grow up.

However, I would argue that the advantages discussed above are outweighed by the disadvantages. One main drawback is that children who enjoy spending time in front of the computer screen are often reluctant to do exercise. Low physical activity levels are likely to result in children becoming overweight, and in turn, they would end up being obese. In addition, some games tempt people to continue playing for hours, which could lead to gaming addiction. In role-playing games, for instance, people might need to stay in front of the computer for several hours in order to progress to higher levels, and therefore children spend an excessive amount of time on games.

In conclusion, while there are some advantages of children spending time on advanced technologies, it seems to me that the disadvantages are more significant.
Source: IELTS Writing Task 2 Topic in 2018 - Technology with Model Essay

Monday, 6 June 2016

Academic study and vocational training

Topic
Many people go to university for academic study. More people should be encouraged to do vocational training because there is lack of qualified workers such as electricians and plumbers. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Too much emphasis is placed on going university for academic education. People should be encouraged to do vocational training, because there is a lack of qualified tradespeople such as electricians or plumbers. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Đề thi IELTS tại Việt Nam ngày 21/11/2015
Bài này được Simon bàn ở đây liên quan đến chủ đề University:
http://ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/2012/05/ielts-writing-task-2-university-topic.html
Một bài viết khác
By most people, vocational training is considered a dishonorable escape route for those who are not smart enough to attend colleges . Now that the scarcity of qualified craftsmen, such as construction workers, electricians or locksmiths is getting more acute, some have suggested that more people should be encouraged to undergo vocational training. From my point of view, I cast no doubt on the veracity of this statement.
There are multiple benefits that can be derived from attending trade schools, instead of universities. In the first place, programs of vocational schools are often shorter. More specifically, while college students have to commit to at least 3 years of full-time study, it takes only 1 or 2 years for students to receive certain specialised certifications. In addition, the principal focus of vocational programs is on providing hands-on experience to students and there is no need for them to study subjects that are not relevant to their choice of subject. The prime example for this is Vietnamese college students, regardless of what majors they pursue, are obliged to study concepts of the communist party while students of trade schools do not have to. For this reason, their employability is significantly enhanced.
Despite such advantages, many are still skeptical about taking vocational training as it does not offer much flexibility. I acknowledge that the career choices are much more limited for vocational students and that there is little chance for them to change their career if they desire to. However, if students receive proper career orientation program before embarking on their learning, few wrong decisions will be made.
All things considered, I am inclined to restate that vocational training should no longer be kept on the periphery of the educational system and that it should be encouraged among students of all levels of education.
(303 words, written by Bao Huyen)
Useful expressions :
Cast no doubt on: không nghi ngờ gì về
Derive benefit from: lấy lợi ích từ việc gì đó
Prime example : ví dụ điển hình
The focus is on : trọng tâm là vào
Employability is enhanced : khả năng kiếm đc việc gia tăng
Keep st on the periphery :coi thường cái gì đó
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It goes without saying that society always needs a skilled workforce to function. Employees of different professions contribute different to the thriving of the community, and therefore I disagree with the statement that vocational courses should be given anymore weight than before.

There is no doubt that many people consider taking tertiary education instead of a vocational training program to prepare for their future. It is universally accepted that knowledge and qualifications gained from university can help one to have a head start over other candidates when it come to job hunting. In Vietnam, for instance, a majority of high school graduates are content to spend fours to five years more studying at a university with the hope for a bright career ahead. This results in a lack of skilled manual workers such as plumber and electricians in society.

However, if we encourage more people to become blue-collar workers, then there will be a shortage a while-collar workers who may otherwise create more wealth for society. For example, few engineers would mean lower productivity; a dearth of scientists may inhibit scientific discoveries which can provide us with a better life in the future. In contrast, those doing blue-collar jobs may face redundancy when too many applicants complete for the same position. An unbalanced workforce might, therefore, hold society back from development in the long term.

In conclusion, the workforce will adjust itself to carter for the need of the community. If there are too many engineer than necessary, some will take vocational courses to become tradespeople to avoid unemployment.

(260 words, written by Thay Vinh IELTS)



Newspapers and Online news

Question

Although more and more people read the news on Internet, newspapers will remain the most important source of news for the majority of people. Do you agree or disagree?
(IELTS Writing Task 2 – Actual Test, 23th January)


Model answer

In the modern world, obtaining news on the Internet has become an accelerating trend. I have faith in the likelihood of this trend overshadowing the traditional way of reading newspapers to become the most crucial source of news.

The most obvious proof supporting my viewpoint is the decline in popularity of traditional newspapers. Conventional newspapers’ nature which is characterised by a thorough and time-consuming process of editing, printing, and distributing turns to be a weakness that causes newspapers fail to meet the instant quest for news of modern news readers. In addition, due to the fact that printed newspapers are geographically limited, their reach and exposure levels are be becoming substantially lower than those of online news. Apparently, it is online press, not the traditional one, which helps news seekers all over the globe access local news as well as global news published by a variety of internationally prestigious newspapers including BBC, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal. Such availability of online news far outweighs that of printed news, steadily dominating the news industry.

Moreover, the advantages of online news significantly surpass those of printed newspaper. In this era of advanced technology and communication, the omnipresence of the Internet and the availability of Internet devices have boosted the popularity of online news to an extent that the concept of buying and reading a printed newspaper would become obsolete and inconvenient. Online platforms which facilitate fast-moving and immediate news updates will certainly become the utmost solution to satisfy increasing demand and busy news seekers. Thanks to Internet-based platforms, news about an incident happening half world away could be retrieved within a few seconds after its commencement, which renders news updates one day later on conventional newspapers out of date. 

In conclusion, despite the fact that printed newspapers still hold an important role, I firmly support the tendency that they will be eclipsed by online news.

(314 words – written by Minh Nguyen, 8.5 IELTS)

Model Essay Note

Type: Strong Opinion Essay

Brainstorming:
Point of view: Conventional newspapers can’t remain the most popular source of information and can be replaced by online news.
Idea 1: the decline in popularity of traditional newspapers
Idea 2: the advantages of online news significantly surpass those of printed newspaper

Useful Vocabulary:
Vocabulary relates to Theme (Information – Press): traditional newspaper – printed news – conventional news; process of editing, printing and distributing; reach and exposure levels; online press – online news; the news industry; retrieve news, out of date, news update, news readers – new seekers – new followers; immediate news updates
Academic Vocabulary: overshadow – eclipse – outweigh; facilitate; the nature of sth; characterise; obsolete; commencement

Sunday, 12 July 2015

Advertising discourages people from being different individuals by making us want to be and to look the same

QUESTION
Advertising discourages people from being different individuals by making us want to be or to look the same. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Notes: Đây là câu hỏi cho đề thi thật IELTS ngày 11-07-2015. Trả lời bên dưới mang tính tham khảo của tác giả Robert IELTS Town.



ANSWER
As many people have access to television and the Internet, advertising is becoming an integrated part of the modern life and greatly affect our behaviours. Personally, I agree with the view that these ads tend to make us want to behave in a similar manner.

For decades, advertising has been shaping consumers' behaviours with several identical patterns and preventing us from making us a diversified society. A common practice is that marketers try to create new habits for customers who nonstop adopt new lifestyles' concepts. These habits then become the norms of modern life. For example, when people feel tired, they now get familiar with taking an energy drink like Redbull or Sting instead of water, which never happened in the past. As a result, modern citizens around the world, at present, love to wear clothes of Gucci, use an iPhone 6, take a Starbucks in the morning and go to McDonald's for lunch.

It is also clear that adverts often take advantage of the images of celebrities to make the audience conduct themselves in the same pattern. Because people usually take some superstars as their role models, letting them see ads involving these famous people would give rise to the desire to by the same products or to react in the same ways. In other words, if they do not use those products, they might feel that they are just old-fashioned ones. For example, when Ho Ngoc Ha – a Vietnamese famous singer – becomes a representative for a cosmetic product, thousands of women immediately think of buying that product, not because of the quality of itself but the fact that they want to look like her.

In conclusion, the rise of advertising is an irresistible trend, and this movement apparently prevent from being different individuals.

(Word count: 295)
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Useful expressions:
Lưu ý: những cụm từ đặc biệt hay
- have access to television and the Internet: được tiếp cận với TV và Internet
- behave in a similar manner: hành xử tương tự nhau
- the norms of modern life (*): quy chuẩn của xã hội hiện đại
- shape consumers’ behaviors (*): định hình hành vi người tiêu dùng
- conduct oneself: hành xử
- irresistible trend (*): xu hướng không thể cưỡng lại được
- the rise of advertising(*): sự trổi dậy/ lên ngôi của quảng cáo

Saturday, 30 May 2015

Many people believe that international tourism is a bad thing for their country

Question

Many people believe that international tourism is a bad thing for their country. What are the reasons? Solutions to change negative attitudes? 

Bài mẫu Task 2 cho đề thi ngày 30-05-2015

Even though the non-smoke industry has been contributing significantly to the host country, some people believe that foreign visitors may have detrimental effects on local areas. There are several reasons for this pessimism, and the solutions to alleviate this attitude will be discussed in this essay.

In the first place, international tourism could seriously hurt local community with both environmental and social problems. From the environment perspective, foreign travelers may pose serious threats to beautiful natural sites such as beaches, caves, and rain forests by overusing. An example of this is Son Doong, the longest and biggest cave in the world, which found in 2009. As it is gorgeous and so many people want to visit it, there is a growing concern that the excessive use would ruin this natural wonder. From the social perspective, tourists' behaviours may have negative impacts on local qualify of life. In other words, foreign visitors may give rise to traffic congestion, alcohol problems and prostitution like what already happen in Thailand.

To address these increasing worries, the government needs to take measures to protect both natural and social environment. First, they need to impose strict controls on using natural resources for tourism by limiting the number of visitors who is able to see a particular place, especially those are vulnerable. If there is a reasonable usage of natural sites, the nature will have enough time to recover after being used. In addition, social problems could be tackled if the government improve key infrastructure like roads or public transport to reduce traffic jams, and increase the number of police officers to enhance local security.

In conclusion, there are some reasons making local residents worry of international tourism, but the government could take steps to comfort its people.

290 words. Source.

Saturday, 18 October 2014

Studying at university or college or get the job straight after school

Question

Some people believe that studying at university or college is the best route to a successful career, while others believe that it is better to get a job straight after school.

Discuss both views

Answer Model

Graduating from high school, the young often wonder whether they ought to keep on  studying further or not. Many people suppose that continuing to study at university or college can be the best way to guarantee their successful career, whereas others believe working right after school is much better.

Working straight after graduation is beneficial in some ways. Firstly, young people are able to earn money as soon as possible. If they finish high school, they will be mature enough to live independently on their own income. It is common sense that having a job can prove one’s maturity. Secondly, a person who chooses to get a job instead of studying higher is likely to progress rapidly in their career. This may bring about a good chance to obtain a lot of real experience and skills for their chosen profession.

On the other hand, there are a variety of reasons why people have a tendency of choosing to continue education after high school. First, a college education will provide young people with more qualifications, which is what most employers expect these days. University graduates will probably get a much higher salary than those without university education. Furthermore, the job market is becoming more and more competitive. In fact, people would be well-advised to get a degree, as hundreds of applicants often chase the top jobs. It is an obvious advantage for university graduates. For example, graduate engineers in Vietnam are highly paid and find it easy to get a top job.

In conclusion, it seems evident that both working right after school and choosing to continue higher study are advantageous in their own ways.

274 words (Band 8.0~8.5)


Written by Ngoc Bach
Xem phân tích chi tiết ở đây.


Too many students go to university

It is sometimes argued that too many students go to university, while others claim that a university education should be a universal right.
Discuss both sides of the argument and give your own opinion.

Model Answer

In some advanced countries, it is not unusual for more than 50% of young adults to attend college or university. Critics, however, claim that many university courses are worthless and young people would be better off gaining skills in the workplace. In this essay, I will examine both sides of this argument and try to reach a conclusion.
There are several reasons why university has become a popular choice for young people. First, growing prosperity in many parts of the world has increased the number of families with money to invest in their children’s future. At the same time, falling birthrates mean that one- or two-child families have become common, increasing the level of investment in each child. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that young people are willing to let their families support them until the age of 21 or 22. Furthermore, millions of new jobs have been created in knowledge industries, and these jobs are typically open only to university graduates.
However, it often appears that graduates end up in occupations unrelated to their university studies. It is not uncommon for an English literature major to end up working in sales, or an engineering graduate to retrain as a teacher, for example. Some critics have suggested that young people are just delaying their entry into the workplace, rather than developing professional skills. A more serious problem is that the high cost of a university education will mean that many families are reluctant to have more than one child, exacerbating the falling birthrates in certain countries.
In conclusion, while it can be argued that too much emphasis is placed on a university education, my own opinion is that the university years are a crucial time for personal development. If people enter the workplace aged 18, their future options may be severely restricted. Attending university allows them time to learn more about themselves and make a more appropriate choice of career.
(320 words. IELTS 9.0)

Why does this Task 2 answer get an IELTS Band 9 score?

Task response: The model answer fully answers the question by stating several arguments both for and against the expansion of higher education. The candidate’s position is clearly expressed in the conclusion. The style is appropriate to academic writing and the answer is at least 250 words in length.

Coherence and cohesion: The model answer has an introduction and conclusion. Each body paragraph deals with a different side of the argument and begins with a clear topic sentence. Arguments are developed with logical connectives such as therefore andfurthermore.
Lexical resource: There is a good range of vocabulary suited to an argument essay, including reporting verbs like claim and suggest, and hedging verbs like can and appear. There is native-like collocation throughout, including growing prosperity, enter the workplaceand severely restricted.
Grammatical range and accuracy: The model answer uses a wide range of grammatical devices appropriate to academic writing. These include conditionals (If…), participle clauses (…, increasing the…), concessive clauses (while it can…) and passive constructions (…it can be argued that…). There are no grammatical errors.

Source: http://ielts-academic.com/2012/07/25/argument-essay-with-sample-answer/

Role on Advertisements in Sales

Với vốn tiếng Anh sẵn có, không ôn tập đến nơi đến chốn, và kết quả thì như các mọi người cũng đoán ra. Hôm nay, vừa trải qua kì thi General IELTS với các chủ đề Writing Task 2 nói về việc các công ty sử dụng quảng cáo để tăng doanh số bán hàng. Bạn nghĩ sao về vấn đề này? Sau khi thi xong, search một phát ra cả đống. Thấy bài sau hay nên xin về để đây.
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You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:
Today the high sales of popular consumer goods reflect the power of advertising and not the real needs of the society in which they are sold. 
To what extent do you agree with these views? 
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Model answer:

Nowadays, there are a lot of advertisements on television or on the streets. Some people think that the advertising boosts the sales of goods and it encourages people to buy things unnecessarily. This arguments may be true. In my country, many advertising companies produce advertisements with famous and popular actors or singers. People, especially youngsters, buy goods that their favourite singer advertises, although they do not really need the products.

Also, on the television screen, a product may look gorgeous and good quality. As a result of it, people often buy goods without enough consideration. Consumers may not actually need it but they buy goods impulsively soon after they watch the advertising. Furthermore, as many customers buy a particular product due to its advertising campaign, the other people may be affected by the trend, even if the product is not of the real needs of the society.

On the other hand, there are various aspects against these arguments. Moreover, it is people's choice to make a decision to buy goods. Advertising may be not a cause of customers' buying habits. Individuals have their own spending habits. If they have got enough disposable Income then the right to mane a decision’s given to them. No one actually can fudge whether the goods sold are the real needs of the society or not.

In addition, as there should be a limited amount of disposable income consumers are able to spend, people try to allocate their budgets. They cannot be simply swayed by those advertisements.

In conclusion, as customers have their own strong opinions and standard of good quality goods, it’s better to leave them to make their own decision in buy goods. It’s fairly difficult to say everyone’s swayed by advertising and buy good impulsively. However, in sensitive area of businesses such as toy industries, it may be necessary to band advertising to those children as children have not got enough ability to control themselves or to know what they need.
(328 words)
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This is an answer written by a candidate who achieved a Band 7.5 score. Here is the examiner's comment:
  • The way in which the candidate has responded to the task is a strong point of this script. It is a well-developed answer that addresses the issues relevantly and at length. The writer introduces the topic, examines both sides of the argument and expresses a clear position. Points are well¬argued and supported with examples.
  • The answer is well-organised and the message is easy to follow with clear paragraphing and linking of ideas. There are too many errors in cohesion, however, and some linking words are not always fully appropriate, so this limits the rating for this criterion.
  • A wide range of vocabulary is used accurately and precisely, in spite of one or two awkward expressions and some rare errors. Similarly, a sophisticated range of structures is used but there are too many minor errors and omissions (such as in the use of prepositions and basic subject/verb agreement) to reach Band 8. Nevertheless these mistakes do not reduce the clarity of the answer and overall a wide range of language is used with a high level of proficiency.
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Một bài viết khác:
We are bombarded by advertisements on a daily basis whether they are on television, billboards, on the internet, on the radio or printed media. Bright colours, catchy tunes, celebrities, clever or funny adverts catch our attention and often make us want to purchase products that we don’t really need. This is what is known as the power of advertising.

Those who believe in the power of advertising say it leads to the high sales of popular consumer goods. Rather than informing consumers about new products and services, the role of advertising has become to convince consumers to buy products they don’t really need. Commercials of today are blurring the line between needs and wants by creating desire for a product. Consumers are buying into an image. Famous stars or attractive people are often used to advertise products and make people believe they can become like them if they use a product.

On the other hand, some people question the true power of advertising. As there are so many adverts currently being shown, consumers stop paying attention to them. Furthermore, there are other factors involved when making a choice about what products to buy. Consumers have the ability to make their own choices depending on their finances. Even if a product appeals to a consumer through an advert it may be beyond a shopper’s budget. Similarly a consumer may spend on a product due to its quality or value for money.

To sum up, although companies spend vast amounts on advertising to boost their sales and some commercials are convincing enough to lead to a sale, I believe consumers are their own masters when it comes to spending. They take into account their household income and their needs.

Friday, 22 August 2014

IELTS Writing Task 2: Foreign tourists

Question

Foreign visitors should pay more than local visitors for cultural and historical attractions. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

It is sometimes argued that tourists from overseas should be charged more than local residents to visit important sites and monuments. I completely disagree with this idea.
[Giới thiệu, dẫn dắt đi vào vấn đề và thể hiện quan điểm của mình ở loại bài luận cần thể hiện quan điểm]

The argument in favour of higher prices for foreign tourists would be that cultural or historical attractions often depend on state subsidies to keep them going, which means that the resident population already pays money to these sites through the tax system. However, I believe this to be a very shortsighted view. Foreign tourists contribute to the economy of the host country with the money they spend on a wide range of goods and services, including food, souvenirs, accommodation and travel. The governments and inhabitants of every country should be happy to subsidise important tourist sites and encourage people from the rest of the world to visit them.

If travellers realised that they would have to pay more to visit historical and cultural attractions in a particular nation, they would perhaps decide not to go to that country on holiday. To take the UK as an example, the tourism industry and many related jobs rely on visitors coming to the country to see places like Windsor Castle or Saint Paul’s Cathedral. These two sites charge the same price regardless of nationality, and this helps to promote the nation’s cultural heritage. If overseas tourists stopped coming due to higher prices, there would be a risk of insufficient funding for the maintenance of these important buildings.

In conclusion, I believe that every effort should be made to attract tourists from overseas, and it would be counterproductive to make them pay more than local residents.

(269 words, band 9.0)
Source: http://ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/2013/12/ielts-writing-task-2-foreign-tourists-essay.html