Academic Writing & Speaking Course

WRITING LESSON 3

 Discussion Essay
Lesson focus
 Vocabulary topic: Cities & Countryside

I. DISCUSSION ESSAY

* Model question: Discuss both views and give your opinion

* Structure:

 Background statement: paraphrase the topic

Introduction
 Thesis statement: …………………………………….

 Body 1: ……………………………..
- Sentence 1: ……………………………………….
- Sentence 2 – 5/6: …………………………………
Body
 Body 2: ………………………………
- Sentence 1: ……………………………………….
- Sentence 2 – 5/6: …………………………………

Conclusion  Restate your opinion

* Useful expressions for writing a discussion essay:

Background statement:

- The topic of … has aroused public concern. Some people say that….whilst others claim
about….
- A matter of considerable controversy at the present is … While most people do agree
that …, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that …
- Some people advocate … However, others are of the opinion that…

Thesis statement:

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- While some may disagree, I believe …

- I strongly believe that it has more advantages than the disadvantages.
- This has some positive impacts on … , but I think the detrimental effects on
… are more significant.

Topic sentence

FOR

- From the one side, the opinion earlier may sound plausible due to/because …
- From the one side, people in favor of … argue that …
- From the one side, people who … may argue that there are a number of obvious merits.
- On the one hand, …

AGAINST

- From the other side, those who disagree point out that there are some negative
aspects/drawbacks/ a couple of shortcomings.
- On the other hand, I would argue that…

Supporting sentences:

Idea 1:

- The first drawback of this matter is …

- The most impractical characteristic would be that …
- Unquestionably, the most adverse feature would be that …

Idea 2

- Another negative point is given out that …

- Correspondingly, an addition weal point may be that …
- Supplementary to this, a further handicap may be that …
- This can be a hassle (rắc rối) because … (explanation)
- This is usually an aggravation(sự nghiêm trọng hơn) because … (explanation)

Idea 3

- Last but not least, …

- The final stumbling-block (vật chướng ngại) might be that…

Conclusion

- From what has been mentioned/ discussed above, the obvious conclusion to be drawn is
that …
- All things considered, I am convinced that …/ I am inclined to believe that …

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Example:

Many people believe that it is easier to have a healthy lifestyle in the countryside.
Other believe that there are health benefits of living in cities. Discuss both views
and give your opinions.

Introduction

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Body 1

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Body 2

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…………………………………………………………………………………………………
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Conclusion

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II. PRACTICE

Some people say material possessions are very useful in bringing us happiness, but
others argue that they are useless in terms of providing happiness. Discuss both
views and give your own opinion and reasons.

Introduction

…………………………………………………………………………………………………
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Body 1

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Body 2

…………………………………………………………………………………………………
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Conclusion

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Sample essay:

The pursuit of happiness is an everlasting human endeavour in all societies. However,

happiness is probably the most elusive thing in the world and when defining it, people often
hold widely different views. In my opinion, although the definitions of happiness many vary,
they can fail into two broad categories, which will be discussed below.

Some people think they can obtain happiness through acquisition. Their lives are an
incessant course of possessing something, whether it is money, fame, authority or social
status. A typical example is reflected in the activities of a shrewd businessman, who is in the
habit of rushing through life, being on the go from morning till night. However, the sad thing
is that only a few of them can become millionaires after years of striving. A more brutal truth
is that many rich people are so obsessed with possessing and retaining their money that it is
hard for them to relax and enjoy themselves. It is little wonder that some big shots
committed suicide because they longed for happiness in another world.

On the other hand, there are some people in the world who achieve happiness through
helping others and contributing to the whole society. They are more often ordinary citizens
who understand that true happiness comes from giving rather than taking. By devoting
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themselves to the cause of helping the poor and the disabled, they feel an inner bliss that
accompanies them at every moment of their lives. Laborious and painstaking as it is, they are
determined to overcome every stumbling block in the way because they are convinced that
giving a helping hand to others is a spiritually rewarding act. For instance, we all have the
experience of feeling fulfilled and gratified when we have successfully solved a knotty
problem for others. It is this kind of charity and generosity that makes our lives rich,
meaningful and happy.

To conclude, only through contribution, rather than acquisition, can people actually find
themselves immersed in a feeling of happiness. In other words, happiness lies not in
anything we possess, but in the act and attitude of helping others.

- endeavour (n): sự nỗ lực

The public bombarded the company with complaints in an endeavour to have the price
increase revoked.
- elusive (adj): khó nắm bắt, hay lảng tránh
Eric, as elusive as ever, was nowhere to be found.
- acquisition (n): sự giành được/ có được, sự tiếp thu
This book is about theories of language acquisition.
- incessant (adj): liên tục, không ngừng
There is always an incessant stream of visitors all day in this resort.
- shrewd (adj): sắc sảo, khôn ngoan
She is a shrewd judge of character.
- strive (for sth) (v): nỗ lực, phấn đấu
We encourage all members to strive for the highest standards.
- brutal (adj): tàn nhẫn
With brutal honesty, she told him she did not love him.
- obsess (v): ám ảnh
She is completely obsessed by computers.
- bliss (n): niềm vui lớn
My idea of bliss is a month in the Bahamas.

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OTHER TASK 2 QUESTIONS

1. Some people prefer to stay in the same type of work all their life, and others prefer to
change their jobs from time to time. Discuss both sides and state your own opinion.

2. Some people feel that young people should follow the traditions of their society. Others,
however, believe that young people should be free to behave as individuals.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

3. Some people believe that governments should make laws about people’s nutrition and
food choice while others argue that it is their choice.
Discuss both views and give your opinion.

4. Some people believe that the arts should receive subsidies or sponsorship from
government and big companies. Others feel such spending is a luxury and that it would
be better if it were invested in scientific projects.
Discuss both views and give your opinion.

5. Some people are born to be leaders, while others believe leadership can be learnt.
Discuss both views and give opinion.

6. Some people think that children should start school at a very early age, but others
believe that chilren should go to school until they are older.
Discuss both views and give your opinion.

7. Some people think history has nothing or little to tell us, but others think that studying
the past can help us better understand the present. Discuss the two views and give your
own opinion.

8. People believe that individuals who make a lot of money are the most successful. Others
say that those who contribute to society like scientists, teacher are the most successful.
Discuss both and give your opinion?

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Opinions diverge on whether residing in rural or urban areas brings more health benefits to
people. From my viewpoint, it is definitely better for people to opt for the countryside if they
want to lead a healthy life, and the advantages of each place will also be discussed to prove
my argument.

On the one hand, it is quite reasonable to regard big cities as an ideal environment for health
advanatages. Firstly, living in big cities enables residents to have fastest access to top-notch
healthcare services of their country, which helps reduce the mortality rate or worsened
injuries due to late treatment and the lack of skillful doctors. This stems from the fact that
there are just a few clinics and hospitals in the countryside; therefore, patients usually have
to commute a long distance to reach the service. In emergency cases, doctors fail to save
them only because it is too late, though their life should have been cured when recognised
and treated early. Secondly, modern infrastructure and gym facilities in conurbations are
other merits to enhance people’s well-being. Interconnected road lines and more convenient
movement will reduce the amount of time they spend on travel, which keep their energy to
perform better at work. In addition, city dwellers have a variety of options for physical
exercise, such as going to the gym, yoga classes that are extremely rare in the countryside.

On the other hand, I still hold a strong belief that nowhere can replace rural areas when it
comes to health improvement.What should be mentioned first is the fresh atmostphere and
clean environment the countryside provides. Undeniably, people will be at lower risk of lung
cancer and other diseases related to pollution when settling in such places, compared with
densely populated cities that often have high volume of greenhouse emissions and
contaminated rivers. Thus, rural residents are more likely to have longer life expectancy.
Secondly, the pace of life in the countryside is much slower and more peaceful than that of
the metropolises, so residents can enjoy better mental health. Conversely, city dwellers often
suffer from stress and mental illness due to their fast-paced lifestyle, which is even worsened
by continual noise of traffic and people’s activities at night. Recent studies have also pointed
out high rate of suicide commitment of young workers in large cities such as Tokyo and
London. Therefore, the tranquility and freshness of rural places are paramount to enhance
people’s well-being.

In conclusion, I completely support the idea that rural people are more likely to stay healthy
than city dwellers. Despite some conveniences that urban areas can bring, what the
countryside offer is irreplacable to have a good health condition.