OPINION ESSAY - mix opinion and not one-sided

In many situations, people who break the law should be warned instead of punished. To what
extent do you agree or disagree?

There is a view that people who disobey the law should receive a warning rather than a
punishment. In my opinion, although law breakers should be punished to dissuade people
from committing crimes, there are some exceptions in which a warning would be sufficient to
serve the same purpose.

(1) To begin with, it is important to acknowledge that most crimes should be punished
accordingly in order to deter people from illegal activities. (2) This is because people will be
less likely to violate the rules knowing that there will be a harsh fine and a penalty once they get
caught. (3) For instance, in the United States, traffic fines cost hundreds of dollars, which is
almost equivalent to the monthly rent, to dissuade anyone from disobeying the law on the road.
(4) Alternatively, if only a warning was given to criminals most of the time, more people would
be willing to violate the rules knowing the consequence would be nothing more than a slap on
the wrist.

(1) On the other hand, I believe there are uncommon circumstances in which a warning,
instead of a punishment, serves the purpose of maintaining public order. (2) To make it clear,
they are situations that involve first time offenders with petty violations such as jaywalking. (3)
For example, a high school child should not be fined hundreds of dollars on his way home after
crossing the road in his neighborhood. (4) After all, being stopped and scolded by a police
officer when committing such an act will presumably scare him enough to not try it again.

In conclusion, in most cases, I believe people should be punished for their crimes as it is a
great deterrence. Nevertheless, exceptions should be made to rare and special occasions
when a warning is enough to discourage them from repeating the offense.

Word count: 288

Time: 52 min
Some countries are considering imposing curfews in which teenagers will not be allowed
outdoors at night unless they are accompanied by an adult.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this policy?

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4:43 -

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4:49

Some governments are taking into consideration the implementation of curfews for teenagers to
prevent them from being outside during night time without the presence of an adult. In my
opinion, this approach would be beneficial to both individuals in that age group and the society
as a whole.

It is important to acknowledge that this policy could have positive effects on the well-being of
teenagers. This is because by banning them from being outdoors at night, it can limit their
involvement with the gang and criminal activities, which are usually frequent at that time. For
example, with such curfew imposed, minors will be excluded from illegal street racing which are
very common in many cities after the sun is down. In addition, they will have more time to spend
at home with their families, thus strengthening the familial relationship while avoiding negatively
influenced companionship of strangers.

To society, this law could help the law enforcement in the task of maintaining law and order. In
another word, with fewer teenagers being exposed to nocturnal crimes, the rate of illegal
violations will possibly decrease. Furthermore, in the situations that there are minors involved in
an illegal act, it is more reasonable for the officers to also hold the accompanying adult
responsible, since teenagers are not prosecuted to the full extent of the law. As a result, the
crime victims will be able to receive deserving justice and rightful compensation from the adult.

In conclusion, I agree with the view that the night curfew for teenagers without an adult not only
prevents them from the negative influence of night life, but also aids in the stability of the society
through the law.

Word count: 279

Time: ?
Many students find it difficult to focus or pay attention at school nowadays.

What are the reasons for this?

What can be done to solve this problem?

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9:09 Planning - 9:19 - 09:44

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Recently, it has become a common issue that students struggle to sit through their lectures
without getting distracted. This essay will discuss the possible reasons behind this matter and
detail some proposals to elevate the problem.

To begin with, one of the main reasons behind the lack of focus in children is the presence of
more digital devices compared to the past. As they are introduced to the classroom in order to
prepare the students better for the digital age, they also often draw the students’ attention and
disrupt the focus during lectures. For example, while a student is taking notes on his laptop
during a course, he might be interrupted by receiving a message from his online social media
via the same device. Thus, I believe there should be limitations on such devices, including the
ban of the internet while lectures are in session.

Furthermore, another reason for this issue is the outdated teaching methods that bored the
majority of students nowadays. This is because, in many countries, some institutions are still
adopting the old teaching style of having the teachers go through the materials individually
without the involvement of students. As they find it to be too dull, they lose their interest quickly
and are unable to absorb the information. In order to address this issue, teachers need to
update their methods to encourage students to participate in the lectures. In addition, they can
utilize presentation tools and interactive websites to make the materials more interesting.

In conclusion, the distractions of recent mobile devices and the lack of updated teaching
methods are often the main reasons leading to students losing their focus in the classroom. As I
mentioned, possible solutions involve the limitations of such devices and more engaging
teaching methods.

Word count: 293

Time: 39 min (wow! Good job!)
Some people think that individuals today are more dependent on each other. Others believe
people have become more independent.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

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Recently, there seems to be a shift in the level of independence. While there is a view that most
people are becoming more independent from each other nowadays, I would agree with those
who argue that it is the opposite that many of them are depending less on others compared to
the past.

To begin with, it is important to acknowledge the view in which individuals are deemed to be
more independent, especially within the young adult age group. This is because, compared to
the past, many young people are more likely to move out of their parents’ houses as soon as
possible in order to live independently. For example, in Vietnam, most people in their early 20s
desire to have their own places, whereas the idea of owning a separate house only occurred to
married couples a decade ago. The argument goes that if the separation of young adults from
their parents is becoming more common, it means that they have gotten more independent.

Despite the previously mentioned shift in how early people move out, I believe they are
depending more on each other nowadays. This is because the income of most working adults
are often unable to keep up with the rise in living cost and the high inflation rate. Thus, while
many people are able to move out earlier than before, they still have to depend heavily on their
parents’ support. In other cases, individuals have to depend on not just the parents, but also
others who are in similar situations to share the burden of the rent.

In conclusion, even though some might think that individuals are becoming more independent
based on how earlier young adults can have their separate places nowadays, I believe they are
now more financially dependent compared to the past.

Time: 41 min
Word: 298
Some people think that there should be a complete ban on all forms of advertising.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

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8:44 - 9:13

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There is a view that all forms of advertising should be banned completely because of their
negative effects on each individual and the society as a whole. In my opinion, though it brings
some essential benefits to a country’s economy, limitations should be applied on advertising
due to different reasons.

To begin with, it is important to acknowledge that not all forms of advertising should be
prohibited because they provide crucial benefits to the overall market. Firstly, advertising raises
awareness of different products and services, resulting in more sales and boosting the
economy. For example, as a new business model, the monthly subscription of meal preparation
is getting more traction recently through popular advertisements. Secondly, advertising allows
multiple websites to be sponsored by marketing companies. As a result, these online services
are available to the public at no cost except being bothered by pop-ups occasionally.

Despite the benefits that advertising brings, I believe strongly that there should be a ban on
some of its forms. The reason for this is that, based on the moral aspect, some of them are
inappropriate or even borderline illegal. For instance, the placement of credit card loan
advertisements with high interest near a casino might be deemed as a predatory method by
most people. In addition, a complete ban on a few products is necessary in order to protect the
viewers and the public interest. One of those cases is the complete prohibition of pornogaphy
related advertising on most television channels.

In conclusion, while I believe all forms of advertising should not be banned because of the
beneficial roles they play in today's economy, limitations should be put in place to protect the
masses.

Count:280
In some cultures, children are often told that they can achieve anything if they try hard
enough.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of giving children this message?
Cambridge IELTS 15

5:02
Discussion, listing ad/disad

BP1: ad
- 1st advantage: to be the best of themselves to achieve the goal
- 2nd advantage: even when encountering hardships, they are taught that persistence,
determination and hard work will overcome any challenges
Bp2: disad
- 1st disad: unrealistic goal
- 2nd disadvantage: some may push past their limits thinking they can achieve anything if they
try more, either physically or mentally.

In some countries around the world, children are often told that hard work will pay off and allow them
to achieve their goals in life. This essay will highlight the benefits and drawbacks that result from the
approach of sending this message to young generations.

To begin with the positives, a crucial advantage is that the message encourages children to be the
best version of themselves. This is because of the belief that everything is achievable through hard
work, they often push forward, passing their limits, to be able to fulfill their dreams. For example, as
an immigrant, Arnold was able to become successful through his effort with barely any help from
others. Another advantage that should be mentioned is that even when encountering hardships, the
message taught the children to not give up. In other words, persistence and hard work will help them
overcome most challenges they might face during their adulthood.

However, telling children everything is achievable through hard work alone also present some
disadvantages, the most obvious of which is the tendency of setting unrealistic goals. This is often
common in children as they lack the capability to consider every aspect of a problem when setting
their goals, and thus aiming for far-fetched and unachievable dreams. In addition, in some cases,
some children might push too far past their limits and hurt themselves, either physically or mentally.
For instance, there have been reports that young athletes who injured themselves during training,
forcing them to drop out of competitions. In another example, in Korea, the competitive nature of
national exams push many students to be mentally unstable, resulting in drug abuse, depression
and others.

In conclusion, although telling children that hard work is the key to success can sometimes motivate
and blah blah blah, the downsides such as choosing unachievable dreams and risk of health issues
should also be taken into consideration.
314
Some people say that advertising is extremely successful at persuading us to buy things. Other
people think that advertising is so common that we no longer pay attention to it.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

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BP1: so common we ignoring it
T: Some people - advertising is too abundant that its audience are ignoring it
S: this is because many viewers have learned to stop focusing on the advertisement when they see
one and focus on something else while the ads piece is running.
S: When comparing the experimental group to the control group, a study has shown that viewers do
this instinctively after being exposed to a high amount of advertising.
A: The argument goes that because of this common trait, advertising is no longer effective as a
marketing tool since most people pay no attention to it anymore.

BP2: advertising works

T: However, I think that advertising is still a extremely influential marketing method to lure in
customers because of its technical advances and its essential contribution to the market.
S: with regards to the former,...
S: As for the latter,,...
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Although there is a view that advertising is no longer effective because people are ignoring it on
purpose due to its overwhelming abundance, I would agree with those who argue that it is still an
extremely essential marketing tool to influence viewers.

Some people may think that because advertising has become ubiquitous, (viewers) has stopped
paying any attention to it. This is because most people find it annoying to watch advertisements, and
thus, they usually focus on other activities while the advertisements are running. For instance, a
study was able to show that, after being exposed to a high number of advertisements, experiment
candidates instinctively lost their focus during the advertising time and failed to recall the advertised
product afterward. The argument goes that because of this subconscious behavior, advertising is not
an effective marketing tool anymore.

However, I think that advertising is still an extremely influential tool to lure in customers because of
its technical development and its essential contribution to the market. With regards to the former,
advertising has become more sophisticated by using new technology. For instance, the recent
introduction of three-dimensional billboards were a success since it was able to gather viewers and
become a tourist attraction. As for the latter reason, advertising has become such a vital part of the
market. Since there is no alternative to advertising, it will continue to be not only extremely
successful in drawing new customers, but also the sole available method to spread awareness about
a product.

In addition, technology such as internet cookies make it possible for advertising companies to
introduce targeted ads which focus on specific population based on their interests.
In conclusion, despite people having different views about the effectiveness of advertising, I believe
that it is still an important tool to attract new customers because of its ability to adopt latest
technology and remain as an crucial part of nowadays market.