DISCUSS BOTH VIEWS AND GIVE YOUR OPINION

Sample questions:

1. These days many people choose to work from home and many students choose to study
from home. Do you think this is a positive or negative development?
2. Juvenile delinquencies keep escalating in many parts of the world. Therefore, some
people argue that teenage criminals should be punished in the same way as adult ones.
What is your opinion on this?

Question analysis:

Question 1:

- Theme: distant working and learning

- Issue: many people choose to work from home and many students choose to
study from home.

- Organizing words: a positive or negative development

 Introduction: 2-3 sentences

Sample 1: No one would dispute the fact that distant working and learning is becoming more
and more popular in today’s world. Accordingly, a rising number of employees and students
choose to work and study from home. From my personal perspective, this is a positive
development because of the following reasons.

Question 2:

- Theme: crimes

- Issue: teenage criminals should be punished in the same way as adults ones

- Organizing words: your opinion on this

 Introduction: 2-3 sentences

Sample 2:

No one would dispute the fact that the growing number of crimes commited teenagers is a
burning issue in many countries around the globe. Therefore, it is widely claimed that juvenile
delinquents should be punished in the same way as adults ones . From my personal perspective, I
disagree with this idea owning to the following reasons.

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 BRAINSTORM IDEAS:

REASONS FOR:

- To emphasize the fairness of the justice system.

- To be an effective warning for all kinds of criminials of all ages.

- To stop the law gap exploitation of the criminal world.

REASON AGAINST:

- Immaturity: unable to understand the outcome of their misdeeds.

- Be more likely to be negatively affected by more mature criminals when locked inside the same
prison cell.

- Deter ex- criminals from rehabilitation.

BODY:
STUDENT TEACHER
Firstly, a quite convincing opinion to support
the above position is that treating teenage
criminals as adults can emphasize the
fairness of the justice system.
This is owning to the fact that

MODAL ANSWER ANALYSIS:

Almost everyone agrees that we should be training children to recycle waste to save the
Earth’s natural resources. Some believe that it is parents who should teach their children
to recycle waste. Others argue that school is the best place to teach do this. Discuss both
views and give your own opinion
Modal answer 1

Most people would agree that young people need to be taught about the importance
of recycling waste products and packaging. There is a difference of opinion, however,
whether this should happen at home or in schools. In this essay, I will examine both points
of view and then state my opinion.

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 The argument in favour of teaching children at school about recycling is largely
based around the idea that schools and other educational establishments are the best
environment for training children. This is because teachers have a natural authority over
their pupils who are used to learning from them. Additionally, the need for recycling
could easily be included in biology and geography classes.
BODY. PARA 2: There are two main reasons why people think parents taking
responsibility for this training could be more effective. The first is that the majority of
recycling takes place in the home and parents can therefore more easily control the
recycling habits of their children. If, for example, parents see their child put a recyclable
bottle in the wrong bin, they can explain that it needs to go in another bin. The other very
practical point is that often children spend more time at home than at school and so
parents may have more effect.
CONCLUSION: My own view is that the best solution is for children to learn
about recycling both at home and at school. In this way, they would learn about both the
theory and the practice.

Structure

Introduction – 3 sentences
normally Here is the issue.
Here are the two views

Here is what I’m going to say

Main body 1

This is why people think school is the best place (i.e. main idea = one point of view)

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 Reasons with examples (support)

Main body 2

This is why people think home is the best place (i.e. the other main idea = the other point of view)
Reasons with examples (support)

Conclusion

Your opinion – also summarizing the main points of the essay to make it coherent.

Modal answer 2

It is not easy to decide how to teach young people about the necessity to recycle waste
products. One school of thought is that they should be taught this in school. Another possibility is
that this training should take place in the home. While teachers may have some part to play, my
view is that parents are more likely to be effective in achieving practical results.
BODY. PARA 1: The idea that children should learn about recycling as part of their
general education does have its merits. One reason why people propose this is that recycling
could easily fit in with other subjects on the curriculum such as geography and biology. The general
idea is that if children understand about the effects that not recycling has on the environment, then
they will naturally choose to recycle waste and packaging themselves. The drawback is that children
frequently do not apply what they learn as theory to life itself.
The alternative suggestion of giving the primary responsibility to parents seems more likely
to be effective in practice. This is partly because the majority of recycling actually happens in the
home where parents and teachers are present. Parents can, for example, ensure that their children get
into habit of sorting waste and packaging and putting it into the correct bin. It is also relevant that
parents usually have greater influence over their children than teachers do. A child is typically going
to listen to the advice of a parent than a teacher, simply because their relationship is closer.
CONCLUSION: My conclusion is therefore that while it may seem better for children to
learn about recycling at school, in practice that training would be more effective when given by
parents.

Structure

Introduction – 3 sentences normally

Here is the issue.

Here are the two views

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 Here is my opinion [contrast this with the first essay where you do not give your opinion in the
introduction]

INTRO (topic: recycle waste)

- Rewrite the task question

- Say there are 2 conflicting views
- Confirm your support is on view A or view B – Close intro – Side A (chọn A thì viết sau)

BODY:
1. INTRODUCE SIDE B ( không chọn thì viết trước)
- State the reason why some people hold this opinion.
- Explain their ideas.
- Expand your discussion.
- Give 1 or 2 examples/ evidence.
 Introduce 1 drawback of this view.

2. INTRODUCE SIDE A (your chosen side)

- State the reason why some people hold this opinion.
- Explain their ideas.
- Expand your discussion.
- Give 1 or 2 examples/ evidence.
 Không nêu drawback.

CONCLUSION
- Summarise the ideas
- Reconfirm your support on view A or view B

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Main body 1

This is why people think school is the best place (i.e. main idea = one point of view) comment on
whether you think it is a good idea or not
Reasons with examples (support)

Main body 2

This is why people think home is the best place (i.e. the other main idea = the other point of view)
comment on whether you think it is a good idea or not
Reasons with examples (support)

Conclusion

Your opinion – reflecting the introduction and the main points of the body paragraphs

ESSAY STRUCTURES:

INTRODUCTION - Rewrite the task question

- Say there are 2 conflicting views

- Confirm your support is on view A or view B

BODY PARA. 1 - Arguments for view A
BODY PARA. 2 - Arguments for view B
CONCLUSION - Summarise the ideas

- Reconfirm your support on view A or view B

I. USEFUL LANGUAGE AND STRUCTURES:

A. INTRODUCTION:

1. How to introduce an issue that provokes 2 different views.

 NP (singular) is a matter/an issue which has provoked/fueled considerable/heated debate.

 There is serious/fierce debate on/over the matter of NP.

 There exist two conflicting/ contrasting stances/ viewpoints/ opinions/

perspectives/lines of thoughts with regard to NP.
2. How to introduce 2 different views:

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 While/ Whereas it is generally agreed/ widely believed that + Clause, there are those who
argue that + Clause.
 On the one hand, the idea/ notion/ belief/argument that + Clause is welcomed/accepted by
many people, but on the other hand it has been suggested that + Clause.

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 3. How to state your stance:
Open intro.:
 As a matter of fact, both views are likely to sound equally convincing at a glance and
should need further mentioning.
 Within the scope of this writing, I will examine both points of view and then state my
opinion.

Close intro.:

 Although each side of opinions has its own reasons and reality, which will be included in
a further discussion below, I am still more convinced that … (State your position).
Followings are why I hold these viewpoints.
 Personally, I am inclined to support/advocate/endorse the former/latter perspective.

 Although the former/latter standpoint sounds plausible, I am personally in favour of/ in

support of the latter/former one.

B. BODY:

PARA. 1:

Introduce view A (topic sentence)

 On the one hand, the position that + Clause is perfectly plausible/valid for (two) main
reasons.
 On close inspection, it is easy to understand/follow the reasoning/rationale behind the
idea that + Clause.
Introduce the arguments for view A

 The most important point is that + Clause.

 It should also be noted that + Clause.

 A further explanation worth mentioning is that + Clause.

PARA. 2:
Introduce view B (topic sentence)

 On the other hand, there are convincing/persuasive arguments in favour of + Clause.

 Nevertheless, the concept of + Clause also rests on/ is based on solid foundations.

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Introduce the arguments for view B

 One obvious reason is +NP/ is that + Clause.

 Another fact worth noting is that + Clause.

 A further justification for this is that + Clause.

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C. CONCLUSION:

 All things considered, although/even though + Clause, I am of the opinion/ am convinced

that + Clause.
 In conclusion, there is no doubt that/ there is no denying that/ it is undoubtedly true that the
reasons appear valid on both sides, yet my opinion leans towards + Clause.
 To conclude, a thorough discussion for this issue copes with both angles in a broader sense.
In a more personal aspect the support tends to be more on the fact that + Clause (Re-confirm
your position). However, to lead to a complete understanding of the issue, we should need
further thinking from those academically capable.

II. REAL IELTS ESSAY QUESTIONS:

1. Some people think that children should learn how to compete, but others think that children
should be taught to cooperate to become more useful adults. Express some reasons for both
views and give your own opinions.
2. Nowadays education quality is very low. Some people think we should encourage our
students to evaluate and criticize their teachers. Others believe that it will result in a loss of
respect and discipline in the classroom. Discuss both sides and give your own opinions.
3. Some people think that teachers should be responsible for teaching students to judge what is
right and wrong so that they can behave well. Others say that teachers should only teach
students academic subjects. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
4. Some people think the main purpose of education is to make individuals useful to society;
others say education helps them to achieve personal ambitions. Discuss both views and give
your opinion.
5. In many countries children are engaged in different kinds of paid work. Some people regard
this as completely wrong, while others consider it a valuable work experience, important for
learning and taking responsibility. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

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