Introduction

Write your introduction in two sentences:

 Sentence 1 - paraphrase the statement (you can use ‘it is argued/considered/thought that’ to start):

It is often argued that it is more advantageous to choose a job with high wage, even if it doesn't appeal to you at
all. 

 Sentence 2 - say whether you agree or disagree with it and extend your opinion:

I completely disagree with this opinion and think that job satisfaction is much more important than salary.

Body paragraph 1 - the 1st reason you agree/disagree

 Sentence 1 - state the first reason you agree/disagree.

This sentence should contain the main idea of the whole 1st paragraph.  Use words firstly or first of all to introduce
the first reason. In our case we’ll use the reason that job satisfaction gives you a sense of fulfillment:

First of all, I believe that job satisfaction gives people a sense of fulfillment that no money can guarantee.

 Sentences 2-3 - explain the reason.

To explain the reason effectively, you can imagine that your examiner has no knowledge of this subject at all and
you have to explain every detail:

Even if someone is earning a high salary, but feels tensed and compromises with his conscience, this person won’t
enjoy his life. While pursuing one’s interests will always bring pleasure and feeling of satisfaction. 

 Sentence 4 - example.

It’s always good to give examples in your body paragraphs, even if you’re not asked to do it. In our case, the
task asks you to provide relevant examples:

For example, a lot of famous researchers made their career choices not because of appealing wages, but because
they were passionate about science.

 Sentence 5 - a short summary of your ideas in this paragraph:

That’s why it’s more important to choose the kind of work that makes you happy than to look only at a high salary.

Body paragraph 2 - the 2nd reason you agree/disagree

 Sentence 1 - state the second reason you agree/disagree.

Secondly, doing what you like keeps you motivated and therefore leads to a career growth.

 Sentences 2-3 - explain the reason (assume that your examiner doesn’t understand the topic at all):

In other words, there is a strong relation between job satisfaction and productivity. People who love their jobs can
easily excel in their fields of work and achieve better results than those, who put salary on the first place.

 Sentence 4 - support your idea with an example:

For instance, Henry Miller decided to leave his everyday job despite a good wage and ventured to become a writer.
And after enduring years of ups and downs he became one of the most famous and well-paid authors of the
twentieth century.

 Sentence 5 - a short summary of your thoughts in the 2nd paragraph.

Thus, advantages of jobs that keep you satisfied outweigh the drawback of a low salary in a long-term perspective.

Conclusion

You can write the conclusion in one sentence that summarizes your opinion + 2 reasons for it:

To conclude, I strongly believe that job satisfaction is more beneficial than high salary because it makes people
happy and motivated.
DO NOT write new ideas in the conclusion!

IELTS agree/disagree model answer

This is a full band-9 answer for IELTS agree or disagree question above:

It is often argued that it is more advantageous to choose a job with high wage, even if it doesn't appeal to you at
all. I completely disagree with this opinion and think that job satisfaction is much more important than salary.

First of all, I believe that job satisfaction gives people a sense of fulfillment that no money can guarantee. Even if
someone is earning a high salary, but feels tensed and compromises with his conscience, this person won’t enjoy
his life. While pursuing one’s interests will always bring pleasure and feeling of satisfaction. For example, a lot of
famous researchers made their career choices not because of appealing wages, but because they were passionate
about science. That’s why it’s more important to choose the kind of work that makes you happy than to look only
at a high salary.

Secondly, doing what you like keeps you motivated and therefore leads to a career growth. In other words, there is
a strong relation between job satisfaction and productivity. People who love their jobs can easily excel in their
fields of work and achieve better results than those, who put salary on the first place. For instance, Henry Miller
decided to leave his everyday job despite a good wage and ventured to become a writer. And after enduring years
of ups and downs he became one of the most famous and well-paid authors of the twentieth century. Thus,
advantages of jobs that keep you satisfied outweigh the drawback of a low salary in a long-term perspective.

To conclude, I strongly believe that job satisfaction is more beneficial than high salary because it makes people
happy and motivated.
Some people believe that unpaid community service should be a compulsory part of high school programs (for
example working for a charity, improving the neighbourhood or teaching sports to younger children).

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

First, take a look at the response to this essay task:

Today it is a popular belief that students attending high school should volunteer in the community as

part of their schooling. I strongly agree with this notion. Volunteer work can provide young people

with the experiences they need for paying jobs and it can also help them see themselves as valuable

contributors to society.

When completing compulsory work activities with charitable organizations or community

organizations, students gain skills that they can add to their resumes and use in future jobs. Working

out in the real world quickly teaches young people the importance of time management, clear

communication and teamwork. Employers like McDonald’s restaurants, who provide many young

people with their first paying jobs, look for volunteer work on resumes as evidence of having

developed some relevant work skills. So, although students are not paid for their time, they are

building valuable abilities for future employment.

Perhaps even more importantly, when students volunteer, they are more likely to realize that their

actions have a positive impact on the world around them. Often the problems of our world can seem

overwhelming but if students are given the opportunity to help others, even in a small way, they will

see that they can make a difference. In schools that have been running these programs, there has been

an incredible boost in student morale and the community has benefitted from the talent and time that

young people have contributed to the many programs that need support. It’s true that studying for

academics is time-consuming and students already have a lot to do in a day but if we teach them how

to step up and help others, we create a better future for us all.

In conclusion, it is a great idea to have unpaid community service as part of a high school program

because it will help the next generation prepare for employment and it will build a caring community

that is willing and able to make our world a better place. It’s my hope to see this in every school.
Now, let’s look at the underlying structure sentence by sentence.

AGREE/DISAGREE ESSAY - 4 PARAGRAPH FORMULA

Paragraph One - Introduction

Sentence 1: States the premise that the essay will address (you can simply rephrase the words in the

task).

Today it is a popular belief that students attending high school should volunteer in the

community as part of their schooling.

Sentence 2: States your opinion in the matter.

I strongly agree with this notion.

Sentence 3: Briefly outlines what you are going to write in the next two paragraphs to support your

opinion.

Volunteer work can provide young people with the experiences they need for paying jobs and it

can also help them see themselves as valuable contributors to society.

 Paragraph Two - Body

Sentence 1 (topic sentence): Tells the reader what this paragraph is about by introducing your first point.

When completing compulsory work activities with charitable organizations or community

Sentence 2: Assumes that the reader doesn’t know anything about this topic and explains your point

clearly.

Working out in the real world quickly teaches young people the importance of time management,

clear communication and teamwork.

Sentence 3: Gives a real life or made up example that illustrates and supports this point.

Employers like McDonald’s restaurants, who provide many young people with their first paying

jobs, look for volunteer work on resumes as evidence of having developed some relevant work

skills.

Sentence 4: Concedes to a relevant opposing position but redirects to yours.

So, although students are not paid for their time, they are building valuable abilities for future

employment.

Paragraph Three - Body – Repeat the above

Sentence 1 (topic sentence): Tells the reader what this paragraph is about by introducing second point.

Perhaps even more importantly, when students volunteer, they are more likely to realize that

their actions have a positive impact on the world around them.

Sentence 2: Assumes that the reader doesn’t know anything about this topic and explains your point

clearly.

Often the problems of our world can seem overwhelming but if students are given the

opportunity to help others, even in a small way, they will see that they can make a difference.

Sentence 3: Gives a real life or made up example that illustrates and supports this point.

In schools that have been running these programs, there has been an incredible boost in student

morale and the community has benefitted from the talent and time that young people have

contributed to the many programs that need support.

It’s true that studying for academics is time-consuming and students already have a lot to do in a

day but if we teach them how to step up and help others, we create a better future for us all.

Paragraph Four – Conclusion

Sentence 1: Rephrase your opinion and sum up your two supporting points.

In conclusion, it is a great idea to have unpaid community service as part of a high school

program because it will help the next generation prepare for employment and it will build a

caring community that is willing and able to make our world a better place.

Sentence 2: Make a prediction or a recommendation based on what you have said.

It’s my hope to see this in every school.

What I hope you see from this example is that when you pay attention to how you organize your essay, it’s easier

to read. I also want you to realize that it isn’t difficult to accomplish this clarity when you have a reliable structure

in mind.

Check back for future blogs that will show you how to modify this formula for other kinds of IELTS essay tasks.

In the meantime, here is a blank template for you to use when you write your next agree/disagree essay.
Cấu trúc như sau
Introduction
Sentence 1 - Paraphrase question (Lặp lại câu hỏi);
Sentence 2 - Thesis statement (It is agreed.../It is disagreed.../This essay agrees/disagrees…);
Sentence 3 - Outline sentence (This essay will discuss about…).
Main Body Paragraph 1
Sentence 4 - Topic sentence (Luận điểm 1);
Sentence 5 - Explain topic sentence (Giải thích luận điểm 1);
Sentence 6 - Example (Cho ví dụ);
Sentence 7 - Concession (Đánh giá lại luận điểm).
Main Body Paragraph 2
Sentence 8 - Topic sentence (Luận điểm 2);
Sentence 9 - Explain topic sentence (Giải thích luận điểm 2);
Sentence 10 - Example (Cho ví dụ);
Sentence 11 - Concession (Đánh giá lại luận điểm).
Conclusion
Sentence 12 - Summary (Tổng kết vấn đề);
Sentence 13 - Recommendation and Prediction (Đề xuất và dự đoán).

Sample Answer

It is argued that volunteering should be made part of the school curriculum. This essay agrees with that
suggestion completely because of the benefits it brings to pupils. The essay will first look at how
voluntary work can help students develop soft skills and then discuss how these extracurricular activities
are valued by universities and employers.

Education should not be limited to strictly academic pursuits and those in education should also develop
life skills, such as teamwork, empathy and self-discipline, and one of the best ways to hone these
aptitudes is through community service. Serving those less fortunate than ourselves teaches us many
lessons including how to work with people from other backgrounds and the value of hard work. For
example, I personally volunteered to spend 6 weeks in Africa teaching disadvantaged children and this led
to a much higher work ethic when I returned to my studies.

Many colleges and companies are also increasingly looking for this type of experience . Most school leavers
have the same grades and charitable works can help set you apart from the herd. For example,
Cambridge and Oxford receive thousands of applications from straight-A students every year and can only
accept a small percentage of applicants. What you have done outside the classroom is often the thing that
differentiates you from everyone else and gets you that coveted spot.

In conclusion, teenagers should be made to partake in unpaid work as part of their schooling because it
will help them learn things they wouldn’t ordinarily learn from their teachers and it will also boost their
chances of getting into third level education.