WRITING TASK 2 – DAY 3

TYPE 1: OPINION ESSAY (one-sided approach)

I. INTRODUCTION: (5’)
● An opinion essay is a formal academic essay which requires you to state your opinion
(usually “agree or disagree”) on a given topic
● You need to provide reasons and supporting details to convince the examiners of your
answer.
● There are 2 common approaches to write an opinion essay: 1-sided and balanced.

II. ONE-SIDED APPROACH

● A one-sided essay is an essay where your opinion is completely inclined to only one side
of the argument, which means you either completely agree or completely disagree with
the issue given in the topic.
● There are 2 places where you have to give your opinion very clearly and directly: the
thesis statement in the introduction and the restatement in the conclusion.

III. SUGGESTED TEMPLATES (15’)

1. Introduction
- I totally agree/disagree that…
- Personally, I completely disagree/agree with this view.
- From my perspective, I completely disagree/agree with this view
…
2. Body
Body paragraph 1 ( supporting your opinion) :
For a variety of reasons,__________. Firstly, secondly, for example, finally
Body paragraph 2 ( supporting your opinion):
Apart from the practical concerns expressed above, I also believe that______.
3. Conclusion
In conclusion, I believe that_____________.
Example
Some people say that too much attention and too many resources are given in the protection of
wild animals and birds. Do you agree or disagree about this opinion?

ANSWER

Background sentence (paraphrase the topic)

 It is argued that protecting wild animals and birds is drawing/attracting too much concern and
too many resources of society. Personally, I totally agree with this point of view.
Topic Answer the question
sentence

There are two main reasons why I think people have paid too much attention to the
protection of animals. One reason is that many non-governmental organizations have been Supporting
established in order to protect animals all over the world. However, they are too concerned idea 1
about animal-related activities in many parts of the world. For example, it is unreasonable that
PETA, an animal protection organization, accused Katy Perry of using tigers and elephants in her
own music video ‘Roar’ for commercial purposes while she did not. Furthermore, news about
wild animals can be shared rapidly on the Internet. If a bear is imprisoned somewhere, this news
will be widespread on social networks such as Facebook on a large scale immediately.
Supporting In addition, people have also spent too many resources protecting wild birds. Firstly, a great
idea 2
deal of money is required to carry out any project to protect wild birds, in which infrastructure
and research are the two most expensive. The more difficult research to preserve the DNA of
wild birds is, the more it costs. Secondly, the expenditure for this protection is quite unnecessary
to some extent. While funds should be raised to improve the living standards in some regions,
investment in bird protection appears to be a waste of money.

• In conclusion, it seems to me that both concern and resources are focused too much on
the protection of wild animals and birds in this modern world.

IV. LINKING WORDS FOR WRITING (10’)

Listing Adding Giving example Results Contrast
information
Firstly In addition, For example As a result, On the one hand
Secondly Also For instance Therefore On the other hand,
Finally/ Moreover In other words, By contrast
Lastly

V. PRACTICE

Families who send their children to private schools should not be required to pay taxes that
support the state education system. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

SAMPLE
Some people believe that parents of children who attend private schools should not need to
contribute to state schools through taxes. Personally, I completely disagree with this view.

For a variety of reasons, it would be wrong to reduce taxes for families who pay for private
education. Firstly, it would be difficult to calculate the correct amount of tax reduction for these
families, and staff would be required to manage this complex process. Secondly, we all pay a
certain amount of tax for public services that we may not use. For example, most people are
fortunate enough not to have to call the police or fire brigade at any time in their lives, but they
would not expect a tax reduction for this. Finally, if wealthy families were given a tax discount
for sending their children to private schools, we might have a situation where poorer people pay
higher taxes than the rich.
In my opinion, we should all be happy to pay our share of the money that supports public
schools. It is beneficial for all members of society to have a high quality education system with
equal opportunities for all young people. This will result in a well-educated workforce, and in
turn a more productive and prosperous nation. Parents of children in private schools
may also see the advantages of this in their own lives. For example, a company owner will need
well qualified and competent staff, and a well-funded education system can provide such
employees.

Extreme sports such as sky diving and skiing are very dangerous and should be banned. To
what extent do you agree or disagree with this view?
1. Introduction: Topic = ban extreme sports. Answer = disagree
2. First reason: These sports are not so dangerous 1) because of regulations, procedures
and safety measures, 2) because of training and preparation (give an example sport),
3) because of improving equipment and technology
3. Second reason: It would be wrong to ban these sports, and difficult to enforce a ban -
freedom of choice - the right to enjoy yourself - risks and rewards (example) - who
would decide which sports? - who would stop people from participating?
4. Conclusion: repeat / summarize the opinion

In recent years, extreme sports have become increasingly popular, and some people argue that
governments should prohibit them. I completely disagree with the idea that these sports are too
dangerous, and I therefore believe that they should not be banned.

In my opinion, so-called extreme sports are not as dangerous as many people think. All sports
involve some element of risk, and there should always be clear regulations and safety
procedures to reduce the possibility of accidents. People who take part in extreme sports are
usually required to undergo appropriate training so that the dangers are minimized. For
example, anyone who wants to try skydiving will need to sign up for lessons with a registered
club, and beginners are not allowed to dive solo; they must be accompanied by an experienced
professional. Finally, the protective equipment and technology used in sports from motor
racing to mountain climbing is constantly improving safety.

While I support regulations and safety measures, I believe that it would be wrong, and almost
impossible, to ban extreme sports. In the first place, we should all be free to decide how we
spend our leisure time; as long as we understand the risks, I do not believe that politicians
should stop us from enjoying ourselves. However, an even stronger argument against such a
ban would be the difficulty of enforcing it. Many of the riskiest sports, like base jumping or big
wave surfing, are practiced far away from the reach of any authorities. I cannot imagine the
police being called to stop people from parachuting off a mountain face or surfing on an
isolated beach.

In conclusion,…

We cannot help everyone in the world that needs help, so we should only be concerned with
our own communities and countries.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Some people believe that we should not help people in other countries as long as there are
problems in our own society. I disagree with this view because I believe that we should try to
help as many people as possible.
On the one hand, I accept that it is important to help our neighbors and fellow citizens. In most
communities there are people who are impoverished or disadvantaged in some way. It is possible
to find homeless people, for example, in even the wealthiest of cities, and for those who are
concerned about this problem, there are usually opportunities to volunteer time or give money to
support these people. In the UK, people can help in a variety of ways, from donating clothing to
serving free food in a soup kitchen. As the problems are on our doorstep, and there are obvious
ways to help, I can understand why some people feel that we should prioritize local charity.
At the same time, I believe that we have an obligation to help those who live beyond our national
borders. In some countries the problems that people face are much more serious than those in our
own communities, and it is often even easier to help. For example, when children are dying from
curable diseases in African countries, governments and individuals in richer countries can save
lives simply by paying for vaccines that already exist. A small donation to an international
charity might have a much greater impact than helping in our local area.
In conclusion, it is true that we cannot help everyone, but in my opinion national boundaries
should not stop us from helping those who are in need.
WRITING TASK 2

OPINION ESSAY (REVIEW)

I. TWO APPROACHES
If you completely agree or completely disagree:
• Make your opinion clear in the introduction and conclusion.
• Explain one reason for your opinion in paragraph 2 and another in paragraph 3. Imagine
that you are persuading the examiner that your opinion is right.
 • Don't write a paragraph about what 'other people' think. If you do that, you are in
danger of writing a "discuss both views" essay. If you mention the opposite argument,
make sure that you refute it (explain why you think it's wrong)
If you partly agree:
• Make it clear in the introduction and conclusion that you have a balanced view i.e. that
you accept both sides of the argument to some extent
• Write one paragraph about each side of the argument. But do this from your point of
view e.g. On the one hand, I accept that... / On the other hand, I also believe that...
• Don't write a discussion essay e.g. some people believe / other people argue...

II. STRUCTURES
Strong answer, two supporting ideas
1. Introduce the topic, then state a strong opinion (e.g. I completely agree)
2. Main paragraph: explain one reason for your opinion
3. Main paragraph: explain another reason for your opinion
4. Conclusion: repeat / summarize your view
Strong answer, refute the opposite view
1. Introduce the topic, then state a strong opinion (e.g. I completely agree)
2. Main paragraph: explain your opinion
3. Main paragraph: explain why you think the opposite view is wrong
4. Conclusion: repeat / summarize your view
Balanced opinion
1. Introduce the topic, then explain that you have a balanced view
2. Main paragraph: explain your views on one side of the argument
3. Main paragraph: explain why you also recognize the opposite view
4. Conclusion: repeat / summarize your views

Almost balanced opinion, but favoring one side

1. Introduce the topic, then use a "while" sentence (while I accept A, I believe B)
2. Main paragraph: explain why you accept one side of the argument
3. Main paragraph: but explain why you still favor the opposite view
4. Conclusion: repeat / summarize your views

III. PRACTICE
IELTS agree/disagree model answer

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.

(277 words)

HOMEWORK

1. Violence in the media promotes violence in society. Do you agree or disagree?

2. Parents are the best teachers. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this
statement?