Opinion and argument essays
opinion essay
You need to be familiar with and practise both types of essay for the exam so that you can answer any question.
The argument essay:
- you already have the two ideas you need to write your essay: "I agree" and "I disagree" - all you need to do is find some reasons for and against together with examples to illustrate.
- the second content paragraph can mirror the language of the first paragraph and so make the writing process more efficient
- the conclusion is easy to write: you give your personal opinion and comment on the arguments on both sides - it is the answer to the essay task
- you may need more ideas and it is easy to start repeating ideas and language in your content paragraphs
- there is also a danger of repeating yourself in the conclusion if you use it to summarise your arguments
IELTS writing - paragraph coherence
"You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and relevant evidence."
Some examples
Read through these three paragraphs taken from different IELTS essays and note how they all have a similar structure.
Point
Explanation
Example
This is a pattern you can follow in most essays to give coherence to your writing by expanding on one point. I will add that this just a model guideline, it isn't a rule. There will be times when you do not use examples for instance.
There are those who argue that the internet has had an extremely positive influence on communication. They say this because in the past it was sometimes impossible to call people in other countries on the telephone, but now it is relatively simple to use a program such as Skype to talk to them for free or to send an email. A good example here are the students who go to study abroad and are able to send messages home with no difficulty, when in past they would have had to buy stamps and go to the post office which was much harder and more expensive.
A strong argument can of course be made from the opposite position. Part of this argument is that countries and nations need to preserve old buildings in order to preserve their heritage. In addition, however, to this cultural argument, there are positive economic benefits in preserving old buildings. An illustration here is Egypt once again, a country which depends on tourism for much of its national income simply because visitors pay to come from other countries to visit its ancient sites.
There are several reasons why it can be argued that television has a negative effect on cultural development. Perhaps the principle argument is the lowbrow nature of many programmes, particularly sitcoms and soap operas. People who watch these programmes do not learn anything, they are simply entertained. The other major argument is that because people watch so much television, they no longer take part in more traditional forms of cultural entertainment. An example here is how traditional dancing and music is becoming much less popular because people are staying at home to watch the television.
IELTS Sample Essays - history and progress
Many old buildings are protected by law because they are part of nation’s history. However, some people think old buildings should be knocked down to make way for new ones because people need houses and offices.
How important is it to maintain old buildings?
Should history stand in the way of progress?
One issue that creates intense debate nowadays in many countries is how to preserve our heritage and at the same time provide for our children’s futures. This issue is particularly relevant in the field of architecture. In this essay, I am going to look at the relationship of progress and history.
There are those who claim that the single most important factor should be providing suitable accommodation for the growing population and places for these people to work. One of the reasons they put forward this argument is economic. In the twenty first century, it is not possible for people to progress and maintain a quality of life in cities and communities that were built in a different age. A good example here is Egypt, where the population has exploded in the last few decades and it has become necessary to put up new housing to cope with this phenomenon.
A strong argument can of course be made from the opposite position. Part of this argument is that countries and nations need to preserve old buildings in order to preserve their heritage. In addition, however, to this cultural argument, there are positive economic benefits in preserving old buildings. An illustration here is Egypt once again, a country which depends on tourism for much of its national income simply because visitors pay to come from other countries to visit its ancient sites.
As we have seen, this is a complex issue with no easy answers. On balance, however, I personally believe that it is more appropriate not to destroy old buildings as this has both cultural and economic benefits. History comes before progress.
IELTS Sample Essay - refugees
One of the major problems facing the world today is the growing number of refugees. The developed nations in the world should tackle this problem by taking in more refugees. To what extent do you agree with this opinion?
One problematic issue in the modern world is the increase in the amount of refugees, particularly in the developing world. A suggested solution is that the industrialised countries should accept these people as refugees. This may not, however, be the most effective way of dealing with this issue.
The argument in favour of developed nations accepting more refugees is relatively clear. These countries have a responsibility to the rest of the world to accept victims of natural disasters or war. This is a duty because if these people were not helped they might die if they stayed in their native land. For example, when there is an earthquake and homes and whole towns have been destroyed a poor country may not have the resources to help all the people affected.
There is of course another side to this argument and there are possible reasons why emigration from developing countries is not a complete solution. One such reason is that people who have suffered from natural disasters will want to return to their homes as quickly as possible and be with their families and relatives. This will be difficult if they have moved to another country. Another reason is that it is often more effective to help the victims in their own country as it can cause them more stress if they have to move to another country with a different language and strange customs. For example, it could be difficult for someone from Iraq to adapt to the English way of life and weather.
This is a complex issue with no easy solutions as there are good reasons why countries should or should not accept refugees. My personal view is that it is better for victims to remain in their own country and to receive aid there when possible. There may be circumstances, however, when this is not possible or not desirable.
IELTS Sample Essay - the internet
Some people say that the Internet is making the world smaller by bringing people together. To what extent do you agree that the internet is making it easier for people to communicate with one another?
Undoubtedly, one of the most significant innovations in recent years has been the internet, as it has changed the way we live or lives in many ways. However, perhaps the most significant advance has been in the way we communicate. The question is whether communication has become easier or not.
There are those who argue that the internet has had an extremely positive influence on communication. They say this because in the past it was sometimes impossible to call people in other countries on the telephone, but now it is relatively simple to use a program such as Skype to talk to them for free or to send an email. A good example here are the students who go to study abroad and are able to send messages home with no difficulty, when in past they would have had to buy stamps and go to the post office which was much harder and more expensive.
There is, however, an important qualification to be made. The internet and IT in general are not always easy to access. There are two grounds for saying this. Firstly, there are countries where there is not universal internet access because of censorship or poor technological infrastructure. Secondly, the older generation can find it difficult to learn to use the technology or install a modem. If we use the same example, a grandmother would probably prefer to send a letter through the post or make a simple telephone call than try using the net.
My own personal feeling is that the internet has made it simpler to communicate for most people, but not for everyone. This will probably change in the future when there is a greater level of computer literacy among all generations.Commentary
Sample IELTS essays
Click on the links below for sample IELTS essays
nuclear technology NEW
The internet UPDATED with video commentary
Unemployment
Museums
Refugees
Space exploration
Points to note in using the sample essays
- Each essay follows the same basic 4 or 5 paragraph structure
- How the introduction focuses on the question and introduces how the essay is going to be written
- How each paragraph focuses on one main idea and expands it, using PEE (Point - Explain - Example)
- How sentences within paragraphs are linked together using pronouns, linking words and repetition.
- These essays are either argument based or opinion based
How to use the sample essays for vocabulary
One way to use these samples is to find vocabulary you can use for yourself. This vocabulary can be divided into:
topic vocabulary - specific vocabulary relating to the topic of the question
structural/organising vocabulary (eg "One point to note is..")
How to use the sample essays for essay structure
Another way to use these essays is to see how an IELTS essay is structured:
- note how the introduction addresses the question and leads into the main body of the essay
- identify the main point of each topic paragraph
- note how the topic paragraphs link to each other (do they present similar or contrasting attitudes?)
- note the functions of the conclusion: to summarise and/or present the answer to the question
How to use the sample essays for paragraph structure
Note how each paragraph focuses on one main idea and how that idea is expanded by the use of examples and reasons
IELTS essays - essay coherence (1)
Subjects such as Art, Sport and Music are being dropped from the school curriculum for subjects such as Information Technology. Many people children suffer as a result of these changes. To what extent would you support or reject the idea of moving these subjects from school curriculum?
In recent times there has much debate about which subjects should be included on the school curriculum. One particular issue is whether the introduction of more modern subjects such as IT for more traditional subjects such as art and music disadvantages the pupils. This essay examines both sides of this issue.
There is one major argument in favour of replacing art, music and sport on the curriculum with subjects like IT. This is that the purpose of school is to prepare children for their working life after school, so the subjects on the curriculum should be relevant to their potential careers. From this point of view, IT is much relevant to schoolchildren as they need to be computer literate if they want to survive in the workplace. For example, it is easy to see that word processing and programming skills will impress employers more than the ability to run fast or draw well.
There are also, however, strong arguments for retaining the more traditional subjects as part of the curriculum. One significant counter-argument is that the purpose of education is not just to prepare children for later careers, but also to develop their all round “culture”. It is important that children leave school with some knowledge of art, music and sport as all these are all help develop aspects of young people’s personalities.
My own personal point of view is that there is merit in both sides of the debate and that all children should study some IT, art music and sport at least at primary school. At secondary school, however, children should be offered a choice between these subjects so that they can continue to study them if they wish. In this way, no child will be disadvantaged.
- paragraph 3 borrows and reflects the language of paragraph 2
- the conclusion borrows and reflects the language of the introduction
