Tong hop bai mau writing band 8

MỤC LỤC
LỜI NÓI ĐẦU ......................................................................................................................................2
CÁC BÀI VIẾT IELTS THAM KHẢO ............................................................................................3
ADVANTAGE/ DISADVANTAGE ESSAYS .................................................................................3
ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAYS .......................................................................................................13
DISCUSSION ESSAYS ..................................................................................................................35
CAUSE/EFFECT ESSAYS .............................................................................................................42
PROBLEM/SOLUTION ESSAYS..................................................................................................46
LỜI KẾT.............................................................................................................................................54

1


LỜI NÓI ĐẦU
TỔNG HỢP CÁC BÀI IELTS WRITING TASK 2 gồm các bài mẫu band 8.0 đến
9.0 được viết bởi các giáo viên và giám khảo chấm thi hàng đầu, dựa trên đề thi
IELTS trên khắp thế giới trong năm 2016. Qua đó, các em sẽ có một cái nhìn toàn
diện nhất về cấu trúc và độ khó của đề thi IELTS Writing Task 2, từ đó học tập và
đề ra phương hướng ôn luyện hiệu quả nhất.

Cuốn sách phù hợp nhất với những người có nền tảng về Writing Task 2 và đang
ôn luyện cho kỳ thi IELTS. Ngoài ra, cuốn sách còn là một tài liệu đáng tin cậy
cho bất kỳ người học tiếng Anh nào muốn nâng cao khả năng viết của mình.

Mong rằng cuốn sách này sẽ góp phần giúp đỡ cho việc luyện viết bài Writing
Task 2 cũng như học IELTS của các em.

2


CÁC BÀI VIẾT IELTS THAM KHẢO

ADVANTAGE/ DISADVANTAGE ESSAYS
Some universities offer online courses as an alternative to classes delivered
on campus. Do you think this is a positive or negative development?
Band 8 Sample Essay:
There has been an increasing tendency of providing online courses in addition to
formal ones by universities around the world. Concerning the effects of such a
trend, I firmly believe that the availability of computer-based courses should be
considered as a completely beneficial movement.
To begin with, it is a fallacy to consider the provisions of internet courses as a
negative trend. In fact, some people insist that opting for online courses could lead
to the probability of forming generations of students who would lack critical social
skills such as inter-personal and teamwork capabilities. However, such a claimed
scenario would not happen with the support of advanced online communication
platforms. Thanks to the introduction of effective communication tools such as
Skype or Facetime, students could easily interact with each other for academic
discussions or team assignments, ensuring their chances to enhance essential
communication skills. Therefore, it seems obvious to me that presumed negative
impacts of visual classes would not be a matter.
On the other hand, I would strongly argue that the provision of online courses as
alternatives is beneficial to both students and universities. Firstly, access to
Internet-based courses would enable students, especially those who reside in
remote regions, to get access to higher education with ultimate flexibility and
convenience. Compared to traditional courses which require student attendance
and fixed class schedules. Internet-based ones allow students to study at their own
pace by granting them full rights to decide their schedules and academic progress.
Secondly? with regard to universities, offering online courses could help them
reach more students worldwide with reduced investments. Since classes could be
conducted online with no geographic restrictions, colleges would be spared from
the costs of expanding their schools yet still able to provide courses for more
national and international students.

To conclude, the existence of computer-based courses as alternative options to
formal classes should be considered as a profitable education progress in the
modern world.(312 words)

3


International travel has many advantages to both travellers and the
country that they visited. Do Advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
Band 8.0 Sample Essay:
Travelling abroad certainly exerts several positive influences on tourists as well as
the host country. Although there are still drawbacks of international travel, I think
its values are more significant.
On the one hand, the downsides of welcoming foreign visitors are varied.
Regarding tourists themselves, travel expenses in famous tourist destinations,
Venice for example, are expensive, and there are many complicated and tedious
prerequisite procedures such as visa application or plane ticket reservation. As for
the countries that play host to international tourists, the rise in costs of living
may lay much pressure on local people and be a detriment to domestic travel. This
is because the growth in the number of tourists from abroad would encourage costs
of hotel rooms and other services to increase. People in the neighborhood and
domestic visitors would suffer in comparison.
On the other hand, I suppose the benefits of international travel would eclipse
those analyzed disadvantages. First, travelers can have numbers of fascinating
experiences of exotic cuisine and culture, and they get to see places they have not
seen before. A typical example of this is when tourists from other countries come
to Vietnam, they would have the opportunity to use chopsticks, enjoy traditional
meals and go sightseeing in the countryside. Second, the increased number of
foreign people coming to visit another country would evidently enhance tourism
industries, contributing greatly to the wealth of that country. If tourists enjoy their

trips, they will recommend the destination to their friends or perhaps they will
come back in the future.
In conclusion, it appears to me that the merits of international tourism are more
notable than its drawbacks.
(273 words)

4


It is suggested that everyone wants to have a car, a television and a fridge.
Do disadvantages of this development for society outweigh advantages?
Band 9 sample essay:
It is true that almost everyone wants a car, a TV and a fridge as some of the basic
essentials of a good lifestyle. Despite the benefits, I believe that on a long-term
view these are outweighed by the disadvantages.
On the one hand, the growing consumption of cars, televisions and fridges has
several benefits. At its simplest, the rise of the consumer society stimulates
economic growth. The increasing sales figures of cars and household equipment
are often associated with more jobs and wealth being created for society. Another
advantage is that people can have a higher standard of living than before.
Travelling on the road is no longer tedious because individuals can sit in a
car, listening to music and enjoying the comfort of air conditioning. In the same
way, people may watch television to relax or to gain knowledge, and fridges
help them preserve food longer without being stale.
On the other hand, I believe that the above benefits are outweighed by potential
problems. Primarily, the use of cars is often held responsible for environmental
pollution. Exhaust emissions from automobiles impair the air quality and
consequently affect people’s health. For example, in many big cities in the world,
urban citizens are suffering from chronic respiratory problems due to the poor air
quality. Using fridges and televisions also places a pressure on electricity supply in

the world. The growing use of these devices in the home merely compounds the
problem of insufficient electricity that has become intractable in many parts of the
world.
In conclusion, taking a long-term perspective, I would argue that the drawbacks of
this trend outweigh the advantages.
(272 words)

5


People in the community can buy cheaper products nowadays. Do
advantages outweigh disadvantages?
Band 8.0 Model Answer:

The development of technology combined with living in the city gives people the
chance to purchase products at cheaper prices. While I agree that this opportunity
is advantageous to some extent, I am seriously concerned that the drawbacks it
brings can be detrimental to the living society.
It is understandable that being able to buy cheaper product is substantially
beneficial. Saving money is probably the first and foremost merit of this trend.
Instead of spending a significant amount of monthly expenditure on clothes or
basic necessities as they used to do in the previous years, consumers can now spare
a larger proportion of their budget on important needs including better education
and nutrition. In addition, the availability of low-priced products grants consumers
more spending choices and boost overall consumption. Since products become
more affordable and accessible, even low-income people now can purchase a
certain range of consumer goods to satisfy their different needs. Thanks to this,
people from all walks of life can enjoy sufficient living without paying much.
However, I strongly believe that purchasing cheaper goods has its downsides
which seem overshadow the benefits. Firstly, health threats to consumers and

workers are two major problems of this trend. To save costs, manufactures may
accept the usage of unsafe cheap chemicals and low-quality ingredients which
undoubtedly affect customers’ health. Moreover, mass production is also
associated with worker exploitation and international outsourcing systems that
render poor countries labour-intensive. Secondly, cost-effectiveness of this practice
is not guaranteed since products of lower prices usually come with short shelf life
and low quality. Therefore, in certain cases, customers may not save money but
also have to spend more than they should have to fix or to purchase new products.
In conclusion, people’s access to cheaper products has its own good sides.
However, the shortcomings are more remarkable that they should be taken into
serious consideration.
(331 words)

6


Nowadays the differences between countries are becoming less evident
because we see the same TV shows, advertisements, fashion and follow the
same brands. To what extent the advantages of this trend outweigh its
disadvantages?
Band 8.0 Model Essay 1
We are now living in a global village where geographical barriers have become
insignificant. All over the world, people wear the same kind of clothes, eat the
same foods and watch the same films. In my opinion, this trend has made life
easier for us all.
There are several benefits to following global fashion trends. It makes traveling
easier. For example, now Indians and Americans or Europeans have more or less
the same tastes in fashion, food and music. As a result, young Indian professionals
can travel to the US or Europe and still feel at home there. The biggest advantage
of following a global lifestyle is that it eliminates culture shock when you travel to

other countries. It also protects you from discrimination. When you wear the same
kind of clothes or eat the same kind of foods as everyone else, you will not stand
out. This will actually protect you from various forms of discrimination that you
might experience when you are in a foreign country. An Indian woman living in
the US will be at a disadvantage if she insists on wearing only traditional Indian
clothes and eating only vegetarian foods. This will limit the choices she has, but if
she is willing to follow the culture of the country she lives in, life will be easier for
her.
The only disadvantage of this trend is the loss of ethnicity. Every nation has its
traditional styles of fashion and clothing. When everyone wears the same kind of
clothes, this cultural legacy gets lost.
To conclude, the benefits of following global trends in lifestyle and fashion are
many. It makes life easier for the globetrotting youngsters. There are, nonetheless,
a few disadvantages, but there is an easy way to get around them. People who are
proud of their ethnic fashion and lifestyle can follow it when they are in their own
country.
(314 words)

7


Band 8.0 Model Essay 2
Globalisation has allowed people to adopt a homogeneous culture in terms of
entertainment, fashion and other areas as such. However there are some people
who believe such uniformity isn’t very beneficial. This essay shall discuss further
both the sides of this phenomenon.
Having the same kind of preferences helps people get around the world very easily.
If we watch TV shows or adverts of a certain country we get familiar with a
summary of its culture, thereby making it easier for us to blend in there. The more
we get to know about each other, the more can the differences between countries

be eliminated making the world a huge harmonious community. We are no longer
restricted to brands of our own country but are exposed to international products
and services. Following a global fashion trend shall make you feel and act more
naturally with the people anywhere in the world without being too obvious.
The people who do not support such a development are the ones who feel a
country’s own ethnicity will be lost if the people try to adopt the prevailing global
culture a little more than required. Watching TV shows or movies from a foreign
country may influence and alter the mannerisms of the people of the home country.
Some cultures are very rigid when it comes to clothing and the acceptance of
universal fashion trends therefore will not be received well. Although, I feel these
are minor issues in comparison to the host of advantages that we have regarding
this. One’s own ethnicity can be followed regardless of the TV shows we watch or
the clothes we wear.
To conclude, I agree that the advantages of the phenomenon of having a uniform
culture worldwide outweigh the disadvantages. Every subject has pros and cons,
and the cons here can be ignored easily, especially when such an acceptance makes
life easier.
(313 words)

8


Nowadays, more and more people decide to have children later in their life.
What are the the reasons? Do advantages of this outweigh disadvantages?
Band 8.5 Model Essay:
In modern society, there has been a major concern that many couples have delayed
parenthood. Some explanations for this social trend will be put forward, before an
analysis of its impacts on society and family life is given.
A few reasons can be given to justify the trend of giving birth at later stages of life.
First, the labour market is increasingly competitive, and it is a norm that young

parents defer having children to devote the whole time in the first years of their
employment to lay a sound foundation for their future career. Second, it is believed
that children are raised better by older parents. This seems valid due to the fact that
older fathers and mothers are generally wealthier, more experienced, and more
willing to take the responsibility of bringing up a child.
The trend exerts both advantageous and disadvantageous influence on society and
families. On the one hand, children born to more prosperous and experienced
parents can receive better and more comprehensive education, and thus contribute
more to society when they grow up. In each household, the parents may also reap
the benefits of this trend, as their first working years are not interrupted by
pregnancy and childcare. On the other hand, when an aged couple decide to give
birth, there are serious health risks for the woman in the prenatal and postnatal
period. If any complicated maternal health problem arises, the life whole family
would be turned upside down.
To conclude, the tendency to have children at later ages is caused by a number of
factors, such as the competitiveness of the job market for young adults, and both
the positive and negative impacts of it can be seen in families and society.
(288 words)

9


Band 8.0 Model Essay 2:
Having babies later in life is regarded as a new trend of marriage, especially in
these days when soon becoming adolescent parents might face plenty of troubles. It
is easily seen that financial burden is one of the reasons why many spouses tend to
delay their childbirth because giving birth early forces them to tighten budget. In
this essay, I will lend more other detailed reasons and effects to this trend.
The fact that pregnancy has been more common in older women stemming from
late –life marriage whose benefits are huge. Tying the knot early, in some cases,

would cause constant quarrels about rights of child-rearing between young couples
due to their immature thoughts on marital values. In contrast, delayed
marriage may secure better conditions for children’s future. This would help
singles have more time to seek a financially stable job and broaden behavioral
experience before deciding to live with someone forever. Besides, high remarriage
rate led by the rise of divorce in recent years partly contributes to late childbirth.
The reason is that the lack of compatibility forces many couples to end their first
love and marry again. Therefore, they may start having children after age 35.
As mentioned above, the benefits of late childbirth are undeniable, however,
elderly parents, as well as society also face threats that they can foresee. Indeed,
raising kids at old age is more arduous than that at young age, not only because
their health will decline but also because their children are too little to self-manage.
Moreover, having children when reaching over 35 can affect pregnancy due to
aging health . As a result, babies are not healthy enough or even die premature
death.
In conclusion, stable income and settled life make delayed marriage more
appealing. The thing is we need to consider pros and cons of this to decide what is
right for a happy union.
(314 words)

10


Band 8.5 Model Essay 3:
Many people currently decide not to have babies when they are young and wait
until they get older instead. There are some reasons for this tendency, and it could
have some impacts on family life as well as society.
To begin with, there are several reasons why a number of individuals want to have
children later in their life. Firstly, this choice allows them to have more time to
enjoy life when they are young. For instance, it is easier for a young couple to

travel when they do not have a baby to nurture. Secondly, people who are at the
early stage of their career usually have lower income compared to when they are
older. Therefore, many people decide to start raising a family after having
accumulated enough money to ensure a better life for their children.
However, this tendency might bring about some negative effects on both family
life and society. The first impact is that having children later will cause a
significant age gap between two generations. This makes it harder for parents to
understand and communicate with their offspring. Additionally, if people give
birth when they are too old, the babies being born might be less physically healthy.
This might adversely affect the quality of the future workforce if too many people
decide to follow this trend.
In conclusion, there are some reasons why many people prefer to have children
later in their life, and this tendency can result in some negative impacts on both
family life and society.
(258 words)

11


Some universities offer online courses as an alternative to classes delivered
on campus. Do you think this is a positive or negative development?
Band 8 Sample Essay:
There has been an increasing tendency of providing online courses in addition to
formal ones by universities around the world. Concerning the effects of such a
trend, I firmly believe that the availability of computer-based courses should be
considered as a completely beneficial movement.
To begin with, it is a fallacy to consider the provisions of internet courses as a
negative trend. In fact, some people insist that opting for online courses could lead
to the probability of forming generations of students who would lack critical social
skills such as inter-personal and teamwork capabilities. However, such a claimed

scenario would not happen with the support of advanced online communication
platforms. Thanks to the introduction of effective communication tools such as
Skype or Facetime, students could easily interact with each other for academic
discussions or team assignments, ensuring their chances to enhance essential
communication skills. Therefore, it seems obvious to me that presumed negative
impacts of visual classes would not be a matter.
On the other hand, I would strongly argue that the provision of online courses as
alternatives is beneficial to both students and universities. Firstly, access to
Internet-based courses would enable students, especially those who reside in
remote regions, to get access to higher education with ultimate flexibility and
convenience. Compared to traditional courses which require student attendance
and fixed class schedules. Internet-based ones allow students to study at their own
pace by granting them full rights to decide their schedules and academic progress.
Secondly? with regard to universities, offering online courses could help them
reach more students worldwide with reduced investments. Since classes could be
conducted online with no geographic restrictions, colleges would be spared from
the costs of expanding their schools yet still able to provide courses for more
national and international students.
To conclude, the existence of computer-based courses as alternative options to
formal classes should be considered as a profitable education progress in the
modern world.
(321 words)

12


ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAYS
Some scientists believe that studying the behaviour of 3-year-old children can
predict their criminality. To what extent do you think a crime is a product of
human nature or is it possible to stop children from growing up to be

criminals.
Sample Essay
There is a multitude of people who subscribe to the notion that by observing the
behaviours of young children, we can predict their likelihood of becoming
criminals in the future. However, it is believed that other external factors can also
heavily influence children’s development and their mannerisms in adulthood.
Through various researches, scientists found that delinquents, in fact, share some
personal traits in their childhood that can help foretell their criminality. Generally,
these individuals were more aggressive and impulsive then their peers when they
were kids. For this reasons, it is understandable why some people contend that
learning about how one behaves as a child can help foresee their chance of
committing crimes as an adult.
Nevertheless, compared to other extrinsic elements, such as upbringing and
schooling, genetic characteristics appear to be less influential on children’s
behaviours. It is no surprise that children who are raised in a healthy and
educational environment often grow to be ethical citizens. On the contrary, most
convicts have some extent of tragedy in their childhoods, such as parental divorce
and family breakdown. Without their parents’ guidance and sufficient attention,
kids lack the ability to judge right and wrong, a skill that is vital in a moral society.
For that reason, it is necessary that adults need to monitor and control youngsters’
behaviours and undertake/take/implement any corrective measure when it is
needed.
In the light of the aforementioned discussion, there is no point arguing whether
there is a nexus between one’s genes and their behavioral patterns. However, it is
strongly supported that when children receive good care and ethical education, it is
unlikely that they will take any unlawful action in the future.
(278 words)

13

Sample Essay:
Some scientists are of the opinion that hereditary characteristics are responsible for
the person’s temperament and hence future career. I disagree with this notion. I
believe that genes do play a role but the primary determinant is nurture – education
and bringing up. It is definitely possible to mould a child into any direction by
proper bringing-up.
If we adopt the mindset that if parents are criminals so will the children be then we
are limiting or even damaging the individual’s basic right to achieve his very best.
Children can rise above the gene pool and rise to great heights. Even if a child is
born to criminal parents but brought up away from that environment and provided
quality education, he will not be a criminal.
The debate on nature versus nurture has been raging for ages and no clear cut
answer has come forward. A child prodigy can be born to ordinary parents and
many intelligent parents can have ordinary children. A talented person can go
unnoticed in the absence of right environment and upbringing and an ordinary
person can reach great heights with proper training. So, interplay between
hereditary and environmental factors must be there.
It has been seen that children born to intelligent parents also are intelligent and
successful. But it is also possible that such parents provide an environment which
nurtures the development of their children. When we see some programmes such
as ‘India’s Got Talent’ and ‘Little Champs’, we notice some extremely gifted
children who are born with talent and also some who have achieved great heights
with great perseverance and proper coaching.
To put it in a nutshell, I pen down saying that both nature and nurture play a part in
determining the character of a person. It can also be concluded that both are
inextricably linked with each other. But nurture weighs over nature and it is
definitely possible to prevent children from growing up to be criminals.
(324 words)

14


As mass communication and transport continue to grow, societies are
becoming more and more alike leading to a phenomenon known as
globalization. Some people fear that globalization will inevitably lead to the
total loss of cultural identity.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Globalization means that in some ways people around the world are becoming
more and more similar. We often eat the same food, watch the same TV
programmes, listen to the same music and we wear the same clothes. Some of this
at least can be blamed on the spread of multinational brands available all over the
world.
On the surface, it may appear as if the global diversity of cultural identities is being
lost. If, the argument goes, people in Tokyo and London look and dress the same,
then that must mean that cultural differences are disappearing. However, I would
argue that this is a very narrow definition of culture and that in fact cultural
differences are as present as ever.
Cultural Identity is built on far more than just the films we watch or the jeans we
wear. The foundation of cultural identity is shared values. When you look in detail
at different cultures, you realize that the things that are important to one culture can
be very different from the things valued by another culture.
Take my own culture, India, as an example and compare it to a very different
culture, Japan. Although I have never visited Japan personally, I believe that it is a
culture which places a lot of value on hard work and that people often work very
long hours. The Indian people, in contrast, greatly value their leisure time and
strive to spend as much time with their family as they possibly can. Even if we
consume the same products, I would argue that there are still some very deeprooted differences.
To summarize, I do not accept that total loss of cultural identity is inevitable,
despite the influence of large companies and their products around the globe.

(294 words)

15


When a country develops its technology, the traditional skills and ways of
life die out. It is pointless to try and keep them alive.To what extent do you
agree or disagree with this opinion?
Band 8 sample essay:
Nowadays, technological advances and their rapid and wide applications are
having a significant impact on a nation’s traditional skills and ways of life.
Some argue that such impact is so extraordinary that it would make
conventional skills and life styles obsolete. However, I believe they would
continue to thrive by providing alternatives to modern ways of life, and
innovative ideas for modern technologies.
First of all, traditional skills and ways of life are becoming an alternative
solution to the problems caused by “mainstreamed” ways of life which are
greatly influenced by modern technologies. For instance, a cozy restaurant
where traditional, home-brewed beer is served, offers another experience to
people who are bored with branded beers that have the same flavor and come
out of mass production with new technologies. It is in such a venue where
traditional skills are preserved, people become relaxed and educated. Providing
diversity and thus enriching modern ways of life, such traditional skills and
ways of life would continue to have their place.
Furthermore, conventional skills provide innovative ideas to the development of
modern technologies. For example, sparkled by how the word “Love” is
traditionally knitted into a sweater by some ethnic minority women in some
parts of Asia, some business managers from textile industry have developed
some production lines by applying the traditional skills to Computer-Aided
Designs (CAD). The products have boosted the companies’ sales which in turn

16


have increased their investment in preserving traditional skills for further
developing their technologies.
To conclude, traditional skills and life styles are increasingly becoming a useful
alternative to the homogeneity brought by global applications of modern
technologies. However, the evolution of technologies is a selection process,
whereby some would become obsolete, but there is no doubt that some would
thrive when their roles are appreciated.
(297 words)

17


Most large companies nowadays operate multi-nationally. To what
extent multinational companies have responsibility toward local
communities in which they operate?
Band 9.0 Sample:
Today it is not uncommon to see many large-sized enterprises often base their offices
in numerous countries. Coca Cola, Samsung or Google, to name but a few, are
typical examples of these multinational corporations which arc present in almost all
comers of the world. It is suggested that such companies should have social
responsibility, especially to the local communities.
One social obligation that owners and managers have is to create job opportunities to
the locals and treat them well, rather than ¡exploiting them. For example, they could pay
a ‘living wage” to ensure that the local w orkers have a good quality of life. I also like
the idea that businesses could use a proportion of their profits to Support local
charities environmental projects or education initiatives. Finally, instead of trying to

minimise their tax payments by using accounting loopholes. I believe that company
bosses should be happy to contribute to society through the tax system.
On the one hand, the degree of responsibility should be limited because businesses
must make money in order to survive in a competitive world. If a company is unable to
pay its bills or meet the changing needs of customers, any concerns about
social responsibilities become irrelevant. In other words, a company can only make a
positive contribution to society if it is in good financial health. Therefore, it must
guarantee its work productivity first. This would mean that the local workers have to
meet a certain standard like graduating from secondary school to be given a job. Another
point is that not all large companies are well-known or financially successful, so it is not
reasonable to expect a huge economic incentive from them. They have need to invest in
improvements and innovations if they wish to remain competitive.
In conclusion, multinational companies with good reputation and high revenues
should make their contribution as much as possible, whereas it unreasonable to force
other less successful or well-known ones fulfill this responsibility.
(327 words)

18


Some people think it is more important for government to spend public
money on promoting healthy lifestyle in order to prevent illness than to spend
it on the treatment of people who are already ill. To what extent do you agree
or disagree?

Sample Essay:
It is undeniable that the government plays an crucial role in healthcare services.
However, people have different viewpoints towards whether the government
should invest into raising citizens’ awareness of healthy living or allocate health
funds for the the unwell. From my perspective, I strongly agree that the

government should devote their money and time to promoting healthy lifestyles
rather than squander money on those who are suffering from terminal illness.
To lead people to live a healthy lifestyle is a huge challenge for many primary care
practices. In the rural areas, many people fall prey to easily avoidable diseases
mainly because they are not aware about how to prevent them.
Therefore, enlightening people about a healthy lifestyle can remove the existence
of many diseases from the roots. For example, ‘polio vaccine campaign’ has been
conducted extensively, with the help of mainstream media as well. As a result, as
of today, India is a completely polio-free country. If the clinicians of medical
centres are encouraged to use educational tools to emphasize personal fitness levels
and to promote fitness as the “treatment of choice” for all patients, the proportion
of the sick people can be greatly reduced.
There is no doubt that there will always be a certain number of people who are ill
and in need of treatment simply because they cannot afford it. The governments do
have a certain fund for the fulfilment of this need, but practically speaking it
shall put an unnecessary deficit in the money that could be used elsewhere. This
is because the cost of treating any disease will always be more than the money
spent on preventing it. Moreover, logically, the government can be accountable
for the state of health of its citizens, but it cannot be held accountable for the
diseases sustained by its people.
In conclusion, I’d agree more with the idea of the government spending a part of
nation budget on promoting a healthy lifestyle.
(323 words)

19


It is more important for schoolchildren to learn about local history than
world history. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Band 9.0 model Essay 1:

Teaching history for schoolchildren has been a heated topic constantly. There is a
common belief that local history is more important to children than world history.
However, I disagree with this belief.
I believe the notion that local history is more valuable than world history should
be rejected. Some people may claim that the insights into the localhistorical
values are completely enough for one to live. Their claim could be true a few
decades ago when most interpersonal communications were between people of
the same race and origin. However, this view is now outdated, as the world has
become globalised and international businessand migrant workers have made
any community a global village. In this context, an understanding of a foreign
country’s history would enable future local workers to reinforce the
relationship between them and theexpatriates from that country.
In addition, I am strongly convinced that children would benefit the most only
when the learning of local history is placed parallel to that of world history. To
understand a local historical event, children should put the regional and
sometimes even world context in that historical era into consideration. For
example, children should acknowledge that the event that Vietnam regained its
independence after defeating the Japanese troops in Indochina in 1945 only
happened after a series of relevant events in the World War II, one of which is
the surrender of Japan to the Allies. In this way of learning, children
would understand history more deeply andthoroughly.
All the existing data has provided a concrete foundation that the study of local
history should always be parallel to that of world history. This practice
would guarantee that children learn history more comprehensively and be able
to tighten the bond with migrant workers in their country.
(298 words)

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Band 9.0 model Essay 2:

History is a subject that is present in most school systems and is compulsory at
many levels of education. Regarding this matter, debate has been heated about the
importance of teaching of local history, instead of world history to schoolchildren.
In my point of view, the focus of this subject should be placed on the local
history rather than the history of the world.
Firstly, local history provides a foundation for the youth to explore their own
identity and that of their nation. For example, Vietnamese school children should
be educated about the Great Hunger occurred in 1945 during the war with the
Japanese in order to fully appreciate the plight that their forefathers had
experienced and therefore value the life of peace, freedom and independence
today. I feel it is essential that the youth, the leaders of tomorrow, are given the
broadest, most accurate platform on which they can construct their own
perceptions of life.
Opponents of this view claim that the world history should not be removed from
the school programs as it is related to local history and students will have a better
understanding of the subject. I am convinced that this view is flawed. In fact, much
history teaching is concerned simply with memorising “facts” in the world that
have little to do with their own countries and therefore students will feel
overburdened if they are obligated to learn it. This, in the long run, would not
benefit children.
All things considered, for school children, the relevance of receiving knowledge
about local history dwarfs that of learning world history.

(263 words)

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Model Essay 3:
It is argued that children in the age of schooling should place more emphasis on
learning the history of the place where they live than the global history. While I
agree that finding the local history will help them gain more knowledge of their
origin, I believe that there are some benefits of accessing the world history.
On the one hand, it is true that teaching children understanding of the local history
helps them promote a sense of patriotism. In fact, the whole Vietnamese had
suffered numerous strauma during the war against Western enemies, just because
thousands of Vietnam heroes sacrificed their live to protect the independence and
freedom. Therefore, they have to a duty to increase the nationalism in the
preservation of the peace that they are enjoying. Furthermore, nowadays more
young people are reluctant to studying history compared to epochal significance.
This means that the value of historical events will be put aside to some extent and
gradually sink into oblivion, hence it is vital that children should learn the past of
ancestors and predecessors.
On the other hand, studying history in the world brings numerous benefits to young
learners. Firstly, obtaining knowledge from the world enhances our horizons of the
civilization and developments of humans. During the globalization, more children
are likely to access international education, so they face misunderstanding and
backwardness when moving to a new country if they fail to recognize the
importance of human history. In addition, attaining cultural literacy on a world
scale is another advantage. Human beings, unlike other species, have the gift of
language, that is, symbolic thinking and communication, so communicating
intelligently in any language, requires that we share a common fund of knowledge,
information, vocabulary, and conceptual tools to become global citizens.
In conclusion, I hold my firm belief that by learning history at a local and
international level in educational system, future generations will get deeper
insights into the past human dignity.
(324 words)

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Although more and more people read the news on internet, newspapers
will remain the most important source of news for the majority of
people. Do you agree or disagree?
Band 8.0 Model Essay
It is true that a growing number of people are using the Internet in order to find out
the latest news. While newspapers are still popular, I strongly disagree that most
people will continue to rely on them as a source of news.
The first reason for my view relates to the increasing use of the Internet around the
world. Today, a growing number of people have access to online news via
technological gadgets such as smart phones or tablets, so they do not need to buy a
newspaper to obtain news. Even in more remote corners of the world, access to the
Internet is becoming more widespread and the online community is growing daily.
Secondly, online news is always up-to-date while printed news needs time for
editing, printing and delivering. In this fast changing world, readers tend to expect
updated information about what has just happened or is happening around them.
Online news can be broadcast immediately with vivid pictures and relevant stories,
making it more appealing to readers than printed news.
Finally, the Internet is a repository of information for people to dig for information
that they need. Digital information can be stored in mass quantity, which allows
internet users to search for events that occurred in the past. In contrast, newspapers
are generally hard to preserve because of the corrosive effects of the environment
and their sheer bulk makes storage difficult. This once again confirms the edge of
online news.
In conclusion, I firmly believe that the Internet is even now replacing newspapers
as the principal medium for accessing all the latest news.
(267 words)

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Some people say that humanitarian subjects such as philosophy, history and
literature that people study in universities have no value for their future
career. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give
your own opinion and relevant examples.
Band 9.0 Sample Essay:
Humanitarian education teaches various social topics from a humanitarian perspective.
However important our academic careers may be for us, a certain iota of humanity is
always expected from us as being the superior living beings on earth. Whether we need to
study specialized subjects for such a quality to develop in us is a debatable issue.
The people who opine that studying such subjects is a waste of time may believe so,
keeping in mind that many academic curriculum is set and rarely changes. Therefore, the
history, literature or philosophy that is taught is done from a text-bookish perspective,
and does not give in-depth knowledge of the same. Also, people feel that memorizing
dates and facts, sources of the origin of a language, or brooding on lessons derived from
life hardly matter when we go out in search of work.
On the contrary, humanitarian education particularly relates to offering assistance to
others in an emergency or crisis and is also used to refer to the skills, knowledge and
attitudes needed for individuals and communities to help themselves. In the hostile
environment we are living nowadays, the goal of humanitarian education of communities
increasing their resilience and individuals and groups becoming confident, able and
willing to help themselves and others when faced with a crisis, is something that can
obviously not be developed on our own.
I believe we need to look beyond the established stereotyping of history, literature and
philosophy as subjects and need to broaden our mentality. Apart from the much popular
career choices that rake in our desired amount of money, the historians, literary scholars
and philosophers too play an important role in our societies. The teachings and
observations of Karl Marx, Aristotle, Socrates, Robert Louis Stevenson, Mark Twain and

many such other personalities are still cited today for reference.
Summarizing this essay we can conclude that classifying humanitarian subjects as having
no value for future careers is narrow minded. These subjects are also as important as any
other, when being chosen for a thorough study so as to make a career out of them.
(347 words)

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Many people believe that schools should teach children to become good
citizens and workers rather than independent individuals. To what extent do
you agree or disagree? Give your own opinion and relevant examples.
Band 8.0 Model Essay
Educational institutions like schools and colleges have a duty to mold students into
law abiding citizens and hardworking employees. However, I don’t think that this
should be at the cost of their individuality.
Individuality helps people stand out in a crowd. Independent thinking fuels their
creativity and helps them become good writers, thinkers and artists. Their creative
pursuits will bring glory to the nation and give patriots even more reasons to be
proud of their country.
Children spend a great deal of time in schools. The text books, the teachers and the
general atmosphere at school have a major impact on their impressionable minds.
If schools don’t encourage creativity and independent thinking, the nation will
suffer.
Just because someone thinks independently, it doesn’t mean that they can’t become
good citizens or good employees. I can’t understand how independent thinking will
make a person anti-national or anti-social. Some of the greatest patriots we have
seen were highly creative people who thought independently. There are numerous
examples of such men and women in the annals of World history.
A nation needs great thinkers, writers, artists, scientists and philosophers to take its

culture and legacy forward. We can’t accomplish much by being mechanized
patriots and workers.
To conclude, I don’t agree with the argument that schools should only teach
students to become good citizens and workers. Yes, these institutions should teach
these values, but they should also encourage independent thinking. A person can
be an independent thinker and a patriot at the same time. If one studies world
history one can find several examples of thinkers who were also great patriots and
citizens. Since students spend a great deal of their time at school, it is the right
place to learn all of these values.
(292 words)

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