Tài liệu Toefl writing essay

PART I INTRODUCTION ----------------I. Purpose In order to be able to write good essays it is first of all essential to make sure you understand the purpose of the task. It may seem obvious: the purpose is to test your ability to write essay for university or college in English. However, a moment's reflection will make it clear that the test task is quite unlike a university essay, since it is typical one and a half (1 & 1/2) to two (2) pages long and it written on an unprepared topic in about half an hour. No university essay is like that. Even in university examinations, where you may have to write about two pages in half an hour, you are expected to have studied the topic in advance. 1. Key terms This is the easiest part of the essay to deal with, usually. Normally the key words deal with a familiar topic, such as computer or television in the examples given above. This is be cause the examiners are not testing you for knowledge, but rather for you ability to write well. Therefore the topics chosen will be about concepts and issues that they expect every educated person to know something about. Common topics include. Education Population The Environment Computers Lifestyles (including Life in Cities, the Country, Traffic problems) Culture and Society Foreign languages and travel Television Health Development Issues Try to suggest other topics that you known have been used in previous examinations, or that you think might occur. In order to be prepared with ideas on such key concepts, it is necessary to keep up to date with the major issues being discussed in the world. The editorial pages of newspapers and news magazines are important sources of such information, as are current affairs radio and television programs. 2. The aspect of the topic This is where students often make a mistake because they jump to conclusions about what it is that they are expected to say about the topic. Consider the following topics: A/ Computers have provided great benefits to modern society. Discuss. B/ Computers are the most important invention of this century. Do you agree? C/ Modern society would not be able to operate without computer. Do you agree? In each of the above, the topic is computer, and their importance in modern society. However, each topic raises different question and mush be answered differently. It is necessary to study the remaining words carefully to see what is required. (a) have provided great benefits (b) are the most important invention (c) would not be able to operate without Clearly, (a) is a much weaker statement than (b) or (c). In (a) all that is required if you agree with the statement, (and it would be hard not to) is to list and describe some of the benefits of computers. On other hand, for (b) and (c) it is necessary to argue whether computers are more important than other inventions. This is a much stronger position to take than the one required in topic a/. There is also a difference between (b) and (c), however. In (b) you are asked to compare computers with other inventions and to demonstrate that they are, or are not, more important for modern society. That is, you must consider modern society rather than computers as the basic of your essay. Exercise 2.1 Test your ability on interpret topics by identifying which of the following basically ask the same question, even if the wording is different a) Tertiary education is of greater benefit to the individual than to the society. Discuss. b) How important is the home background in influencing a child's educational success? c) Tertiary education should be free because it benefits the whole society. Do you agree? d) The home has a greater influence on a child's ultimate success than the school. Discuss. e) The attitude of parents is more important than the quality of the school in determining children's success. f) Tertiary education is the key to a successful career g) Discuss the relative influence of the home and the school on a child's intellectual and social development. h) Can modern science and technology solve the problem of feeding the entire population of the world? i) Feeding the world's growing population is our greatest social problem. Do you agree? j) Discuss the argument that the problem of feeding the world's growing population is only one of distribution, since there are adequate resources available through science and technology to supply everyone's basic needs. (Please see Answer keys at the end of this instruction sheets) 3. "Translating" the topic. All "discussion" topics can be reduced to basic propositions. That is to say, all topics which do not require a description or explanation can be expressed in such a way that it becomes clear that there are only about 6 basic answers possible: yes; no; maybe/ it depends; partly; a lot; a little. Look at these topics again: "Do you consider computers to be indispensable in the modern world?" "Computers have been the most important development in modern times. Do you agree?" The simplified answer to these topics must be either yes or no. Even if the expressions do you consider or do you agree are left out, the topic must still be answered with: Yes, I agree, or: no, I don't agree. Now look at this topic: "Computers have improved the quality of our lives". In this case you may not want to say either: yes, I agree, or: no, I don't agree, but just: I partly agree. In this topic: "Computers are a valuable educational tool" You may want to answer: it depends (i.e., it depends on how they are used) instead of simply agreeing or disagreeing. Finally, in a topic like this: "To what have computers improved modern lifestyles?" The simplified answer would be: a lot; a little or: partly. Exercise 3.1 Look at the following topics and decide which of the above basic answers you would give: a) The environment has been said to be the single most important issue in the world today. b) The responsibility for protecting the environment rests with the individual and not only with the government. c) To what extent should industry be made to pay environmental pollution? d) Modernization is leading to the destruction of the earth as a home for humans and animals. e) To what extent can individual ensure that the environment is protected from pollution? f) Mankind will destroy the planet within the next century. Discuss. (Please see Answer keys at the end of this instruction sheets) Whatever essay topics you are dealing with, first decide whether they involve a "discussion" type of answer, and if so, work out which of the above basic answers is appropriate. This will make your task of writing the essay much simpler. 4. Defining the Terms Some books and teachers tell you that you must define the terms you use so that the reader will understand you. This is sometimes true, but it is necessary to be sensible about it. For example, look again at the above example: a) Computers have provided great benefits to modern society. Discuss. b) Computers are the most important invention of this century. Do you agree? c) Modern society would not be able to operate without computers. Do you agree? In all these questions, the key term computers does not need defining, since everyone understands this term in the same way. The term modern society could be a little more problematic, since there are so many different aspects of society, that not everyone may be thinking of the same thing when they use this term. However, in a short essay like this it is not necessary to become a social scientist and to define a term which is generally understood in the same way by most people. However, in an essay in which you are asked to argue a point, it is necessary to evaluate concepts and in that case you must at least have some sort of definition of your values in your head, even if you do not define them in words. It is here that a definition is useful and important tool to help to you write your essay. Let me explain this from the above examples. In topic a): the evaluation term is benefits. What do you mean be benefits? Dose everyone have the same idea about what a benefit is? Probably most people would agree in most cases for example saving time and saving money are generally as beneficial by most people. In this case, therefore, it is not necessary to worry about writing a definition of benefits, but it is helpful for you, when deciding what to include in your essay, to think about exactly what you mean by this concept. In topic b): the restricting words are most important invention. Now, there is no problem with the word invention, but how do we determine importance? Does everyone have the same idea of it? Essentially this topic really requires you to deal with the concept of importance as much as with the concept of computers. In other words, it is not enough to list some of the benefits of computers here-it is necessary to demonstrate what one means by important and then to show how computers fulfil this function. In other words, one must establish one's criteria for determining importance in this context. For example, one can say that computers are good for playing kinds of games, but is this an important function? In the above examples, the words benefit and important are terms that clearly indicate the need for evaluation. Sometimes, however, the evaluation is indirectly indicated, as in example c). In topic c): the restricting terms are would not be able to operate without. This raises a more interesting problem of definition. What dose operate mean in this context? If we are talking about a machine, there is no problem in discussing how to operate it, and everyone will have the same idea. But what does it mean to say that a society is operating? Would we all have same idea? And, even more confusing, how can we say it is NOT operating? What is actually required here is a discussion that implies that modern society can or cannot operate well without computers. How well? Well, that is what needs to be evaluated by the write! Exercise 4.1 Look at the following topics and underline any terms that are evaluative. Then decide what exactly needs to be evaluated in each case, if anything. a) What in your opinion are the main problems facing modern industrial society? b) Modern technology has increased our material wealth but has decreased our personal happiness. Discuss. c) Television does more harm than good, according to many critics. Do you agree? d) It is often claimed that television and films encourage violence. What is your opinion? e) Computers have improved the quality of our lives. f) People in modern cities live under too much stress. (Please see Answer keys at the end of this instruction sheets) II- Writing 1. Selecting And Organising Language. Now that you have selected and organized your content, you can focus on the actual writing. We will consider the traditional division of an essay into introduction, body, conclusion and decide what goes into each of them. But it is also necessary to be aware of what is the appropriate style of these essays, and how to deal with problems of grammar and vocabulary. 2. The Introduction The purpose of the introduction is to let the reader know. a) the topic b) the aspect of the topic c) the stand taken by the writer. In other words, the introduction actually contains the conclusion! For example, if the topic is: (Topic a): Do children watch too much television nowadays? You should let your reader know in the introduction whether your answer is yes or no. The rest of the essay then provides support for your argument. The structure of the introduction follows a common pattern To introduce the topic and explain why it is worth talking about, you will normally need a statement something like this: ( Topic b): Television is so common that nowadays it is hard to imagine life without it. That is, the first sentence typically makes a general statement about a situation. The next statement then narrows the topic down to the specific aspect the write will deal with. For example: However, as many people have pointed out, most children spend too much time in front of television, and this is harmful. The second sentence often contains the word but or however to show that the writer something new or different to say. For example, if the first sentence is: Many people complain nowadays that children spend a great proportion of their lives watching television. Then the second sentence would be more likely to present the opposite view, such as: This may be true in some cases, but it is certainly not common enough to be serious problem. It is, however, not always the case that the second sentence contains a but or however. It may also support and strengthen the first sentence. Here are some examples: (Topic a): Do children watch too much television nowadays? Television has become so much a part of lives, that many people do not realize how many hours they actually spend watching it. In fact, it has been pointed out that most children watch far more television than is good for them. ( Topic b): The environment has been said to be the single most important issue in the world today. Discuss. People are gradually becoming aware of the fact that we are destroying our natural environment. We should realize that more of the other problems we face more important than this one. Language Use In introductions the tens is normally the present (e.g. complain) or present perfect (e.g. have pointed out). It is best to avoid repeating the exact words of the topic. If you paraphrase you will make a much better impression. Look at the examples above and see how even the simple words in Topic a/ watch too much television have been paraphrased in the examples to become: spend too much time in front of television and: spend a great proportion of their lives watching television. Here is another example from Topic b/ there are many problems facing the world today, including warfare, population growth and famine. However, none of these problems is as serious as the destruction of our natural environment. The above examples, the writer's argument (i.e. the conclusion) is made clear in the second sentence. The introduction therefore contains one statement which introduces the topic and a second statement which presents the author's stand, or attitude to the topic. Sometimes this statement, also known as the thesis or proposition, occurs in the third sentence. Exercise 2.1 The following are five introductions to the essay topic: "Technology can contribute to human misery as well as to human success" However, they have been jumbled. Find the first and second sentences which belong together in each case, to make five different introductions. 1) Every country in the world is aiming for technology development 2) It is not, however, the technological development which causes the problems, but rather the fact that societies do not make the necessary adjustments. 3) For most people, technological development means an improvement in their life-style. 4) However, their governments are usually not able to control the severe negative effects of this development. 5) Whenever technological progress is made, there are always people who complain about the problems that this creates. 6) However, it is wrong to blame technology for our social problems.. 7) Technology has brought many changes in people's lives, not all of which are beneficial. 8) There are always people who will argue against any kind of technological change. 9) In fact, in many cases, people have suffered enormously because of these changes. 10) However, while some people enjoy an easier life, others are usually made unemployed as a result of new technology. (Please see Answer keys at the end of this instruction sheets) Exercise 2.2 Here are three topics on the same subject, followed by six possible opening sentences. Match each topic with the best opening sentence. 1/ children's viewing of television should be controlled. 2/ Television does more harm than good. Do you agree? 3/ Discuss the role of television in modern society. a/ Television is a relatively recent invention, but it has become a basic aspect of life in all modern societies. b/ In modern society, everyone likes watching television. c/ Children usually have their favourite television programs, which they like to watch regularly. d/ Children in many countries watch television for several hours each day, so it is important to think about what it is they are watching. e/ Although television can be a valuable source of entertainment and information, it also has serious drawbacks. f/ Television is a system of conveying both sound and picture waves from a studio or other source into people's homes. (Please see Answer keys at the end of this instruction sheets) Language Use Useful expressions for the thesis statement or proposition include: Effect important harmful Result advantageous problem Factor benefit dangerous Aspect beneficial detrimental Phenomenon valuable detrimental Useful damaging Drawback Having positive or negative effects Note: Make sure that you know the exact meaning and the correct use of any of theses terms that you want to use. Check them with your dictionaries. 3. The Body. The body will typically consist of about three paragraphs, presenting points to support your argument. You will have worked out ideas in the planning stage, when organizing your brainstormed ideas. Now it is simply a matter of presenting one main point in each paragraph. A paragraph is like a mini-essay, since it also is also is a unit of writing. That means that, like in an essay, you must let your reader know as soon as possible what your proposition or statement is, and then support it. This is usually done with a topic sentence. Let us look at the example: "Computers have provided great benefits to modern society. Discuss." Let us use the first system of organization we identified: Save time, space and therefore money through a) storing and retrieval of info. (e. g. business, libraries); b) calculations (e. g. business- accounting, science, engineering); c) word processing (bus; students) Our first paragraph would be about storing and retrieval. A topic sentence could be: The most important use of computers is in the storing of information which can be retrieved quickly and easily when it is needed. We could then go on with: For example, in any kind of business ..................... The next paragraph introduces the point about calculations. Here is a possible topic sentence: Another very common use of computers is to make quick and accurate calculations. Followed by: This is especially true in the field of science and engineering, where................ As you can see from the above, the body of the essay usually consist of several paragraphs, each with a topic sentence, which is normally the first sentence in the paragraph, and which is followed by supporting detail or examples. 4. The Conclusion The conclusion need not belong. In fact, it can be as short as one sentence. A good conclusion will not be merely a repetition of the main topic statement of the essay, or of your proposition statement in the introduction, since that is rather boring to read. Nevertheless, it should contain some kind of a summary of the main argument or proposition of the essay. It is also a good idea to include a comment on the implications of your conclusion. If, for instance, you make a recommendation, you can comment on what may happen if your recommendation is not followed. For example (for the topic: Children's viewing of television should be controlled): Therefore it is important to limit the amount of television that children watch, otherwise they will suffer educationally and socially as grow up. Or: Therefore, if children's television viewing is sensibly supervised it will allow them to enjoy certain programs as well as to develop the skills that they need. Note: the paraphrases for the word control. As with the introduction, if you want to stay close to the topic statement, it is desirable to attempt to paraphrase it. In some cases you can even avoid a paraphrase completely by summarizing in a new way. For example: Children do not always know what is best for them, and in this case, as in many other cases, the guidance of parents is essential if they are to grow up as well-balanced people. In some cases, a conclusion may consider possible future outcomes. For example: Computers have clearly been extremely helpful and we can expect that in future they will improve our lives even more. Or: Although atomic energy can never run out, unlike fossil fuels, it is clear that other, less dangerous sources of energy will to be developed for future. Language Use It will be useful for you to make sure that you know how to use various terms expressing implications correctly. That is, expressions like otherwise, in this case, under these circumstances, followed by the future tense. Notice also if they are to grow up in the last example given. The conditional (as in it would be desirable etc) may also be used. For predictions, the future tense is generally used, and expressions like: it is likely that, in all probability etc.. can be useful. The end of Part I -------------------------------------------------------------------- ) PART II TYPICAL TEST ESSAY TOPICS & EXAMPLES -----------------------I- TYpical topics The following are typical topics that you should practise carefully for future necessities: 1. The environment is the most important issue in the world today. Discuss. 2. Computers may be considered the most important tool in modern society. Do you agree? 3. parents should control the amount of television that their children watch. 4. Tertiary education is of greater benefit to the individual than to the society. Discuss. 5. Tertiary education is the key to a successful career. 6. To what extent should industry be made to pay for environmental pollution? 7. To what extent can individuals ensure that the environment is protected from pollution? 8. What, in your opinion, are the main problems facing modern industrial society? 9. It is often claimed that television and films encourage violence. What is your opinion? 10. Good health is more important than money for a happy life. Do you agree? 11. Atomic energy is the best source for the world's growing energy needs. Discuss. 12. to be successful in education it is more important to be a good student than to have good teachers. Do you agree? 13. What, in your opinion, can be done to improve modern cities? 14. What are the major problems are associated with living in large cities? 15. Transport issues are becoming increasingly important. What arguments are there for restricting the use of the motor car? 16. Modern technology has increased material wealth, but not happiness. To what extent do you agree with this statement? 17. The increasing role of English in the world means that the learning of other languages is being neglected. What is your opinion of this statement? 18. Young people are said to have lost many of the traditional values of the older generations. Do you agree? 19. To what extent can individuals help to protect the environment? 20. Professional sport involves large sums of money and receives enormous media coverage. Do you think this is justified? II- TYpical topics for reference Essay No. 1: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents are the best teachers. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Parents shape their children from the beginning of their children’s lives. They teach their values. They share their interests with them. They develop close emotional ties with them. Parents can be very important teachers in their children’s lives; however, they are not always the best teachers. Parents may be too close to their emotionally. For example, they may limit a child’s freedom in the name of safety. A teacher may organize an educational trip to a big city, but a parent may think this trip is too dangerous. A school may want to take the children camping, but a parent may be afraid of the child getting hurt. Another problem is that parents sometimes expect their children’s interests to be similar to their own. If the parents love science, they may try to force their child to love science too. But what if the child prefers art? If the parents enjoy sports, they may expect their child to participate on different teams. But what if the child prefers to read? Parents want to pass on their values to their children. However, things change. The children of today are growing up in a world different from their parents’ world. Sometimes parents, especially older ones, can’t keep up with rapid social or technological changes. A student who has friends of different races at school may find that his parents are rower views. A student who loves computers may find that her parents don’t understand or value the digital revolution. Parents are important in our lives, but they aren’t always the best teachers. Fortunately, we have many teachers is our lives. Our parents teach us, our teachers teach us, and we learn from our peers. Books and newspapers also teach us. All of them are valuable. -----------------------------------------------------Essay No. 2: Nowadays food has become easier to prepare. Has this change improved the way people live? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Food is a basic part of life, so it follows that improved methods of food preparation have made our lives. Nowadays we can prepare meals faster than we could in the past. We can also enjoy a greater variety of food and eat more healthfully, all because of modern methods of food preparation. Microwave ovens have made it possible to prepare delicious food quickly. People these days rarely have time to shop and prepare meals the old-fashioned way. We live very fast lives. We are busy working, caring for our families, travelling, playing sports, and many other things. Because of microwave ovens, we have time to enjoy a good meal with our family and then play soccer, go to a movie, study, or do anything else we want to afterwards. Modern methods of preserving food have made it possible to enjoy a wide variety of food. Because of refrigerators, freezers, canning, and free-drying, we can eat fruits and vegetables that come from far away places. We can prepare a meal one day and save the leftovers in the refrigerator or the shelf. It’s easy to always have food available and to be able eat completely different meals every day. Healthful eating is easier now than it ever was. Because of modern transportation methods, fresh fruits and vegetables are available all year round. Modern kitchen appliances make it prepare fruits and vegetables for cooking. Bread machines make it possible to enjoy healthful, home-baked bread whenever we like. We can eat fresh and healthful food everyday because modern methods have made preparation easy. Our lifestyle is fast, but people still like good food. New food preparation methods have given us is more choices. Today we can prepare food that is more convenient, healthier, and of greater variety than ever before in history. ------------------------------------------------------ Essay No. 3 It has been said, "Not everything that is learned is contained in books." Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why? "Experience is the best" is an old formula, but I agree with it. We can learn a lot of important things from books, but the most important lessons in life come from our own experiences. Throughout the different stages of life, from primary school to university to adulthood, experience teaches us many skills we need for life. As children in primary school, we learn facts and information from books, but that is not all we learn in school. On the playground we learn bow to make friends. In our class work, we learn bow it feels to succeed and what we do when we fail. We start to learn about the things we like to do and the things we don’t. We don’t learn these things from books, but from our experiences with our friends and classmates. In our university classes, we learn a lot of information and skills we will need for our future careers, but we also learn a lot that is not in our textbooks. In our daily lives both in class and out of class, we learn to make decisions for ourselves. We learn to take on responsibilities. We learn to get along with our classmates, our roommates, and our workmates. Our successes and failures help us develop skills we will need in our adult lives. They are skills that no book can teach us. Throughout our adulthood, experience remains a constant teacher. We may continue to read or take classes for professional development. However; our experiences at work, at home, and with our friends teach us more. The triumphs and disasters of our lives teach us how to improve our careers and also how to improve our relationships and how to be the person each one of us wants to be. Books teach us a lot, but there is a limit to what they teach. They can give us information or show us another person’s experiences. These are valuable things, but the lessons we learn from our own experiences, from childhood through adulthood, are the most important ones we learn. ------------------------------------------------------ Essay No. 4: A company has announced that it wishes to build a large factory near your community. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this new influence on your community. Do you support or oppose the factory? Explain your position. People like factories because they bring new jobs to a community. In my opinion, however, the benefits of a factory are outweighed by the risks. Factories cause pollution and they bring too much growth. In addition, they destroy the quiet lifestyle of a small town. That is why I oppose a plan to build a factory near my community. Factories cause smog. If we build a new factory, the air we breathe will become dirty. Everything will be covered with dust. Factories also pollute rivers and streams. Our water will be too dirty to drink. The environment will be hurt and people’s health will be affected by a factory. Some people will say that more jobs will be created by a factory. However, this can have a negative result. Out population will grow quickly. Many new homes and stores will be built. There will be a lot of traffic on the roads. Fast growth can cause more harm than good. Our city will change a lot. It is a pleasant place now. It is safe and quite. Everybody knows everybody else. If a factory brings growth to the city, all of this will change. The small-town feel will be lost. A factory would be helpful in some ways, but the dangers outweigh the benefits. Our city would be changed too much by a factory. I cannot support a plan to build a new factory here. ------------------------------------------------------ Essay No.5: How do movies or television influence people’s behaviour? Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer. Television is a big influence in the lives of most of us. We spent hours every week watching television programs, so of course this will affect our behaviour. Unfortunately, the effect of television is usually negative. Television makes people more violent, more inactive, and less imaginative. Many programs and movies on television are violent. There more we see violence on television, the less sensitive we become to it. Eventually violence doesn’t seem wrong. This is especially true because violence on television doesn’t seem to have consequences. Actors can be killed and come back for another movie. Sometimes we confuse that with reality and we forget that killing someone is permanent. Watching television makes us less active. The act of watching television requires almost no activity on the part of the watcher. We just turn it on and change the channels. In addition, all the time that we spend in front of the television is time that we are not spending moving around, playing a sport, or taking a walk. When we watch television, we don’t exercise our imagination. All the stories are told for us. We don’t even have to imagine what a character or place looks like because everything is shown to us. We just turn on the television and watch. Television is a big influence in modern life and it can be a valuable educational tool. The other side of television, however, is that it has a strong negative effect on our behaviour, encouraging us to accept violence and to be inactive and unimaginative. ------------------------------------------------------ Essay No.6: Some people prefer to live to in small town. Others prefer o live in a big city. Which place would you prefer to live in? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer. I grew up in a small town and then moved to a big city. I didn’t think I would like living here, but I was wrong. I think life is much better in a big city. Transportation is much more convenient, everything is more exciting, and there is a greater variety of people. I can’t imagine ever living in a small town again. Transportation is easier in a city. In a small town, you have to have a car to get around because there isn’t any kind of public transportation. In a city, on the other hand, there are usually buses and taxis, and some cities have subways. Cities often have often have heavy traffic and expensive parking, but it doesn’t matter because you can always take the bus. Using public transportation is usually cheaper and more convenient than driving a car, but you don’t have this choice in a small town. City life is more exciting than small town life. In small towns usually nothing changes. You see the same people every day, you go to the same two or three restaurants, everything is the same. In a city things change all the time. You see new people everyday. There are many restaurants, with new ones to choose from all the time. New plays come to the theaters and new musicians come to the concert halls. Cities have a diversity of people that you don’t find in a small town. There are much fewer people in a small town and usually they are all alike. In a city you can find people from different countries, of different religions, of different races - you can find all kinds of people. This variety of people is what makes city life interesting. Life in a city is convenient, exciting, and interesting. After experiencing city life, I could never live in a small town again.