VSTEP Writing Task 2

VSTEP Writing Task 2 VSTEP Writing Task 2 Trương Văn Ánh Trường Đại học Sài Gòn Discuss both views essay Discuss both views essay a common question type in VSTEP Writing Task 2 We will present the gen[.]

VSTEP Writing Task 2

Trương Văn ÁnhTrường Đại học Sài Gòn

Discuss both views essay

Discuss both views essay- a common question type in VSTEP Writing Task 2

We will present the general outline and some useful expressions in this kind of essay

These particular questions require a different approach to argumentative essays because you have to discuss both sides rather than just argue

in favor of one side

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

• Computers are being used more and more in education Some people say that this is a positive trend, while others argue that it is leading to negative consequences

Discuss both sides of this argument and then give your own opinion

General outline

• INTRODUCTION– rephrase the topic and state

your opinion

• BODY 1: The view you support (Reason 1+

Reason 2+ Explanation+ Examples)

• BODY 2: The view you DO NOT support (Reason

1+ Reason 2+ Explanation, Examples+ Rebuttal

[phản biện lại] )

• CONCLUSION

Sentence 1- Summary of main points

Sentence 2- State which one is better or more important

Useful expressions

• INTRODUCTION

To introduce the first view:

There are certain people in society which claim

that

It is argued by some people that

A commonly held belief is that

To introduce the second view

In contrast, other individuals espouse the idea that

However, this is refuted by others who say that

To state your opinion

This is a controversial issue, but I believe that

Both sides have their own merits; however, I believe the (former/ latter) view is more reasonable

To close the paragraph/ introduce the body

This essay aims to prove my claim

• BODY 1: You can start with “On the one hand,”

• BODY 2: You can start with “On the other hand,”

• CONCLUSION

In conclusion, although there are valid reasons why………, it is still more reasonable to conclude that………

Therefore, while to a certain extent, it is true………., I strongly believe that………

VSTEP Writing task 2Cause/Effect/Solution essay

Causes/ Effects/ Solutions essay- a common question type in VSTEP Writing Task 2 We will present the general outline and some useful expressions in this type of essay.

Causes/ Effects/ Solutions essays require you to determine a scenario in which one action or event caused certain effects to occur Then, explain what took place and why! This kind of essay sometimes also asks us to propose some solutions to the problem The questions will only ask for 2 of the 3 aspects (Cause/ effect or Cause/ Solution or Effect/ Solution)

Sample questions

• In some countries, it can be very difficult for people over the age of 50 to get good jobs, despite their experience

What do you think are the causes of this problem and what measures could be taken to solve it?

• Cheating in school exams has been a serious concern since time immemorial

Why do you think children cheat in exams? What are the long-term effects if this ubiquitous practice is tolerated?

General Outline

• INTRODUCTION– rephrase the topic and state

what are required

• BODY 1– Discuss the causes (or effects,

depending on the question task)

• BODY 2– Discuss the solutions

• Conclusion– summarize and restate task

requirements

Useful expressions in the Introduction

• Developing countries, like Viet Nam, are faced with a wide range/ plethora/ myriad of problems, ranging from environmental and socio-economic, and one of the most concerning/ worrying/ alarming is…

• [Cause+ Effect] The essay will not only analyze the principal factors leading to this problem but also highlight its outcomes

• [Cause+ Solution] The following essay will attempt to present the reasons behind this damaging phenomenon and then offer some potential ways to address it.

• [Effect+ Solution] After elaborating on the consequences of this important issue, some measures that can be taken/ employed/ implemented to tackle it will be provided

To express causes

• This problem is caused by…

• This situation can be attributed to…

• One rationale that can be given to explain this is…

• This can be traced to the fact that…

To express effects

• A few problems have sprung out of this situation

• This issue has been a menace to society in

To express solutions

• The problem can be successfully prevented

• There are several concrete steps we can take to combat this threat

• Some suggestions can be given to solve the problem

VSTEP Writing task 2

Argumentative essay

Argumentative essay- a very common question type in VSTEP Writing Task 2 We will present the general outline and some useful expressions in this type of essay.

Argumentative essay question usually voices a controversial topic (các chủ đề gây tranh cãi) and asks you to state your opinion of that topic (if you are FOR or AGAINST)

Sample questions

• Animals should not be used in scientific research

Do you agree or disagree?

• Most people in developing countries do not have food to eat and place to live Instead of saving forest to protect the environment, we should aim

to maximize land for food production and making homes for the homeless

Do you agree or disagree?

General Outline

• Introduction:

– Introducing the topic.

– Giving background information and Narrowing the topic – Giving your point of view and mentioning the main

reasons covered in the essay.

• Body:

– Reason 1 (with 2-3 supporting ideas).

– Reason 2 (with 2-3 supporting ideas).

– Counter- argument (phản biện lại ý kiến trái ngược với mình)

• Conclusion:

– Restate your point of view.

– Summary is required.

Useful expressions

• INTRODUCTION

First sentence: There is an increasingly growing

popular idea that…

There is an argument that…

There is a popular claim that….

Second sentence:

I, however, believe that….

I firmly believe that….

I believe in the truth/ veracity of this statement

… and this essay will tackle the most important

reasons, considering [the main areas covered in your essay]

• BODY

Giving the first point

First and foremost,

This is primarily due to the fact that One crucial point to consider is that

Giving the second point

Moreover/ Furthermore,

More importantly,

We should also recognize the fact that

Expressing counter-arguments

(First sentence) Admittedly, it could also be said that…

Some people continue to claim that

(Second sentence) Still, I would like to emphasize that…

It is still my belief though that…

I reiterate, however, that…

• Conclusion

In conclusion/ To sum up

After discussing all the points mentioned above, I can finally conclude that…

All in all, regardless of the points to the contrary,

it can be concluded that…

Considering all arguments put forward, I have

arrived at the conclusion that…

TOPICS ON WRITING TASK 2 VSTEP

• Education

1- Formal examinations are the only effective way to assess a student’s performance Continual assessment such as course work and projects is not a satisfactory way to do this

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

2- Do the benefits of study abroad justify the difficulties? What advice would you offer to a prospective student?

3- Most schools offer some type of physical education program to their students Why is physical education important? Should physical education classes be required or optional?

4- Textbooks should be replaced by laptops in classrooms To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

5- Many people argue that in order to improve educational quality, high school students are encouraged to make comments or even criticism

on their teachers Others think it will lead to loss

of respect and discipline in the classroom Discuss both views and give your own opinion

6- In some countries young people are encouraged

to work or travel for a year between finishing high school and staring university studies Discuss the advantages and disadvantages for young people who decide to do this

• Technology and media

1- Some people think that the increasing use of mobile phones and computers have negative impacts on users To what extent do you agree or disagree?

2- Do you think that modern technology, such as the internet and computers will ever replace the book or the written word as the main source of information?

3- Some children can learn more efficiently by watching TV Therefore, children should watch TV regularly both in school and at home Do you agree or disagree?

• Social issues

1- Nowadays, people have longer life span thanks

to the development in terms of health services and medical treatment What are the positive and negative effects of this trend?

2- Prostitution should be banned To what extent

do you agree or disagree?

3- Increasing the price of petrol is the best way to solve growing traffic and pollution problems What is your opinion?

4- Some people prefer to provide help and support directly to those in their community However, others prefer to give money to national and international charitable organizations Discuss both views and give your opinion.

5- Same sex marriage should be legalized Do you agree or disagree?

• Travelling and tourism

1- Tourism is seen as a major industry for many countries However it tends to have a deleterious effect on the environment and should be strictly monitored What is your opinion?

2- What are the advantages and disadvantages of tourism? In general, do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

• Science

1- Although many benefits may result from space exploration, the costs involved are enormous There is debate as to whether this money could

be more wisely spent to provide for the basic needs of mankind such as food, clean water, etc For this reason space exploration should be restricted Do you agree?

Vstep task 2 (Collection 4)

Topic: You should spend about 40 minutes on

this task

Write about the following topic:

Levels of youth crime are increasing rapidly in major cities in Viet Nam

What are the reasons for this? Suggest some solutions

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge

You should write at least 250 words

Over the last few years, many cities throughout the country have seen an alarming increase in the levels of youth crime This has become a question that not only the authorities but also parents are concerned about In this essay, I would like to analyze some reasons for this and suggest some possible solutions.

The causes of this issue lies in the way the youth are brought up by their parents and the increasing level of poverty in cities The first reason is connected with the family In order for

a child to grow up in a balanced way, it is very

important that he or she must be nurtured by his

or her parents with love, care, and support However, these days, it is often the case that children are neglected due to the fact that many parents in cities now are too busy with their work

to give their children good advice and support in time Another factor to consider is the increasing levels of poverty around the world We have seen with globalization the rich get far richer and the poor get much poorer, and this inevitably means that those who were unfortunately born into a poor family and are reluctant to work hard, but want to live in

comfort turn to robbing and stealing Reality shows that they even dare to kill others to grab what they desire.

To solve the problem, we should take several measures on the part of families as well as society First, parents must spend more time with their children to control what they do and how they behave so as to offer them timely guidance and prevent them from making a mistake and then committing a crime Second, those who commit a crime must be severely punished; for example, a teenage murderer can be sentenced

to death It is also essential that the authorities send young criminals to a rehabilitation center, where they have a chance to learn how to behave well and get some vocational training so that they can find a job to support themselves later.

In conclusion, several factors have led to a dramatic increase in youth crime at present, but feasible solutions are available to tackle this problem I’m convinced that taking the above-mentioned measures can help to reduce the level

of youth crime substantially in big cities of Viet Nam (Word count: 380)

Topic: Some people argue that immigrants should adopt the local culture when immigrating to a new country An alternative view is that they can adapt to a new environment by establishing a minority community What are your opinions?

Topic: Formal examinations are the only effective way

to assess a student’s performance Continual assessment such as course work and projects is not a satisfactory way to do this.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this

statement?

It is said that formal examinations are the only effective way to access a student’s performance Continual assessment such as course work and projects is not a satisfactory way to do this In my opinion, a combination of the two views may be a better way of assessing students.

Firstly, the aim of the assessment is to evaluate how much the students understand the taught subjects

in total Therefore, continual assessments provide

an opportunity for students and teachers to quantify the performances of students for a long term Teachers could observe students during the whole term and help them if necessary As a result, students may acquire skills that might be suitable for future employment as an example of projects

or course work Besides, course work and projects can make students ready for formal examinations  

In addition, formal examinations are not flexible enough to assess other qualities possessed by a student such as confidence, the ability of a student to present a topic to the public These can only be done through other assessments such as presentations and other course work and projects.

Moreover, formal examinations that are taken in educational institutes make students learn concept and also memorize the things that they have studied in their class Some hard-working students will get good marks, some lazy students