Chuyên đề Writing a paragraph, an essay

WRITING A PARAGRAPH, AN ESSAY - VIẾT ĐOẠN VĂN, BÀI VĂN

Thế nào là một đoạn văn?

• Definitions: Định nghĩa – Một đoạn văn là một loạt câu phát triển, ủng hộ, chứng minh một ý nào đó, và ý này thường là câu chủ đề (topic sentence) của đoạn văn. Các câu còn lại (supporting sentences) phát triển, giải thích, minh họa cho câu chủ đề. Câu kết luận (concluding sentence) của đoạn văn là câu khẳng định lại câu chủ điểm, tóm tắt lại các ý chính của đoạn văn.
• A paragraph is a group of sentences that deal with a single topic with the length (as required in the GCSE) of around 150 words. Đoạn văn trong tiếng Anh là một tổ hợp câu với độ dài (yêu cầu trong các đề thi) chừng 150 từ, diễn tả hay bàn thảo về một chủ đề nhất định.
• Normally (but not always), the first sentence introduces the topic. Other sentences give the definitions, examples, information, reasons, restatements, and summaries.

Thông thường (không phải là luôn luôn), câu đầu tiên diễn tả chủ đề. Các câu còn lại là sự giải trình, dẫn chững, tái khảng định, thêm thông tin và tóm lược.

• The parts of the paragraph are linked together by the phrases and conjunctions.

They guide the readers through the argument presented. Xuyên suốt đoạn văn, các cụm từ, liên từ được sử dụng để kết nối và dẫn dắt độc giả theo chủ đề được bàn thảo.

2. Parts of a Paragraph: Các phần của đoạn văn

2.1.Topic Sentence: Câu chủ đề – đưa ra chủ đề để bàn thảo

2.2.Supporting Details: Các câu văn bổ trợ cho câu chủ đề – là sự giải trình, dẫn chững, tái khảng định, hay thêm thông cho câu chủ đề, hay chủ đề.

2.3.Closing Sentence: Câu kết – là tóm lược lại hay tái khảng định lại chủ đề.

II. How to Write a Paragraph: Kĩ năng viết một đoạn văn

1. Prewriting Paragraphs: Chuẩn bị trước khi viết

The prewriting stage is when you think carefully and organize your ideas for your paragraph before you begin writing. Là quá trình ta động não suy nghĩ, tìm và sắp xếp các ý tưởng cho đoạn văn sẽ được viết. quá trình này tuân theo 6 bước cơ bản sau: Six

2. Prewriting Steps: 6 bước chuẩn bị viết một đoạn văn:

Step 1. Think carefully about what you are going to write. Hãy tự hỏi các câu hỏi:

• What question am I going to answer in this paragraph or essay?
• How can I best answer this question? What is the most important part of my answer?
• How can I make an introductory sentence (or thesis statement) from the most important part of my answer?
• What facts or ideas can I use to support my introductory sentence?
• How can I make this paragraph or essay interesting?
• Do I need more facts on this topic?
• Where can I find more facts on this topic?

Step 2. Open your notebook. Hãy trả lời cho các câu hỏi ở bước 1.

Không cần phải sử dụng quá nhiều thời gian để thực hiện bước này, thay vì thế hãy liệt kê những ý tưởng quan trọng (2-3 ý chính).

Step 3. Collect facts related to your paragraph or essay topic.

Tìm và liệt kê các ý tưởng sẽ giúp bạn trả lời các câu hỏi và là ý cho bài viết, hãy chắc chắn rằng những điều bạn liệt kê ra trùng khớp hoàn toàn với chủ đề được yêu cầu.

Step 4. Write down your own ideas. Để viết các ý chính hãy tự hỏi các câu hỏi sau:

What else do I want to say about this topic?

• Why should people be interested in this topic?
• Why is this topic important?

Step 5. Find the main idea of your paragraph.

Hãy chọn câu chủ đề cho đoạn văn, viết câu chủ đề một cách hoàn chỉnh.

Step 6. Organize your facts and ideas in a way that develops your main idea. Sắp xếp các ý, các giải trình, ví dụ, hay những ý kiến bổ trợ sao cho hợp logic, khoa học, chú ý cách dùng từ ngữ, các cụm từ, liên từ (tránh lặp lại các từ đã dùng).

II. Writing Paragraphs: Kĩ năng viết đoạn văn

1. Writing process: Tiến hành viết

 Đây là bước chuyển hóa từ các ý tưởng (đã làm ở phần chuẩn bị trên đây) thành một bài viết hoàn chỉnh (sản phẩm cuối cùng). Tuân thủ 5 bước sau:

2.1. Five Writing Steps:

• Open your notebook and word processor.
• Write the topic sentence, supporting sentences, and closing sentence.
• Write clear and simple sentences to express your meaning.
• Focus on the main idea of your paragraph.
• Use the dictionary to help you find additional words to express your ideas.

2.2. Editing Paragraphs: Sửa lỗi bài viết gồm 2 bước sau:

a.Grammar and Spelling: Chữa các lỗi ngữ pháp và chính tả

• Check your spelling.
• Check your grammar.
• Read your essay again.
• Make sure each sentence has a subject.
• See if your subjects and verbs agree with each other.
• Check the verb tenses of each sentence.
• Make sure that each sentence makes sense.

b.Style and Organization: Chữa các lỗi về hành văn

• Make sure your paragraph has a topic sentence.
• Make sure your supporting sentences focus on the main idea.
• Make sure you have a closing sentence.
• Check that all your sentences focus on the main idea.
• See if your paragraph is interesting.
• Useful expressions: Những liên từ, hay các cụm từ hữu ích khi viết đoạn văn:

Useful expressions

Sequencing/ Listing              First of all, First(ly), Initially, To begin with;

Second(ly); Third(ly); Next; Then; After that

(this); Following this (that); Finally; The first

reason is…/ The second is…; Last but not least…

Adding to what you               Also, Furthermore, In addition, Additionally,

have said                                        Moreover, Besides, As well as, Similarly, not

only…but also…, even beside this/ that,…

Contrasting                                 In contrast to this, On the contrary, In contrast,

Conversely, On the other hand, While, Whereas,

However, Despite/ In spite of, Although, Even

though, Otherwise, Nonetheless,…

 Expressing similarity   Similarly; Likewise, In the same way

Showing results                        As a result, As a consequence, Consequently,

Hence, Thus, Therefore, So,…

Giving examples                       For     example,     For    instance,    In    particular,

Particularly, That is to say, Namely, Such as,…

 Restating            In other words, That is to say, To put it simply,…

 Inferring            In other words, In that case, or else, Otherwise,…

Summarizing                              In summary, To sum up, To conclude, To

recapitulate, In conclusion, In short, In brief, In a nutshell, Lastly, Finally,…

• Kinds of Paragraphs: Các loại đoạn văn cơ bản
• Definition Paragraph: Đoạn văn để định nghĩa về một sự vật, hiện tượng.

e.g.      Write a paragraph giving the definition of a pest.

• Classification Paragraph: Đoạn văn để nhóm, hay phân loại các sự vật, hiện tượng.

e.g.  Write a paragraph discussing two types of energy resources.

• Description Paragraph: Đoạn văn miêu tả về một sự vật, hiện tượng.

e.g.      Write a paragraph to talk about your most favorite subject.

• Compare and Contrast Paragraph: Đoạn văn đề diễn tả sự so sanh hay tương phản về các sự vật, hiện tượng.

e.g.      Write a paragraph comparing the weather in Vancouver and Halifax.

• Sequence Paragraph: Đoạn văn mô tả một chuỗi, hay một tiến trình ủa sự vật, sự việc.

e.g. Write a paragraph outlining how a person becomes the prime minister.

• Choice Paragraph: Đoạn văn mô tả sự chọn lựa.

e.g. Write a paragraph stating whether you would prefer to play hockey or lacrosse.

Explanation Paragraph: Đoạn văn để giải thích

e.g. Write a paragraph explaining why so many Europeans moved to Canada during the nineteenth century.

• Evaluation Paragraph: Đoạn văn để đánh gia về sự vật, hiện tượng.

e.g. Write a paragraph evaluating whether pesticides should be used on farms.

Writing an essay: Viết bài luận

Một bài luận là một bài viết dài hơn và thường gồm nhiều đoạn và mỗi đoạn văn thường theo cấu trúc đoạn văn trình bày trên. Tuy nhiên, cách viết đoạn mở đầu (introductory paragraph) và đoạn kết (concluding paragraph) đặc thù như sau:

The introductory paragraph: Đoạn văn chủ đề

• The attention getter
• a sentence that gets the reader interested
• The main idea
• the topic or thesis of the essay
• The guide/ thesis statement (the last sentence of the introductory paragraph)
• a list of the points that will be discussed, thus showing the organization of the composition

e.g. There are many things that symbolize the Vietnamese culture. Among these is the conical leaf hat, a symbol of traditional Vietnamese girls. The hat is very special because of its physical features and its use.

• Attention getter:

e.g.      There are many things that symbolize the Vietnamese culture.

– Topic/ thesis:

e.g.      Among these is the conical leaf hat, a symbol of traditional Vietnamese girls.

– The guide/ thesis statement:

e.g.      The hat is very special because of its physical features and its use.

Bodies: Các đoạn văn nội dung

Các đoạn tiếp theo sau đoạn mở đầu sẽ phát triển tương ứng các ý được đề cập trong câu chủ đề của bài luận, và cách viết tuân thủ theo cách viết đoạn văn đã được đề cập trên. Ví dụ, đối với phần mở bài trên, phần thân bài sẽ có 2 đoạn:

Paragraph 1: physical features

Paragraph 2: its use

The concluding paragraph: Đoạn văn kết

Là đoạn cuối của bài luận. Thường có 3 cách để viết đoạn kết.

• A summary repeats the main points of the essay.
• A prediction discusses what will happen in the future.
• An evaluation compares the main points and states what is best.

V.Summary: Tóm lược các bước và cấu truc của bài luận:

Structure of the Paragraph and the Essay

• Main idea (topic sentence or thesis)
• Support for the main idea (a number of supporting details in a paragraph or a number of paragraphs in an essay)
• Conclusion (summary of the main points of support for the main idea)

The writing process for the Paragraph and the Essay

• First steps
• understanding the assignment
• narrowing the topic
• determining the writing context
• formulating a main idea
• Generating ideas
• stating the main idea
• brainstorming
• freewriting
• listing
• clustering
• diving
• Organizing ideas
• Drafting · Revising · Editing

Writing a paragraph , an essay – Viết đoạn văn, bài văn

Exercise 1. With around 160 words, write a paragraph describing a person you admire most.

Your writing should include

• Who the person is?

Why you admire him or her?

• How he/she affects your life and work?

Exercise 194. With around 160 words, write a paragraph giving your opinions of what makes a person successful in life. Your writing should include:

• What success is?
• The main factors that make people success?
• How you think about success?

Exercise 2. With around 160 words, write a paragraph giving your opinions of the benefits of being able to use English. Your writing should include:

• What the main benefits of being able to use English?
• What the examples to illustrate your ideas?

Exercise 3. With around 160 words, write a paragraph describing your homeland.

Your writing should include:

• What your homeland is like?
• What the main features of your homeland are?
• How you love your homeland?

Exercise 4. With around 160 words, write a paragraph describing your favorite school subject. Your writing should include:

• What your favorite school subject is?
• Why the subject interests you?
• How well you learn that subject?

Exercise 5. With around 160 words, write a paragraph giving your opinions on the idea of controlling the access to electronic services.

Your writing should include:

• How the electronic services affect people’s life?
• Why the access to electronic services should be controlled?
• How people control the access to electronic services?

Exercise 6. With around 160 words, write a paragraph giving your opinions about the

formal school education system in Vietnam.

Your writing should include:

• How many stages there are?
• The students’ ages, the length of each stage, the examination if there is?
• The tuition fee or other requirements?

Exercise 7. With around 160 words, write a paragraph giving your opinions on the benefits of working for an International Organization.

Your writing should include:

• How your life will be like when working for an International Organization?
• Why you choose to work overseas?
• How you realize your dream?

Exercise 8. With around 200 words, write a paragraph giving your opinions on the solutions to the commuting problems among people who live in the country to drive to work in the city.

Your writing should include:

• The problems caused by people commute to work?
• Your solutions to offer?
• Your own ideas?

Exercise 9. With around 220 words, write to discuss the issue “Families now are not as close-knit as they were in the past”.

Your writing should include:

• The causes that separate family members?
• The supported ideas or illustrations?
• Your own ideas?

Exercise 10. With around 200 words, write a letter to apply for an overseas university. Your writing should include:

• How you find the information about the university?
• Why you choose to apply for that university?
• What your abilities are?
• Begin with “Dear Sir/ Madam”, ending with “Yours faithfully,”

Exercise 11. With around 200 words, write a letter to apply for a job as a local tour guide.

Your writing should include:

• How you find the information about the vacancy?
• Why you choose to work as a tour guide?
• What your abilities are?
• Begin with “Dear Sir/ Madam”, ending with “Yours faithfully,”

Exercise 12. With around 230 words, write a letter to tell your friend about your family life.

Your writing should include:

• What are your family rules?
• What is each member’s responsibility?
• How do you think and live?
• Begin with “Dear Jim”, ending with “Best wishes,”

Exercise 13. With around 250 words, write a letter to a friend to tell her/ him about the one who influenced you most. Your writing should include:

• Who the person is?
• Why you think he/she is the most important to you?
• How he/she influenced you?
• Begin with “Dear Linda”, ending with “Yours,”

Exercise 14. The widespread use of the Internet has brought many problems.

What do you think the main problems associated with the use of the web? What solutions can you suggest?

Your writing must has a length of over 220 words and includes:

• The problems related to free access to the internet?
• The harmful effects of surfing websites too much and uncontrollably?
• Your suggested own ideas.

Exercise 15. Young people are much more aware of and concerned about the issues like the environment, poverty, and animal welfare than previous generations. What is your own opinion?

Your writing must has a length of over 220 words and includes:

• The issues and the community’s concern?
• The generations’ thinking?
• Your own ideas.

Exercise 16. It is important for travelers and business people to understand the cultures they come into contact with, however briefly. What are the main advantages of doing so? What do you think is the main disadvantage of doing so?

Your writing must has a length of over 220 words and includes:

• The importance of culture to visitors and businessmen?
• The advantages and disadvantages?
• Your own ideas.

Exercise 17. More and more city workers are deciding to live in the country and travel into work every day. The result is increased traffic congestion and damage to the environment. What measures do you think could be taken to encourage people not to travel much long distance into work?

Your writing must has a length of over 220 words and includes:

• The trend of living in the country and working in the city?
• The advantages and disadvantages?
• Your own ideas.

Exercise 18. Write an essay to discuss the benefits of doing exercise.

Your writing must has a length of over 220 words and includes:

• The importance of doing exercises?
• The benefits of having a habit of taking exercise?
• Your own ideas.

Exercise 19. Write an essay to talk about the situations and to offer the solutions to protect the wildlife from being all disappearing.

Your writing must has a length of over 220 words and includes:

• The importance of the biodiversity?
• The rights of the wildlife and measures to take to protect the environment?
• Your own ideas.

Exercise 20. Write an essay to talk about the reason why people want to have college or university education.

Your writing must has a length of over 220 words and includes:

• The main reasons for which people want to have higher education?
• The supporting ideas or illustrations?
• Your own ideas.

Exercise 21. Write an essay to talk about the topic “Parents are our first teachers in life”.

Your writing must has a length of over 220 words and includes:

• The things that we learn from parents?
• How good are parents as teachers?

Your own ideas

Exercise 22. Individuals can do nothing to change society. Any new developments can only be brought about by governments and large institutions. How far do you agree or disagree?

Your writing must has a length of over 220 words and includes:

• The things individuals and government can do?
• How do individuals and government cooperate to better the society?
• Your own ideas.

BÀI VĂN MẪU

Exercise 1. Within 160 words, write a paragraph describing a person you admire most.

SAMPLE WRITING

Of all my acquaintances, the principal of our school is the one who has created the greatest ever impression on me. I must say that I am not only impressed by his good managerial skills but also his personalities. First, this principal is one of the dedicated educational managers who always know how to find new ways to run the school effectively. For example, he has initiated various ideas and programs to improve the school’s educational quality, the teaching staff’s lives despite limited resources. He also knows very well that he cannot do all things by himself. Therefore, he tries to motivate all the teaching staff to join him towards better achievements treating them fairly. Secondly, he instantly sets a clear example of a moderate but dedicated officer who loves to work more than to talks. He has led a simple life. In short, his leadership skills and personalities are greatly admired by not only me but by the teaching staff in our school. (164 words)

Exercise 2. Within 160 words, write a paragraph giving your opinions of what makes a person successful in life.

SAMPLE WRITING

There are many factors that make a person successful, but in my opinion, it is the way people define “success” that most affects people thinking of success. This is because the term “success” can be interpreted differently by different individuals, and the unclear

definition of this concept may mislead people in their life. The result is that each individual may not know how successful he is, even when he achieves what he really wishes to. To me, “success” is that you achieve what your abilities allow you to. In other words, the achievement within your abilities will give you the sense of success. For example, if you are not intellectually good enough to study at universities, but you actually have some innate (in-born) ability for soccer or other sports, then a choice to become a football player or a sport-man may bring you success. So, unless we define “success” clearly in our own way and act upon that understanding, success will stay out of our reach. (166 words)

Exercise 3. Within 160 words, write a paragraph giving your opinions of the benefits of being able to use English.

SAMPLE WRITING

Obviously, English, in our globalization world, has been considered as the international passport to enable us to be the global citizen. That means the good demand of English helps us live and work well in any corner of the world. First, English is an international language that is spoken everywhere, so if you are able to use English, you can communicate with people all around the world. It is the English language that is used in aviation, international sports, music, commerce, newspapers, periodicals, radio and television stations and other. Secondly, we can learn almost all things with the help of English. If your English is good enough, you can take full advantages of the internet – the mass media storage and sources of knowledge and entertainments. You can realize your long-harbored dream of working overseas also. For example, you will easily apply for a vacant at an international company, organization, corporation, or a global group or enterprise so that you have chance to better your life and work. In conclusion, English benefits us various ways including communication, knowledge, work, entertainment, or even the way we lead our life. (187 words)

Exercise 4. Within 160 words, write a paragraph describing your homeland.

SAMPLE WRITING

The hidden beauty of my homeland makes it way to impress the residents as well as the increasing yearly visitors. The village, in fact, does not possess any special beautiful landscapes such as a forested mountain or a romantic river, but nothing can compare with its rich cultural heritages which are reflected in the villagers’ lifestyles and other well-preserved artefacts. First, it seems that the present market economy does not affect the way the local people live, work and think. By this I can say that unlike the money-driven lifestyle commonly seen in most of other places, life in my village is still community-oriented. Everybody lives for other else in a harmonious way, describing as “me in others” and “others in me”. Secondly, many rick-in-culture well-preserved heritages such as folk songs and music, old-aged architectures will certainly give visitors a sense of long-lived customs of a typical past traditional Vietnamese country village which one can hardly see elsewhere. After all, we – the village residents – are always proud of our homeland for both its inner beauty and people lifestyles. (178 words)

Exercise 5. Within 160 words, write a paragraph describing your favorite school subject.

SAMPLE WRITING

Personally, I must say that no single school subjects can compare with English in terms of its interests. It is the English language that opens up a new horizon to me due to the status of its being used globally. Undoubtedly, a good command of English will enable me to access new amount of information which brings me to various new academic and cultural territories. In addition to that, the more I study English, the more I love Vietnamese – my mother tongue. This is because when my English is good enough, I can compare the language with my mother-tongue, and this helps me understand Vietnamese better. My knowledge of other cultures gained by means of studying English encourages me to learn more about my fatherland. For example, if I am good at English, I can study the other cultures and lifestyles, then I can compare the things I have learned with our national heritages and I feel more and more confident and proud of being a Vietnamese. As I want to become both a Vietnamese and a global citizen, English is really a great attraction to me. (187 words)

Exercise 6. Within 160 words, write a paragraph giving your opinions on the idea of controlling the access to electronic services.

SAMPLE WRITING

More people now have personal computers and the uses of electronic services such as Internet is becoming more widespread. Some people are concerned about unlimited access to electronic services and would like this access to be controlled nationally or even internationally to prevent some certain bad influences on users, especially children. The first reason for which we should control the use of electronic services is that it saves time for users to do other useful things. For example, people spend too much time surfing, commenting, liking and do other wasteful things on social networks, some even become addicted to them. Some may forget their present lives, enjoying their online lives and becoming seriously impractical. On the other side, we should limit the access to the internet so as to prevent users, especially immature one, from being poisoned by harmful websites or forums. Uncontrolled access to poisonous sites may result to crime, immorality, and violence among the youth. In fact, we can hear of the heinous crimes committed by the one who cannot control their thinking and acting after long-browsing the internet playing violent games or doing other bad things. (181 words)

Exercise 7. Within 160 words, write a paragraph giving your opinions about the formal school education system in Vietnam.

SAMPLE WRITING

The current formal school education system in Vietnam consists of three levels; pre-school, primary and secondary educations. Secondary education is divided into lower and upper stage. In some provinces especially in cities, there are two parallel school systems; state and private schools. In both systems, the academic year, from early September to late May, is divided into two semesters consisting of four to five months each. Children start their pre-school at the age of three but this stage is not compulsory. When children reach the age of six, they go to primary schools. This stage lasts five years with 5 grades. Children then go to lower secondary schools from grade 6 to grade 9. Those who complete lower secondary may be accepted to upper secondary schools which last three years with 3 grades. It depends on the locality that children have to take the entrance examination to be upper secondary students. Often, at the end of upper secondary education, students have to take the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), the requirement to go to university or college, which takes place in early July. (186 words)

Exercise 8. Within 160 words, write a paragraph giving your opinions on the benefits of working for an International Organization.

SAMPLE WRITING

For long, I have harbored the dream to work for an International Organization for a number of following reasons. First, working for an International Organization gives me opportunities to live abroad, to use English at work, and to have high salary. And it will be an interesting life to have chance to travel far and wide to meet different people of different personalities and nationalities. Second, I will be able to further my knowledge by doing numerous researches. I can also understand more about life. Of course, working for an International Organization will offer me occasions to meet, to have talks with well-known people worldwide. As far as I can say, working as an official of an International Organization helps me to be more aware of the value of life. It will give me strength and hope, helps me think more optimistically and do more positive things. I promise myself that I will try my best to realize my dream some day in the future. (165 words)

Exercise 9. With around 200 words, write a paragraph giving your opinions on the solutions to the commuting problems among people who live in the country to drive to work in the city.

SAMPLE WRITING

Many people are moving out of big cities into the countryside to live to escape from city problems. This causes problems because most the jobs that are available are in the cities so people have to travel back into the cities again to work. The transport system cannot cope so people are using their own cars and the countryside is affected by the traffic jams. One solution to encourage people to stay in cities is to improve the quality of life there. More money could be spent reducing crime, as this is one of the main reasons why people leave cities. For example, more policemen can be employed for city center. Moreover, safe places to work and live in should be made in the city center. The environment can be made cleaners and more agreeable. As a result, people might be encouraged to stay rather than moving out. A very different way to tackle the problem would be to move some of the jobs out of city to smaller cities or towns. People could then still live in the countryside and have to travel short distances to work. Another step is to encourage workers to spend part of their working week at home, perhaps two days and then to go into work in the other days. This is happening more and more in many parts of the world. (228 words)

Exercise 10. With around 220 words, write to discuss the issue “Families now are not as close-knit as they were in the past”.

SAMPLE WRITING

It is believed that home is where love dwells and that the social, economic changes make the traditional family formulas vary. Although different people have different points of view on the matters, we all agree that families now are not as close-knit as they used to be. The causes are various, but we can count for the three main points below.

First, we all seem to have so busy with working, earning, getting promotions, taking part in social activities, etc. People are likely to have longer working hours because of their demand of earning more and more. People seem to be never satisfied with what they have. In families, under the economic pressure, both parents work so they have less time for themselves as well as for other family members.

Secondly, due to the explosion of modern technologies people are more interested in their online lives than interacting with other family members. People seem to isolate themselves with their mobile-phones, tablets, personal computers, and other information technological devices.

Moreover, the generation gaps sometimes cause misunderstandings or even debates. Information technology also brings opportunities to diverse viewpoints within family members. Having different opinions pulls people far from one another.

Above all, though changes of traditional families are unavoidable, we are to shorten the gaps among family members to be as close-knit as possible. Because family life is very important to any individual, each member must be responsible for bringing all family members closer together. (243 words)

Exercise 11. Within 200 words, write a letter to apply for an overseas university.

SAMPLE WRITING

Dear Sir/Madam,

I’ve read a lot about tertiary study in the UK and very impressed by the reputation of many famous universities there. I am writing now to apply for the course and to ask for the admission requirements to the university.

Now, I am in the last year of the high school and will finish secondary education in 3 months. I am very much interested in an undergraduate course in economics in Birmingham University. At school I have learnt English for 7 years now, and my English is good enough to communicate with English speaking residents. Moreover, I am rather good at natural science subjects, and I am also very much interested in social activities. My family income is absolutely good enough to pay for my life and study abroad, too. I have good health and am willing to live on my own. What my family and I want to know now is the detailed admission requirements to the university and the degrees I will be granted after finishing the course. Could you please send me some information about the admission requirements, tuitions fees, accommodation and details of the course? I am ready to supply any information about myself if necessary.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully, (213 words)

Exercise 12. Within 200 words, write a letter to apply for a job as a local tour guide.

SAMPLE WRITING

Dear Sir/ Madam,

I am writing in reply to your advertisement in the Vietnam News for experienced English-speaking local guides to accompany foreign visitors on trips throughout Vietnam. To tell the truth, I am very much interested in the post and hope to get it.

After reading the requirement for applicants, I can say by sure that I meet all of the qualifications that you specify. I was awarded High School Certificate two years ago with flying colors. After leaving high school, I worked as an accountant in a small travel agency for one year, where I was given a training course on tourism. Then I had one year of experience as a tour guide so I know many tourist areas in Vietnam arid have a basic knowledge of Vietnamese culture, history, geography and the people. Moreover, I was a good student at English at school and achieved some prizes for English-speaking and English-in-use contests, so I can say that I speak English fluently and be able to communicate effectively with English speaking partners. In addition, I am a sociable and confident person and can work hard for long hours. I would like to work for you and would appreciate the opportunity to discuss this position with you in person. I am looking forward to hearing from you at your convenience.

Yours faithfully, (210 words)

Exercise 13. With around 230 words, write a letter to tell your friend about your family life.

SAMPLE WRITING

Dear Jim,

I am writing to talk about my family rules. It is an interesting topic, isn’t it? It may be obvious that every family has its own rules. Mine has a few, apart from the traditional ones, especially for this school year as I am in the final year.

First, I am not allowed to watch much TV, except when there is a good or very interesting film or an academic game show, or when I have finished all my homework and exercises. And hardly do my parents let me stay up so late at night.

Next, my parents rarely permit me to go out with friends without necessary reasons for example birthdays or funerals.

Besides, I have to take the balanced diets to keep fit for my coming examinations. And one more thing I have to keep up is talking on the phone. That is why I have to set a limit to my using of the phone.

Furthermore, I don’t have to do much housework though we share that all together. Do you think I have a lot of rules to abide? Or I have no rights or freedom to do what I want or like?

Tell me about your family rules, will you? It is much fun to hear about then.

Write to me as soon as you can. I look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes, (233 words)

Exercise 14. With around 250 words, write a letter to a friend to tell her/ him about the one who influenced you most.

SAMPLE WRITING

Dear Linda,

I am sorry for not writing to you for so long as I have been busy with preparing for the coming GCSE. I am writing today to tell you about the one who has great influence on me.

For me, I must say that my life would not have been as good as it is today if I did not meet Mr. Jimmy. It happened to me when I was a lower secondary student. I always got bad marks for school subjects as well as I got fined daily. My teachers got very disappointed, my parents felt ashamed as I was very often mentioned as a bad example at school. My classmates found ways to keep away from me. I felt so lonely and hopeless. Then Mr. Jimmy, my new teacher appeared. After having had a talk with me and my parents, he agreed to be my private tutor. It was so strange that he did not teach but made ways to be my friend first. He spared time to get to know my difficulties, helped me to gain me confidence, let me believe in what I could do. Gradually, I realized what to do, how to do. He encouraged me when I felt tired, lonely or daunted. He gave me belief and strength to stand right on my own feet. Finally, I got to know the meaning of life.

To tell the truth, I feel so happy to have a great teacher like Mr. Jimmy. I hope that you will let me know about your idols in life. I am looking forward to hearing from you soon. Yours, (270 words)

Exercise 15. The widespread use of the Internet has brought many problems.

What do you think the main problems associated with the use of the web? What solutions can you suggest?

SAMPLE WRITING

Great changes have taken place in our modern life along with development of technology. And I do think that the Internet plays a big role in this.

First, with the surfing internet or playing computer and video games, people have a more sedentary lifestyle. Children no longer play games outside and get exercise but they spend time on the computer. This has bad effect on their health and cause problems such as obesity.

Another problem is the negative effect on their relationship with their family. Internet access fills most young people’s time, and even their leisure time, so this separate them from their family and produces bad effect on their social behavior. A third problem is that not all internet sites are useful. Some sites bears inaccurate information, violence, and dangerous things.

To solve the problems, the first solution must be with the parents. They need to limit hours that children spend on the computer and to encourage them to have other hobbies and pastimes. It is also important for children to spend more time to speak with their family than facing electronic devices. Parents should encourage children to use other means of communication, too.

To conclude, I would say that the internet has brought many benefits and it will not disappear, therefore it is very important that we learn to use it well so that we can reap the benefits and not the disadvantages. (235 words)

Exercise 16. Young people are much more aware of and concerned about the issues like the environment, poverty, and animal welfare than previous generations. What is your own opinion?

SAMPLE WRITING

Many people think that the world existing problems are only matter the young generation as they are the candidates who are facing them now and in the future.

Although a considerable percentage of the public might refer to these hazards as hazards for the young predominantly, yet many of these concerns are actually brought into the scene by the old people. The previous generation are those who lived the new developments in science and technology that brought with them pollution, poverty and part of it also possible distinction of many species of plants and animals.

So they raise the alarms for those radical and serious consequences. It is often suggested that old generation are passing by and not interested in what happening and only the young who gives those alerts considerable thoughts.

However from what we are experiencing now, that many of green people are old and work actively to preserve animal rights and fight fiercely against global warming and environmental pollution. This give us that the present world concerns are a shared interest of both old and new generations. Although many activist on these issues appears in the media and they are from the youth, still and probably equal number from the old follow the same routes.

Actually, no one in this life wants to destroy our planet. Definitely every parent is of concern about his offspring lives thereafter, and selfishness does not dominate our thinking at all. What one should be aware of is that such threats are not always discussed or contemplated in the right way by old or young generation. (264 words)

Exercise 17. It is important for travelers and business people to understand the cultures they come into contact with, however briefly. What are the main advantages of doing so? What do you think is the main disadvantage of doing so?

SAMPLE WRITING

There is no doubt that the number of visitors and businessmen and women who are travelling abroad has been increasing markedly in recent years. However, not surprisingly, understanding the culture of local people brings many benefits to all types of visitors as well as problems for those who do not understand a new culture.

First of all, no sensible person can deny the importance of breaking down barriers between countries. By this I mean, people from different lands can socialize effectively and relate emotionally regardless of their race and religion, if they take time to learn languages and to find out about where they are going before they travel. As a result, the tension between people from different backgrounds would be melted.

Another important advantage that needs to be taken into account is that travelers can broaden their horizons by travelling. In other words, people who travel for business or tourism definitely would gain a lot of information from their host society. Knowing how to behave can help businessmen make lots of money for themselves and for their companies. Undoubtedly business and tourism play a pivotal role in employing of people and reviving the local economy in their own countries and when they travel.

On the other hand lack of understanding of the culture and traditions of people may lead to misunderstanding and even increased tension between different communities, simply because the background of any society can act as a mirror to reflect the nature personality and behavior of people. Certainly, when we know these vital things we can overcome many difficulties. (262 words)

Exercise 18. More and more city workers are deciding to live in the country and travel into work every day. The result is increased traffic congestion and damage to the environment. What measures do you think could be taken to encourage people not to travel much long distance into work?

SAMPLE WRITING

Many people are moving out of big cities into the countryside to live to escape from city problems. This causes problems because most the jobs that are available are in the cities so people have to travel back into the cities again to work. The transport system cannot cope so people are using their own cars and the countryside is affected by the traffic jams.

One solution to encourage people to stay in cities is to improve the quality of life there. More money could be spent reducing crime, as this is one of the main reasons why people leave cities. For example, more policemen can be employed for city center. Moreover, safe places to work and live in should be made in the city center. The environment can be made cleaners and more agreeable. As a result, people might be encouraged to stay rather than moving out.

A very different way to tackle the problem would be to move some of the jobs out of city to smaller cities or towns. People could then still live in the countryside and have to travel short distances to work. Another step is to encourage workers to spend part of their working week at home, perhaps two days and then to go into work in the other days. This is happening more and more in many parts of the world.

There are other ways to overcome the situation but these are the most important. (242 words)

Exercise 19. Write an essay to discuss the benefits of doing exercise.

SAMPLE WRITING

Health is considered to be the most valuable thing one possesses. Improving health is always a prior task in one’s daily routine. And the simplest, cheapest, but the most effective way to better one’s health is doing regular exercise.

One advantage of doing exercise is to reduce stress. People who exercise are likely to feel more relaxed, healthier, and of course happier. Doing regular exercise helps the body produce happy chemicals that make the exercisers reduce the worries about life and work as well as forget the boredom and unhappiness.

Another benefit exercising brings us is that we will feel more energetic to face and overcome our daily difficulties. Doing exercise helps us reduce the possibilities of being ill, protects us from some fatal diseases as heart disease, cancers and diabetes. Regular exercisers are believed to have healthier, happier and longer lives. The other good thing is that doing exercise helps us feel more self-confident. We know exactly what we can do or what abilities, talents we have. We will think positively, do confidently, and lead an optimistic life if we practice exercising regularly. Controlling our weight effectively is another value. Perspiration occurs when we exercise, which helps our bodies get rid of bad things inside. Fats are burnt during our practicing exercise, which helps us to keep fit.

To sum up, doing exercise enables people to have good body-buildings, keep fit and brings exercisers many benefits. Sparing time doing exercise will ensure us a longer, healthier and happier life. (260 words)

Exercise 20. Write an essay to talk about the situations and to offer the solutions to protect the wildlife from being all disappearing.

SAMPLE WRITING

We now all know clearly that our environment is worsening day by day. Thousands of species have been vanishing, many other thousands are being threatened to be extinct. To solve the problems, or even to slower the process of extinction, there are a number of measures that should be taken to protect endangered animals.

The first problem is that people do not know much about the need to rare and endangered animals. Therefore, people should be taught about the importance of the wildlife and rare animals in the ecosystem.

Another bad thing is that the habitats for wild animals are being seriously damaged or polluted. To better homes for the wildlife we should protect their habitats from being degraded and then help build up good habitats for all species to live in. Sometimes, people who live in or near the endangered species’ habitats have poor living conditions and rely mostly on wildlife products for their livelihood. Urgently, governments should raise these people’s living standards by providing them with jobs, and help them to live well with the nature.

The other reasons are that some countries do not have laws to protect the vulnerable animals, people keep buying fashionable wildlife products, and there are not enough wildlife habitat reserves. To deal with these challenges, governments all over the world had better soon pass and enforce laws to protect the nature, to make the purchasing products related to wild species and to build up reserves for endangered ones to survive and develop.

Protecting the environment today is offering us and the next generations more prosperous future. To save the endangered species means to save the earth and to save ourselves. (278 words)

Exercise 21. Write an essay to talk about the reason why people want to have college or university education.

SAMPLE WRITING

People study in college or university for many different reasons. I think the most important reason is to gain more knowledge and learn more skills. Of course, there are also many other reasons that people study in college such as to get more friends, and increase one’s self-confidence.

These days, most jobs require people who are educated and have good job skills. Therefore, the people who want a good job have to study hard and at least graduate with a high education. Furthermore, as technology advances all over the world, more and more education is required of people.

Some people who study in college or university want to make more friends and increase their interpersonal skills. They enjoy their lives in university or college and tend to socialize a lot. They can meet more people who have the similar interests with themselves. They can go to somewhere after school and make more friends who they trust.

The people who graduate from college seem more confident in our community. These people are more respected by society. Many people want to be respected and to be important by family, friends, their bosses, and others in their lives. They find that most of them can confidently talk and do their jobs as they are more educated. Therefore, most people want to get the confidence through the university or college study. In today’s society, people need more knowledge and skills to be adapted. The university and college study is a good way to achieve this. (251 words)

Exercise 22. Write an essay to talk about the topic “Parents are our first teachers in life”.

SAMPLE WRITING

Have you ever wondered the questions of “Who teaches you to walk?” “Who teaches you to speak?” It is your parents who teach you to do these basic things in your life. So don’t you think that parents are the best teachers!

Firstly, parents know us very much. Parents give us life, and I think that we will spend large amount of time with them. So they know our merit and demerit in details. Meanwhile, they will help us to get rid of our demerit.

Furthermore, parents possessed many experiences. Since they are older than us, they have experienced many things. Sometimes, they are just like our models. And as the saying goes: “Example is better than precept.” So we will unconsciously copy some of our parents’ habits and styles of behavior, i.e. we can learn many things from them.

Finally, parents will teach us everything. Since schoolteachers can just teach us knowledge from the books, our parents can teach us everything. For example, I learn knitting, cooking and make- up from my mother, while learn fixing leaky faucet from my father. They are the persons who love me most, so they will teach me everything without reservations. Just as the saying goes: “There is no place like home.” And I think there is no teacher like our parents. They are the best teachers in our life. (227 words)

Exercise 23. Individuals can do nothing to change society. Any new developments can only be brought about by governments and large institutions. How far do you agree or disagree?

SAMPLE WRITING

It is no doubt that governments and large institutions carry out many different movements to change the society. However, for me, they cannot do anything without the contributions of each individual citizen.

To begin, members of governments and large institutions are citizens. Governments make policies, other legal measures to manage the society, but their work can only come into practice with the supports and obedience of all people. Take the policy of value added tax in Vietnam for example, the whole society thought it was necessary that customers should contribute to the national budget and approve of the law, so the new tax policy became practical.

By contrast, the fee on motor riders on using the road is not a reasonable rule to all citizens, so our law-makers have to reconsider. This is because of the feedbacks from provincial governments and individual motor users.

For me, state and organizations have legal rights to introduce new ideas or pass new laws, but those can only benefit the whole society when they are accepted by the communities. Moreover, governmental issues can encourage individuals to contribute more to the country and each person will also be greatly beneficial of what he has devoted.

In conclusion, citizens, organizations, and governments need to cooperate to make their own country a better place to live in. (221 words)

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