Toefl iBT Essay-16

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?

Teachers should give students homework every day.

One of my teachers often tells the class, "You need to do homework every day in order to learn as much as possible." I could not disagree more with him. In fact, I believe that doing homework every day is counterproductive and can actually have negative effects on students.

The first reason I feel this way is that much of our daily homework is useless. It seems more like "busywork" the teachers give us because they feel obligated to give homework every day. For example, some math teachers assign the same kinds of math problems again and again as homework even though the students clearly understand the material. There is simply no need to continue training the students when they understand the lesson sufficiently. Anything more is overkill. These kinds of homework assignments do not teach students anything at all. If students will not learn anything from their homework, teachers should not assign it.

Too much homework can also make students dislike classes they otherwise would have liked. Students can often feel overburdened because teachers are giving homework to them every day in every class. With all of this homework, students get less eager to take the class itself. For instance, I really love science. However, one year, my science teacher gave us homework every day. Sometimes it helped us learn, but most of the time it was just busywork. I started hating science because of all the unnecessary homework I was getting. When a situation like this happens, students' learning suffers.

Teachers should not assign homework everyday. Their homework assigments often teach the students nothing new, and these assignments can also turn student opinion against a class. Almost all students would really appreciate it if teachers gave them a break from daily homework assignments.

Useful pattern: keep in mind

1: I'm going to go drink beer with my friends.
2: Okay, but keep in mind, you must finish your homework. If your report isn't finished, your teacher will be angry.

1: I'm going to Alaska during the winter vacation.
2: Okay, but keep in mind, you must bring warm clothes. Alaska is really, really, really cold in January and February.

1: I'm going to have pizza for dinner tonight.
2: Okay, but keep in mind, you must not eat too much. You've been gaining weight recently, and pizza isn't very healthy.

1: I'm going to buy a puppy dog.
2: Okay, but keep in mind, you must take care of it. You'll have to take it for a walk every day.

1: I'm going to buy a new computer this week.
2: Okay, but keep in mind, you must save some money for school. You need to pay for your tuition next semester.

1: I'm going to take Cinderella to the party tonight.
2: Okay, but keep in mind, you must bring her home early. If you bring her home after midnight, some bad things might happen.

Useful pattern: fooling around with

1: Why are John and Jack in the hospital?
2: They were fooling around with firecrackers, and they accidentally burned their hands.

1: Why isn't Peter allowed to use the computer lab at school?
2: He was fooling around with the new printer and he broke it.

1: Why does your dog have green and purple fur?
2: The dog was fooling around with some cans of paint in the garage and the lids came off of two of the cans.

1: Why did Suzy's dad take away her driver's licence?
2: She was fooling around with her dad's new car and she crashed it into a tree.

1: Why does Johnny have a scar on his forehead?
2: Johnny was fooling around with his new bicycle and he accidentally rode into the back of a pick-up truck.

1: Why did the students get a bad score on the midterm?
2: They were fooling around with their friends in Sinchon instead of studying for the test.

Speaking skills: using imprecision

1. about- It's about ten o'clock.
2. kind of- It's kind of sculpture. I had a kind of feeling this might happen. That made me feel kind of stupid. She kind of hoped to be invited.
3. sort of- Her painting is sort of abstract. I sort of thought you might say that.
4. it's like- It's like they're enjoying the movie.
5. it's as if- It's as if she's worrying about something.
6. or something like that- It tastes like peaches or something like that.

Toefl iBT Essay-15

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
Grades can encourage students to learn.

Some people argue that grades cannot encourage students to learn. I disagree with them. I firmly believe grades can actually motivate students to learn.

Most teenage students in Korea are interested in attending the best college possible in order to learn more or to get better jobs after graduating. Without good grades, however, this will be virtually impossible for them. The need to receive good grades therefore inspires them to learn. For instance, my brother used to be a poor student in the first year of high school, so his school grades were lower than average. But he soon realized that no good schools accept him with those kinds of grades. He suddenly became interested in getting better grades, which made him study more. He began learning a lot, and now he attends an excellent college. Grades clearly motivated him to learn more.

In Korea, students also feel peer pressure to get good grades and learn more. At my school, most of the unpopular students get poor grades while many of the popular students get outstanding grades. Those students with low grades are often made fun of or left out by other students. So many students feel pressure to get good grades because they do not want to be treated as laughingstocks. On the other hand, those students with high grades receive awards for their good work. This encourages competition among students and stimulates some other students to work harder to win these awards or get along with those excellent students. Overall, grades make students work harder in one way or the other.

Grades are clearly important at encouraging students to learn. They help students gain enough knowledge to attend good colleges and also apply peer pressure on students to work more. Grades definitely play an important role in learning in Korea.

Toefl iBT Essay-14

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
It is more important to choose the subjects that you are interested in than the subjects you need to prepare for a job or a career.

My best friend always says, "Take classes you will need for the future." I disagree with her advice. Instead, it is better to study subjects you are interested in than ones you might need for a job or career.

The first reason is that you can learn better and faster when you study what interests you. It is a well-known fact that people tend to get more motivated to learn and thus more easily concentrate on something they are interested in. For example, I once studied art and learned a lot because I loved the class. I was eager to learn more, and sometimes I even spent several hours painting a picture by myself. That made me a good painter. On the contrary, I hate math. Even though I know I have to take my math class since I am considering becoming an accountant, the class so boring that I learn little. Objectively, the math class could possibly help my career, not the art class. Yet I have no interest in the math class while I found the art class fascinating.

A second reason is that you can always get job training later. Unless you will be a doctor, lawyer, or engineer, you need no special training at school. Companies will teach you the skills you need after hiring you. Therefore, it is totally possible-and advisable-to major in a subject you like and then find a job unconnected to your major. For example, my father majored in philosophy in college but is a businessman now. He said he has never used the knowledge he learned in his major at work; however, he has no regrets. He wanted to major in philosophy, so that is what he did.

In conclusion, it is ideal for students to take the classes they like instead of those designed to help their careers. They can learn better what they are interested in and can learn their job duties later. Therefore, students should study what subjects they are interested in to make their school lives more enjoyable.

IELTS writing 6

There are movements all over the world to prohibit smoking from buildings such as: restaurants, bars, clubs, offices, and other indoor spaces. People argue secondhand smoke is dangerous and that such laws protect public health.
To what extent do you agree with this statement?

Banning smoking in public places has been a controversial issue in the United States over the last few years. Fifteen states prohibit smoking in almost all public places including work places, restaurants, as well as pubs. I strongly believe that it is very wise to protect nonsmokers.

Everyone is aware of the fact that smoking tobacco products is harmful due to the ingredients that they contain. Tobacco smoke produces nearly 4000 different chemicals, such as nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide. All of these chemicals and others like benzene, ethanol, and ammonia are extremely harmful or carcinogenic. Smoking causes many types of disease such as lung cancer, heart diseases, and respiratory infections.

What is worse, smoking not only harms the person who smokes it, but also harms other people. Many studies show that secondhand smoking is as harmful as smoking itself, if not worse. When a person smokes in public places, non-smokers are left with no choice but to inhale hazardous chemicals. Secondhand smoke causes nearly 3400 lung cancer deaths and 46000 heart disease deaths in adult nonsmokers each year in the United States alone. It is especially harmful to young children as well. Many children who are exposed to secondhand smoke suffer from illnesses such as respiratory tract infections and even sudden infant death syndrome.

In conclusion, smoking is so bad that the person smoking is destroying not only their own health, but also the health of others. People who choose to smoke have the right to make that decision. However, everyone else also has the right to live in a safe environment where they can lead healthy lives. Therefore, smoking should be banned in public places to protect other individual. (281 words)