ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

SAMPLE ANSWER 1
The death sentence is an appropriate punishment for a convicted murderer. Discuss.
These days, news channels and papers are regularly full of accounts of innocent people being killed by
psychopaths, sociopaths and jealous lovers in fits of rage. Some people believe that only God has the right to
take another's life and that the justice system cannot order the death of such killers as punishment. However,
my own opinion is very much at odds with this view, and, in this essay, I will set out to explain why.
First of all, I believe in like-for-like punishment for such serious crimes. Therefore, when a person has been
mur- dered in cold blood, I believe their killer has to pay the ultimate price and forfeit his or her life as well.
If, for example, a member of my family were killed in a random act of violence by a bloodthirsty madman, I
would not be in favour of affording them the right to life or a chance of redemption, and I do not believe
they deserve the same rights afforded to ordinary, decent members of society anyway. The person whose life
they have taken did not get a second chance, so why should they?
Besides, the alternative - a prison sentence - is not an adequate deterrent to would-be killers. These days,
prison life is quite comfortable. Sometimes, it is even better than life on the outside. Prisoners are, for
example, given free food, housing and protection. They also get to enjoy all the comforts of home, such as
television and access to a library and gym. This is not punishment, so why would a person thinking of taking
another human being's life worry about being sent to jail? It is clear to me that a stronger deterrent is needed.
On the other hand, there are occasional instances of wrongful conviction. In such cases, it would be a
terrible injustice were an innocent person killed for a crime they were later cleared of. This is one of the
major drawbacks of capital punishment - there is no room for error in the jus- tice system.
In conclusion, although many people are against the idea of the death sentence for moral reasons and
because the justice system is not foolproof, I believe capital punishment is the appropriate penalty for
murder, as it acts as a strong deterrent to potential offenders. Personally, I believe all those convicted of
murder should face the death penalty and should not be granted the second chance their victims were not
afforded.
SAMPLE ANSWER 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic:
Schools concentrate far too much on traditional subjects which do not adequately prepare students for the
realistic demands of the modern working world.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
People often say that school's greatest failure is that it focuses too intently on academic subjects and fails to
equip students with the real-life skills necessary to cope in the world of work. But is it fair to criticise the
education system in this way?
Certainly, not all students have the attributes necessary to excel in an academic environment, so, if the focus
of school is solely on the traditional academic subjects, then it would seem to be failing the more practically
and technically-minded children. A teenager with a talent for crafting things with his hands, for example, is
letting his talent go to waste if he does not hone his skills during adolescence. School is also failing children
if it does not equip them with life skills - in the realworld, knowing how to deal with office politics,
communicate with people, manage stress, and work in a team is far more important than being academically-
minded.
On the other hand, it could be argued that school does not need to offer formal classes in life skills because it
is a lesson in life skills from the start to the very end. School life indirectly teaches students self-discipline
and how to motivate themselves to work hard. It also teaches them how to cope with the stress of exams and
deadlines. Finally, they learn how to work with other people, such as their classmates and teachers, and even
how to make friends. Basically, what happens inside the school building is a microcosm of what is
happening outside in the real world. And not only that, but it is also teaching students numeracy and literacy
- the two most vital skills of all.
No one would argue that school is perfect; however, a good education is still invaluable. While school could
perhaps cater for the non-academic student more fairly and should work on developing programmes suited
to the more technically-minded, the strengths of the school system far outnumber its failings. School is still a
very productive and relevant learning environment today; one that does prepare students for the 'big bad
world' of work.
1. Analyzing the task
An argumentative (opinion) essay is a formal piece of writing. It requires your opinion on a topic, which
must be stated clearly, giving various viewpoints on the topic supported by reasons and/ or examples. You
should also include the opposing viewpoint in another paragraph.
Step 1: Understanding the type of essay question
In this type of question you are given an opinion and then told how to discuss it. Sometimes the question is
longer and you are given some background information, then the opinion and then the task.
Example:
a. Although the position of women in society today has improved, there is still a great deal of sexual
discrimination. Do you agree?
b. Although countries with long average working hours are economically successful, this often has some
negative social consequences. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
 Typical task words:
 “What is your opinion?”
 “Do you agree that…?”
 “To what extent do you agree (or disagree)?”
 “How far do you agree/ disagree?”
Step 2: Underline key words
Underline the key words in the two sample questions above.
2. Brainstorming
There are two popular ways of brainstorming to generate ideas.
a. Using spider diagrams
 Write key topic word(s) in the centre of a circle;
 Note down any related ideas or examples that come to mind;
 Do the same for other important words from the task;
 Group the ideas to become your paragraph topics.
 idea

example KEY WORDS example

idea

b. Using “The Discussion Clock”

- When considering a topic you may refer to the
discussion clock, which will help you think of
ideas when planning your essay.
- This is a useful “brainstorming” technique, as it
helps you examine a topic from various
viewpoints and decide on ideas/ points to include
in your essay.
- However, a topic may not relate to all the aspects
presented in the discussion clock.
Exercise 1: Read the points below, and looking at the discussion clock identify the aspect each
viewpoint relates to.
a. As far as _______________ is concerned, allowing cigarettes to be advertised is extremely
damaging, since cigarette smoking causes cancer and heart problems, as well as affecting unborn
babies.
b. From a _______________ standpoint, it may be argued that the individual faces such problems as
depression, anxiety and attempted suicide, as a result of the pressures of modern life.
c. From a(n) _______________ viewpoint, popular sports create jobs for a large number of people in
addition to generating income for the state.
d. As for the _______________ aspect, allowing children at school to express themselves more freely
would help them to develop their creative talents.
e. With regard to _______________ matters, the use of computers gives students a chance to increase
their knowledge and develop their research skills.
Exercise 2: Brainstorm the ideas for the two writing tasks below using either of the techniques
mentioned in section 2.
1. Today’s teenagers have more stressful lives than previous generations. Do you agree or disagree with
this view?
2. As computers are being used more and more in education, there will be soon no role for teachers in the
classroom. To what extend do you agree with this opinion?
3. Essay structuring
The outline of an argumentative essay generally looks like this:
 Introduction
Paragraph 1 state the topic and your opinion
Main Body
Paragraph 2-4 viewpoints & reasons/ examples (There can be 2-3 paragraphs for
this purpose)
Paragraph 5 opposing viewpoint & reason/ example
Conclusion
Paragraph 6 summarize/ restate your opinion
Exercise 3: Look at the essay plan below. The key points 1-11 are listed but one supporting detail for each
point is missing. Complete the plan with the correct details a-e.
It is more important to use the space in cities well than make them look beautiful. To what extent do you
agree?
a.  e.g. younger people tend to want to live in city - work opportunities. But housing very expensive - not
enough of it.
b.  e.g. some companies spend money creating beautiful surroundings - improves productivity; many famous
buildings used on tourist websites to attract interest.
c.  e.g. megacities - Tokyo, Mexico City, Mumbai - huge. High population and larger areas covered.
d.  e.g. roof-top gardens
e.  e.g. in Dubai tallest building created
Introduction
1. Cities: have high density of buildings
2. ____________________________________________________________________________________
3. I partly agree that space needs to be used well.
Reason 1 – agree because
4. Important to use space effectively – population of world increasing/ more people need to live in cities.
5. ____________________________________________________________________________________
Reason 2: agree because
6. Design of high-rise architecture suitable for buildings in city – buildings in cities generally contemporary
and high rise – economic use of space.
7.____________________________________________________________________________________
Reason 1 – disagree because
8. Attractive surroundings improve quality of life/ attract tourists and income
9.____________________________________________________________________________________
Reason 2 – disagree because
10. Nowadays good design includes green space but still economic – also better for environment.
11. ___________________________________________________________________________________
Conclusion
Agree space is important but not the only factor to consider.
It is important to distinguish between opinions you hold and those that are more general. Look at each
statement in the plan above and decide if it is a generally accepted opinion (g) or an opinion held by the
writer specifically (w). Write (g) or (w).
Exercise 3: Read the introduction and first paragraph of a model answer below. Underline the phrases
that introduce opinions.
It is generally accepted that contemporary cities are growing in size and population.Various recent reports
have indicated growth in megacities such as Mumbai, Tokyo and Mexico City, which cover huge areas and
are still developing. Along with the increase in population globally, it is therefore commonly acknowledged
that there is pressure on available space and housing. I would therefore maintain that space is an important
factor in city planning and must be taken into account in any kind of planning activity. However, although
space is key to good city design, it is not the only thing that should be considered and this essay will go on to
discuss other factors, too.
To begin with, a primary factor for consideration is population. Experts claim that the population ofthe
world is increasing quickly and it is true that urban societies are growing very rapidly More young people,
for instance, are moving to cities for work opportunities as well as all the facilities and opportunities they
can find there. For this reason, I believe we need to find more economic ways to live. Good design, with
high-rise living space, can help. It seems to me that the cost of accommodation in many cities is prohibitive,
which restricts opportunities and could be solved by better town planning.
 CHECKLIST FOR GIVING FEEDBACK
Answer
Checklist Questions YES (with rating) NO EXAMPLES
 

A B C D E    
1. Does the essay provide all
relevant ideas to the topic given?              
2. Does the introduction include a
general statement of the topic and
the controlling idea?              
3. Does each paragraph in the
body contain only one main idea?              
IDEAS

4. Are supporting ideas in each

paragraph well-developed with
strong arguments, evidence, or
proof to persuade readers?              
5. Does the essay have an effective
conclusion which summarizes the
ideas mentioned in the
introduction?              
Answer
Checklist Questions YES (with rating) NO EXAMPLES
 

A B C D E    

1. Is the essay clearly organized in

three main parts: introduction,
body, and conclusion and written
in separate paragraphs?              
ORGANIZATION

2. Does each paragraph in the

body have a topic sentence?              
3. Are connecting words such as
"and", "but", "in addition",…
smoothly used to link ideas in the
same paragraph or between
paragraph?              
4. Are pronouns "It", "They",
"This", and "These" used to refer
back to a subject?              
Answer
Checklist Questions YES (with rating) NO EXAMPLES
 

A B C D E    
VOCABULARY

1. Is vocabulary used correctly in

the proper context?              
2. Is the essay free of spelling              
errors?
 3. Is the essay written with careful
word choice of formal
vocabulary?              
Answer
Checklist Questions YES (with rating) NO EXAMPLES
 

A B C D E    
1. Is the essay written with correct
verb tenses and voices?              
2. Is the essay free of errors with
GRAMMAR

subject-verb agreement?              
3. Is the essay written with
appropriate punctuation?              
4. Is the essay written with a wide
range of correct sentence
structures (simple, compound,
complex)?              
Note: A = excellent, B = very good, C = good, D = fair, E = poor