IELTS Cambridge 15 Writing Task 2 Test 1 Sample: Owning or Renting?

Dưới đây là hướng dẫn giải đề IELTS Cambridge 15 Writing Task 2 Test 1 tham khảo từ thầy Minh Hoàng (8.5 IELTS Overall) – giáo viên tại The IELTS Workshop TPHCM.

Bên cạnh việc tham khảo bài mẫu, các tài liệu học Writing từ 0 đến 7.5 sẽ rất cần thiết nếu bạn muốn cải thiện kỹ năng toàn diện. Nếu chưa biết mình phù hợp với sách ở trình độ nào, bạn có thể làm bài kiểm tra trình độ IELTS miễn phí này.

In some countries, owning a home rather than renting one is very important for people. Why might this be the case? Do you think this is a positive or negative situation?

Hướng dẫn viết Mở bài – Introduction

Trước tiên, ta cần phân tích rằng đây là một Two-Part Question Essay. Do đó, bài viết của ta cần giải quyết được 2 yêu cầu của đề bài

• Why?
• Negative or Positive situation?

Humankind has developed greatly. (general lead)
Cultural & economical advances. (narrow down topic)
→ emerge the preference for property ownership. (paraphrase/introduce main focus)
Why is it the case and whether it is a positive trend? (thesis)

Dưới đây là 3 mở bài mẫu tại 3 trình độ khác nhau cho các bạn hướng đến mục tiêu khác nhau tham khảo:

MỞ BÀI #1: Sử dụng ngôi thứ nhất. Các ý tưởng liên kết ở mức độ cơ bản, ít sự sáng tạo, sử dụng các cụm từ đơn giản

Humankind has developed greatly, especially in cultural and economical aspects. The result is that we created a trend of preferring owning a house instead of renting one. This essay finds the answer to the why, the good, and the bad of this mindset.

MỞ BÀI #2: Sử dụng ngôi thứ nhất. Thêm các cụm từ vựng theo chủ đề & các cấu trúc tiếng Anh phức tạp hơn

We, as the entire Homo Sapien kind, have evolved and developed remarkably, and from our cultural and economical leaps comes a distinctive preference for property ownership, especially in the urban setting. Therefore, this essay aims to seek the cause and the nature of this trend.

MỞ BÀI #3: Sử dụng ngôi thứ ba. Đa dạng các từ vựng nâng cao và cấu trúc phức tạp.

From the primitive stone tools at the cradle of civilisation, humankind has come far. Amongst the countless ideologies stemmed from the lighting pace of cultural and economic advances of the modern era emerges the reverence for real estate ownership. This essay attempts to dissect the root and the ramifications of this mentality.

Hướng dẫn viết Thân bài – Body

BODY 1 (WHY?): Economic pressure → ex: mega-metropolis (limited land & foreign capital influx → propel real estate price) → life-changing

To begin with, a close inspection of the cause for the aforementioned belief reveals economic pressure as the culprit. With the advent of rapidly evolving economic schemes, the pressure is much more suffocating than before, especially in mega-metropolis where the value for the limited land is under constant bombardment of foreign capital inflow, unfathomably propelling the price of real estate leaps and bounds above the expected inflation rate. Thus, owning a house where rent is the major chunk of most dwellers’ income is living the dream to some.

• the advent of sth (n) sự có mặt, ra đời của cái gì
• suffocating (adj) gây khó khăn, gây nghẹt thở
• to propel: thúc đẩy, đẩy tới

BODY 2 (WHY?): Cultural aspect → ex: east Asian (settling down & vital foundation for prosperity) → also inheritance & family-oriented (extended tree vs nuclear westerners)

Apart from its obvious economic edges, the preference for owning a house is also a prevalent trait in various cultures, especially in the Eastern Asia region. To this population, life revolves around settling down, to which having a house is a vital foundation. Furthermore, such cultures are prominently family-oriented, leaning towards having an extended family residing together as opposed to the nuclear family of regular Western culture. Therefore, owning a house is essential in accommodating this practice.

• settle down: an cư lạc nghiệp, ổn định

BODY 3 (POSITIVE): Motivation → social mobility & self-betterment through career-building and education & bring purpose to life

The existence of the discussed mindset is beneficial in terms of motivation. Reaching the ultimate goal of purchasing a house is the most profound sign of upward social mobility. Regardless, amassing enough capital for a dwelling in any current major cities requires decades of career building, which is solidified by self-betterment and most commonly via education. On top of that, this notion imprints a crucial purpose in life, enabling countless generations to have a goal to strive for and a sense of accomplishment upon achieving it.

• upward mobility (n) sự thăng tiến trong cuộc sống/sự nghiệp/…
• to solidify: củng cố
• to strive for: cố gắng, phấn đấu (mục tiêu)

BODY 4 (NEGATIVE): Combination of external (rocketing real estate & inflation) and internal pressure (over exerting expectations)

On the flip side of the matter, such firmly held thoughts are detrimental to the mind. Purchasing a house in a large city takes more than just hard work, especially in cities that real estate value is unreasonably exaggerated. San Francisco, the world-renowned city, is an infamous example for this as even each flat here ranges at least over $1 million while the mean annual income of citizens is barely one-twentieth that sum. The combination of this staggering stress and the internal tension from the struggle to make ends meet dent mental health grievously.

• to make ends meet: làm đủ sống

Hướng dẫn viết Kết bài – Conclusion

Kết bài cần tương xứng với mở bài ở trên.

Tracing the origin of the preference for owning a house instead of renting one reveals cultural and economical factors as the cause. Regardless of its merits and flaws, this mentality is unlikely to vanish as long as the obsession with prosperity remains.

Trên đây là Hướng dẫn chi tiết cho đề bài Writing Task 2 trong bộ IELTS Cambridge Practice 15 Test 1. Các bạn có thể đọc review chi tiết về bộ sách Cambridge Practice Test for IELTS 1 – 15 để tham khảo thêm nhé.

Tham khảo khóa học Pre-Senior để có thể nắm vững các phương pháp chinh phục một bài IELTS Writing Task 2.