OPINION ESSAY

 [INTRODUCTION and CONCLUSION] 

- Effective introductory and concluding paragraphs. In the introduction, state the topic
clearly, give a brief outline of the issue, saying why it is important or why people have
different opinions about it. 
- DO NOT express you opinion at the beginning of your essay (develop you essay in such a
way that it guides the reader to the conclusion you draw). 
- DO give your opinion in the final paragraph.
 [SECOND and THIRD PARAGRAPHS] 
- Structure your argument. Each new paragraph has one main idea, stated in a topic
sentence.
- Include relevant details to support the main idea: these might include examples, rhetorical
questions (do no overdo it), controversial or surprising statements... If you include a
drawback, give a possible solution, too.
 [GENERAL] 
- DO use a relatively formal register and an objective tone. Do not be too emotional. 
- Remember to use linking adverbials to organise your ideas and to make it easy for the
reader to follow your argument.

#Methods governments could use to discourage the use of private cars in the city centre
• investment
• education ✔
• taxes ✔

Too much traffic is a major headache for everyone in the city due to the noise, pollution and, of
course, terrible delays during the rush hour. How can the government reduce traffic and dissuade
people from driving their cars into the centre every day? In this essay, I will discuss two possible
approaches to this pressing yet complex issue.

The first option to consider is an education campaign which could comprise of visual and radio
advertising, presentations to businesses and special designated days such as 'Walk to Work day'.
Compared to the high cost of significantly upgrading our public transport system, advertising is
relatively low-cost and straightforward to implement. On the other hand, it is difficult to gauge the
effectiveness of such campaign in advance because it relies on individuals changing their ingrained
habits.

A second alternative would be to levy a tax on parking in the city. This could be applied both to
businesses and directly to consumers. While it is true that this would have immediate gains in
revenue and change behaviour, taxes are unpopular and could also place unfair pressure on small
businesses and individuals who do not have other transport options for work.
In my view, a multi-faceted education campaign would be the most effective starting point. In the
future, a tax could be a possible option but it would be tolerated better once citizens are educated
about the benefits of fewer cars and a more pedestrianised centre.

[+/- 240 words]

Action to promote health and fitness among young people

• improve teaching in schools.
• improves attitudes to competitiveness.
• improve the image of sports.

We often hear about the many benefits of health and fitness. However, less often do we hear
concrete suggestions for how to improve participation rates, particularly among young people. In this
essay I will discuss two possible actions that governments could focus on in order to promote health
and fitness to youth today.

The first possible action is to improve physical education teaching in schools. Local students have at
times complained that the curriculum is rigid and emphasises repetitive activities instead of team
sports and enjoyment. Better role models and more adventurous options could lead to improved
attitude and participation. Naturally, employing specialist sports teachers would incur considerable
cost.

A second option would be to attempt to change the overly competitive attitudes that seem ingrained
in many of the sports competitions for youngsters. When adults such as parents and teachers focus
on winning above having a good time, it puts undue pressure on the participants. They may feel a
sense of failure if they lose and also be less inclined to try a new sport.

To sum up, either approach would be a step in the right direction. In my view, it would be wise to
prioritise dealing with reducing competitiveness first because I believe it would help young people
feel better about the sports they already do. They could then, in turn, influence their friends to join in.

[+/- 220 words]

Priorities for governments aiming to preserve cultural heritage
• increase funding for museums.
• protect old buildings.
• teach the importance of cultural heritage in schools. Cultural heritage is an invaluable asset for all
generations to enjoy. It is about knowing where we have come from and having pride in the place we
live. In this essay I will discuss two priorities for the government's support of the cultural heritage in
our community.
The first idea is to increase funding to museums. People say that museums are the heart of cultural
heritage preservation. Not only do they display objects, they also teach and provide information
about them. Increased funding could attract better care of objects, more specialised staff and more
fun displays, in turn attracting more people to visit and learn. On the other hand, I would argue that it
is unreasonable to expect governments to give more money to museums when they have got more
important things to spend people's taxes on.

The second idea is to protect old buildings. It has become clear in recent years that governments can
no longer afford to provide generous grants to help people maintain their historically significant
houses. I am sure there are many voluntary organisations which would be prepared to work on
conservation projects. Nevertheless, the government could provide protection to ensure that old
buildings are not demolished or transformed out of character.

In my view, the most pressing priority is to provide protective legislation for old homes and buildings.
I'm not alone in my concern about the loss of historical features which take such pride of place in and
give character to our communities.

[+/- 240 words]

Advantages of proposed dress code

• image of college.
• health and safety.
• discipline.

Introducing a dress code

We often hear that it is important for young people to be able to express themselves by what they
wear. At our college, our lack of clothing guidelines has led some students to dress in a way that
compromises both safety and our reputation in the community. Items of concern include ripped
clothing, hoods that obscure the face, offensive T-shirts and very high platform heels. In this essay, I
will discuss two advantages of introducing a dress code at our college.

The image that we present to the community is important for a number of reasons, but primarily
because overly casual dress makes it more difficult to place students in homestays and on work
experience. Recently, this problem seems to have escalated as we have received some phone
complaints about students' scruffy appearance. Additionally, it has come to my attention that a few
students have worn T-shirts with slogans that could be considered xenophobic. It seems obvious that
implementing a dress code will improve the college's image.
With regard to health and safety, three students have fallen down the stairs during the last month.
One of them, who had been wearing a pair of stiletto heels at the time, unfortunately broke her leg. I
have grave concerns that, without a dress code outlining suitable footwear choices, further accidents
may be inevitable.

In my view, keeping people safe at our school is our responsibility. Consequently, this is the most
pressing reason why it is time to introduce a dress code, even if it is initially unpopular with the
student body.

[+/- 255 words]

Ways in which schools could encourage young people to train for careers in science
• enjoyable science lessons.
• careers advice.
• guest lectures from professional scientists.

Ways to encourage young people to train for careers in science

Nowadays we frequently hear about the lack of students pursuing scientific careers. How can we
demostrate to the younger generation that science is a rewarding and satisfying field? In this essay I
will discuss two methods that schools could employ to help persuade teenagers to consider further
study in this area.

One possible approach would be to ensure that career advisors are on board by providing them with
materials, training and even incentives for promoting science. While this would be fairly easy to
implement superficially, a lot of information dates extremely quickly. In addition, generally speaking,
career advisors have little background themselves in physics, chemistry and biology and therefore
may not be able to drum up genuine enthusiasm.

A second tactic that schools might take would be to invite scientists to come to their school to talk
about their work. What might prove difficult would be to secure the scientists themselves, as they are
often extremely busy. It would also be crucial to enlist experts able to relate to adolescents or they
might actually have an adverse effect.

Overall, I would say that the most effective measure would be to have guest speakers. Hearing an
exciting story from the field is much more likely to influence career choice than some second-hand
advice.