Toefl Essay Model Essays

heaters, museums, zoos, and concerts. In the city children can attend cultural events every weekend, or even more often. This is also an important part of their education.
People in the city work in different kinds of jobs, while in the countryside there often isn’t a variety of job opportunities. People in the city work at all different types and levels of professions, as well as in factories, in service jobs, and more. Children growing up in the city learn that there is a wide variety of jobs they can choose from when they grow up. They have a greater possibility of choosing a career that they will enjoy and do well in. This is perhaps the most important part of their education.
People usually move to the city because there are more opportunities there. Children who grow up in the city have these opportunities from the time they are small. The city is definitely a better place for children to grow up. (349 words)
Making an Argument 21
In general, people are living longer now. Discuss the causes of this phenomenon. Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay.
People are living to be much older these days for a number of reasons. The main reasons are greater access help care, improved health care, and better nutrition.
Basic health care is available to more people now. When someone is seriously ill, he or she can go to a public hospital. There are also more clinics and doctors than there used to be. Years ago, health care wasn’t available to everyone. Some people didn’t live near a doctor or hospital and other couldn’t pay for the care they needed.
People also live longer because the quality of health care has improved. Doctors now know more about diseases and cures. Years ago, People died young because of simple things such as an infection or a virus. Now we have antibiotics and other medicines to help cure infections.
The quality of nutrition has improved also. We eat more healthfully than we used to. We know that eating low-fat food can prevent heart disease, and we know that eating fruits and vegetables can prevent cancer.
Improved health care and healthy eating habits allow us to live longer. Now we need to make sure that everyone in the world has these benefits.
(198 words)
Making an Argument 22
We all work or will work in jobs with many different kinds of people. In your opinion, what are some important characteristics of a co-worker (someone you work closely with)? Use reasons and specific examples to explain why these characteristics are important.
I’ve worked in several offices, and I’ve found there are certain characteristics that all good co-workers have in common. They tend to be cooperative people, they adapt well to changes, and they are helpful to others in the office. People who have these characteristics are easy to work with.
A good co-worker is very cooperative. She does her best to get along with others. She tries to do her part well because she knows that if one person doesn’t get her work done, it affects everyone else. She also has a positive attitude that creates a pleasant working environment.
A good co-worker is adaptable. She is not stubborn about changes in schedules or routines. She doesn’t object to having her job description revised. She has no problem with new procedures and welcomes changes when they come.
A good co-worker is helpful. She helps out when someone falls behind in his or her work. She is willing to change her schedule to accommodate another worker’s emergency. She doesn’t keep track of how often she has to take on extra work.
We spend more time with our co-workers during the week than we do with our family. Thus, it’s important for our co-workers to be people we can get along with. When co-workers are cooperative, adaptable, and helpful, everyone gets along better and can get their job done well.
(227 words)
Making an Argument 23
In some countries, teenagers have jobs while they are still students. Do you think this is a good idea? Support your opinion by using specific reasons and details.
I don’t think it is a good idea for teenagers to have jobs while they are still students. It can interfere with their studies, it can disrupt their home life, and it takes away part of their childhood that they can never replace.
A job can interfere with a teenager’s schoolwork. Education today is very complex and difficult. In order to learn and get good grades, a student must work very hard and concentrate. This means attending classes for most of the day, then doing research for projects, then going home and doing homework. It is very difficult to do all this and have a job, too.
Having a job can also disrupt a teenager’s home life. If a teenager has a job to go to after school, he won’t be home for dinner. He won’t be home after dinner either, and may not get home until late at night. This means he doesn’t have much time to spend with his family. Teenagers may be almost grown up, but they still need the companionship and support they get from their families.
The main drawback of a teenager having a job is that he misses out on the fun of being young. He has a whole lifetime ahead of him in which he’ll have to earn a living. This is the last free time he’ll have. It’s the last chance he’ll have to hang out with friends and just enjoy himself. Soon enough he’ll have to start worrying about paying the rent and buying food.
Jobs bring money, but money isn’t everything. For a teenager it is important to concentrate on his studies, spend time with his family, and enjoy being young. A teenager with a job gives up too much.
(290 words)
EX Giving an Explanation 24
A person you know is planning to move to your town or city. What do you think that person would like and dislike about living in your town or city. Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay.
A friend of mine from college is moving to my city. I think there are things she will like about living here, but there are also things she might dislike. I like living here because there are a lot of things to do, there are a lot of nice neighborhoods to live in, and we have beautiful parks. On the other hand, my friend might not like it because it’s very crowded and expensive and we’re far from beautiful places like the mountains and the beach.
Living in this city is very exciting because there are so many interesting things to do, although you pay a price for it. We have museums, art galleries, and lots of movie theaters. We have restaurants with food from all over the world. However, when you go to these places they are always very crowded. Also, there almost always heavy traffic on the way and it is difficult to find parking once you arrive. I know my friend likes peace and quiet, so she may not enjoy the crowds in my city.
In this city we have many beautiful neighborhoods, although some of them are very expensive. We have neighborhoods of old houses with interesting architecture. We have modern neighborhoods with new apartment buildings. We have lots of nice places to live, but it isn’t always easy to find a place that you can afford. I know my friend doesn’t earn a big salary, so she might not like this aspect of living here.
Even though we are far from the countryside, we have many beautiful, natural areas right here in the city. We have a big park where people go hiking and biking, and in the winter they go ice skating. We also have many small parks throughout the city and lots of trees and gardens. It is a pretty city and I know my friend will like that. However, we are far from the mountains and far from the beach. I know my friend likes to spend time in the countryside, so she might not like living far away from those places.
All in all, there are both advantages and disadvantages to living here. My friend will have to decide if she prefers excitement and crowds or quiet and nature before she makes her final decision about moving here. (387 words)
Stating a Preference 25
It has recently been announced that a large shopping center may be built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
There would be both advantages and disadvantages to having a shopping center built in my neighborhood. Overall, however, I think the advantages are greater. One important advantage would be convenience. In addition, a shopping center would give neighborhood residents more choices for shopping and entertainment and it would bring jobs to the area, too.
It would be very convenient to have a shopping center in the neighborhood. Shopping would be easier and faster because I wouldn’t have to drive great distances to get to the stores. Also, all the stores would be together, so I would only have to go to one place.
A shopping center would mean more choices. There would be more stores selling different products. There would probably also be restaurants and food courts, so we would have a greater variety of places to eat. The shopping center might have a movie theater, too.
Having a shopping center built in the neighborhood would also mean more jobs for the community. Initially, these jobs would be in the building of the center. Later, the jobs would be in the stores, theaters, and food establishments.
I can see some disadvantages to building a shopping center here. On the whole, though, I think my neighborhood should support having a shopping center here. It would be a big convenience, it would give us variety in our shopping and entertainment, and it would create jobs for area residents.
(236 words)
Stating a Preference 26
It has recently been announced that a new movie theater may be built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
Some people will say that a new movie theater in our neighborhood would be a bad thing. However, I fully support the plan to build one. I feel that a movie theater would provide more opportunities for entertainment, reduce teenage delinquency, and bring more business to our town.
A movie theater would provide a much needed source of entertainment to our area. Right now, there is little to do in my town. There is almost nowhere to go in the evenings, and the nearest place that has movie theaters and restaurants is thirty minutes away. If we build a movie theater here, we can enjoy evenings right in our own neighborhood.
A movie theater would reduce juvenile delinquency. Like everywhere else, teenagers here are bored. They need activities to keep them busy and out of trouble. A movie theater would not only provide them with entertainment, it would also be a source of jobs for them. We need more businesses that want to employ young people, and a movie theater is the perfect sort of business for that.
A movie theater would attract more business to our town. People who come from other towns to use our movie theater would also shop in our stores. New stores and restaurants might open because there would be more customers for them. Our town could become more prosperous, and more interesting, too.
I believe our town would benefit greatly from a new movie theater. It would make life here more interesting and could make us more prosperous. I fully support the plan and hope that others in the neighborhood will join me to convince residents and local governments.	(275 words)
Agreeing or Disagreeing 27
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People should sometimes do things that they do not enjoy doing. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
I agree that people should sometimes do things that they don’t enjoy doing. This is a basic part of life. There are many small things we have to do in both personal and professional lives that we may not enjoy, but that are part of our responsibilities. In addition, sometimes by doing things we don’t enjoy, we actually learn to like them.
Most people’s personal lives are filled with tasks that they don’t enjoy doing, but they do them anyway. Who likes going to the doctor and dentist, for example? But we do this because we know that it is important to take care of our health. I don’t know many people who like changing the oil in their cars or mowing the lawn. We do these things, however, because we understand that we need to maintain our personal property.
Similarly, our professional lives are filled with tasks that are not fun, but that are necessary parts of our jobs. No one likes to do boring assignments or to work with someone who no one else likes. If we’re in management, we may sometimes have to fire someone. No one likes to do things like these, but if they are part of our professional responsibilities, we have to do them.
On the other hand, sometimes doing something we don’t enjoy can lead to enjoyment. Simply by trying it again, we may decide we like doing it. For instance, we may think we have to dance. We agree to go to a club only to please someone else. Yet, for some reason, this time we enjoy dancing. The same can be true of trying new foods or going to a new type of museum.
Not everything in life is fun. Unpleasant or boring tasks are a necessary part of life. We don’t like them, but we do them anyway. And sometimes they surprise us and turn something into enjoyable.
(318 words)
Agreeing or Disagreeing 28
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Television, newspapers, magazines, and other media pay too much attention to the personal lives of famous people such as public figures and celebrities. Use specific reasons and details to explain your opinion.
I think the media pay too much attention to the private lives of famous people. They discover things that happened years ago and report them as if they still mattered. They publicize things about famous people’s lives that are really private, personal matters. They put out information that could end up having a bad effect on a person’s family and personal life. They do this just to entertain the public, but I don’t find it entertaining at all.
The media like to dig up bad information about the past actions of famous people. They find out that a person took drugs when he was young, or that someone was a reckless driver and causes a bad accident. Then a person in her forties has to explain something that she did when she was fifteen. I don’t understand hoe something that happened so long ago could have any interest or importance now.
The media says that the public has the right to know about the private actions of famous people. They say it is our right to know if someone had an extramarital affair or didn’t pay back some money that he owed. I say these are personal matters. We respect the privacy of ordinary people and we should do the same for famous people.
The media seem to report these things without considering what might happen as a result. Reporting on a celebrity’s good name and credibility could be ruined before he or she prove that the rumors are false. A person’s entire career could be ruined by something that is reported in the media.
Having details of one’s personal life reported in public can have all sorts of negative consequences on a person’s life. Ordinary people don’t have to suffer this sort of attention, and I see no reason why celebrities should either.	(304 words)
Making an Argument 29
Some people believe that the Earth is being harmed (damaged) by human activity. Others feel that human activity makes the Earth a better place to live. What is your opinion? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
The quality of human life has improved greatly over the past few centuries, but Earth is being harmed more and more by human activity. As we develop our technology, we use more and more natural resources and cause more and more pollution. As our pollution grows, we destroy more and more natural areas in order to expand towns and cities. The Earth is being harmed, and this harms people as well.
We often act as if we have unlimited natural resources, but this isn’t true. If we cut down too many trees to build houses and make paper, not all the trees will grow back. If we catch too many fish, the fish pollution will get smaller and smaller. If we aren’t careful about how we use natural resources, we will lose many of them. We are already losing some.
We don’t seem to pay attention to the amount of pollution human activity can cause. Our cars pollute the air. Our factories pollute both the air and the water. We throw our waste into rivers and streams. We act as if the air and water can clean themselves up, but they can’t.
As urban populations grow, the cities grow too, taking over more and more land. New houses, stores, and office buildings are built all the time. Land that was once forest or farms is now parking lots and apartment buildings. We seem to act as if we have unlimited land, but we don’t. We need to plan more carefully so that we use our limited land in the best way possible.
People need to respect the Earth and try to preserve it. If we don’t, we will lose all the natural resources that we depend on for life. Then what will happen?
(293 words)
Stating a Preference 30
It has recently been announced that a new high school may be built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
I oppose having a new high school built in my neighborhood. I don’t think there is a real need for one. I think it would cause traffic problems in our area, and it would mean that we would lose the use of our beautiful neighborhood park. I don’t think a big school would be of any benefit to us at all.
First of all, there are very few teenagers in our neighborhood. Most of the residents here are either retired or are young couples with babies and small children. This means that most of the high school students would come from other parts of town, but that the majority of the people who live here would not benefit.
Second, a high school would cause a lot of traffic. Most of the students would live too far away to walk to school, so they would come by car or school bus. In addition to the traffic on regular school days, there would be even more traffic after school and on weekends for sports events, school drama productions, and other school activities. This would disrupt the quiet life style of our neighborhood.
Finally, everyone in the neighborhood would be upset by the loss of the park, which is the site that has been selected for the high school. Parents take their small children to the park every day to play. Older people like to walk there in the evenings after dinner. On weekends, people enjoy having picnics and playing games in the park. We would be sorry to lose neighborhood park.
Our town may need a new high school, but our neighborhood is not the right place for it. We don’t want our quiet lifestyle disrupted, and most people in this area have no need for a high school, anyway.
(298 words)
Stating a Preference 31
Some people spend their entire lives in one place. Others move a number of times throughout their lives, looking for a better job, house, community, or even climate. Which do you prefer: staying in one place or moving in search of another place? Use reasons and specific examples to support your opinion.
Even though I have lived in the same house, in the same neighborhood, in the same city my entire life, I know I would be happy living in a variety of places. Moving would expose me to new people, new weather, and new housing.
Even if I moved to another part of my own city, I would encounter new people. Each neighborhood has a distinct personality. If I moved to a new neighborhood, I would meet the shopkeepers and residents that shape that neighborhood’s personality. It would be a new experience for me and I could become part of a new community.
If I want to experience a different kind of climate, I would have to move far from my city. Where I live now, it is the same temperature all year. I would like to go to a place where there are four seasons so I can experience really cold weather. I would like to walk in the snow and learn winter sports such as skiing.
Now I live with my parents in their house. It is a one-story house built around a courtyard where we spend a lot of time. If I could move to a different kind of house, I would like to live in an apartment on a very high floor so I could see all around me. I could also meet my neighbors on the elevator and we could get together for coffee in my apartment.
I like to have a variety in my life. I like to have the opportunity to get to know different kinds of people and see new places. I can go far away to do this, or I can do it close to where I live now. Either way, I think it is important to experience a variety of places and people, and I want to do this while I am still young.	(313 words)
Making an Argument 32
Is it better to enjoy your money when you earn it, or is it better to save your money for some time in the future? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
When I have a choice between spending money or putting it in my savings account at the bank, I always put it in the bank. I will have a lot of expenses in the future, like my education, travel, and unforeseen emergencies. I need to set money aside for these expenses.
Education is expensive. I can’t depend on my parents to pay all my bills. I have tuition, room and board, books, and incidental expenses to pay for. My parents help me, but I have to pay part of it. If I spend my money now, I won’t be able to pay for my education.
Travel is also very expensive. I don’t mean vacation travel. I mean travel to and from school, because my school is far from home. First I have to get to school, then, of course, I want to return to my family for important festivals and family occasions. I need to save money for these trips.
Emergencies could arrive at any moment.