🎯 The Core Concept#
An Agree or Disagree Question (also known as an Opinion Essay) asks you to state your position on a given statement or issue. It’s about clearly presenting and defending your viewpoint while acknowledging the other side.
(Source: IELTS Simon Writing Video Course Lesson 10 - Agree or Disagree Questions)
在 Agree/Disagree 題型中，你必須 明確表態（完全同意、完全不同意、或部分同意），並在整個文章中 貫徹你的立場。這是取得高分 Task Response (TR) 的核心。
🔍 What does an Agree/Disagree Question look like?#
- Some people believe that unpaid community service should be a compulsory part of high school programs. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
- The best way to solve the world’s environmental problems is to increase the cost of fuel. Do you agree or disagree?
- Some people say that advertising encourages us to buy things we do not really need. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
辨識題型的關鍵：題目會提出一個 觀點或主張，並明確要求你回答 “To what extent do you agree or disagree?” 或 “Do you agree or disagree?”。你必須在文章中 明確給出你的立場。
🧱 How to Structure an Agree/Disagree Essay?#
| Para. | Sent. | What to write? |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | 2 | 引入話題 + 明確給出你的立場（同意/不同意/部分同意） |
| Main Body 1 | 5 | 闡述你 同意（或不同意）的第一個理由，並用解釋和例子支持 |
| Main Body 2 | 5 | 闡述你 同意（或不同意）的第二個理由，並用解釋和例子支持。或 讓步段，討論對方觀點。 |
| Conclusion | 1 | 總結你的觀點，並重申你的立場。 |
立場的選擇與貫徹是關鍵。 你可以選擇完全同意、完全不同意，或 部分同意（即：同意部分觀點，但不同意另一部分）。一旦選定，主體段的所有論點都必須服務於這個立場。
⏱️ Planning (10 minutes)#
| Step | Time | What to do? |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1: | ~1 min | 仔細閱讀題目，劃出關鍵字，確定題目的核心主張。 |
| Step 2 | ~3 mins | 決定你的 立場。是 完全同意、完全不同意，還是 部分同意？這決定了你的文章結構。 |
| Step 3 | ~6 mins | 頭腦風暴支持你立場的 2-3 個主要論點。如果是部分同意，思考你同意哪部分，不同意哪部分，並分別構思理由和例子。 |
規劃時，先決定立場，再構思論點。例如，如果你選擇部分同意，你的兩個主體段可以分別論述「為何同意」和「為何不同意」，結構會非常清晰。
🧱 Step-by-Step Process#
Step 1: Read & Understand#
Some people believe that unpaid community service should be a compulsory part of high school programs. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
拆解重點:
- Topic: unpaid community service as a compulsory part of high school
- Task: Agree/Disagree — 明確表態並論證
- Core Statement: 社區服務應成為高中必修課。
Step 2: Plan Your Structure (Example: Partially Agree)#
| Para. | Content |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Topic: 關於社區服務是否應成為高中必修課的討論 Position: 部分同意——認為有好處，但應注意實施方式。 |
| Main Body 1 | 讓步/同意部分: 承認強制社區服務的益處 - 培養責任感和社會意識 - 提供寶貴的工作經驗和技能 |
| Main Body 2 | 反對/不同意部分: 指出潛在問題 - 可能增加學生負擔，影響學業 - 若淪為形式，則失去意義，應確保是自願且有意义的體驗 |
| Conclusion | 重申立場：同意社區服務有價值，但不應完全強制，需平衡和精心設計。 |
Step 3: Plan Ideas for Main Paragraphs#
使用 “Topic sentence -> Explain -> Example” 結構來展開每個論點。
Brainstorm (for Partially Agree Position):
- Body 1 (Agree - Benefits):
develops responsibility,social awareness,work experience,teamwork - Body 2 (Disagree - Drawbacks):
extra burden,academic pressure,unwilling participation,meaningless
Develop Ideas & Examples:
- Point (Agree):
develops responsibility- Explain: 學生在服務中學會承擔責任，理解奉獻的意義。
- Example:
e.g., helping in a local nursing home can teach empathy and patience.
- Point (Disagree):
extra burden- Explain: 高中生學業繁重，強制服務可能增加壓力，甚至影響成績。
- Example:
e.g., students might treat it as a box-ticking exercise, gaining no real benefit.
Group Ideas (into a paragraph plan):
| Body 1: Why I Agree (to some extent) | Body 2: Why I Disagree (to some extent) |
|---|---|
| 1. Develops responsibility and social awareness - understand community needs - learn empathy | 1. Adds to academic burden - already heavy study load - could cause stress |
| 2. Provides practical experience - work skills - teamwork and communication | 2. Risk of becoming meaningless - forced participation leads to disengagement - should be voluntary |
📝 Full Band 9 Essay (Approx. 290 words)#
Some people believe that unpaid community service should be a compulsory part of high school programs. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
It is often suggested that high school students should be required to perform unpaid community service as part of their curriculum. While I accept that such programs can be highly beneficial, I disagree with the idea that they should be made compulsory for all students.
On the one hand, there are clear arguments in favour of making community service a mandatory activity. Firstly, it can instil a sense of social responsibility and community awareness in young people. By working for the benefit of others, students can develop empathy and a better understanding of the challenges faced by vulnerable groups in society. Secondly, such schemes can provide students with valuable practical experience. For example, working in a charity shop or helping at a local sports club can help them to develop essential skills like teamwork, communication, and problem-solving, which are highly sought after by employers and universities.
On the other hand, compelling all students to participate in community service is not without its drawbacks. The most significant concern is the additional pressure it would place on students who are already burdened with a demanding academic schedule. Many high school students face intense pressure to achieve high grades in order to secure a place at a good university, and mandatory volunteering could detract from their study time and increase their stress levels. Furthermore, if the service is not a genuine choice, students may simply go through the motions to fulfil the requirement, rather than engaging with it meaningfully. This could lead to a negative experience, which defeats the very purpose of the initiative.
In conclusion, while the benefits of community service for young people are undeniable, I believe that it would be more effective to encourage, rather than force, participation. A system that offers incentives and a range of voluntary options would likely foster a more genuine and lasting commitment to serving the community.
📚 High-band Topic Vocabulary#
| Category | Vocabulary |
|---|---|
| Opinions & Stance | I accept that, I disagree with the idea that, compelling, mandatory activity, genuine choice, fulfil the requirement |
| Agreeing | instil a sense of, social responsibility, community awareness, vulnerable groups, valuable practical experience |
| Disagreeing | without its drawbacks, additional pressure, demanding academic schedule, detract from, defeats the purpose |
| Linking Words | On the one hand, On the other hand, Firstly, Secondly, Furthermore, In conclusion |
根據你的立場，靈活運用同意和反對的詞彙。即使在反駁對方觀點時，也用詞要客觀、有禮貌。
📊 Two Common Patterns for Agree/Disagree Body Paragraphs#
| Pattern | When to use | Example from this essay |
|---|---|---|
| Fully Agree/Disagree: Reason 1 + Reason 2 | 你的立場非常堅定，完全支持或完全反對題目觀點。 | (此例為部分同意，故未使用) |
| Partially Agree: Agree (Body 1) + Disagree (Body 2) | 你認為題目觀點有道理，但也有其局限性。這是「批判性思維」結構。 | Body 1 (同意其益處) + Body 2 (反對其強制性) |
「部分同意」是雅思寫作中非常受歡迎且容易得高分的立場，因為它允許你討論問題的兩個方面，展現更深入的思考能力，文章內容也更豐富。
💡 Key Takeaway#
Agree/Disagree Essay 的三大關鍵：
- 明確且堅定的立場 — 在引言段就清楚表明你的態度，並在結尾段重申。
- 立場貫穿全文 — 主體段的每個論點都必須直接支持你在引言段所表明的立場。
- 結構清晰，邏輯流暢 — 使用 Topic Sentence -> Explain -> Example 結構展開每個段落。
練習時，可以先針對不同題目，練習寫出 引言段（表明立場） 和 結論段（重申立場），確保你的立場表達清晰且前後一致。這是取得高分 Task Response 的基礎。