🎯 The Core Concept#
An Opinion Essay asks: Do YOU agree or disagree? It’s about your opinions or views, not others'.
(Source: IELTS Simon Writing Video Course Lesson 6 Opinion Essay)
在 Opinion Essay 中，你的立場必須從 Introduction 就清晰呈現，貫穿整個文章，並在 Conclusion 再次重申。這是取得高分 Task Response (TR) 的關鍵。
🔍 What does an Opinion Essay look like?#
- To what extent do you agree or disagree?
- Do you agree or disagree?
- What is your opinion?
- Do you think this is a positive or negative development?
辨識題型的關鍵：題目問的是 “you” 的意見，而不是其他人的意見。
✍️ How to Express Your Opinion?#
| ✅ 正確做法 | ❌ 錯誤做法 |
|---|---|
| 使用 I 或 my | 使用被動語態規避主詞 |
| Yes, I agree / I disagree | It is agreed that…（這不代表「我同意」） |
| In my opinion… | 模糊不清，讓考官猜測你的立場 |
你的意見必須在 Introduction 明確表達，在 Body Paragraphs 用論點支持，並在 Conclusion 再次重申。
⏱️ Planning (10 minutes)#
| Steps | What to do? |
|---|---|
| 1: 讀題 | 仔細閱讀題目，劃出關鍵字，確保不跑題。 |
| 2: 結構規劃 | 4 段：Introduction (2 sent), Body 1 (5 sent), Body 2 (5 sent), Conclusion (1 sent) |
| 3: 主體段構思 | 針對主體段立論，構思內容，寫下關鍵字，及整理次序（約6分鐘）。 |
🧱 Step-by-Step Process#
Step 1: Read & Understand#
Essay Prompt:
The money spent by governments on space programmes would be better spent on vital public services such as schools and hospitals. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
拆解重點:
- 主題: government spending — space programmes vs public services
- 題型: To what extent do you agree or disagree? (Opinion 題型)
- 任務: 必須清楚表達你是否同意，以及同意的程度
Step 2: Plan Your Structure#
If we “completely agree”, you can use this structure:
| Para. | What to write |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Topic: government spending Answer: public services instead of space projects |
| Main Body 1 | Explain why space spending should be stopped |
| Main Body 2 | Explain why public service spending is better |
| Conclusion | Repeat answer (same as introduction) |
Step 3: Plan Ideas for Main Paragraphs#
這是規劃的核心。不要求寫完整句子，用關鍵詞記下想法即可。
- Body 1 (為什麼應該停止太空支出):
extremely expensive, no benefit for normal people, dangerous / missions fail
- Body 2 (為什麼公共服務更值得投資):
cheaper to train workers, direct impact on people's lives
針對你寫下的點子，不斷問自己 “Why?” 及 “What is the result?” 來拓展細節。
- Point:
extremely expensive - Ask Why: ->
Because training scientists and building facilities cost huge amounts. - What result? ->
That money could fund many schools and hospitals instead.
為你的論點準備具體的例子。
- For ‘dangerous / missions fail’:
e.g., the Challenger space shuttle disaster showed that space travel is extremely dangerous
最後，將相關的想法歸類，並用數字標記在文章中的呈現順序。
| Body 1: Why Space Spending Should Be Stopped | Body 2: Why Public Services Are Better |
|---|---|
| 1. Extremely expensive - training scientists & staff - facilities and equipment cost huge amounts | 1. Cheaper to train workers - doctors, teachers, police cost less than astronauts |
| 2. No benefit for normal people - simply vanity projects for politicians | 2. Direct positive impacts on daily life - public services benefit everyone directly - people could be lifted out of poverty |
| 3. Dangerous & missions fail - small errors can cost lives - e.g. Challenger space shuttle disaster |
📝 Full Band 9 Essay (275 words)#
The money spent by governments on space programmes would be better spent on vital public services such as schools and hospitals. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Governments in some countries spend large amounts of money on space exploration programmes. I completely agree with the idea that these are a waste of money, and that the funds should be allocated to public services.
There are several reasons why space programmes should be abandoned. Firstly, it is extremely expensive to train scientists and other staff involved with space missions, and facilities and equipment also come at a huge cost to the government. Secondly, these programmes do not benefit normal people in our daily lives; they are simply vanity projects for politicians. Finally, many missions to space fail completely, and the smallest technological error can cost astronauts their lives. The Challenger space shuttle disaster showed us that space travel is extremely dangerous, and in my opinion it is not worth the risk.
I believe that the money from space programmes should go to vital public services instead. It is much cheaper to train doctors, teachers, police and other public service workers than it is to train astronauts or the scientists and engineers who work on space exploration projects. Furthermore, public servants do jobs that have a positive impact on every member of society. For example, we all use schools, hospitals and roads, and we all need the security that the police provide. If governments reallocated the money spent on space travel and research, many thousands of people could be lifted out of poverty or given a better quality of life.
In conclusion, my view is that governments should spend money on services that benefit all members of society, and it is wrong to waste resources on projects that do not improve our everyday lives.
📚 High-band Topic Vocabulary#
| Category | Vocabulary |
|---|---|
| Space-related | space exploration, space programmes, space missions, space travel, space shuttle disaster |
| Government & Funding | funds, allocated, reallocated, public services, vital public services, come at a huge cost, waste resources |
| Negative Connotations | abandoned, vanity projects, cost astronauts their lives, technological error |
| Positive Impact | positive impact, lifted out of poverty, quality of life, public service workers, public servants, everyday lives |
在寫作中靈活運用同義詞，能有效提升 Lexical Resource 的分數。
💡 Key Takeaway#
Opinion Essay 的三大關鍵：
- 辨識題型 — 確認題目問的是 your opinion
- 明確立場 — 從 Introduction 到 Conclusion 保持一致
- 使用 “I” — 直接說 I agree / I disagree / In my opinion
不要期望一次就熟練這個技巧，這需要大量練習。多做幾次規劃練習，你會越來越得心應手。