SAMPLE ESSAY 1:

The debate on education system issues has been raging for ages. Many people feel that getting pupils ready for
their careers should be the main focus of schools, whereas others believe that schools should have additional
purposes. This essay discusses both sides of this argument and provide my support to the later view.

On one side of the argument, schools only focusing on preparing young people for their working lives have their
own values. One of the significant benefits is that if young people are better prepared for their careers, they will be
more successful in their working lives. As well as this, they will also make more money and be able to support
themselves better. To illustrate, some recent stories in the media have highlighted that students who finish high
school are less likely to be unemployed and more likely to earn higher salaries. In addition, by schools preparing
young people for jobs, there will be a better-prepared workforce. This benefits society by providing skillful labor,
raising productivity and ensuring that employers have the necessary labor they need.

However, opponents to this viewpoint claim that there are also advantages of schools having other functions.
First of all, other skills make students well-rounded. For example, communication and collaborative skills will help
students work more effectively with their colleagues in the future and win big contracts for their company. Learning
how to use technology will put students at ease of doing any jobs in such a modern technological era. These are
crucial skills in today's society, and so they should also be learnt at school. Besides, morals and ethics should also be
added to the syllabus to make society better. Many people feel that this aspect of schooling has become neglected
and has led to a deterioration of society. In fact, in a society where people tend to only think of their benefits, money
and power, ethics and morals should be emphasized.

In conclusion, I believe both sides of the argument have their merits. On balance, however, it seems that schools
should have other functions. This is because if the students are well-rounded, they will be more successful in their
lives and contribute more to society.

SAMPLE ESSAY 2:

There have been a lot of arguments about whether to have capital punishment or not. Many people opine
that the death penalty is necessary to keep the security system efficient in society, whereas others hold the
notion that there are also some negative aspects of capital punishment. In this essay, I am going to examine
this question from both points of view and then give my own opinion on the matter.
On one side of the argument, some people argue that the benefits of killing violent criminals
considerably outweigh its disadvantages. The main reason for believing this is that the fear of execution acts
as a deterrent to committing serious crimes such as rape and murder. It is also possible to say that the
execution of a criminal or “an eye for an eye” may bring relief to the suffering victims. One good illustration
of this is when Saddam Hussein was executed. Many of the persecuted victims under his rule expressed joy
and relief when he was finally captured and killed. As a result, it is considered an important tool for
preserving law and order.
On the other hand, it is also possible to make the opposing case. It is often argued that, in fact,
sentencing criminals to death is just committing another murder. People often have this opinion because they
think that it is immoral to take another person's life, no matter what the reason is. A second point is that
many religions are opposed to any form of murder. A particularly good example here is from the bible,
which lists killing another person as one of the Ten Commandments that should not be broken.
In conclusion, I believe both arguments regarding capital punishment for extremely serious crimes have
their merits. Personally, I believe that death penalty is justified. This is because, in cases of extreme crime,
deterring crime is more important than taking the moral high ground.

SAMPLE ESSAY ANALYSIS – Lecturer: Bui Diem Bich Huyen