TOPICS FOR ESSAYS AND SPEAKING

For and against essays

1. Talk about the advantages and disadvantages of genetic engineering.
2. Censorship is necessary in modern society. Discuss.
3. Harsher punishments for criminals would results in a decrease in the crime rate. Discuss.
4. Capital punishment is a good deterrent for criminals. Discuss.
5. School uniforms should be reintroduced. Discuss.
6. Discuss the view that advertising promotes excessive consumerism.
7. Living in a foreign country cannot be better than living in your own. Discuss.
8. School plays a more important role than the family in shaping ones personality. Discuss.
9. Greater freedom does not necessarily lead to greater happiness. Discuss.
10. Discuss the pros and cons of using animals for entertainment.
11. Should countries encourage tourism? Discuss.
12. The generation gap is one which cannot be bridged. Discuss.
13. One language spoken worldwide would lead to better international relations. Discuss.
14. Celebrities should be allowed to keep their lives private, without the invasion of the media.
Discuss.
15. What are the advantages and disadvantages of our ever-increasing use of computer technology?
Plan
Introduction
State the topic but do not state your opinion
Body
Arguments for + justifications, examples or reasons
Arguments against + justifications, examples or reasons
Conclusion
A balanced consideration or statement of opinion

Examples of introductions
Do indicate that you are going to examine both sides of the argument!
Censorship is an issue which frequently generates a great deal of heated debate, with supporters
maintaining that it is vital in order to protect society, while opponents claim that it is an unjustifiable
restriction of public access to information.
Whether it is on TV, radio or hoardings at the side of the road, advertisements have become a part of our
lives. Is advertising simply a means of informing the public or does it encourage consumers to buy
products they do not really need?
Examples of conclusions
Balanced consideration
On balance, it seems that a sense of responsibility has a role to play in a young persons development.
Nevertheless, when placed alongside other human qualities, such as honesty and integrity, it is by no
means the most useful.

Statement of personal opinion
For the above-mentioned reasons, therefore, I firmly believe that if people are taught a keen sense of
responsibility towards themselves and others, then they will have the best possible start in life. The way I
see it, taking full responsibility for ones own actions is central to leading an honest life.
Useful expressions and linking words/phrases
To list advantages
One/Another/A further/An additional (major) advantage/benefit/point in favor of is
The main/greatest/first advantage/benefit/point in favor of is
To list disadvantages
One/Another/A further/An additional (major) disadvantage of/drawback of/point against
is
The main/greatest/most serious/first disadvantage of/drawback of/point against is
Another negative aspect of
To introduce points/arguments for or against:
One (very convincing) point/argument in favor of/against
A further common criticism of/ It could be argued that..
It is often claimed/suggested that/It is widely argued/maintained that/It is generally
felt believed/held that
Some/ many/ most people/ experts/ scientists/ skeptics/ critics claim/suggest/argue/feel that
advocate (+ing/noun) support/oppose the view that / are in favor of/against /of the
opinion that/ convinced that/ opposed to
To make contrasting points
On the other hand/ however/ still. Yet/ nonetheless/ nevertheless/ even so/ although/ while/
despite/ in spite of the fact that/ regardless of the fact that it may be said/argued/claimed
that / others/many people oppose this viewpoint / (strongly) disagree /
claim/feel/believe this argument is incorrect/misguided
Opponents of argue/believe/claim that
That fact that contradicts the belief/idea that
While it is true to say that , in fact
While/Although , it cannot be denied that
To make partially correct statements
To a certain extent/degree
To some extent/degree
To a limited extent
In a way/sense
This is partly true but
There is some truth in
In some cases
Up to a point
To explain/clarify a point
In other words
That is to say
This/which means that
To conclude
In conclusion
On balance
All things considered
Taking everything into account/consideration
To conclude
All in all
Conclusion expressing balanced consideration
All things considered, the obvious conclusion to be drawn is that
On balance, there is no absolute answer to the question of
All in all, in the light of this evidence it is clear/obvious that achieving a balance between
would be
Conclusion expressing opinion
It is my belief/opinion that
I (firmly) believe/think/feel that
I am convinced that
I am inclined to believe that
Taking everything into account, I therefore conclude/feel/believe (that)
For the above-mentioned reasons, therefore, I (firmly) believe that

Opinion essays
1. What are your views on the question, Should people convicted of minor crimes do community
service rather than go to prison?
2. Although the position of women in society today has improved, there is still a great deal of sexual
discrimination. Do you agree?
3. Animals should be treated with the same respect as humans. Do you agree?
4. Do you believe that equality for women means that women should also do such things as military
service?
5. Too much money is spent on space exploration when it could be used to help the poor.
6. It is important to follow fashion. Do you agree?
7. People spend too much time and money on fashion. Do you agree?
8. Traditional values are irrelevant to modern society. Do you agree?
9. Television has an adverse effect on moral standard. Do you agree?
10. Cars enslave us rather than liberate us. Do you agree?
11. Give your opinion on the following topic: Cars are the greatest danger to human life today.
12. Are you in favor of or against exams being abolished?
13. Will life be better in the future? What do you think?
14. The plane is the most convenient means of travel. Give your opinion on this statement.
15. Was life better in the past? What do you think?

Plan
Introduction
State the topic and state your opinion clearly
Body
Viewpoint 1 + reason/examples
Viewpoint 2 + reason/examples
Viewpoint 3 + reason/examples
Opposing viewpoint + reason/examples
Conclusion
Summarize and restate your opinion

Examples of introduction
Has modern society changed so much that the values of the past no longer have any place? In my view,
society will always need values, and the society we live in today would function better if traditional
values were retained.
Is too much emphasis placed on examination results today? To my mind, their role needs to be
reexamined if they are to continue to play a part in the educational system.

Examples of conclusion
To conclude, I strongly believe that it is advisable to dress with style by choosing good quality clothes
which suit you as an individual and have lasting elegance. As the famous fashion designer Coco Chanel
put it, Fashion is made to become unfashionable. So instead of changing your wardrobe constantly,
isnt it better to build up a collection of clothes which you can always wear?

All in all, I feel that life in the future will definitely be better. We are all searching for ways to improve
our lives and we can only look ahead in order to do this.

Useful expressions for giving opinions
To my mind
To my way of thinking
In my opinion
In my view
It is my (firm) belief/opinion/view/conviction that
My opinion/view is that
As far as I am concerned
It strikes me that
It seems/appears to me that
I (firmly) believe
I am (not) convinced that
I (do not) agree that/with
I (definitely/strongly) feel/think/believe that
I am inclined to believe that
I am in favor of