Thao Ngo IELTS Student's Edition
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THAO NGO IELTS
MTESOL · Academic Director · IELTS–AI Trainer
IELTS Writing Task 2 · Essay Outline

Raising Fuel Costs to Protect the Environment — 02.01.2026

Essay type: Opinion (agree / disagree — to what extent)Band 5.5-6.5Stance: Mostly agreeTarget ≈ 280 wordsModel essay: Band 6.5
Student's Edition
Ngô Đức Thảo
Ngô Đức Thảo
MTESOL · Academic Director
Task 2 Topic

Some people think that one of the best ways to solve environmental problems is to increase the cost of fuels for cars and other vehicles.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?

1Task analysis

ItemDetail
Essay typeOpinion (agree / disagree — to what extent)
Main topicWhether making petrol and diesel more expensive is one of the best ways to reduce environmental problems
Keywordsenvironmental problems · increase the cost · fuels · cars and other vehicles · one of the best ways
Task focusJudge a price-based solution (higher fuel costs) to environmental problems caused by vehicles
Required positionSay clearly how far you agree or disagree and keep the same position in every paragraph
Plain-English meaningIf petrol becomes more expensive, people may drive less and pollute less. Is this one of the best solutions?
Hidden trapThe statement says one of the best ways, not the only way — you can agree and still mention it works best with other measures
Chosen stanceMostly agree. Higher fuel costs reduce unnecessary driving and raise money for green transport, but they must be combined with good alternatives
Main-idea planBP1 → higher prices discourage unnecessary journeys and cut emissions · BP2 → fuel tax revenue funds public transport and electric vehicles

2Idea generation

Body 1 — Less driving, fewer emissions

  • Higher prices discourage unnecessary car journeys ✓ strongest
  • Drivers switch to shared or public transport
  • Firms make more fuel-efficient engines dự phòng

Body 2 — Funding cleaner alternatives

  • Tax revenue can fund cleaner public transport ✓ strongest
  • Subsidies for electric vehicles
  • Less congestion saves time dự phòng

✓ strongest = ý dùng trong bài mẫu · dự phòng = ý thay thế, không có trong bài mẫu.

3Skeleton

Introduction
  • General statement: Traffic damages the environment
  • Paraphrased task: Rewrite: higher petrol/diesel price = good solution
  • Thesis: Mostly agree + needs alternatives
Body 1: Price rises discourage short, unnecessary trips → fewer emissions
Body 2: Revenue → public transport and electric vehicle subsidies
Conclusion: Restate the opinion → summarise both reasons → final thought

4Plan & write your paragraphs

How to use: Read the main idea, tap the cue words to add them to the box, then write your own sentence. Your essay is built automatically at the bottom and saved in this browser.

Introduction(45–60 words)

0 words
Goal: Topic → rewrite the statement → give your opinion.
General statement
Main idea: Traffic damages the environment
Starter: Environmental damage caused by … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Paraphrased task
Main idea: Rewrite: higher petrol/diesel price = good solution
Starter: It is argued that … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Thesis
Main idea: Mostly agree + needs alternatives
Starter: I mostly agree with … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.

Body Paragraph 1 — Less driving, fewer emissions(90–110 words)

0 words
Goal: Reason 1: explain it and give an example.
Topic sentence
Main idea: Higher costs → less unnecessary driving
Starter: The main reason I … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Explanation 1
Main idea: Drivers think twice about short trips
Starter: When motorists have to … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Example
Main idea: Workers cycle or share cars
Starter: For example, many office … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Explanation 2
Main idea: Fewer cars in rush hour
Starter: This would reduce the … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Link
Main idea: Habits change → environment benefits
Starter: Therefore, a price increase … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.

Body Paragraph 2 — Funding cleaner alternatives(90–110 words)

0 words
Goal: Reason 2: explain it and give an example.
Topic sentence
Main idea: Revenue → clean transport
Starter: In addition, the extra … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Explanation 1
Main idea: Buses, metro, EV subsidies
Starter: Governments could use this … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Example
Main idea: Replace diesel buses
Starter: For instance, a city … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Explanation 2
Main idea: People still travel easily
Starter: This means that people … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Link
Main idea: Punish polluters + long-term benefits
Starter: As a result, the … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.

Conclusion(35–50 words)

0 words
Goal: Repeat your opinion, sum up both reasons, final thought. No new ideas!
Restated thesis
Main idea: I largely agree
Starter: In conclusion, I largely … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Summary
Main idea: Less driving + money for clean transport
Starter: It reduces unnecessary driving … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Final thought
Main idea: Alternatives first
Starter: However, governments must make … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.

📝 My essay

✓ saved

5Language bank (Band 5.5-6.5)

Mỗi đoạn có bảng collocation riêng. ✓ = có trong bài mẫu · + = cụm mở rộng để học viên tự dùng. 5.5 = nền tảng · 6.5 = nâng band.

Introduction

CollocationFormVietnameseBandBài mẫu
environmental damageadj + nounthiệt hại môi trường6.5✓
road trafficnoun + noungiao thông đường bộ5.5✓
the most pressing issuesnoun phrasenhững vấn đề cấp bách nhất6.5✓
petrol and dieselnoun phrasexăng và dầu diesel5.5✓
the most effective solutionsnoun phrasenhững giải pháp hiệu quả nhất6.5✓
good alternativesadj + nouncác lựa chọn thay thế tốt5.5✓

Body Paragraph 1 — Less driving, fewer emissions

CollocationFormVietnameseBandBài mẫu
higher fuel costsadj + nounchi phí nhiên liệu cao hơn5.5✓
discourage unnecessary drivingverb + nounhạn chế việc lái xe không cần thiết6.5✓
think twicefixed phrasecân nhắc kỹ6.5✓
short journeysadj + nouncác chuyến đi ngắn5.5✓
sharing a carverb + nounđi chung xe5.5✓
rush hournoun + noungiờ cao điểm5.5✓
lower carbon emissionsverb + noungiảm khí thải carbon6.5✓
change travel habitsverb + nounthay đổi thói quen đi lại6.5+
fuel-efficient enginesadj + nounđộng cơ tiết kiệm nhiên liệu6.5+

Body Paragraph 2 — Funding cleaner alternatives

CollocationFormVietnameseBandBài mẫu
extra revenueadj + nounnguồn thu thêm6.5✓
fuel taxesnoun + nounthuế nhiên liệu5.5✓
cleaner forms of transportnoun phrasecác loại hình giao thông sạch hơn6.5✓
expand bus networksverb + nounmở rộng mạng lưới xe buýt6.5✓
offer subsidiesverb + nountrợ giá6.5✓
electric vehiclesadj + nounxe điện5.5✓
convenient and affordableadv + adjtiện lợi và giá phải chăng5.5✓
long-term environmental benefitsnoun phraselợi ích môi trường lâu dài6.5✓
public transportadj + noungiao thông công cộng5.5✓

Conclusion

CollocationFormVietnameseBandBài mẫu
In conclusionlinkertóm lại5.5✓
increasing fuel pricesverb + nountăng giá nhiên liệu5.5✓
tackle environmental problemsverb + noungiải quyết các vấn đề môi trường6.5✓
unnecessary drivingadj + nounviệc lái xe không cần thiết5.5✓
affordable alternativesadj + nouncác lựa chọn thay thế giá phải chăng6.5✓
prices risenoun + noungiá tăng5.5✓

Useful structures

6Self-check before you submit

7🔒 Model Essay (Band 6.5)

Hãy viết bài của em trước. Khi đủ 250 từ, ô mật khẩu sẽ mở — xin mật khẩu từ giáo viên để xem bài mẫu và so sánh.