Raising the Minimum Driving Age for Road Safety — 14.03.2026
Essay type: Opinion (agree / disagree — to what extent)Band 5.5-6.5Stance: Mostly disagreeTarget ≈ 280 wordsModel essay: Band 6.5
Student's Edition
Ngô Đức Thảo
MTESOL · Academic Director
Task 2 Topic
Some people think that the best way to increase road safety is to increase the minimum legal age for driving cars or riding motorbikes. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
1Task analysis
Item
Detail
Essay type
Opinion (agree / disagree — to what extent)
Main topic
Whether raising the legal age for driving is the best way to make roads safer
Keywords
the best way · increase road safety · minimum legal age · driving cars or riding motorbikes
Task focus
Judge whether raising the driving age is the best way to improve road safety
Required position
Say clearly how far you agree or disagree and keep the same position in every paragraph
Plain-English meaning
If young people had to wait longer before driving, would roads be safer? Is this the best solution?
Hidden trap
The best way is a superlative — you can accept that age matters but argue that training, enforcement and road design are more effective
Chosen stance
Mostly disagree. Age is one factor, but inexperience and poor training cause accidents at any age, and enforcement and road design improve safety more effectively
Main-idea plan
BP1 → inexperience, not age, is the key risk; graduated licences and better training work better · BP2 → strict enforcement and safer road design protect everyone
2Idea generation
Body 1 — Experience and training matter more than age
Inexperience is the key risk at any age ✓ strongest
Graduated licences limit risky situations
Higher age harms young workers' independence dự phòng
Body 2 — Enforcement and road design
Strict enforcement changes behaviour ✓ strongest
Safer road design prevents serious crashes
Public awareness campaigns dự phòng
✓ strongest = ý dùng trong bài mẫu · dự phòng = ý thay thế, không có trong bài mẫu.
3Skeleton
Introduction
General statement: Accidents kill young people
Paraphrased task: Rewrite: higher legal age = most effective
Thesis: Mostly disagree
Body 1: Inexperience at any age → training, graduated licences
Body 2: Enforcement + road design → safer for all ages
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: Accidents kill young people
Starter: Road traffic accidents remain … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Paraphrased task
Main idea: Rewrite: higher legal age = most effective
Starter: It has been suggested … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Thesis
Main idea: Mostly disagree
Starter: I mostly disagree, as … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Body Paragraph 1 — Experience and training matter more than age(90–110 words)
0 words
Goal: Reason 1: explain it and give an example.
Topic sentence
Main idea: Inexperience is the cause
Starter: The main problem with … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Explanation 1
Main idea: New drivers lack judgement
Starter: Anyone who has just … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Example
Main idea: Graduated licences
Starter: For example, some countries … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Explanation 2
Main idea: Gain experience gradually
Starter: This approach lets young … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Link
Main idea: Training better than delay
Starter: Therefore, improving training is … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Body Paragraph 2 — Enforcement and road design(90–110 words)
0 words
Goal: Reason 2: explain it and give an example.
Topic sentence
Main idea: Enforcement + road design
Starter: In addition, strict enforcement … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Explanation 1
Main idea: Speeding, drink-driving at all ages
Starter: Many serious accidents are … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Example
Main idea: Speed cameras, breath tests
Starter: For instance, when police … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Explanation 2
Main idea: Separate motorbike lanes
Starter: Physical changes such as … ·
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Link
Main idea: Safer for everyone
Starter: As a result, these … ·
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: Mostly disagree
Starter: In conclusion, I mostly … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Summary
Main idea: Inexperience + enforcement, design
Starter: Inexperience causes accidents at … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Final thought
Main idea: Focus on training, enforcement
Starter: Governments should therefore focus … ·
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
Collocation
Form
Vietnamese
Band
Bài mẫu
road traffic accidents
noun phrase
tai nạn giao thông đường bộ
5.5
✓
a leading cause of death
noun phrase
nguyên nhân gây tử vong hàng đầu
6.5
✓
minimum legal age
noun phrase
độ tuổi hợp pháp tối thiểu
6.5
✓
riding motorbikes
verb + noun
đi xe máy
5.5
✓
make roads safer
verb phrase
làm đường an toàn hơn
5.5
✓
far more effective
adv + adj
hiệu quả hơn nhiều
6.5
✓
Body Paragraph 1 — Experience and training matter more than age
Collocation
Form
Vietnamese
Band
Bài mẫu
rather than age itself
prep phrase
chứ không phải bản thân tuổi tác
6.5
✓
the biggest cause of accidents
noun phrase
nguyên nhân lớn nhất gây tai nạn
5.5
✓
obtained a licence
verb + noun
có được bằng lái
6.5
✓
lacks the judgement
verb + noun
thiếu khả năng phán đoán
6.5
✓
years of practice
noun phrase
nhiều năm thực hành
5.5
✓
graduated licences
adj + noun
bằng lái cấp theo giai đoạn
6.5
✓
carry passengers
verb + noun
chở hành khách
5.5
✓
gain experience gradually
verb phrase
tích luỹ kinh nghiệm dần dần
6.5
✓
improving training
verb + noun
nâng cao đào tạo
5.5
✓
Body Paragraph 2 — Enforcement and road design
Collocation
Form
Vietnamese
Band
Bài mẫu
strict enforcement
adj + noun
thực thi nghiêm ngặt
6.5
✓
better road design
noun phrase
thiết kế đường tốt hơn
5.5
✓
road users of all ages
noun phrase
người tham gia giao thông mọi lứa tuổi
6.5
✓
serious accidents
adj + noun
tai nạn nghiêm trọng
5.5
✓
wear seat belts or helmets
verb phrase
thắt dây an toàn hoặc đội mũ bảo hiểm
5.5
✓
breath tests
noun + noun
kiểm tra nồng độ cồn
6.5
✓
break the rules
verb + noun
vi phạm luật
5.5
✓
prevent collisions
verb + noun
ngăn va chạm
6.5
✓
safer for everyone
adv + adj
an toàn hơn cho mọi người
5.5
✓
Conclusion
Collocation
Form
Vietnamese
Band
Bài mẫu
In conclusion
linker
tóm lại
5.5
✓
the minimum driving age
noun phrase
độ tuổi lái xe tối thiểu
5.5
✓
improve road safety
verb + noun
cải thiện an toàn giao thông
5.5
✓
all road users
noun phrase
mọi người tham gia giao thông
6.5
✓
training and enforcement
noun phrase
đào tạo và thực thi
6.5
✓
Useful structures
Although + clause, + main clause (concession)
Noun, which + verb …, + main verb (non-defining relative clause)
If + present, + will / can + verb (conditional for results)
This means that + clause (explaining a consequence)
… be + past participle (passive voice for processes and policies)
6Self-check before you submit
7🔒 Model Essay (Band 6.5)
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