Should Governments Pay for Large Outdoor Sculptures? — 01.08.2026
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 say that the government should pay money for large pieces of art, like sculptures, for public display in outdoor places. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
1Task analysis
Item
Detail
Essay type
Opinion (agree / disagree — to what extent)
Main topic
Whether public money should be used to buy large sculptures and artworks for outdoor public spaces
Keywords
government · pay money · large pieces of art · sculptures · public display · outdoor places
Task focus
Judge whether large, expensive artworks should be paid for with public money
Required position
Say clearly how far you agree or disagree and keep the same position in every paragraph
Plain-English meaning
Should the government use taxpayers' money to buy big statues and sculptures for parks and squares?
Hidden trap
Focus on large pieces and government money: the key question is cost and priorities, not whether art is good in general
Chosen stance
Mostly disagree. Expensive monuments take money from essential services and often fail to reflect public taste; private sponsorship and smaller community projects are better
Main-idea plan
BP1 → large sculptures have a high opportunity cost for public budgets · BP2 → sponsorship and community art projects are cheaper and more popular alternatives
2Idea generation
Body 1 — The opportunity cost of monumental art
High cost takes money from essential services ✓ strongest
Maintenance costs continue for years
Public anger at wasteful spending dự phòng
Body 2 — Better ways to bring art to public spaces
Private sponsorship can fund large works ✓ strongest
Small community projects are cheaper and more popular
Residents rarely choose the design dự phòng
✓ strongest = ý dùng trong bài mẫu · dự phòng = ý thay thế, không có trong bài mẫu.
3Skeleton
Introduction
General statement: Monuments common in cities
Paraphrased task: Rewrite: public funds for large-scale artworks
Thesis: Mostly disagree, art has value
Body 1: High cost + maintenance → less for essential services
Body 2: Sponsorship; small community projects cheaper, more popular
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: Monuments common in cities
Starter: Large sculptures and monuments … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Paraphrased task
Main idea: Rewrite: public funds for large-scale artworks
Starter: Some people believe that … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Thesis
Main idea: Mostly disagree, art has value
Starter: I mostly disagree with … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Body Paragraph 1 — The opportunity cost of monumental art(90–110 words)
0 words
Goal: Reason 1: explain it and give an example.
Topic sentence
Main idea: Expensive, takes money from services
Starter: The main reason I … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Explanation 1
Main idea: Cost + maintenance
Starter: A single monumental artwork … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Example
Main idea: Statue vs salaries
Starter: For example, the money … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Explanation 2
Main idea: Overcrowded services
Starter: In many countries, schools … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Link
Main idea: Not justified
Starter: Therefore, spending public funds … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Body Paragraph 2 — Better ways to bring art to public spaces(90–110 words)
0 words
Goal: Reason 2: explain it and give an example.
Topic sentence
Main idea: Better ways
Starter: In addition, there are … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Explanation 1
Main idea: Business sponsorship
Starter: Many businesses are willing … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Example
Main idea: Community murals
Starter: For instance, some cities … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Explanation 2
Main idea: Residents choose designs
Starter: Such projects are often … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Link
Main idea: Art with controlled spending
Starter: As a result, cities … ·
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: Costly + alternatives
Starter: These works are very … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Final thought
Main idea: Reserve money for services
Starter: Public money should be … ·
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
a common feature of
noun phrase
một đặc điểm phổ biến của
6.5
✓
public spaces
adj + noun
không gian công cộng
5.5
✓
public funds
adj + noun
ngân sách công
5.5
✓
large-scale artworks
noun phrase
tác phẩm nghệ thuật quy mô lớn
6.5
✓
some value
noun phrase
một số giá trị
5.5
✓
Body Paragraph 1 — The opportunity cost of monumental art
Collocation
Form
Vietnamese
Band
Bài mẫu
extremely expensive
adv + adj
cực kỳ đắt đỏ
5.5
✓
essential services
adj + noun
dịch vụ thiết yếu
6.5
✓
a single monumental artwork
noun phrase
một tác phẩm hoành tráng
6.5
✓
maintenance and repairs
noun phrase
bảo trì và sửa chữa
5.5
✓
one giant statue
noun phrase
một bức tượng khổng lồ
5.5
✓
the salaries of hundreds of teachers
noun phrase
lương của hàng trăm giáo viên
5.5
✓
overcrowded and underfunded
adv + adj
quá tải và thiếu kinh phí
6.5
✓
cannot be justified
passive phrase
không thể biện minh
6.5
✓
basic needs remain unmet
clause
nhu cầu cơ bản chưa được đáp ứng
6.5
✓
Body Paragraph 2 — Better ways to bring art to public spaces
Collocation
Form
Vietnamese
Band
Bài mẫu
a burden on taxpayers
noun phrase
gánh nặng cho người đóng thuế
6.5
✓
sponsor public artworks
verb + noun
tài trợ tác phẩm nghệ thuật công cộng
6.5
✓
improves their reputation
verb + noun
nâng cao uy tín
5.5
✓
their brand
noun phrase
thương hiệu của họ
5.5
✓
local artists and students
noun phrase
nghệ sĩ và sinh viên địa phương
5.5
✓
costs far less
verb phrase
tốn ít hơn nhiều
5.5
✓
involves the community
verb + noun
huy động cộng đồng tham gia
6.5
✓
choose the designs
verb + noun
chọn thiết kế
5.5
✓
under control
prep phrase
trong tầm kiểm soát
5.5
✓
Conclusion
Collocation
Form
Vietnamese
Band
Bài mẫu
In conclusion
linker
tóm lại
5.5
✓
outdoor public places
noun phrase
nơi công cộng ngoài trời
5.5
✓
private sponsorship
adj + noun
tài trợ tư nhân
6.5
✓
cheaper and more popular alternatives
noun phrase
lựa chọn rẻ hơn và được ưa chuộng hơn
6.5
✓
reserved for
passive phrase
dành riêng cho
5.5
✓
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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