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

Should Governments Pay University Fees? — 27.01 & 08.02.2026

Essay type: Opinion (agree / disagree — to what extent)Band 6.5-8.0Stance: Largely disagreeTarget ≈ 300 wordsModel essay: Band 8.0
Student's Edition
Ngô Đức Thảo
Ngô Đức Thảo
MTESOL · Academic Director
Task 2 Topic

The government should pay the course fees for everyone who wants to study at university.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
(Same idea, 08.02.2026: Some people believe that governments should pay full course fees for students who want to study in universities. Do you agree or disagree with this statement?)

1Task analysis

ItemDetail
Essay typeOpinion (agree / disagree — to what extent)
Main topicWhether the state should cover all university tuition for every student who wants to study
Keywordsgovernment · pay the course fees · everyone · study at university
Task focusJudge whether all university fees for everyone should be paid by the government
Required positionSay clearly how far you agree or disagree and keep the same position in every paragraph
Plain-English meaningShould university be completely free for anyone who wants to go, with the government paying?
Hidden trapNotice everyone and full fees — you can disagree with paying for everyone while still supporting help for poor students
Chosen stanceLargely disagree. Universal free tuition is fiscally costly and regressive; means-tested grants and income-contingent loans achieve access more fairly
Main-idea planBP1 → universal free tuition has a huge fiscal and opportunity cost · BP2 → it subsidises the better-off; targeted support is fairer

2Idea generation

Body 1 — Fiscal cost and opportunity cost

  • Huge fiscal cost and opportunity cost for other services ✓ strongest
  • Risk of underfunded, overcrowded universities
  • Higher taxes for all workers dự phòng

Body 2 — Fairness and targeted support

  • Universal subsidies benefit wealthier families most ✓ strongest
  • Income-contingent loans protect graduates
  • Means-tested grants widen access dự phòng

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

3Skeleton

Introduction
  • General statement: Who pays for university?
  • Paraphrased task: Rewrite: state funds every prospective student
  • Thesis: Largely disagree + access matters
Body 1: Fiscal + opportunity cost → health, early education lose; universities underfunded
Body 2: Regressive → subsidises the affluent; targeted grants, loans fairer
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(50–70 words)

0 words
Goal: Topic → rewrite the statement → give your opinion.
General statement
Main idea: Who pays for university?
Starter: As higher education has … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Paraphrased task
Main idea: Rewrite: state funds every prospective student
Starter: Some contend that the … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Thesis
Main idea: Largely disagree + access matters
Starter: While I accept that … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.

Body Paragraph 1 — Fiscal cost and opportunity cost(100–125 words)

0 words
Goal: Reason 1: explain it and give an example.
Topic sentence
Main idea: Fiscal + opportunity cost
Starter: The principal objection to … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Explanation 1
Main idea: Absorbs public spending
Starter: Funding tuition for an … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Example
Main idea: Less for early education, healthcare
Starter: Every dollar devoted to … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Explanation 2
Main idea: Underfunded, overcrowded universities
Starter: Moreover, when governments are … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Further development
Main idea: Quality sacrificed for quantity
Starter: Quality, in other words … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Link
Main idea: Imprudent commitment
Starter: It would therefore be … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.

Body Paragraph 2 — Fairness and targeted support(100–125 words)

0 words
Goal: Reason 2: explain it and give an example.
Topic sentence
Main idea: Not as fair as it seems
Starter: An equally serious concern … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Explanation 1
Main idea: Subsidy benefits the well-off
Starter: Since students from affluent … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Example
Main idea: Grants + income-contingent loans
Starter: A far more equitable … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Explanation 2
Main idea: Poor study free, rich pay later
Starter: Under such a system … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Further development
Main idea: Access + sustainability
Starter: Not only does this … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Link
Main idea: Same goal, lower cost
Starter: Targeted support thus achieves … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.

Conclusion(40–55 words)

0 words
Goal: Repeat your opinion, sum up both reasons, final thought. No new ideas!
Restated thesis
Main idea: Largely disagree
Starter: In conclusion, I largely … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Summary
Main idea: Fiscal burden + benefits the wealthy
Starter: Such a policy imposes … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Final thought
Main idea: Fairer, sustainable alternative
Starter: Means-tested grants and income-contingent … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.

📝 My essay

✓ saved

5Language bank (Band 6.5-8.0)

Mỗi đoạn có bảng collocation riêng. ✓ = có trong bài mẫu · + = cụm mở rộng để học viên tự dùng. 7.0 = nền tảng · 8.0 = nâng band.

Introduction

CollocationFormVietnameseBandBài mẫu
increasingly importantadv + adjngày càng quan trọng7.0✓
the modern labour marketnoun phrasethị trường lao động hiện đại8.0✓
grown more pressingverb phrasetrở nên cấp bách hơn8.0✓
every prospective studentnoun phrasemọi sinh viên tương lai8.0✓
excluded by costpassive phrasebị loại trừ vì chi phí8.0✓
universal free tuitionnoun phrasemiễn học phí toàn dân7.0✓

Body Paragraph 1 — Fiscal cost and opportunity cost

CollocationFormVietnameseBandBài mẫu
the principal objectionnoun phrasephản đối chính8.0✓
fiscal and opportunity costnoun phrasechi phí tài khoá và chi phí cơ hội8.0✓
an ever-growing student populationnoun phrasesố sinh viên ngày càng tăng8.0✓
a substantial share ofnoun phrasemột phần đáng kể của7.0✓
public spendingadj + nounchi tiêu công7.0✓
broader social returnsnoun phraselợi ích xã hội rộng hơn8.0✓
early childhood educationnoun phrasegiáo dục mầm non7.0✓
keep pace withverb phrasetheo kịp7.0✓
rising enrolmentadj + nounsố lượng nhập học tăng8.0✓
underfunded and overcrowdedadv + adjthiếu kinh phí và quá tải8.0✓
sacrificed for quantitypassive phrasebị hy sinh vì số lượng7.0✓

Body Paragraph 2 — Fairness and targeted support

CollocationFormVietnameseBandBài mẫu
affluent familiesadj + nouncác gia đình khá giả8.0✓
a blanket subsidyadj + nountrợ cấp đại trà8.0✓
the relatively well-offnoun phrasenhững người tương đối khá giả8.0✓
a far more equitable approachnoun phrasecách tiếp cận công bằng hơn nhiều8.0✓
means-tested grantsadj + nountrợ cấp xét theo thu nhập8.0✓
income-contingent loansadj + nounkhoản vay hoàn trả theo thu nhập8.0✓
exceed a set thresholdverb + nounvượt ngưỡng quy định7.0✓
upfront costsadj + nounchi phí trả trước7.0✓
preserve accessverb + nounduy trì khả năng tiếp cận7.0✓
at a fraction of the costprep phrasevới một phần nhỏ chi phí7.0✓

Conclusion

CollocationFormVietnameseBandBài mẫu
In conclusionlinkertóm lại7.0✓
a heavy fiscal burdennoun phrasegánh nặng tài khoá lớn7.0✓
disproportionately benefitsverb + advmang lại lợi ích không cân xứng8.0✓
wealthier familiesadj + nouncác gia đình giàu hơn7.0✓
a fairer and more sustainable routenoun phrasecon đường công bằng và bền vững hơn8.0✓
wider accessadj + nounkhả năng tiếp cận rộng hơn7.0✓

Useful structures

6Self-check before you submit

7🔒 Model Essay (Band 8.0)

Hãy viết bài của em trước. Khi đủ 270 từ, ô mật khẩu sẽ mở — xin mật khẩu từ giáo viên để xem bài mẫu và so sánh.