Should Detailed Crime Reporting Be Limited? — 06.05.2026

Task 2 Topic

Some people believe that detailed reporting of crimes in newspapers and on TV can lead to harmful consequences and should therefore be limited.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this belief?

1Task analysis

Item	Detail
Essay type	Opinion (agree / disagree — to what extent)
Main topic	Whether the media should report crimes in less detail because detailed reports can cause harm
Keywords	detailed reporting of crimes · newspapers and on TV · harmful consequences · limited
Task focus	Judge whether detailed crime news causes harm and should be limited
Required position	Say clearly how far you agree or disagree and keep the same position in every paragraph
Plain-English meaning	When newspapers and TV describe crimes in great detail, it may cause problems. Should this kind of reporting be restricted?
Hidden trap	The issue is detailed reporting, not crime reporting in general. A good answer separates useful information (warnings) from harmful details (methods, graphic violence)
Chosen stance	Largely agree. Gratuitous detail can fuel imitation, distort public perceptions of risk and retraumatise victims; restraint should apply to details, not to the reporting of crime itself
Main-idea plan	BP1 → detailed and sensational coverage can trigger contagion and glorify offenders · BP2 → it distorts perceptions of risk and retraumatises victims; restraint, not silence

2Idea generation

Body 1 — Contagion and the glorification of offenders

Detailed methods and publicity create a contagion effect ✓ strongest
Offenders gain notoriety
Vulnerable individuals are influenced dự phòng

Body 2 — Distorted perceptions and harm to victims

Saturation coverage distorts perceptions of risk ✓ strongest
Victims are retraumatised
Public pressure can prejudice trials dự phòng

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

3Skeleton

Introduction

General statement: Detail to capture attention
Paraphrased task: Rewrite: exhaustive coverage → restrict
Thesis: Largely agree, target gratuitous detail

Body 1: Methods + notoriety → contagion, glorification of offenders

Body 2: Saturation → distorted risk; victims retraumatised; restraint not silence

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: Detail to capture attention

Starter: In a competitive media … ·

Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.

Paraphrased task

Main idea: Rewrite: exhaustive coverage → restrict

Starter: Some contend that such … ·

Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.

Thesis

Main idea: Largely agree, target gratuitous detail

Starter: I largely agree, provided … ·

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Body Paragraph 1 — Contagion and the glorification of offenders(100–125 words)

0 words

Goal: Reason 1: explain it and give an example.

Topic sentence

Main idea: Risk of imitation

Starter: The most serious risk … ·

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Explanation 1

Main idea: Contagion effect

Starter: Researchers have identified a … ·

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Example

Main idea: Copycat attacks after coverage

Starter: Following saturation coverage of … ·

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Explanation 2

Main idea: Notoriety for offenders

Starter: By publishing offenders' names … ·

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Further development

Main idea: Restraint saves lives

Starter: Restraint in this area … ·

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Link

Main idea: Responsibility, not censorship

Starter: Such caution is a … ·

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Body Paragraph 2 — Distorted perceptions and harm to victims(100–125 words)

0 words

Goal: Reason 2: explain it and give an example.

Topic sentence

Main idea: Distortion and harm

Starter: Equally concerning is the … ·

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Explanation 1

Main idea: Overestimated risk

Starter: Because violent crime is … ·

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Example

Main idea: Families confront details

Starter: Bereaved families, meanwhile, may … ·

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Explanation 2

Main idea: Privacy + trauma

Starter: Not only does this … ·

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Further development

Main idea: Inform without intrusion

Starter: Responsible journalism can inform … ·

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Link

Main idea: Serves the public interest

Starter: Limiting detail therefore serves … ·

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Conclusion(40–55 words)

0 words

Goal: Repeat your opinion, sum up both reasons, final thought. No new ideas!

Restated thesis

Main idea: Largely agree

Starter: In conclusion, I largely … ·

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Summary

Main idea: Imitation, glory, distortion, trauma

Starter: Excessive detail can inspire … ·

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Final thought

Main idea: Restraint, not silence

Starter: The aim, however, should … ·

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📝 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

Collocation	Form	Vietnamese	Band	Bài mẫu
a competitive media landscape	noun phrase	môi trường truyền thông cạnh tranh	8.0	✓
capture attention	verb + noun	thu hút sự chú ý	7.0	✓
exhaustive coverage	adj + noun	đưa tin cặn kẽ	8.0	✓
harmful consequences	adj + noun	hậu quả có hại	7.0	✓
ought to be restricted	passive phrase	nên bị hạn chế	8.0	✓
gratuitous detail	adj + noun	chi tiết không cần thiết	8.0	✓

Body Paragraph 1 — Contagion and the glorification of offenders

Collocation	Form	Vietnamese	Band	Bài mẫu
the most serious risk	noun phrase	rủi ro nghiêm trọng nhất	7.0	✓
inspire imitation	verb + noun	khơi gợi sự bắt chước	8.0	✓
a contagion effect	noun phrase	hiệu ứng lây lan	8.0	✓
extensive publicity	adj + noun	sự đưa tin rộng rãi	7.0	✓
similar offences	adj + noun	tội phạm tương tự	7.0	✓
saturation coverage	noun + noun	đưa tin dày đặc	8.0	✓
a mass shooting	noun phrase	vụ xả súng hàng loạt	7.0	✓
attempted copycat attacks	noun phrase	các vụ tấn công bắt chước	8.0	✓
personal histories	adj + noun	tiểu sử cá nhân	7.0	✓
grant them the notoriety	verb phrase	cho chúng tai tiếng	8.0	✓
not censorship	noun phrase	không phải kiểm duyệt	7.0	✓

Body Paragraph 2 — Distorted perceptions and harm to victims

Collocation	Form	Vietnamese	Band	Bài mẫu
distorts public perceptions	verb + noun	bóp méo nhận thức công chúng	8.0	✓
inflicts further harm	verb + noun	gây thêm tổn hại	8.0	✓
disproportionately represented	passive phrase	được thể hiện quá mức	8.0	✓
overestimate their own risk	verb phrase	đánh giá quá cao rủi ro của bản thân	7.0	✓
foster anxiety and mistrust	verb + noun	nuôi dưỡng lo âu và nghi ngờ	8.0	✓
bereaved families	adj + noun	các gia đình mất người thân	7.0	✓
without their consent	prep phrase	không có sự đồng ý của họ	7.0	✓
violate their privacy	verb + noun	xâm phạm quyền riêng tư	7.0	✓
prolongs their trauma	verb + noun	kéo dài sang chấn	8.0	✓
responsible journalism	adj + noun	báo chí có trách nhiệm	7.0	✓
the public interest	adj + noun	lợi ích công cộng	7.0	✓

Conclusion

Collocation	Form	Vietnamese	Band	Bài mẫu
In conclusion	linker	tóm lại	7.0	✓
detailed reporting of crimes	noun phrase	đưa tin tội phạm chi tiết	7.0	✓
glorify offenders	verb + noun	tôn vinh kẻ phạm tội	8.0	✓
distort perceptions of risk	verb phrase	bóp méo nhận thức về rủi ro	8.0	✓
retraumatise victims	verb + noun	gây sang chấn lại cho nạn nhân	8.0	✓
restraint rather than silence	noun phrase	kiềm chế chứ không im lặng	7.0	✓

Useful structures

Not only + auxiliary + subject + verb, but … also … (inversion for emphasis)
Participle clause, + main clause (Having / Being / Faced with …)
It is + adj + that + clause (cleft / evaluative structure)
Were / Should + subject + verb, + would … (formal conditional)
Noun phrase + which / whose + clause (dense non-defining relative clause)
The more …, the more … (comparative correlative)

6Self-check before you submit

Task Response: Clear position (Largely agree) in the thesis, kept in both body paragraphs and restated in the conclusion; every reason is explained and supported by a realistic exampleCoherence & Cohesion: One reason per body paragraph, both supporting the same position; linkers In conclusion, For instance, Therefore, However, Not only, becauseLexical Resource: Topic collocations from the Language bank; paraphrase the key words of the question (detailed reporting of crimes, newspapers and on TV, harmful consequences)Grammar: Wide range of complex structures (inversion, participle clauses, conditionals) used accurately and naturallyFit for band: Realistic examples, no invented statistics, about 290–320 words in total

7🔒 Model Essay (Band 8.0)

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