Film or Written Documents: Learning How People Live — 10.09.2026
Essay type: Opinion (agree / disagree — to what extent)Band 6.5-8.0Stance: Partly agreeTarget ≈ 300 wordsModel essay: Band 8.0
Student's Edition
Ngô Đức Thảo
MTESOL · Academic Director
Task 2 Topic
To learn the way people around the world live, it is better to look at film and video records than written documents. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
1Task analysis
Item
Detail
Essay type
Opinion (agree / disagree — to what extent)
Main topic
Whether films and videos are better than written texts for learning about other people's ways of life
Keywords
the way people around the world live · film and video records · written documents · better
Task focus
Compare film and video with written documents as ways to learn how people live in other cultures
Required position
Say clearly how far you agree or disagree and keep the same position in every paragraph
Plain-English meaning
If we want to understand how people in other countries live, should we watch videos rather than read books and articles?
Hidden trap
This is a comparison (better … than). A strong answer gives clear criteria — vividness and accessibility vs depth, history and explanation
Chosen stance
Partly agree. Moving images convey everyday life with unmatched immediacy, but they are selective and lack interpretive depth; written documents supply context, history and multiple perspectives, so neither is simply better
Main-idea plan
BP1 → film and video convey everyday life with immediacy and accessibility · BP2 → they are selective and shallow; writing provides context, history and critical interpretation
Body 2 — The interpretive depth of the written word
Video is selective, edited and sometimes staged ✓ strongest
Writing provides context, causes and multiple voices
Written records reach back centuries dự phòng
✓ strongest = ý dùng trong bài mẫu · dự phòng = ý thay thế, không có trong bài mẫu.
3Skeleton
Introduction
General statement: Books shaped understanding
Paraphrased task: Rewrite: video offers superior insight
Thesis: Partly agree — show vs explain
Body 1: Immediacy, sensory detail, accessibility
Body 2: Selective, edited; writing gives context, history, multiple voices
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: Books shaped understanding
Starter: Our understanding of distant … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Paraphrased task
Main idea: Rewrite: video offers superior insight
Starter: Nowadays, however, some argue … ·
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Thesis
Main idea: Partly agree — show vs explain
Starter: I partly agree, since … ·
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Body Paragraph 1 — The immediacy of moving images(100–125 words)
0 words
Goal: Reason 1: explain it and give an example.
Topic sentence
Main idea: Immediacy
Starter: There is no doubt … ·
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Explanation 1
Main idea: Captures much at once
Starter: A camera captures gestures … ·
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Example
Main idea: Fishing community
Starter: A documentary following a … ·
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Explanation 2
Main idea: Transcend barriers
Starter: Moving images also transcend … ·
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Further development
Main idea: Superior in vividness
Starter: In terms of vividness … ·
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Link
Main idea: Greatest strength
Starter: This is its greatest … ·
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Body Paragraph 2 — The interpretive depth of the written word(100–125 words)
