This type of question is also called an argumentative essay. In this kind of essay, you are given a statement and then asked to give your opinion about it. Do you agree or disagree with it? Or do you what to have a balanced approach to the statement?

You have three options here:

Option 1: You agree with the statement.

Option 2: You disagree with the statement.

Option 3: You have a balanced opinion.

Note: If you choose the third option, you should discuss the merits in the first paragraph and the demerits in the next. However, you should also be careful to develop both sides equally and be clear about your position throughout.

In this article, we’re going to develop our essay using the first option.

Here’s the question we’re going to work on:

Some people believe that unpaid community service should be a compulsory part of high school programs (for example, working for a charity, improving the neighborhood or teaching sports to younger children).

Do you agree or disagree? Provide relevant examples if necessary.

Step 1: Spend 2 minutes reading and understanding the question. Once you have fully understood what the question asks of you, you can move on to the next step. Remember that every word counts! 

Step 2: Spend 8 minutes to come up with a plan, from introduction to conclusion. If you don’t do this step properly, it will be nearly impossible to get to band 7 or above.

Note 1: To learn how you can do steps 1 and 2 properly, take a look at this article.

Note 2: It might be difficult for you to understand every part of my plan without reading my essay. My planning shows my thinking process with signs and shortened statements. I’ve put it here so that you see how I plan. Once you do your planning like this, it will make sense to you.

Here’s my plan:

Introduction: Paraphrase the question + Thesis statement

…argued… including charity work…school curriculum…mandatory…positive. 

I support this….significant impact….future

Body paragraph 1: First positive outcome

Main idea: Ss only do things that serve their interest→encourage them …activities that serve others too.

Support: learn responsibility for others + familiar …challenges of society

Example: sanitation of a neighborhood→ how hard it is→ civic duty

Body paragraph 2: The second point

Main idea: feeling of satisfaction among ss.

Support: do sth successfully= boost self-esteem + improve outlook

people who volunteer: feeling is second to none→ introducing ss to charity: fulfilled + make habit

Conclusion:

community service ensures future… understand responsibility + contribution.

Step 3: Spend 25 minutes writing your full essay.

Here’s my full essay:

It has been argued that including charity work in schools’ curriculums as one of the mandatory parts of education brings about positive outcomes. I whole-heartedly support this notion and believe that such programs would have a significant impact on the younger generations’ future.

Firstly, inasmuch as high school students, these days, spend their time only on the activities that serve their personal interests, it is necessary to encourage them to take on responsibilities that impact other people as well. This way, they not only learn how to be responsible for other beings but also become familiar with the challenges that society faces. For instance, if they were in charge of the sanitation of a small neighborhood for a week, they would understand how hard it is to keep a public place clean. As a result, they would consider it a civic duty to help keep the environment clean.

Secondly, such educational programs, if done right, would create a feeling of satisfaction among students. In other words, having done a task successfully boosts self-esteem and improves people’s outlook on life. Many people who have done voluntary work assert that the feeling one gets after helping someone in need or doing a good deed is second to none. Hence I believe that introducing students to charity work could help them feel fulfilled and consequently encourage them to make such activities a part of their habit.

In conclusion, making community service a requirement in high school education ensures that future generations will understand the true meaning of responsibility and contribution.

(254 words)

Step 4: Spend 5 minutes reviewing your essay and correcting your mistakes.

Here’s the summary of all the steps:

1. Read and completely understand the question in 2 minutes.
2. Plan your essay in 8 minutes.
3. Write your essay in 25 minutes.
4. Review your work in 5 minutes.