TOEFL Independent Writing Task
Essay Topic: Following In Parents' Footsteps
ielts360toefl@hotmail.com
Jeenn Lee Hsieh 谢振礼老师
Essay Prompt:
>Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? "It is better for children to choose jobs that are similar to their parents' jobs than to choose jobs that are very different from their parents' jobs." Use specific reasons and examples (based on your knowledge or experience) to support your answer.
Example Answer
Children do not necessarily follow the career choices of their parents; however, more often than not, it would be better if they do. The extent to which kids can benefit from following in their parents' worthy footsteps may be cyclical in part. There are more upsides than downsides when children choose jobs that are similar to their parents' jobs.
On the positive side, a parent can be an asset for a child's career. If a parents are doing pretty well, then taking over what they are doing is not a bad idea. Partly it is because a child may have invaluable access to an expert in the field--someone (father or mother or both) who can tell a child firsthand the ins and outs of the job, the right educational path, what it takes to get into the door and move up the ladder. Typical examples of parental influence may be found in a family environment of doctors or lawyers and business persons that provide built-in networking contacts that can help a child land a similar job in the future. Thus, once in the job, the child, when meeting challenges and opportunities, can have an experienced mentor. In short, the whole idea of a good family cycle in the workplace is 'like father like son; like mother, like daughter'.
On the negative side of following in their parents' footsteps, children may sometimes feel pressure to live up to their parents' success, one the one hand. Sometimes such pressure may create discomforts and frustrations considering, in career choices, all well-educated and successful parents expect their children to do the same or even better than they do in a similar field. On the other hand, it is not unusual to see that certain less educated and less fortunate parents tend to cast a net of fascinations over their siblings and wish them at least to receive higher education in order to become successful in life. For that matter, paradoxically most parents decide to send their children to college either because they went to college themselves or they did not. Usually, poor parents do not want any of their children to choose jobs that are similar to theirs because some less-paid jobs do not guarantee freedom from living 'from hand to mouth'. After all, all parents hope their children to stand out from the crowd and shine.
Generally speaking, children can benefit more from choosing jobs that are similar to their parents' jobs as a matter of a virtuous family cycle. However, under circumstances there is nothing wrong for them to choose jobs that are very different from their parents' jobs, if only to put an end to a vicious family cycle. From generation to generation, the golden rule is always looking for the better, and perhaps for the same but never for the worse. (Essay created by Jeenn Lee Hsieh 谢振礼 ielts360toefl@hotmail.com pigai zuowen)
Tips and Guidance from Jeenn Lee Hsieh
主题Thesis，结构Structure，内容Content;
修辞Rhetoric，句法Syntax，词汇Lexicon
谢振礼写作讲座 ielts360toefl@hotmail.com
一言以蔽之，托福独立写作或者雅思大作文都是讨论意见(opinion)的英文作文。发表意见来回答作文题目， 先是提出立场(观点)。或同意，或不同意;或赞成，或反对。回答问题的立场就是主题。
主题主宰作文的内容。内容则安排于逻辑的结构--“起承转合”。所以，作文=主题+结构+内容。作文的口诀：主题有焦点，结构有组织，内容有支持。
写作考试：英文的应用难度超过作文的技巧。难于修辞的效率，句法的变化，词汇的恰当。英文作文的基本单位是句子，造句必须合乎基本文法;不过，合乎文法的造句未必全部合乎修辞。修辞可以说决定句子的强弱优劣。另外，词汇的灵活可以说胜过词汇的多少。
英文=修辞+句法+词汇。估计：考试的成绩，七成看英文，三成看作文。
***Tips and Guidance***
Relax and have confidence.
Timing.
Make sure you answer the question.
Use mind-mapping to outline your essay.
Present your position (opinion) to establish the thesis statement.
Narrow down the scope of the topic and focus your thesis.
Create two signposts A/B out of the focus.
Use signpost A for body A; signpost B for body B.
Change signpost A into a topic sentence A in body paragraph A.
Change signpost B into a topic sentence B in body paragraph B.
The topic sentence is an opinion, not fact.
Write as much as you can, or create 6 sentences for each body paragraph.
Make up data to support your opinion (thesis) in each body paragraph.
Always stick to four paragraphs--introduction, body A, body B, conclusion
Avoid one-sentence paragraphs.
Use basically the same introduction paragraph, whatever the question is.
Use lots of linking words and phrases.
Use passives when necessary.
Avoid "I", "me", and "my".
Leave about 5 minutes for editing.
Add another sentence at the end if you are short of words.
