Do you agree or disagree with the
following statement. Watching
TV is a useful or enjoyable way of spending time. Support your response with specific reasons
and examples.
☆Let’s think
“A” useful or enjoyable way of spending time
means that, although it is not “the” best, it is as useful or enjoyable as
activities that are considered good. What are useful and enjoyable ways of
spending time? What do you usually do when you have some free time and try not
to waste it? Do you read, listen to music, watch a movie, work out, do
something creative like painting, or hang around with your family or friends?
Is watching TV as worth spending your precious time on as other choices?
☆Ideas and Expressions
♦Waste of Time
1. not a good information source
anymore:
♢The amount of information provided
by TV is smaller compared to that of newspapers, magazines, books, and the
Internet, which provide detailed information.
♢The quality of TV news is not so good
as that of other media. TV stations select information to broadcast in response
to ratings, or popularity votes, which are not always good or right.
♢TV news is not really new.
Information on the Internet is now updated by the minute.
2. passive: Not interactive, TV
watching requires little creativity, so it dulls your mind.
3. mind-numbing: TV can make you
narrow-minded or brainwashed because it is sponsored by corporations, which can
manipulate the content and put emphasis on advertisements. For example, you
might develop desire for needless goods or come to follow fashion trends
obsessively, not aware of what is really going on in the world.
♦Useful or Enjoyable
1. Some special programs such as live
broadcasts of sporting events, documentaries, and language programs are hardly
available elsewhere.
2. Popular TV programs or ads provide
conversation pieces, which are good icebreakers.
3. One good thing about TV watching
is that it allows you to learn things that you did not intend to. By keeping TV
on or zapping channels, you can come across interesting people, useful
information, or moving stories. It is like taking a walk in an unfamiliar
neighborhood and find a lovely garden or sitting among strangers and hear an
eye-opening story. The Internet, which is made to be used to search for
specific information of your choice, allows this to happen less often.
4. As long as you keep an eye on how
you use it, TV can be an inexpensive, handy tool for fun.
☆Essay Structure
Sample
【Main Idea = Outline】In moderation, watching TV is useful and enjoyable.
【Good/Bad point 1】Watching big events on a large screen at home is enjoyable.
【Good/Bad point 2】 TV-watching is useful for spending time with others because it is
inclusive.
【Counterargument-treatment】Although most programs are good for nothing, some
are good, educational, or only on TV. Also, it is true that TV is addictive and
you could waste your precious time, but if you can control yourself, TV poses
no problem just as alcohol and gambling helps you enjoy life unless you indulge
yourself in them too much.
【Conclusion = Wrap-up】TV can provide a good time if used wisely.
Your essay structure
【Main
Idea = Outline】
【Good/Bad
point 1】
【Good/Bad
point 2】
【Counterargument-treatment】
【Conclusion
= Wrap-up】
☆Paragraph development
Sample 1
【Main Idea】
TV-watching is useful for spending time with others because it is inclusive.
【Explanation】You can usually share the content of TV with others and with
anyone.
【Detail / Example】 You can enjoy an evening with your family or friends watching
programs most people like.
【More Specific Detail / Example】 TV is especially useful when you spend time with someone you know
little about. Popular TV programs are often used to entertain guests. You just
watch TV together, and in time you can laugh together or pick up a conversation
piece from the content of the program such as an idol singer or a succor game
result.
【Counterargument Treatment or Detail Follow-up】If your guest says that the only program he watches is FoxNews,
you could just watch the ultra-right-wing news show with him and learn what the
Right have to say.
【Conclusion】 TV is a good medium for relationship-building.
Sample 2
【Main Idea】TV
is addictive.
【Explanation】For many people, the act of watching TV itself is the objective.
【Detail / Example】 Many just automatically turn on TV when they have some free time and
keep it on, without selecting programs.
【More Specific Detail / Example】 Even when they select a program, in a few minutes, they get hypnotized
and keep staring at the screen for hours while remembering little in the
content.
【Counterargument Treatment or Detail Follow-up】Conscious use can avoid such behavior but the problem is that TV
makes us believe doing something productive and feel good when in fact we could
be doing something more memorable such as listening to a good piece of music or
talking with someone.
【Conclusion】 TV-watching is detrimental to our life itself.
Now let’s practice paragraph
development. Choose one of the reasons you have come up with, make it the main
idea, and develop it using the following form. As this is a sketch of a part of
your real essay, use simple words and sentences for supporting details and
focus on the logic and ideas.
【Main
Idea】
【Explanation】
【Detail
/ Example】
【More
Specific Detail / Example】
【Counterargument
Treatment or Detail Follow-up】
【Conclusion】
