Pre-TOEFL writing, a piece of jewelry or tickets to a concert

Writing Topic: You have received a gift money. The money is enough to buy either a piece of jewelry you like or tickets to a concert you want to attend. Which would you buy? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

☆Let’s Think

For most male students, jewelry might be something of their least interest, so replacing a piece of jewelry with a watch might help make comparisons with concert tickets. You can buy a piece of jewelry for either yourself or someone else. The word “tickets” is in the plural, which means that you can go to a concert with someone or some people.

☆Sample Essay Structures

 Sample Essay Structure A

【Introduction = Outline】An old TV advertisement catch phrase was “memory rather than material” and I totally agree with the idea. Given the choice between a piece of jewelry and tickets to a concert, I would definitely buy the latter. It will transform my mind and helps share joy with my friend.

【Good Point 1】A good concert enthralls the audience. Listening to a live performance by an artist you like profoundly affects your spirit. For example, when I came out of a concert of my favorite group, I was literally someone else. All the stress of everyday living was gone because of the encounter of a unique world of pure minds. The experience gave me energy to live. A concert helps you see your life in different, positive ways.

【Good Point 2】Going to a concert with your friend will help deepen the relationship. It gives you chances to interact with your friend in different ways than usual. All the interactions from making the arrangement to waiting in a line together in front of the venue before the doors open, to exchanging smiles during the show and going home together talking about the show will strengthen the bond.

【Why bad points do not matter】It is true that a concert is not a concrete thing like a piece of jewelry, but a good experience will not disappear but stay in your mind forever.

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】Going to a concert helps enrich your life. This is a trick that an object cannot do. Therefore, I would rather go to a concert with my friend than buy a jewel if I received some money.

Sample Essay Structure B

【Introduction = Outline】A precious stone might have many meanings to other people, but it is just a stone to me for now. On the other hand, I find tickets to a concert invaluable. I would certainly buy tickets to a concert, not a piece of jewelry, if I have received a gift money.

【In the case of jewelry】A piece of jewelry would be a reminder of the person who gave you the gift money to buy it. You can use a piece of jewelry repeatedly while you can use tickets to a concert only once. By wearing the jewelry, you can show your affection to the person who gave it to you. In the case of giving the jewelry to someone, you can make the person happy for two reasons. One is the joy of owning a good piece of accessory and the other is the joy of receiving a good jewel from someone she or he likes, which makes you even happier..

【In the case of a concert】A good concert gives you a life-time memory. You can share the memory with the person you went to the concert with. If the concert is a famous one, you could share the experience with people all over the world even when you become old.

【My choice and the reason】Using the money for tickets is sharing joy with others while buying a piece of jewelry only satisfies the desire to possess something good unless you get it for someone else. As I have no one that I want to please by giving a gem to, I would spend the gift money to go to a concert with my friend.

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】I would buy tickets to a concert because I would like to have a good time with my friend.

Your Sample Body Structure A

【Point 1】

【Point 2】

【Why bad points do not matter】

Sample Body Structure B

【In the case of jewelry】

【In the case of a concert】

【My choice and the reason】