TOEFL iBT Independent Writing, High school students should be assigned more homework to achieve better grades. - revised -

Writing Topic

Consider the following statement. High school students should be assigned more homework to achieve better grades. Do you agree or disagree with this idea? Support your response by including specific reasons and examples.

☆Let’s think

1       Do high school students in general seem to be assigned enough homework? If not, will assigning more homework lead to better grades?

2       Why do students need homework first of all?

☆Hints for points

Here is a sample of point by point brainstorming on this statement.

	agree	disagree
current amount	not enough -many students hanging out after school -the more relaxed education policy	enough -too much homework already -cram schools
motivation	-As the saying goes, practice makes it perfect. -High school students need pressure to study more.	-All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. -Rest or refreshment is necessary for learning. -“put the cart before the horse”
effects	-They will spend more time on their studies. -They can see what to review.	-They will lose time for other activities. -They cannot study in their own ways.
others	-Discussion-oriented classes require more preparation before class. -Acquisition of good work ethic	-Causes of bad grades should be identified. -More practical curriculum will improve grades.

☆Sample Essay Structures

A      【Introduction = Outline】I agree with the idea that high school students should be assigned more homework.  

【Good Points of More Homework】 Students can preview and review more efficiently.

【Bad Points of More Homework】More homework means less autonomy.

【My Idea】Most high school Students learn better by being told what to do more because they do not still know exactly what is significant in study materials.

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】As long as not too much, more homework will help high school students learn effectively,

B      【Introduction = Outline】It is tempting to increase the amount of work for better results in general, but I disagree with the idea that high school students should be assigned more homework.

【Point 1】As the saying goes, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

【Point 2】A larger quantity does not always lead to better results.

【Counterargument-treatment】It is true that test scores have been on the downward trend since the lighter curriculum started in the 1980s in my country, Japan, but increasing tasks and homework does not guarantee better grades. Sweden has much lighter curriculum but higher test scores than my country. The cause of bad grades should be identified before increasing the amount of homework.

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】It is important to focus on the quality of study, rather than the quantity, to improve performances of high school students.

Your Sample Essay Structure

【Introduction = Outline】

【Point 1】

【Point 2】

【Point 3 / Counterargument-treatment】

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】

☆Paragraph development

A      【Main Idea】A larger quantity does not always lead to better results.

【Supporting Details (general)】Increasing the amount of homework might not work or even discourage some students.

【Supporting Details (specific)】Students vary in interests, capacity and timing in learning. For those who have not understood how to use relatives in English grammar, for example, answering dozens of related questions is a waste of time. The same is true with mathematical problems or science quizzes that involve calculation. Good students would want to do more challenging tasks, and can get frustrated or lose motivation for study by being forced to do basics repeatedly.

【Follow-up】It is true that practice makes it perfect but just giving more assignment and hoping for the best is not scientific.

【Conclusion】More personalized assignments are necessary instead of more pages to cover in a single uniform way.

B      【Main Idea】A larger quantity does not always lead to better results.

【Supporting Details (general)】Additional homework makes students lose time to motivate themselves for further study.

【Supporting Details (specific)】Without time to rest or do other activities, they will become disoriented and lose sight of the meaning of study. When they have little motivation, a larger amount of homework will be nothing more than a heavier burden.

【Follow-up】In some cases, such as language learning, the amount of patter practice affects learning. However, in general, grades are not always proportional to the amount of study. Many students who spent most of their high school years participating in club activities can still graduate with high scores.

【Conclusion】It is quality, rather than the quantity, of education that makes students perform better.

C      【Main Idea】The cause of bad grades should be identified before increasing the amount of homework.

【Supporting Details (general)】A larger quantity does not always lead to better results.

【Supporting Details (specific)】If bad performances are the result of other problem like bad school environment, increasing the amount of homework will not raise marks.

【Follow-up】Laziness is certainly the enemy of learning. However, there is no guarantee that forced study time will help a lazy student learn more. Also, a lazy person will not always a failure in life. 【Conclusion】Rather, it is important to find out what is inhibiting an individual from working hard.

Your Sample Paragraph Development

【Main Idea】

【Supporting Details (general)】

【Supporting Details (specific)】

【Follow-up】

【Conclusion】