Writing Topic
Do you
agree or disagree with the following statement? Television has taken away
opportunities to communicate with friends and family. Use specific reasons and
examples to support your answer.
☆Let’s
think
1. What did families use to do in the
evening or on holidays before television was invented?
2. Do you agree or disagree with the
statement of the writing topic? Why?
☆Hints
for Points
Agree
1. When watching television, people
communicate less than when they are not watching television, and the
conversations are about television. Some people might not call it communication.
2. Television
reduces time to do activities that involve communication. On holidays, many people spend most of
the day watching television. Sports fans, for instance, spend most of their
free time enjoying live sporting events or sports news shows on television without
a word.
3. We are too busy following TV programs and
keep up with trends to talk with our folks.
4. The
spread of television sets may have separated people as they watch programs in
their own rooms.
Disagree
1. Television helps us (to) open up.
2. Television supplies us with mutual
interest.
3. Some discussion might not be possible
without information provided by television.
4.
It is not television but personality that separates us. A communicative
family talk with their television on, while a quiet family stay quiet with or
without a television set.
☆Essay for Ideas
and Expressions
If communication is to learn about each other and strengthen or change relationships,
doing it while staring
at the TV screen may not be a
good idea because television makes us shut up and instill ourselves
with what is broadcast, occupying our time and mind. Thus, I agree with the
statement that television has taken away opportunities to communicate with
friends and family.
Before television became popular, families
would spend time communicating face to face when they got together. They used
to talk about their day or pass down their family history, folk tales, morals, or
important information about the community. They would also share joy of life like
watching their youngest member starting to walk or talk together. We do not do
these things anymore because we watch television.
Television has
reduced the quantity and quality of communication. We become absorbed in the powerful
entertainment it provides, and it is
difficult to talk to someone who is concentrating. Communication over television
is not as meaningful as communication without television, in which each other’s
whole being interacts. Doing something else such as washing the dishes together
would make you feel more intimate than watching television together. Nevertheless,
we turn on the television because it is there in the room. Some even use
television to avoid communication. A busy mother may put her inquisitive child
in front of television, or a teenage son may pretend to be listening to an
anchor to avoid his father’s questions.
The contents of television may not have
connected people so much as they have isolated them. Unlike the old days when
family and friends shared the same culture, individuals have their own
interests now. Many have a personal terminal, and the number of channels and
programs are countless. This divides family and friends. People feel they are
more associated with those who share the same interest with them. For example,
anime fans relate to each other more often than they do to their blood
relatives. Although this may make them happy, they often lose touch with the people
around them.
It is true that
television can help induce communication. You could laugh together or pick up a
conversation piece as you watch television. However, these interactions are usually
shallow. They convey only simple messages for affection or agreement, or some
basic information, which can be shared without the medium of television. When a
lively conversation is going on around a TV set, the topic is often related not
to the conversation members but to the program. The exchange may convey some information
about each other, but seldom does it trigger an in-depth exchange of thoughts
and feelings.
When people seriously want to communicate with
someone, they do not give a glimpse to the TV screen. However, in ordinary
moments of life, television keeps their attention, makes them strangers to each
other, and prevents them from strengthening their bonds. Therefore, it can be said that television has reduced
our opportunities to communicate with family and friends. Perhaps
keeping eyes off the TV screen would help
make better relationships.
☆Sample Essay
Structures
Sample Essay
Structure 1
【Introduction】I agree with
the statement that television has taken away opportunities to communicate with
friends and family considering people had less distraction before.
【Point 1】Television has
reduced time for communication.
【Point 2】The contents of
television have isolated people.
【Counterargument-treatment】It is true that
television can provide opportunities for communication, but usually the
communication is not very meaningful.
【Conclusion】Television has
lessened our communication because it now occupies our time and mind.
Sample Essay Structure 2
【Introduction】I cannot
totally agree with the opinion that television has taken away opportunities to
communicate with friends and family because it is in itself a good medium for
communication.
【Point for
agreement】Evening and days-off are spent watching television.
【Point for
disagreement 1】However, television can provide catalysts for
communication. e.g. big news
【Point for
disagreement 2】Also, television can be used to share
information and ideas. e.g. election
【Conclusion】I think not
television but the way television is used has prevented some of us from
communicating with each other.
Your Sample
Essay Structure
【Introduction】
【Point 1】
【Point 2】
【Point 3】
【Conclusion】
☆A Tip of Making an Essay Structure
Here is
one idea of organizing ideas before starting to write an essay. You can do it
in the first five minutes of the writing. First, brainstorm, and then organize
the ideas to make Points. Write the conclusion sentence and write the thesis
sentence which matches the conclusion before starting to write the full essay. Develop
of Points (Body Paragraphs). If you still have time, write full Introduction
and then Conclusion. The following is the image of the first 4 steps of this
procedure. The symbols represent images of a variety of thoughts.
STEP 1 Brainstorming
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STEP
2 Making Points
【Point 1】%%%%
【Point 2】$$$
【Point 3】$$$$$ However, @@
STEP 3 Making a conclusion
【Conclusion
= Wrap-up】G!!!
STEP 4 Writing the introduction that matches the
conclusion
【Introduction
= Outline】G
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The
actual structure of the essay made up of the ideas above is as follows:
【Introduction
= Outline】G
【Point 1】%%%%
【Point 2】$$$
【Point 3】$$$$$ However, @@
【Conclusion
= Wrap-up】G!!!
