Mai Hiên – GV chuyên luỵện thi B1,B2 Vstep - 0975864971

VSTEP WRITING
WRITING TASK 1. EMAIL/LETTER

1. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task

You are going to have summer vacation. Write a letter to a foreign friend and tell him/her

- Where you are going and how you get there

- Why you choose this place
- Who you are going with
- What you are planning to do there

You should write at least 120 words. You do not need to write your name and include your address in the
email. Your response will be evaluated in terms of Task Fulfillment, Organization, Vocabulary, and grammar

Dear Tom,

I am pleased to get your email. How is everything? I wish everything is fine. I am sorry for not
writing to you for so long.

I am going to tell you about my summer vacation. I am going to Halong Bay by car. It is a popular
place in Vietnam. It is very beautiful and famous. The weather in Halong Bay is very nice. The
seafood is fresh, delicious, and cheap. People often buy some food home when they finish their
holiday. The people are friendly and kind. They often help you when you need. They are hard-
working. Here we can go sightseeing, swim in the sea and enjoy seafood. I am going with my family:
my parents, my wife and my children. We are planning to do a lot of things there. We are going to
climb the mountain, swim in the sea, and play sport on the beach. I hope to have a nice holiday.
When you come to Vietnam, you should go to visit Halong Bay.

I look forward to hearing from you. Don’t forget to write to me.

Best regards

2. You saw an advertisement (quảng cáo) about the summer language camps in the last issue (số báo gần
đây nhất) of Newsweek and you want to join it. Write an email to them. You want to know

- How large are the groups of students?

- Are the students from different countries?
- Are the teachers native speakers?
- What activities are there in the programme?
Thư hỏi thông tin
Dear Sir/Madam,
Mai Hiên – GV chuyên luỵện thi B1,B2 Vstep - 0975864971

I am Tom Smith. I am 20 years old, from Hanoi. I am a student at Hanoi University. I major in Marketing. I
saw an advertisement about the summer language camps in the last issue of newswaeek and I want to
join it. Ennglish is very important for my job and I would like to improve my English in this summer. I am
writing this email to ask you for some information about the camps.
I would like to know how large the groups of students are. Please tell me if the students are from
different countries and the teachers are native speakers. Can you tell me what activities there are in the
programme? I would be grateful if you could tell me more information about the summer language camps
If you have any question or information, please feel free to contact me at 0975864971 or via
maihien792002@yahoo.com.
Please let me know the information as soon as possible. I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you.

3. You got an email from a student asking about the summer language camps that you advertised in the
last issue of News Week. He asks you the following questions

- How large are the groups of students?

- Are the students from different countries?
- Are the teachers native speakers?
- What activities are there in the programme?
Write an email to him and give him some information about the summer language camps

Thư trả lời thông tin

Dear Sir/Madam,
Thank you for your email of May 1st regarding the summer language camps. I am Susan, the manager of
ABC English Centre. I am writing this email to give you some information about the summer language
camps.
There are around 20 students in each group. The students are from different countries such as Japan,
China, Thailand and Vietnam. All the teachers here are native speakers who come from England, America,
and Australia. Therefore, their English is the best. They are well-qualified. Their methods of teaching are
easy to understand and effective. They are very dedicated, social and kind-hearted. They are willing to
help students. There are some activities in the programs like playing games, making presentation, singing
English songs and dancing. These activities are interesting and useful. They can help you improve your
English fast and effectively. I believe that the camp is beneficial to you.
If you have any question or information, please feel free to contact me at 0975864971 or via
maihien792002@yahoo.com.
Please let me know your decision as soon as possible. I am looking forward to hearing from you. Write to
Mai Hiên – GV chuyên luỵện thi B1,B2 Vstep - 0975864971

me soon.
Thank you.

4. Thư xin việc

You are looking for the position of an English teacher. Write a letter to an English centre and tell him:

- Introduce yourself
- Prove that you are suitable for the job
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am Tom Smith. I am 30 years ole, from Hanoi. Currently, I am a teacher of English for XYZ English centre.
I am married and I have two children. I saw an advertisement about the position of an English teachẻ in
the last issue of Newsweek. I am writing this email to apply for the position.
I graduated from Hanoi Unviersity in 2001. I majored in languages. I worked as an English teacher for a
privmary school in Hanoi from 2001 to 2005. I have 5 years of experience in teaching children. My Engish
is quite good. I can speak English fluently and a little of Chinese. I am good at computer and
communication skills. I am good-looking, sociable and kind – hearted. I am willing to hepl students. I am a
kind of dedicated teacher. I love children. I find a lot of interest in travelling and reading books. I believe
that I am the best candidate for this position. I hope you can consider my application.
If you have any question or information, please feel free to contact me at 0975864971 or via
maihien792002@yahoo.com.
I am looking forward to hearing from you. Write to me soon.
Thank you.

5. Thư phàn nàn (complaint)

You are your friends recently had dinner in a restaurant and you were not satisfied with the food, service as
well as the staff. Write a letter to the manager and explained

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am Tom Smith. I am 30 years old. I am from Hanoi. I am a doctor. I work for BM Hospital. Last Monday
afternoon, I and my friends came to your restaurant have lunch. We sat at the table number 3. We had
seafood. After leaving the restaurant, most of us were not satisfied (happy). I am writing this email to
complain about the service as well as the food at your restaurant.

I was not happy with the staff. They were slow and impolite. The food here was not delicious and fresh.
Mai Hiên – GV chuyên luỵện thi B1,B2 Vstep - 0975864971

The vegetables were dirty and not fresh (The vegetables were not in good condition). The dishes were not
diverse. There were not beef and chicken so some of us had to eat what we did not like. The facilities here
were not good. I was not going to ask for a refund. I just want you improve your service, staff and the
food. I hope I can come back to your restaurant one day.

If you have any question or information, please contact me at 76389r or via hien@gmail.com

I am looking forward to hearing from you. Write to me soon.

Thank you.
Mai Hiên – GV chuyên luỵện thi B1,B2 Vstep - 0975864971

WRITING TASK 2: ESSAY (6.5p) (at least 250 words)

1. Dạng bài Discussion

English is the language spoken all over the world and there are more and more people who want to
master English. Some people argue that students should learn English in an English speaking country;
others believe that they can learn English well in their own country.

Write an essay to an educated reader to discuss both views.

Opening
+ introduction:

- We must say that/ It is the fact that / It is true that / We cannot deny that …
- Music/ sports/ tourism/ English plays an important role in our life. More and more people are
becoming interested in listening to music/ playing sports/ travelling/ learning English.
- It is the fact that learning English is becoming more and more popular in our life. The number
of people who wish to learn English is increasing.
- It is true that English is the international/global language which is used in most countries/ in
many areas of the world so learning English is important/necessary (so it is important for
people to learn English)
- It is the fact that pollution is one of the biggest problems in many countries. Governments
have been trying to solve this problem but there is little success.
- Thanks to the development of technology, our life has greatly changed.

+ ideas

- Some people say/ think / argue/ believe that (+ idea 1) while others say/ think/ argue/ believe
that (+ idea 2)

TASK 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task
Read the following text from a book about tourism.
 

Tourism has become one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Millions of people
today are travelling farther and farther throughout the year. Some people argue that the
development of tourism has had negative effects on local communities; others think that
its influences are positive.

Write an essay to an educated reader to discuss the effects of tourism on local communities. Include
reasons and any relevant examples to support your answer.

You should write at least 250 words. Your response will be evaluated in terms of Task Fulfillment,
Organization, Vocabulary and Grammar.
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B1

We must say that tourism plays an important role in our life. More and more people are becoming
interested in travelling. Some people say that the development of tourism has had negative
effects on local communities while others believe that its influences are positive.

B2

We cannot deny that tourism has developed so fast in the last few years. The number of travelers has
dramatically increased. Some individuals say that the growth of tourism has had bad impacts on
surrounding areas while others believe that its influences are good.

Body 1
On the one hand, there are some reasons why some people say that (+ idea 1) ……..

On the other hand, however, there are some reasons why some people believe that (+ idea 2). ….

Body 2
Firstly, we should not forget that (+ reason 1) ……

Secondly, it is the fact that (+ reason 2) ……..

Finally, we cannot deny that (reason 3) ……

Advantage/ benefit/ positive effects

- …. Is good for people. It brings them some benefits.
- They can + V
- S + be + adj

Playing sports

B1

Playing sports is good for people. It brings them some benefits. Playing sports is interesting. They can
relax and reduce stress after work. Besides, playing sports is good/ beneficial for their health. They
can improve their health, prevent health problems, lose weight and keep fit. Moreover, playing sports
can help people make new friends. (I really like playing sports, especially soccer. I often play with my
friends at the weekend. We often play at sport centre near my house. It is relaxing. I feel so happy

B2
Playing sports has some advantages. It brings them some benefits. Playing sports is interesting. It
helps them relax and reduce stress after work. They can share happy moments with their family and
friends. Besides, playing sports is good/ beneficial for their health. Physical activities enable them to
burn calories and strengthen their muscles. It is the best way to improve their health together with
Mai Hiên – GV chuyên luỵện thi B1,B2 Vstep - 0975864971

the diet. They can improve their health, prevent diseases, lose weight and keep fit. Moreover, playing
sports gives them chance to make new friends.

Online shopping is good for people. It brings them some benefits. It is very convenient. They can stay
at home, look for things and order. They do not have to go out to buy things. This can help them save
time and money for travelling. They can order things from anywhere, even from other countries. They
just stay at home and wait for things to come/ be shifted. Besides, the price of online things is
competitive/ cheap. This is because people do not have to pay for the rent of the shop or pay sales
people/ sales assistants. This is beneficial/ good for buyers/ customers because they can save a lot of
money for other things. I really like shopping online/ (I am addicted to/ crazy for online shopping / I
am a kind of online shopping addicted person). I buy a lot of things online such as clothes, shoes,
books, and so on.

Disadvantages/ drawbacks/ negative effects

- …..is not good for ………

- ……is harmful to ………
- Verbs: destroy the environment, waste time and money, pollute the air, badly affect
- S + be + adj (polluted, dirty, expensive, crowded, noisy ….)

Smoking

Smoking is not good for people, especially smokers and people nearby/ second-hand smokers. It is
harmful to their health. It destroys their lungs. It wastes time and money. It pollutes the environment,
especially the air. It badly affect people’s life.

Conclusion
To sum up, / To conclude, / In conclusion, / In summary, …………………..
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We must say that English plays an important part in our life. More and more people are becoming
interested in learning English. Some people say that students should learn English in an English
speaking country while others think that they can learn English well in their own country.

On the one hand, (ở mặt này) there are some reasons why some people say that students should
learn English in an English speaking country. The teachers are native speakers so they are very good at
English. They are good-looking, friendly and kind. They always help students. Their ways of teaching
are good , easy to understand, and effective. The schools and the classes are big and modern.
Students can speak English with local people every day. They can improve their English fast. It is the
fact that many people want/wish to study overseas. Big companies often look for people with good
English.

On the other hand, (mặt khác) however, there are also some reasons why some people believe that
students can learn English well in their own country. They can save a lot of money for
accommodation, food, drink, clothes and other things.

To sum up, students can learn English in an English speaking country or in their own country.
Personally (cá nhân tôi), I believe that learning English in an English speaking country is better.

- Topic: chủ đề
- Problem: vấn đề
- Issue: vấn đề
- Trend: xu hướng
- Discuss: thảo luận
- Advantage: ưu điểm, lợi ích
- Benefit: lợi ích
- Disadvantage: nhược điểm
- Drawback: hạn chế
- Effect: ảnh hưởng
- (= influence, impact) – on
- Positive effect: ảnh hưởng tích cực
- Negative effect: ảnh hưởng tiêu cực
- Teenager: thanh thiếu niên
- Community: cộng đồng
- Local community: cộng đồng địa phương
- Idea: ý kiến (opinion, view, saying, statement):
- Say/ think/ argue/ believe: nói/ nghĩ/ tranh luânj/ tin…
- Some people say that …………while others believe that …….
- Agree: đồng ý
- Disagree: k đồng ý
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- To what extent, do you agree or disagree with the statemen? : trong chừng mực nào thì bạn đồng ý
hay k đồng ý với phát ngôn đó?
- Reason: lí do
- Cause: nguyên nhân
- Sollution: giải pháp
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2. Dạng bài Opinion (Dấu hiệu: Your opinion, do you agree or disagree? What do you think?)

English is the language spoken all over the world and there are more and more people who want to
master English. Some people argue that students should learn English in an English speaking country;
others believe that they can learn English well in their own country.

Write an essay to an educated reader to discuss your view

We cannot deny that English plays an important part in our life. Some individuals say that students
should learn English in an English speaking country while others think that students can learn
English well in their own country. Personally, I strongly agree with the first idea.

Firstly, people should not forget that the learning condition in an English speaking country is very
good with projector, air conditioning, drink and snack. Students can speak English with English
people all the time. This can help them improve their English very fast.

Secondly, all the teachers are native speakers so their English is the best. They also have good
method of teaching. They know how to inspire students to learn English well

Finally, Students can learn about the culture of the English speaking country. This is very good for
them because they can understand more about the people and culture in this country.

To sum up, students should learn English in an English speaking country.

3. Dạng bài Advantages, Disadvantages

There is a big number of people who wish to live in big cities.

Write an essay to an educated reader to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of living in big cities.
Include reasons and any relevant examples to support your answer.
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It is the fact that more and more people are becoming interested in living in big cities.
However, there are both advantages and disadvantages of living there.

On the one hand, living in big cities, we can find good jobs and make more money. There are
many big companies and factories for us to choose. We can go to good schools to learn and
go to the cinema or the theatre to watch films or relax. We can also go to big shopping
centres to buy things. There is everything here in big cities.

However, it is dirty, noisy in big cities. We do not have enough houses to live. We have to live
in small houses or we have to rent a small flat. It is not comfortable. There are a lot of people
and cars, motorbikes, buses so it is very noisy, from morning to midnight.

To sum up, there are both advantages and disadvantages of living in big cities.

BÀI MẪU
ĐỀ 1
TASK 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You had arranged to meet a friend next week, but you have realized that you will not be able to go
Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:
 Cancel the meeting with your friend and apologize
 Explain why you cannot be able to meet your friend
 Suggest where and when you could see each other instead

Write an email responding to your friend. You should write at least 120 words. You are not allowed to include
your name.

Dear John,

How are you? I wish everything is going well with you.

I am writing this email to tell you that I can’t meet you on Friday next week. On that day, I have
an important exam in the morning and in the afternoon I have a meeting with my teacher at
school. I have a lot of work to do there.

Can I see you on Sunday morning next week? I really want to see you and talk with you. My
parents are excited to see you, too. I can pick you up at the station. Then we go home and have
lunch with my family. In the evening we can hang out round Hoan Kiem Lake. It’s so interesting.
Mai Hiên – GV chuyên luỵện thi B1,B2 Vstep - 0975864971

Please let me know your decision as soon as possible

Love

ĐỀ 2
TASK 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

Your friend, Jane has written you a letter. Part of it says

“What’s your favorite day of the week? I’d love to hear all about it”
Write an email responding to your friend. You should write at least 120 words. You are not allowed to include
your name.

Dear Jane,

It’s amazing to get your letter. How are things? I hope they are all fine.

I am going to tell you about my favorite day of the week. I like Sunday most because I don’t
have to go school and I can do a lot of things I like. In the morning, I can get up at about 6
o’clock and then I go to the park near my house to have some exercise there. I usually play
badminton with my friends. It’s relaxing and good for my health. Then I go home and have a
bath. I have breakfast with bread and a cup of coffee, sometimes I go out and have Pho, a
traditional Vietnamese dish. After breakfast I often go shopping with my best friend, Phuong.
We buy things and eat at a shopping center. In the afternoon, I go swimming. This is my
favourite sport. I really like being in water. In the evening, I go to the cinema with my family.
Sometimes we go to a restaurant and eat there. In the evening, I do my homework and go to
bed. That is my favourite day of the week.

Tell me about your favorite day in your next letter. I look forward to hearing from you.

Love

TASK 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Nowadays online shopping becomes more popular than in-store shopping. Is it a positive or a
negative development? Give your reasons and examples.

Write an essay to an educated reader to discuss the effect of online shopping. Include reasons and any
relevant examples to support your answer.

You should write at least 250 words. Your response will be evaluated in terms of Task Fulfillment,
Organization, Vocabulary and Grammar.
Mai Hiên – GV chuyên luỵện thi B1,B2 Vstep - 0975864971

We cannot deny that more and more people are becoming interested in online shopping. However,
there are both good and bad things of online shopping.

On the one hand, online shopping helps us save a lot of time and money. We do not have to go to
shops to buy things. We can stay at home and buy a lot of things. We just have to turn on the
computer, look for things online and then we order and wait, someone can bring the things to your
house. This can help us save money because we do not spend money on travelling to shops.

On the other hand, however, online shopping has disadvantages. Firstly, We may buy bad things.
They are not as good as we think. And we may lose money because we have to give someone our
information of the account. And if we buy too many things online, we can spend too much money.

To sum up, online shopping has both good and bad things

ĐỀ 3
TASK 2
You should spend 40 minutes on this task.

Some people like to travel with a companion. Other people prefer to travel alone. Which do you prefer? Use
specific reasons and examples to support your choice.

Write an essay to an educated reader to show your opinion. Include reasons and any relevant examples to
support your answer. You should write at least 250 words.

It is the fact that more and more people are becoming interested in travelling. Some people
want to travel alone while others want to travel with a partner. Personally, I often travel with
my family or friends.

Firstly, people can save a lot of money. If people go in groups, they often get lower price for
the trip. People can share the room, the food, and the tickets.

Secondly, people feel happier when they are with family or friends. They can do a lot of
things together. They can talk about many new things, new places, and new people.

Finally, people can help each other when they go with other people. If you are ill or tired,
your friend can help you bring things or buy medicine for you. Or if you fall from the rock,
your friend can take you to the hospital.

To sum up, travelling with a companion is much better.