SAMPLES FOR WRITING

Describe your first day at school as a child That morning my mother woke me up earlier than usual She urged me to get dressed and take breakfast quickly then tenderly took me to school On the way to school I met other children of my age accompanied by their parents to school.The nearer I came to the school gate, the more nervous I became Suddenly a strange feeling of fear and worry seized my heart when I saw the majestic elementary school in front of me and I felt like crying when my mother said good bye to me and put some coins into my pocket Never before had I been forced to separate from my beloved mother! But when I saw old pupils laughing and talking merrily I regained my composure.After the droll of a drum, we were instructed to stand in line to salute the colours and then go into our classes A young and mild-looking teacher greeted us at the door And in a gentle voice, he taught us the first lesson that we never forget! Your favourite hobby My hobby is reading books I inherited a valuable collection of books from my father and up till now my cultural treasures have been preserved carefully Reading books broadens my mind and improves my knowledge They help me distinguish the bad from the good and prevent me from doing anything wrong Reading books brings me minutes of happiness and pleasures I have found a source of consolation and encouragement in books when I am in despair They're my true companions indeed How relieved and comforted I feel when I can find in good books good teachers and friends! Instead of indulging myself in futile entertainments, I often absorbed in reading interesting books which always have miracles to soothe my sorrows and hardships and reveal to me strange and new horizons Which season of the year you like best? Why? I was born in Northern Vietnam, where there are four clear seasons: Spring, summer, autumn, and winter Each season has its own charms and attractions For example, spring is the season which offers beautiful flowers and warm weather; summer is the season of nice holidays when we can enjoy lots of outdoor activities such as picnicking, camping, swimming, fishing etc Autumn is so beautiful with its ideal weather while winter can give us such delight as gathering by a fire to chat or tell each other funny stories As far as I am concerned, I like autumn best because of the following reasons: During autumn, which lasts more or less from late July to early October, it is sunny most of the time The Autumnal sun is often splendid, dying nature yellow The weather is also ideal because it is not too cold or too hot Then the coldish northwesterly wind, which blows gently, thrills everyone with the breath of autumn The leaves of the trees turning yellow or red put a gorgeous coat of color on nature Autumn is such a wonderful season that many poems and songs have been composed to sing the praises of the season Autumn is also a season which reminds me of my first day at school, when my mother took me by the hand and led me to school for the first time Last but not least, autumn is the time when I can enjoy my favourite fruit and dish which are the Japanese persimmons and the green rice flakes These are found only in autumn Smoking damages our health (Smoking is harmful to our health) Over the last thirty years, thanks to the efforts of various branches of science and technology, research has proved that smoking damages health and shortens man's life-span According to a diagram released by the World's Health Organization (WHO), the number of people who die of diseases connected to smoking is increasing more and more The more science and technology learn, the more damage caused by smoking is discovered Therefore, it seems that we can never put a final stop to the list of harm caused by smoking.First of all, smoking brings about the decline of our memory because each cigarette we smoke destroys 15,000 cerebral cells Smoking is considered the number one cause of cardiovascular trouble, pneumonia, lung cancer etc The main offending agents are carbon monoxide and nicotine in the smoke These cancers - causing agents are also the ones which cause pharyngeal cancer The toxic effects of smoke make the smoker's voice hoarse Additionally, the visible effect is that the tobacco or opium tar sticks to the teeth, and causes them to become dark or dirty-yellow, diminishing our good looks and charm.In conclusion, I would like to quote our well-known scholar "Le Quy Don" as saying some hundred years ago that smoking was like taking a toxic drug, the smoke of which wasted our health and diminished our life-span; yet, few people heeded his sage advice Describe your best friend and tell why you like him/her Of all my friends, Nhung is my best friend since we enjoy each other's company so much that we'll miss each other greatly if we don't meet at least once a week Nhung is eighteen years old but everyone thinks she looks much younger She's not so pretty but she's charming She has a fair complexion that makes her look very healthy; here eyes are clear and expressive She is a very reliable, mature girl with a great sense of humour She is very "downto-earth" and is often shy She has been with me in both good and bad times to either rejoice over something with me or to comfort me She has a strong personality with crystal clear view of "right and wrong" She's an honest, a loyal and a warm humanitarian Some people wonder how we can become such good friends because she is so quiet and I'm very energetic and outgoing I think (that) the idiom "opposites attract" is the answer Why is it necessary to learn English? English is the international language of business In order to discuss our country's products and services with other people as well as to entice investment from foreign lands, we must so in English To communicate our thoughts and ideas to other cultures, the best tool is English Communication is our link to the outside world and, in turn, our chance at economic growth Most leading countries in the world either speak English or have English as their second language There are the countries that have the resources, technology and knowledge to help us grow We are also invited to learn so much from English speakers We can experience the foods of Ireland, the natural resources of Canada, the monuments of the U.S., the desert 'areas of Australia or the best fishing ports in New Zealand, just by talking with, these citizens We, in turn, can also express our feelings and interests about Vietnam The sharing of this kind of information is a bridge to long term friendships with people from all over the world The benefits of sports and physical exercises Nobody can deny the benefits of sports and physical exercises In fact, such sports as: swimming, jogging, jumping, playing tennis, football, basket - ball, volley ball, skating, skiing etc bring us a well - proportioned body.When we practise a certain sport, our muscles are developed; blood circulates easily in blood vessels therefore we'll have a good appetite and a sound sleep As for me, my favourite sport is jogging in the morning and playing tennis in the afternoon By practicing these sports regularly I always feel fit and never get sick And for sure, health is much more precious than money We can't lead a happy life if we are continually tortured by diseases.Try to keep a clear mind in a healthy body and get accustomed to regular practice of certain sports, we'll feel life worth living Describe the countryside in the morning As usual, when the first cock crows break the complete silence of the country, every activity of a new day begins: The villagers start getting up; buffalo tenders are calling each other to drive their cattle to the fields Smoke from the cottages is rising and spreading in the fresh air, mingling with the veil of morning mist A few hours later, in the west, a bright, fresh and newly-bathed sun is looming gradually from the hedge of green bamboos The dew drops on the grass and golden rice ears by the roadside are as resplendent as precious stones Suddenly a lark flies up and sings gaily, followed by thousands of his companions A fresh breeze comes on, the yellow rice fields begin to move and the pure air is redolent of soft fragrance The scenery becomes livelier as groups of farmers are rushing, to their fields talking and laughing merrily, ready to resume work of a new day Why are good books considered good teachers and friends? When I read a book, I am swept away into my own little world discovering new things and imagining places only I can see It is a private dialogue between the author and me There is no one to criticize or question me I can read the book at my own speed and savour it every moment Books offer us the world We can learn about history, geography, famous and interesting people and different countries It is the cheapest form of travel that I know! I love to read a variety of authors and learn about new ideas and ways of expression I also try to read a variety of books, from romance to biographies and everything in between I especially like adventure stories because it is in here that I can really put my imagination to work! There is such a vast amount of information available in books From the early ages to our recent years we can continue to learn about a variety of topics and interests School textbooks offer us the basics for learning how to learn-from math to science, from language to arts Recently, my father and brother were interested in building a new table and chairs for our family's dinning room Neither one of them is a carpenter So how did they it, your might ask? They bought a book that showed them how! A good book truly merits respect whether it is a "how-to" book, a good novel or a school textbook You tell a foreigner about Vietnam, your beloved homeland Vietnam is a long, narrow strip of land in the shape of a letter "S" We, Vietnamese, compare our country to the shape of a dragon with the long narrow regions of the Centre forming the slender body, and the regions of the North forming the head, mane and front legs Vietnam has a total territory of 332.000 square kilometers, and a coastline which meanders along the immense Pacific Ocean.Being of a peace-loving nature the Vietnamese people nevertheless know how to react vigorously against adversities to defend their homeland Fiercely protective of their independence and sovereignty for 2.000 years, they are also welcoming foreigners who come as their guests Most visitors who come to Vietnam are overwhelmed by the sublime beauty of the country's natural setting The Red River Delta in the North, the Mekong River Delta in the South and almost the entire coastal strip are a patchwork of green rice fields (paddy-fields) tended from draw to dusk by peasants in conical hats Visitors will also have the opportunity to experience the energetic and purposeful performance in revitalizing the Vietnamese economy by the Vietnamese They will have their senses thrilled by all the sights, tastes and smells of a society born of over a century between an ancient civilization and the ways of the West Despite the ravages of war in the past, the Vietnamese people are now determined to rebuild their homeland, making it many times as rich and magnificent as it used to be following Uncle Ho's teaching Do you like to live in an old house or in a modern flat? I live in an old house, and I wouldn't have it any other way I wouldn't want to live in a modern flat at all Let me tell you why Our old houses are very solidly built and will weather big storms The walls are thicker than those of a modern flat, and this keeps out the summer heat Also, our roof is tiled, and I like to climb up inside the house and listen to the sound of the rain beating on the outside Also, old houses seem friendlier than new ones The sharp edges are worn smooth, making everything more comfortable to me Old houses are bigger too, with extra rooms for everything, and this makes our houses more fun to play in Then , our old houses often have a nice big yard around it, and that makes a good place to play in, and also a place to keep my pet dog If I lived in a flat, I couldn't have a pet So now you can see why I am so happy to live in a big, old house Suppose you are living away from home in a foreign land Write a short letter to your parents, telling them about your feelings and impressions Dear Mom and Dad, By this time I am well-adjusted to living away from home Living in another country is the only way to become acquainted with what the people are really like, it is only by becoming very good friends with some of the American students here at school that I have gained lots of insights into their way of life.Even though the countryside looks very different here and the weather changes to great extremes, from winter cold and snow to summer sun and heat, I find that people are the same everywhere Everyone has friends Everyone is concerned about living in peace with his fellowmen, but sometimes this is hard to see clearly All men have love for their country and a need to satisfying work And everyone needs to have a home of his own and to raise his own family.I am learning a lot by being here for so long I am learning about life through living here, and not just from studying at the university.However, studying is what I must right now So until I write again, I remain your loving son Relate a sad happening in your life I have lost several valuable things during my life and have been unhappy but I have never felt as sorrowful as I have of late-after learning that I had just lost a dear friend (whom) I had known for so many years.One morning when I was studying my lesson, I received a telegram I opened it and read the sad news-my friend had been killed in a car accident I was shocked and could not believe the words in the message Just last week we saw each other at a party and chatted happily about everything Could it be that we would never meet again? I took the telegram, read it over and over again, hoping that I had misread it or that it had been an error.But the more I read, the more my doubts were dispelled It must be true I was so sad that I couldn't anything Suddenly tears dimmed my eyes I remembered studying with him and the good times we had gone swimming together Then, I recalled his sincerity and faithfulness We seemed to understand and relate with each other almost as if we had been identical twins I felt very close to him I also knew how deeply I would miss him, realizing acutely that a good friend is a precious treasure It is painful to think that I have lost one person who understood, comforted and brought so much joy to my life I know I will always remember him but hope that time will help (to) lighten my grief and loss What benefits can traveling (travelling) bring to you? In reality trips can bring about so many physical, social and mental benefits Let's describe these benefits in details.In some of our travels we have an opportunity to live amongst nature, to inhale clean air and fresh breeze We also have opportunities to take long walks, to run, to jump and climb freely so that we can develop physically healthy bodies On such trips our appetite improves and we sleep soundly In addition, we gain a lot of social and mental benefits from our trips Travels and outings provide students with opportunities to be joyful and friendly, and so escape from everyday routines They give us a chanc9e to become better acquainted and socialize with others From these contacts, we learn how to relate to people, exchange ideas and gain friends Our trips provide us with association with nature, give us time to relax, meditate and to enjoy games out-of-doors (outdoors) Living with others in groups helps us (to) form good habits such as sharing consideration for others, resourcefulness and friendliness Moreover, travels and outings will help to develop our knowledge and supplement what we learn from books and teachers The lessons on Geography, History and Science will be more meaningful to us, enriched through true-to-life observations and experiences Through travels we can also learn about our beautiful country, the historical relics, the places of interest, the rich resources of our country, the progress that has taken place and the improvements that need to be made As a result, we turn to know and love our country more In conclusion, trips are usually beneficial to us However, to gain the most from our outings we should learn to observe carefully and put in practice rules of good social behavior We should also learn how to enjoy nature and respect its numerous beautiful offerings If we keep in mind and practice all of the points involved in travelling successfully, we can benefit greatly from these experiences Write a letter to a foreign friend of your introducing him (or her) one aspect of the Vietnamese culture Dear John, I am very happy as I write this letter to you today because this is a happy time of the year in Vietnam It is the time of Tet, our New Year Later I will write to tell you about some other aspects of our Vietnamese culture, but now let me just tell you about this special holiday, Tet "Tet" is the start of our lunar year It does not fall on the same date as your New Year - January 1", but we usually celebrate it somewhere from January 15th to February 28th At this time of the year, the shops are busy, especially those in the Central Market where gaily-wrapped sweets and other goodies fill the shelves Many people come to buy and the shops are very crowded Everyone likes to wear new clothes to start the New Year Then too, gifts must be bought for all relatives, especially for grandparents Some streets are lined with pretty flowers and big watermelons are for on sale along others From what I have read and heard, it is similar to your Christmas "Tet" is a favorite holiday of most Vietnamese people The culture and traditions of "Tet" have been passed on to us for so many generations Before and during "Tet" we observe these customs and traditions In my next letter I will tell you more about some of the special customs we observe during this time.May I close by wishing you "Cung Chuc Tan Xuan", our words for "Happy New Year" Your friend, Relate an accident you've witnessed Last week my next-door neighbor was cooking dinner when there was a telephone call She rushed out of the kitchen to answer the telephone but forgot to turn off the -gas-stove The telephone conversation lasted for quite a long time When she finished the conversation and got back to the kitchen, she found the gas-stove was on fire Frightened out of her wits, she threw water over the fire However, the fire did not die out but got bigger and bigger instead, causing her to burn herself She then shouted for help Her husband, who was busy making furniture outside in the yard, burst into the kitchen, and placed a large wet piece of cloth over the fire The fire immediately went out He then put a bandage over his wife's burns We should be very careful while cooking and should learn how to deal with fire In not more than 100 words write a letter of three paragraphs inviting a friend to spend a weekend with your family at your home in the country Dear Phu, I'm writing you this letter to invite you to spend some days with my family in the country Your final term examinations have just been over and you must have studied hard To get rid of the stress from school activities, come to my country to relax for some days My family and I have made some arrangements for your arrival Now it's the harvest time in my country We'll have a lot of interesting things to if you like the farm work In the morning we'll take part in the harvest In the afternoon we'll take a swim in the river or go fishing on nearby ponds Hurry up Phu, lots of nice surprise are waiting for you! Cordially yours, Trung Tran Vi§t Trung Describe a day spent by the river or by the sea Summer comes together with its extreme heat and nobody can resist the temptation to spend their holiday at the seaside Last week, in order to escape from the suffocating atmosphere of a crowded city, my friends and I decided to go to Vung Tau beach When we got to the seaside, the beach had already been crammed with holiday makers They were either sunbathing on the beach or swimming in the river After walking along the beach for a short time, we all took off our clothes and put on our swimming costumes We dived into the water and let ourselves drift along on the waves Swimming brought us a good appetite We enjoyed some sea foods and then took a quick nap after lunch In the afternoon we strolled along the beach, inhaling in rapture the fresh sea air and took lots of photographs A holiday at the seaside helped us get rid of all worries and trouble and gave us health and enthusiasm to resume work again Your family You know, there are members in my family They are my parents, my sister and me Both my sister and I are mature, and actually my sister is married so we not live together Parents live in the South , while I and sister are now living in the North But we often visit and stay with each other Both father and mother retired already Father loves gardening and taking care of some pets, while mother loves cooking and caring about her vegetables, visiting neighbors also Sister is an English teacher She works hard all the time and loves her students a lot She has her own center now and the business is quite good, I think so About myself, I am 27 and I am an officier I love reading, travelling and meeting new people My family is so happy all the time Weather and seasons in Vietnam Vietnam is a tropical country with a lot of sunshine, wind and rain Therefore trees are green, flowers are in blossom, and fruits are ripe all the year As you know, in Vietnam there are seasons in a year: spring, summer, autumn, and winter Each season has its own beauty Spring is warm but wet with some little rain Trees grow intensively in spring Summer is always hot But students love summer because they not have to go to school Summer is the right time for everyone to go travelling, have a holiday and relax Autumn is cool and brings people a lot of emotional feeling and is written about a lot in poem And winter is the last season in the year with cold weather But I love winter best when I can wear a lot of beautiful and lovely hats, gloves, jackets, shoes… Your house I love my house It is the place where I have been living for so long Everything in my house is also related to some of my memories My house is not very large but it is so lovely and cool It has 1large living room, kitchen and rooms for members in my family The house is painted green and each room is painted different color according to the member’s interest My parents always ask us to keep the house and our rooms clean and tidy Whenever coming back from a trip, we often bring some souvenirs to our house to remember that trip or that destination we have come I love living in my house because I feel totally free and comfortable there There is no other lovely place as my house to me I guess Your hometown I live in the countryside in the North of Vietnam It is a province of huge green fields People living in my hometown are most of them are farmers They have a hard life I guess Everyday they go to their fields, grow and take care of their rice and vegetables They work hard but they have a happy life I think They are always friendly, kind and useful to each other They care and help each other sincerely My hometown is developing fast now, more students go to university studying hard there and then come back to the hometown to contribute to it and have a better life I love my beautiful hometown with a lot of meaningful memories Although now I am studying university in another city but when I graduate I will come back my hometown and my best to my hometown Your last holiday Last summer, my classmates and I went to Halong Bay, one of new wonders in the world As you know, Halong Bay is famous for its natural beauty that you can not find anywhere else in the world Its landscape is so unique that tourists from every corner in the world hope to come here one day to have a look at it, enjoy and feel it Halong Bay has hundreds of rocks in the sea which are considered as dragons long time ago appearing to help people here to win the enemy Halong Bay also has a lot of beautiful caves such as “ Surprising Cave”, “ Thien Cung cave”… and plenty of charming islands like “Titop Island”… We loved spending there swimming in the blue and clean water The weather was so great and the cuisine was even better than we expected We really had a good time in Halong Bay We all hope one day, we can come back here and enjoy sightseeing more Your future plan I always hope to become an English teacher So I always try my best to become a good teacher in the future You know working with students always bring me happiness I love spending time with them So I make it so clear that I have to study English so well, and I am studying hard to take the IELTS test It is a challenging test to me, but I am still very eager and study day and night for it Besides that I have to learn how to explain everything clearly and easy to understand I have to learn to listen actively, be patient and enthusiastic I guess these characteristics are so necessary for my future job Being an English teacher is my sweet dream that I always keep and overcome any difficulties to make it become true one day  ... New Year Then too, gifts must be bought for all relatives, especially for grandparents Some streets are lined with pretty flowers and big watermelons are for on sale along others From what I have... amount of information available in books From the early ages to our recent years we can continue to learn about a variety of topics and interests School textbooks offer us the basics for learning... to the shape of a dragon with the long narrow regions of the Centre forming the slender body, and the regions of the North forming the head, mane and front legs Vietnam has a total territory