MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS – ÔN THI THPT QUỐC GIA
1
PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm)
I. Rewrite the following sentences using the words given so that it means exactly the same as the first
sentence.
11. It’s a pity I can’t go to the game next Saturday. (wish)
 I _________________________________________
12. Do I have to fill in any forms? (necessary)
 Is _________________________________________
13. I only found out the truth because I heard the two of them talking. (found)
 If I _________________________________________
14. It is necessary that I post this letter tonight. (need)
 I _________________________________________
15. This food is so good that I’m going to have some more. (such)
 This _________________________________________
II. Topic: Do we really need to have a good boss?
Even though job situations can be very different, there are several qualities that all good supervisors
have in common. A good boss treats all her employees fairly. She doesn't single out one employee for better
(or worse) treatment than the others. A poor supervisor has favorites.
Sometimes she'll even use her favorites to spy on other employees. She expects them to tell her what
the others are saying about her. This can cause a lot of bad feelings among employees. A good supervisor
gives clear and understandable directions, She doesn't constantly change her mind about what she wants
employees to do. She also doesn't get angry with an employee who is confused and needs her to explain the
directions again or more fully. Delegating authority well is another quality of a good supervisor. She knows
how to use the skills of her employees to best advantage. A poor supervisor insists on doing everything
herself. She is unwilling to give any authority to others.
A good boss evaluates her employees on a reasonable set of criteria, not on how she feels about them
personally. And she lets the employees know what those criteria are, so they have a fair chance of meeting
them. She gives both praise and criticism in a straightforward manner. She also offers guidance when needed.
A poor supervisor will criticize without giving any suggestions on how to improve. Most importantly, a good
supervisor sets the standards for her employees by her own behavior. She works hard and treats employees

A child growing up in the city has the advantage of a lot of interesting and exciting places to visit. He
or she can go to the zoo, museums, art galleries and concerts. There are a lot of restaurants with different
kinds of food. It's easy to see every new movie that comes out. Children in the country don't have a lot of these
activities nearby.
All in all, I think a childhood in the city is better because it prepares you more for what real life is
like.
3
PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm)
I. Rewrite the following sentences using the words given so that it means exactly the same as the first
sentence.
1. People all over the country have helped the poor people in the flood region.
→ The poor people_________________________________________________
2. It’s cold in the morning, so the children go to school in heavy clothes.
→ Because of_________________________________________________
3. David has read a lot of books, however, he cannot find a good solution.
→ Although_________________________________________________
4. It isn't necessary to finish the work today.
→ You don't _____________________________________________________
5. Hai finally managed to get a job
→ Hai finally succeeded____________________________________________
II. Topic: What are the factors to enable a longer life?
With the development of human society, people are living longer now. Many factors interacting
together enable the longer life. There are three most important causes: the quality of food has been greatly
improved; people could have medical services; more and more people realize that regular sports benefit their
health.
The improving quality of our food is the most important factor of the longer life. We could have not
only enough food as we want, but also the healthier food. When we preparing food, we no longer consider the
cost, but pay more attention to the nutritions of the food. With the development of transportation systems,
inland people now could also enjoy seafood and tropical fruit.
Furthermore, governments are paying more and more money on medical establishments. Citizens

opinions. He should not say the same as others and hide his opinions. Only everyone tries his best to analyze
every aspect of a thing, it can be done best. So independence of thinking is important for a co-worker.
Another important characteristic is optimism. If we have some difficult problems, he must be brave
and should not fear them. He should encourage others to find methods to solve problems. This point is very
important because one’s mood can influence others easily. Once a co-worker shows a little fear of difficulties,
others may become discouraged soon. So a good co-worker should be optimistic.
In addition, teamwork spirit is an important characteristic of a co-worker. Although a co-worker
should be independent to analyze a thing, he should be tolerant to the different people and their ways of
working. He should be willing to dedicate his energy, time and knowledge to reach the goal of whole team.
Independence, optimism and teamwork spirit are important characteristics of a co-worker. If everyone
in a work group has these characteristics, the group can overcome difficulties and reach its goals.
5
PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm)
I. Rewrite the following sentences using the words given so that it means exactly the same as the first
sentence.
1. She never seems to succeed, even though she works hard.
→However _________________________________________________
2. A new flu vaccine has been on trial since the beginning of the year.
→They have _________________________________________________
3. Mary knew what the answer was after reading the book.
→By the time _________________________________________________
4. I took little notice of the girl standing at the gate.
→I didn’t _________________________________________________
5. It was easy for us to find the house.
→We had _________________________________________________
II. Topic: Media are said to affect ú different ways. Discuss the matter in a composition.
I think the media pay too much attention to the private lives of famous people. Television, newspapers,
magazines and web sites dig up all kinds of past bad actions. They say that these are true reflections of a
person's character. This may be true if they occurred only a few years before, but some of these are things
PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 3/15

People have been living on the Earth for thousands of years. Human activity influences the Earth.
Some people believe that the Earth is being harmed by human activity. Others feel that human activity makes
the Earth a better place to live. In my opinion, the earth is being damaged by human activity. There are many
statements supporting my opinion.
Human activity has damaged natural environment and almost exhausted natural resources. Modern
industry needs more and more resources, including minerals, fuels and water. So we confront of the serious
problems such as the lack of fuels and water. Ecological balance is damaged because factories occupy many
places where animals and plants live. More and more buildings are constructed and forests become less and
less. If we cannot recognize these problems and solve them soon, we would finally lose the environment
suitable for our living.
Another serious problem is "the green-house effect." Human activity decreases forests and increases
the usage of fuels so that the gas of carbon dioxide is output more and more and there are not enough plants
to absorb it. The green-house effect is more obvious and more sensible these years. Due to the effect, icebergs
in the south polar and north polar melt and the sea level becomes higher than before. I am worried about the
cities nearby the sea and hope scientists find an effective method to eliminate the green-house effect.
Although we have advanced machines and our life seems more comfortable than before, we have less
chances to approach natures and less spaces to act. The cities become bigger and if we want to have a picnic
with our friends, we have to drive a long distance to find a natural place. In fact, the spaces of human activity
are being damaged by the skyscrapers and factories.
PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 4/15
MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS – ÔN THI THPT QUỐC GIA
From the above statements, we can conclude that human activity brings the Earth many damages.
Fortunately people have recognized the point and I believe that the Earth will become a better place to live
with our ceaseless efforts.
7
PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm)
I. Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as
the provided one.
1. I simply fail to understand some of my friends’ attitudes to work.
→ I have some friends _________________________________________

 He was _________________________________________
2. Jim does not intend to give up his hobby.(INTENTION)
 Jim has _________________________________________
3. You didn’t come home early so the house was broken into and things were stolen. (WOULD)
 Had you _________________________________________
4. How much are your shoes? (PRICE)
 What is _________________________________________?
5. I’d prefer you not to drink tea at night.(RATHER)
 I’d rather _________________________________________
PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 5/15
MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS – ÔN THI THPT QUỐC GIA
II. Topic: Saving energy is saving our earning.
When faced with the decision of saving your money for some time in the future or enjoying your money
when you earn it, quite a few would claim to enjoy their money, but others, in contrast, deem to save their
money as the premier choice and that is also my point. This quite different view is based on the every possible
reason.
For most reason for saving the money for future use is when you need a lot of money to deal with
some emergent things that happen to you, you should not worry about the fund or lend some money
everywhere at that time. For example, two years ago, I spend my summer holiday in a famous scenery pot,
after a wonderful trip of the first day, I lost my wallet unconsciously, then I took out some money in the bank
to finish the trip. If you did not have some deposit, you can imagine how embarrassed you are.
Second, I have finished my college study, and I am going to go abroad to get a master degree to
enhance the ability to face the challenge in the society. Plenty of money is very important to me, so I have to
save all the money that I economized for future use.
Third, the economy condition of my family is not so good that I decide to earn enough money to buy a
big house for my deeply loving parents.
This is arbitrary to judge saving money for future use according only to the excuse I mentioned in the
above paragraph. But I do not deny that enjoying the life is also important to everyone because of brief life.
That is to say, I will enjoy my money if I deposit enough.
9

MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS – ÔN THI THPT QUỐC GIA
10
PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm)
I. Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as
the provided one.
1. The keepers feed the lions at 3 pm every day.
→ The lions _________________________________________
2. We got lost because we didn't have a map.
→ If we _________________________________________
3. I would prefer you to deliver the sofa on Friday.
→ I would rather_________________________________________
4. The bridge was so low that the bus couldn't go under it.
→ It was _________________________________________
5. That was a silly thing to say.
→ What _________________________________________
II. Topic: Airlines have changed the ways we travel. Do you think so?
An airplane is a form of transportation that has changed people's lives. Thanks to the plane, our lives
are now faster, more exciting, and more convenient that before.
You cannot deny that a plane is fast. For example, the Concorde flies at supersonic speed. A
businessman can leave Paris at 11 a.m. in the morning and arrive in New York at 8 a.m. the same morning in
time for a day's work. Many business people in Europe will fly to London for a noon meeting and then return
home to Rome or Madrid for dinner.
It is always exciting to take a plane trip. When you take a trip by plane, you know that you might cross
many time zones, many oceans, and many countries. When you get off the plane, you could be in a place that
speaks a different language. A plane is like a magician's trick. You get in a box and you come out somewhere
totally different.
Nothing can beat the convenience of a plane. In the old days, it might take you days to do what the
plane can do it an hour. Boats, for example, only leave on certain days of the week and take a long time to get
to their destination. Planes give you the option to leave several times a day and get you to your destination
quickly.

approach a subject logically, taking it one step at a time. On your own, it's tempting to skip parts of the
learning process you think you don't need. That can hinder your ability to really understand the subject.
Learning a subject on your own is a very narrow way of learning. You can only use the information
you get from the textbook. With a teacher, you get the information in the written materials as well as the
teacher's own knowledge of the topic. Teachers can also provide extra materials to broaden the scope of what
you're learning.
There's nothing wrong with studying on your own, and a learner can always benefit from some quiet
study. For the best possible learning, though, a good teacher is the biggest help you can have.
12
PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm)
I. Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as
the provided one.
1. The decorators have finished our first floor.
→
We have _________________________________________
2. Her hobby is one thing that she does not intend to give up.
→
She has _________________________________________
3. That is the best meal I have ever eaten.
→
I have never _________________________________________
4. Home computers used to be much more expensive.
→
Home computers aren’t_________________________________________
5. It was a mistake of mine to park outside the police station.
→
I shouldn’t_________________________________________
II. Topic: Good neighbors are as good as relatives. What do you think about this?
Neighbors are the people who live near us, and their behavior influence our daily life. Good
neighbors can make us feel comfortable and give us many help, and everyone will benefit from a good

5. If you run a lot, you'll become healthy.
→ The _________________________________________
II. Topic: Classes are really good for ones who attend? Discuss your opinion about this matter.
Nowadays, it becomes a heatedly debated topic whether a student should be required to attend classes
or not. Some people hold the opinion that the university students should be required to go to classes.
However, others have a negative attitude. If I were forced to agree with one of the two positions, I would
stand behind the latter. My Arguments for this point are listed as follows. I agree with the statement that going
to classes should be optional for university students without reservation since I believe a student is supposed
to attend those classes he or she is interested in.
Naturally, interest is the mother of study. When attracted by a wonderful class, you will attend it
unforcedly and immediately. Nevertheless, not all classes are so popular in reality and no one has interest in
every class. Consequently, you should select the classes you like to attend for a higher efficiency of studying.
It can be given a good example, in current universities, many excellent students almost have the record of
skipping some boring and undesirable classes.
Another reason that can be seen by everyone is that it contributes to build a university student's ability
of learning by himself or herself. Obviously, by choosing good and meaningful classes, giving up those
undesirable, or studying these classes you cannot attend somehow by yourself, you will learn how to
distribute your study time and acquire the capability of learning by yourself, which is tremendously important
to modern university students. Many celebrities, such as Bill Gates, have such powerful ability by not
attending some classes when they were in university.
Admittedly, being required to attend classes has advantages of disciplining the student, however,
considering most university students can discipline themselves on their own, I believe it is sagacious to agree
with that going to classes should be optional for college or university students.
14
PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm)
I. Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as
the provided one.
1. They regret ever doing business with him.
→ They wish _________________________________________
2. We didn’t finish the work because of his carelessness.

1. “Why don’t you put better lock on the door, Barbara”? said John
=> John suggested_________________________________________
2. Although his both legs were broken in the crash, he managed to get out of the car before it exploded.
=> Despite his_________________________________________
3. I haven’t eaten this kind of food before.
=> This is the first_________________________________________
5. The architect has drawn plans for an extension to the house.
=> Plans_________________________________________
5. It isn’t necessary for you to finish by Saturday
=> You_________________________________________
II. Topic: Living in city or countryside makes differences to anyone. What do you think about this?
I grew up in a small town and then moved to a big city, so I have experienced the good and bad sides
of both. I never thought that I would like living in a big city, but I was wrong. After ten years of living in one,
I can't imagine ever living in a small town again.
Small towns and big cities both have some problems in terms of transportation. In a small town, you
have to own a car to ensure a comfortable living. You can't get around without one because there isn't any
kind of public transportation. Big cities generally have heavy traffic and expensive parking, but there you
have a choice of taking public transportation. It's not free, but it's often cheaper than driving when you
consider gas and time. Especially if you don't have a car, you're better off in the city.
I love the excitement of big cities. Small towns have a slow pace. Large cities mean you have to adapt
to a variety of situations, like finding a new route to work or trying a new restaurant. I enjoy that challenge
very much. Another pan of the excitement of city living is the variety of cultural activities available. There is a
PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 10/15
MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS – ÔN THI THPT QUỐC GIA
wide assortment of theatre, music and dance performances available in big cities. These things are rare in
small ones.
The final thing I like about large cities is the diversity of the people. The United States is made up of
people of different races, religions, abilities, and interests. However, you seldom find such a variety of people
in a smaller town. I think that living in an area where everyone was just like me would quickly become
boring.

In addition, nowadays people have paid more and more attention to their health. If air pollution
problem cannot be solved as quickly as possible, people’s requirement for a healthy body will never be
realized.
In my mind, changing air pollution will apparently be my first choice if I can change one important
thing about my hometown. Fortunately people in my hometown are gradually aware of the serious problem.
17
PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm)
I. Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as
the provided one.
1. She started working as a secretary five years ago.
=> She has_________________________________________
PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 11/15
MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS – ÔN THI THPT QUỐC GIA
2. She knows a lot more about it than I do.
=> I don’t know_________________________________________
3. My French friend finds driving on the left difficult
=> My French friend isn’t_________________________________________
4. They think the owner of the house is abroad.
=> The owner_________________________________________
5. We didn’t go on holiday because we did not have enough money
=> If we_________________________________________
II. Topic: What do you think of the changes in life?
Everything in the universe is in constant change. And everything needs continual improvement if the
ever changing and increasing demands of humankind are to be met. If I am ever given the chance to change
one important thing about my home town, it would be internet service. Needless to say that nothing generally
revolutionized the way we live as internet in the past decade. Thus, an improvement in this vital service would
mean an even more, unheard betterment to the people in my home town.
It is said that information is power. True saying indeed! I can envision how everything in my home
town could improve dramatically if the internet service in it were made free, fast and staying out there like
electricity, telephone or water all the time. One thing, a fast free and reliable internet service could improve

is built near our community. It will affect our daily life a lot. All the chemical factories will produce a lot of
PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 12/15
MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS – ÔN THI THPT QUỐC GIA
waste and most of the wastes are harmful to the environment, including poisonous gas and liquid. Some of
them cannot be entirely broken down. If they are released into the air or the river, it will affect our health.
And also the factory may produce a lot of noise. The environment we want to live in is a quiet and peaceful
one, so the noise will be quite boring. And yes, noise also affects our health.
Still one thing, a factory can be very dangerous. Because a fire or a explosion may break out in the
factory. If it’s very near our home, it’s quite dangerous.
But in other hand, a factory may be a good news to us. It can provide more jobs for us, especially for
the young people in our community. Since the factory is near, it’s so convenient to go to work, and the factory
will get more chances to our area. It will help to develop our area. So if the factory can bring us a lot of
chances, we will agree to build one. But the most important things are:
1. Build the factory in a safe distance from our community, not too near.
2. Make sure that the factory can deal with the waste properly. Do not release the poisonous gas into the air,
and not release the waste water into the river nearby.
3. Make sure the security guard in the factory works very well.
19
PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm)
I. Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as
the provided one.
1. Although he had a good salary, he was unhappy in his job.
In spite of_________________________________________
2. I’m sorry I missed your birthday party
I wish_________________________________________
3. They haven’t cleaned the streets this week.
The streets_________________________________________
4. Apples are usually cheaper than oranges.
Apples are not_________________________________________
5. I advice you to put your money in the bank.

4. Tom is the most industrious pupil.
No other pupil_________________________________________
5. She isn’t accustomed to life in London
She’s not used to_________________________________________
II. Topic: Which is more important, knowledge from books or experiences from life?
We gain our knowledge about the world and our life from two sources: from experience and from
books. These two resources are both important, but which of them is more important?
Knowledge from books forms a very important part of our knowledge structure. In schools and
colleges, we learn knowledge which is fundamental to our future career. We learn knowledge from books in
order to make our contributions to this society in the future. A student learns mathematic equations and other
scientific knowledge and become a scientist or engineer. We will be illiterate and ignorant without learning
knowledge from books. Moreover, we acquire knowledge about life and the world by reading books,
magazines and newspapers. This is also very important as we cannot experience everything all by ourselves.
Therefore books are a very important source of knowledge.
On the other hand, we can't learn everything from a book. “Experience is the best teacher” is an old
cliché, but I agree with it. The most important, and sometimes the hardest, lessons we learn in life come from
our participation in situations. We learn how to get along with others or how to have self-respect from our
experience, not from books. We cannot learn emotional feelings, such as love and care, through books; they
come from our real life experience. Knowledge from experience is also a very important supplement to
knowledge from books.
Needless to say both learning sources, books and experience, are very important to us. But in my
opinion knowledge from experience is more important, because without knowledge from experience, it is
impossible to get a real understanding of knowledge from books, and how to apply this knowledge to real
world situations.
21
PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm)
I. Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as
the provided one.
1. “Don’t forget to phone the office,” she told him.
She reminded_________________________________________

the provided one.
1. I get to work in 20 minutes.
It _________________________________________
2. It is necessary that this work be finished by Monday.
This work_________________________________________
3. It’s a pity I didn’t take my doctor’s advice.
I wish_________________________________________
4. The bread is so tale we can’t eat it.
The bread isn’t_________________________________________
5. Who does this bag belong to?
Whose_________________________________________
II. Topic: Is university education the best choice for all of us?
In China, more and more people try their best to attend college or university. What are the reasons
that make people long for it?
First of all, in my opinion, the most important reason is to gain competence to live a better life in the
future. Competition of our days has become more and more drastic, and even a very simple job or low
position will attract hundreds of candidates to apply for it. Only those who have a good education and
general knowledge can gain better work. So, we should attend college or university for better competence.
Second, attending college or university can change our life. For example, to myself, I am a student
from countryside. I am one of the few people who can attend college or university. Most of those who have not
studied in college or university go to work early in a small factory in a small town or on a farm in their
hometown. Just because I have taken higher education, I can get better chances to study or work in the
capital of our country where a lot of people want to go to. Why? Good education gives me chances to change
my life.
The third reason for attending a college is to increase knowledge. Study is a so interesting thing that it makes
our life rich and colorful. It expands our eyesight by informing us with lots of new things what we cannot gain
from our common life or experience. On the other hand, by attending college or university, you can learn the
knowledge or skill necessary for your future work.
People attend college or university for various reasons. Some may attend for new experiences, and
others may think about other things. What I have mentioned is just very few of them.

knowledge in subjects they find interesting. For many, this will he their last chance for a long time to learn
about something that doesn't relate to their career.
I would recommend that people not be so focused on a career. They should go to college to have new
experiences and learn about themselves and the world they live in.
24
PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm)
I. Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as
the provided one.
1. The trains couldn’t run because of the snow.
The snow_________________________________________
2. I didn’t arrived in time to see him.
I wasn’t early_________________________________________
3. I’m sorry I was rude to you yesterday.
I apologize_________________________________________
4. She didn’t hurry, so she missed the train.
If_________________________________________
5. Barbara is the best tennis-player in the club.
No one_________________________________________
II. TOPIC: Write a letter to a pen-pal to talk about a person who has great influence on you.
……………………., March 26
th
, 2015
Dear Linda,
I am sorry for not writing to you for so long, but you know we are all busy with preparing for the
coming GCSE. I am writing today to tell you about my greatest ever idol who has great influence on me.
PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 16/15
MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS – ÔN THI THPT QUỐC GIA
Everyone has his variety of acquaintances, friends, relatives, teachers, or partners among whom one
may have the one that creates greatest ever impression on him. For me, I must say that my life would not have
been as good as it is today if I did not meet Mr. Jimmy. It happened to me when I was a lower secondary

It was a really nice Sunday morning then. The football field where the match took place was
previously well-decorated. Red flags could be seen along the roads from our school gate passing the school
play-ground to the gym then to the football ground, together with numerous slogans, posters, and of course
pictures of the two teams and individual players. Then came the most important moment of the day when the
two teams entered the field from the changing rooms, following the two headmasters of the two schools, and
the referees. Spectators all burst into applauses to welcome the players. As soon as the game began,
spectators started cheering and shouting for one side or the other. Others sang and danced, some even called
out the players’ names with love and pride. The crowd kept discussing and commentating happily. On the first
half, our team played much better to score two goal to lead the guest. The football field seemed to be filled
with applauses and bravos when the first and then the second goal were scored by the two different home
strikers. The players of the two teams played so well that it made spectators forget the time as the referee
blew his whistle to finish the first half. When the second half came the guest players played much better and
scored a goal. The players still played enthusiastically but no more goal was scored. The match ended with
the winning score of 2-1 for the home team.
It was a very happy weekend day for us all and it was, in my opinion, the best game I have ever
watched. We all agreed that such sporting event brought us closer together, made us feel relaxed and we very
much felt confident and proud of our school.
PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 17/15
MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS – ÔN THI THPT QUỐC GIA
26
PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm)
I. Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as
the provided one.
1. It was so late that nothing could be done.
It was too_________________________________________
2. He left school and then joined the army.
After _________________________________________
3. The leak was repaired by the plumber this morning.
The plumber _________________________________________
4. This flower is very beautiful!

The date_________________________________________
4. The garage is going to repair the car for us next week.
We are going _________________________________________
5. The bus take s longer than the train.
PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 18/15
MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS – ÔN THI THPT QUỐC GIA
The train_________________________________________
II. TOPIC: Write an essay to discuss the opinion that arts should or shouldn’t be taught in high schools.
There have existed debates whether arts be taught in high schools. People who support the ideals find
it necessary that high school students know as much about arts as possible. In contrast, the protestors think
teaching arts to high school students is really a waste of time and money.
It is generally said by the supporters that studying arts benefits high school students several ways. The
first good thing is that arts help students have background knowledge of not only the nation but the world
cultures and history. Another benefit is that arts equip students with many necessary skills such as; creative
thinking, observing, problem solving, and critical thinking. People who want arts to be taught to high school
students also agree that arts are very fun and interesting to learn. We can say in other words arts are
attractive to any learners. The other advantage of arts is that learning arts help students to build team spirit
and community as art activities can be done in groups. Moreover, arts enable students to socialize and
students become more and more civilized and responsible.
In contrast, protestors believe that there is not enough time for teachers to cover all kinds of subjects
at school. So they should focus on core subjects like Maths, foreign languages and physics, etc. to save time
and money arts should only be elective, not compulsory subjects. Furthermore, students can learn more about
arts via media and arts are then their leisure activities. Additionally, arts, in the protestors’ opinion, should
be taught by parents as they may understand their children’s ability and talents better.
To conclude, there are different opinions that arts should or shouldn’t be taught in high schools. Each
side has reasonable explanations to convince and prove the points of view. For me, we can hardly be civilized
without knowledge of arts. Sooner or later, in my opinion, arts should be taught to students to help them
enrich their knowledge, to discover their talents to better their own lives.
28
PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm)

Having different viewpoints is the other cause of course. The generation gaps sometimes cause
misunderstandings or even debates. Information technology also brings opportunities to diverse viewpoints
within family members. Having different opinions pulls people far from one another.
Above all, though changes of traditional families are unavoidable, we are to shorten the gaps among
family members to be as close-knit as possible. Because family life is very important to any individual, each
member must be responsible for bringing all family members closer together.
29
PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm)
I. Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as
the provided one.
1. “I don’t think John will come”, said Bill
Bill doubted_________________________________________
2. The postman was bitten by our dog.
Our dog_________________________________________
3. We couldn’t drive because of the fog.
The fog prevented_________________________________________
4. Although his leg was broken he managed to get out of the car.
In spite_________________________________________
5. The cake was so hard so I couldn’t cat it.
It was_________________________________________
II. TOPIC: Write to suggest measures governments and individuals can take to reduce the global warming.
It was reported recently by the U.S scientists that the volume of ice on the North Pole is now the
smallest within 36 last years. That is caused by the global warming process. Various other bad things human
beings are now facing are also related to the warming of the Earth climate. The fact is that we are the main
agents who are responsible for the worsening of the nature. So, individuals and governments throughout the
world should co-operate to stop the natural environment worsening process.
Each individual first must be more aware of the need to protect our environment for not only our own
lives but also the next generations. The first easy thing one can do is to save the energy by using less heat and
air-conditioning, using energy-efficient products, or even driving less. Another way is to recycle paper,
plastic, newspaper, glass, etc. When the recycling is practiced, it helps to reduce the carbon dioxide in the

II. TOPIC: Write to describe your all-time favorite movie.
In life, although I have several hobbies, watching movies is the one I am more interested in. I have
watched countless films so far, but BẾN KHÔNG CHỒNG, a product of VFC (Vietnam Film Corporation) in
2001, is the one that has created the biggest impression on me ever since.
The film is set in the time of our war against the American troops in the South to unify the country and
the construction to build a communist country in the North. The ground of the story is in a tranquil poor
farming village in the North. The main characters are Mr. Van, a veteran, a secretary of the village’s
Communist Youth Union named Hanh, the two widows and the villagers. The story happens right inside the
village to the bank of a no-name-river having a namely Khong Chong river five-step-wharf.
After serving in the army Van came back to his village in which there were only old villagers together
with almost widows, girls and very few disabled men. When Van returned, he was appointed head of the
village armed group which consisted of around six armed girls including Hanh – Van’s former sweetheart’s
daughter. Van lived under the same roof with a land-lord widow and her 16 year-old son. Van was then
admired by all the villagers, so he tried his best to meet the residents’ expectations. Though sometimes the
mid-forties man felt lonely, he tried not to do wrong thing especially on sex. Time passed, peace was then
established with the unification declaration, the village was still under the misery of the war unhappiness.
Hanh married to an Army captain, but had no child for long. Debates and conflicts occurred, which made
Hanh left her husband. So disappointed, and hopeless, she entered Van’s hut by a showery night. The two
thirsty unhappy persons met, and then Hanh was pregnant. Unable to live with the villagers’ prejudice, Van
and Hanh left the homeland, and finally Van killed himself by the river wharf Ben Khong Chong.
The scenes in the movie are colorful and interesting, typical for a North Vietnam’s rural village. The
story is touching and rather mournful. The acting of the main characters is excellent as they are all famous
actors and actresses. The film leaves us valuable lessons in life, and helps us know more about the rural life
courtesy. I must say that it is one of the best movies I have ever watched in my life.
31
PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm)
I. Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as
the provided one.
1. I’m sorry that I didn’t finish my homework last night.
I wish_________________________________________

things to some extent. It will be lucky and far better for a child to be brought up by both good father and
mother. Parents should join hands to give their children good life and education.
32
PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm)
I. Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as
the provided one.
1. The child will die if nobody sends for a doctor.
Unless_________________________________________
2. He would prefer you to pay him immediately.
He’d rather_________________________________________
3. The water was so cold that the children couldn’t swim in it.
The water was not_________________________________________
4. Somebody repaired her car yesterday.
She_________________________________________
5. You must see the manager tomorrow morning.
You’ve_________________________________________
II. TOPIC: Write about the changes that information technology brings to your life.
We are now living in the Era of the Information technology, and we feel happy to be supported by
modern technologies which make our lives more comfortable and convenient. For me, information technology
brings me so many positive changes though sometimes it does cause some troubles.
It is undeniable that information technology helps bring my family members closer together as we
always keep in touch with help of telephones, internet, and other conveniences. Beside, information
PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 22/15
MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS – ÔN THI THPT QUỐC GIA
technology helps us stay in touch with the world around. Every day, we are well-informed by reading news,
watching videos, browsing websites. We can also learn much about the entire world from our own tables or
even beds. Information technology provides us more choices of how, where, when and what to do things.
Beneficially, we have more chances to earn because there are always numerous jobs available in the IT field
that helps us make money and shop. Moreover, information technology helps us to broaden our knowledge as
we can learn or take various online and offline courses. Socially, we seem to have more and more friends

culture. I will probably enroll in different courses to get higher and higher diplomas.
For lifestyle, I hope I will have balanced diets, live healthily and actively. I may get married to the one
I love and we plan to have one or two kids. I will spend as much time for my family as possible. We will travel
to different countries in the world on our yearly holiday of course. We will also afford weekly or monthly trips
to beauty spots throughout the country.
In the future, I will live in a big house with modernly-equipped living rooms, bedrooms, kitchen,
toilets and an open air space garden in front of a four-car garage. As I love animals very much, I will raise
some pets in my house including some different kinds of dogs, cats, parrots, doves, and others.
Transportation means are also my concern. I will then own some most fashionable hybrid luxurious
cars to use in different occasions. I will travel by air whenever travelling in distances.
In my dream, I am likely to keep in touch with all high school and university friends. There will always
be available most up-to-date means of communications for me to have good relationships with relatives,
friends, colleagues, partners, or even acquaintances.
PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 23/15
MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS – ÔN THI THPT QUỐC GIA
Naturally, the future is not ours to see, but we have rights lo lead our own life, to shape our thinking,
to build up our future. As I am an optimistic and dynamic man, I will try my best to realize my dreams to
make our wishes become true someday.
34
PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm)
I. Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as
the provided one.
1. They will catch all the prisoners again by tonight.
All the prisoners_________________________________________
2. I’ve warned you not go to near that dog.
I’ve warned you about_________________________________________
3. No, please don’t tell him.
I’d rather_________________________________________
4. Why don’t ask her yourself?
I suggest_________________________________________

=> Despite his_________________________________________
3. I haven’t eaten this kind of food before.
=> This is the first_________________________________________
4. The architect has drawn plans for an extension to the house.
=> Plans_________________________________________
5. It isn’t necessary for you to finish by Saturday
PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 24/15
MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS – ÔN THI THPT QUỐC GIA
=> You_________________________________________
II. TOPIC: Write a letter to pen-pal to talk about your family.
……………, September 26
th
, 2014
Dear Michael,
I am writing to talk about my family as requested in your last letter.
There are four members in my family; my parents, my elder brother and I. My dad is now at his forty-
five and my mom is two years younger. My elder brother is twenty-two of age. My dad is a teacher at a local
high school, and he has to work nearly weekdays. Very often he has extra classes on weekends, sometimes he
has evening classes. My mom is a farmer and she has to work hard in the fields nearly daily from early
morning till dark. My elder brother is now a final year university student, so he has very little time to be at
home with other family members. Although my parents are very busy, they try hard to spare as much time to
take care of their children as possible.
My mom is a really caring woman who is always the first to get up to prepare for other family
members things to start a new day, and the last to go to bed to make sure that everything is under control. My
dad is always willing to join hands to make us a nice house and a happy home. My brother and I love helping
my parents in all sort of work whenever we have chance.
In my family, members care as much for others as possible to make a close-knit family. We are
admired so much by the neighboring residents. Whenever problems come up, we discuss the matters all
together frankly to find out solutions quickly. We also share all happiness and worries, so we all feel happy,
safe and secure at home just as the saying we love “Home is where love dwells and thrives”.