No more sample essays, how to improve social argumentative essay scores?

The 2025 high school graduation exam is the first exam under the 2018 general education program. According to the regulations, the literature exam will have to be based on materials other than textbooks. In addition, the weighting of the literature essay question will change with a maximum score of 2.

The advantage belongs to the social argument question with double the score, maximum 4.

This is also the reason why students' literature review strategies focus on writing social essays.

According to a group of teachers from Ha Tinh High School for the Gifted advising students on the Van Chuong Man Dam page, there are 5 reasons why it is difficult for candidates to get full marks for the social argumentation question.

One is that the article is not long enough and lacks emphasis. Every idea is mentioned but mentioned in a sketchy way, not resolved thoroughly, which will lack persuasiveness.

Second, the article lacks theoretical depth and understanding of natural and social laws - scientific bases to serve as a basis for discussion.

Third is poor evidence, not knowing how to analyze to highlight the thesis and arguments.

Fourth, the writing lacks emotion, tone, and substance, has an "AI" tone, and is somewhat forced and artificial, in which ideas are pieced together like the answer key - marking instructions of exam questions.

The fifth is that the article does not show the personality and character of the writer, and lacks the breath of the times. The sentences are simple and common, lacking originality and creativity.

To improve the essay score, students must overcome the above 5 mistakes.

“First, the article must be of sufficient length, with 7-8 paragraphs including an introduction, conclusion, and 5 argumentative operations: explanation - discussion - proof - rebuttal - cognitive lesson and action.

With the above number of paragraphs, the length of the article will be about 3.5 pages. If it is shorter, there will certainly be some ideas that are sketchy and incomplete. However, if it is longer than 4 pages, points may be deducted for exceeding the length.

The article must demonstrate the depth of theory, in knowing how to apply the characteristics of natural and social laws such as the movement of the world; human psychological characteristics, especially young people; characteristics of the technological era... to explain the problem convincingly.

Regarding evidence, there are two types of evidence that need to be included in the essay. The first is evidence from proven scientific knowledge and principles.

Second is to cite real life events that are happening, the newer the events and characters, the better, and there must be evidence of national and ethnic significance.

When analyzing evidence, it is necessary to stand in an objective position, have a multi-dimensional view, and express one's own concerns, thoughts, and emotions about the positive and negative aspects of those characters and events.

"It is absolutely necessary to maintain a calm and civilized tone when analyzing evidence, and absolutely avoid using your essay as an excuse to excessively worship or belittle the honor and reputation of any individual or organization," the group of teachers advised.

Besides, according to teachers, a quality social argumentative essay must be “reasonable and emotional”. In addition to sharp arguments and convincing evidence, it is also necessary to create a unique tone for the writing by structuring sentences, using words, and subtly expressing the writer’s emotions.

Finally, using unique words and sentences rich in imagery are important factors to improve the quality of your essay.

Mr. Do Duc Anh - literature teacher, Bui Thi Xuan High School, Ho Chi Minh City - shares some more secrets to make a social argumentative essay that is both meaningful and attractive enough for the examiner.

“The score of a social argumentative essay depends on many factors such as: whether the introduction and conclusion are impressive or not; whether the argument and reasoning are arranged reasonably; whether the evidence is convincing or not; whether the expression is clear and distinct; whether there are any spelling or grammatical errors; whether the writing style is creative and engaging or not.

Writing an interesting introduction will certainly create a good impression on the examiner. “A good essay does not depend on how long it is, just by the introduction you can tell it is good.” The introduction is like a beautiful face you see for the first time, whether it is attractive or not depends on that,” said Mr. Duc Anh.

Mr. Duc Anh also emphasized that the introduction should avoid old, familiar patterns that "smell musty". Because using "model essays" right in the introduction will make the exam bland, like thousands of other exams.

For the body of the essay, Mr. Duc Anh guides how to build a clear and concise argument system. For example, if the question raises an issue in the category of moral ideology, the candidate will determine the argument system with the following 4 questions:

" Why do you think...?

So what should we do to...?

What does that mean for young people in particular and society in general?

Are we really appreciating and nurturing that in our daily lives?

Tomorrow morning, more than 1.16 million candidates nationwide will officially take the 2025 High School Graduation Exam with the first subject being literature. Of these, about 1.13 million will take the exam under the new general education program.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/khong-con-van-mau-lam-sao-de-nang-diem-bai-van-nghi-luan-xa-hoi-20250625171354082.htm