Writing an Essay Together: Marriage

​Your class has recently been doing a project on people's attitudes to marriage in the twenty-first century. Your teacher has asked you to write an essay, giving your opinion on the following statement.

(220-260 words)

Marriage is a tradition that is unnecessary in modern society.

Write your essay.

​Your class has recently been doing a project on people's attitudes to marriage in the twenty-first century. Your teacher has asked you to write an essay, giving your opinion on the following statement.

(220-260 words)

Marriage is a tradition that is unnecessary in modern society.

Write your essay.

Decide whether to:

a. suggest that marriage is unnecessary

b. suggest that marriage is still a good idea

c. provide a balanced argument for and against marriage.

​Your class has recently been doing a project on people's attitudes to marriage in the twenty-first century. Your teacher has asked you to write an essay, giving your opinion on the following statement.

(220-260 words)

Marriage is a tradition that is unnecessary in modern society.

Write your essay.

TIPS

1. Start your essay with some background information on the topic.

2. Rephrase the statement / essay title rather than just repeating it.

3. Separate your main points into different paragraphs (e.g. paragraph 2 = the subject of commitment, paragraph 3 = the subject of children).

4. Do not just write one or two sentences for each main point. Try to extend your ideas.

5. Make your final opinion clear without repeating the information from the paragraphs above.

Open Ended

Write the introduction to:

Marriage is a tradition that is unnecessary in modern society.

Sample: ​

Over the last few decades there has been a considerable change in many people's attitudes towards the institution of marriage. It used to be the case that people had to get married in order to live together and raise a family but now more and more people are choosing to remain as partners. The question is whether or not marriage still has a role to play in society today.

Open Ended

Write the first paragraph of the main body:

Marriage is a tradition that is unnecessary in modern society.

Sample:​

Central to this issue is the idea that marriage is an expression of commitment. Advocates of marriage believe that a wedding ceremony symbolizes the couple's serious intention to remain together no matter what difficulties they may face. However the high rate of divorce does not support this theory. It could be argued that 'unmarried partners' also frequently break up, but this does nothing to support the theory that marriage is better.

Open Ended

Write the second paragraph of the main body:

Marriage is a tradition that is unnecessary in modern society.

Sample:​

There is also the subject of children to consider. There was a time when the children of unmarried parents were stigmatized but now a family is judged more on now they interact with one another; in other words, whether the parents spend enough time with their children and encourage them to think positively about themselves. The point is that a good home environment can be created by both married and unmarried parents, and it is their love and guidance that counts.

Open Ended

Write the conclusion:

Marriage is a tradition that is unnecessary in modern society.

Sample:​

To conclude, for those people who are not religious, there seems to be no genuinely good reason to undergo formal ceremony. Couples should be able to devote themselves to one another without the aid of a ring or formal document.