A TOEFL Independent Essay: Do older people have more fun?

TOEFL test takers are given 30 minutes to plan, write, and edit an Independent Essay, which asks them to give their opinions, including specific details and examples. The following essay was written in class by the instructor during a writing exercise. It is in response to the question in Test 2 of "The Official Guide to the TOEFL Test, Fourth Edition" by ETS.

WRITING TASK: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Young people enjoy life more than older people do. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

In my opinion, the old enjoy life much more than the young. Young people have their youth and the boundless energy that goes with it, but the elderly have their wisdom, their experience and, often, the financial resources to live life to the fullest.

Because older people have lived longer than young people, they have accumulated a wealth of knowledge that gives them the wisdom to do things the right way, and the right way for them is easy to decide as they have the experience to know what works and what doesn’t work. They know full well what kind of activities they enjoy and how to enjoy them. Life is less of a trial and error for them and more of a certainty that what they are going to do will bring great enjoyment.

A second reason why older people enjoy life more is their mountains of experience. When they travel or choose a restaurant, they have a wide array of choices that they have tried in the past. They know what to do or where to go for a specific occasion or a specific mood. They are less likely to make mistakes. This is not to say that they will never have a bad meal or use a horrible hotel by surprise, but if they do they are likely to know how to alleviate the situation unlike young people who may have no other choice.

A third reason why the old have more fun than the young is their financially stability. More often than not, the old who are in retirement age can relax, work less, and have the funds to continue enjoying themselves. They can travel to new places or old ones that they’ve visited in the past, and they can stay at nicer, fancier hotels. It’s true that not everyone who retires is financially ready or well off; however, if they are not ready financially, they will usually have developed a lifestyle that allows them to live comfortably within their means and still enjoy some of the finer things in life. Besides, when you are that age, you can take advantage of senior discounts that can help you enjoy life more.  

Because of their wisdom, knowledge, and financial readiness, I strongly believe that older people enjoy life much more the young.


-- written by Joe Yu, ESL instructor, during a timed writing task.