Direct question（兩部分題）是 Task 2 最容易被誤判的題型——考生常把它寫成 opinion 或 problem-solution，結果 Task Response 卡在 6.0。這篇用一題近年熱門題做完整示範：逐句解析 + 評分證據 + 3 個行動建議。
Direct Question 跟其他題型差在哪？
| 題型 | 題目樣式 | 要做的事 | |--------------------|--------------------------------------------------|----------------------------| | Opinion | To what extent do you agree or disagree? | 表態 + 發展一邊 | | Discussion | Discuss both views and give your opinion. | 公平討論兩邊 + 選邊 | | Problem-Solution | What problems...? How can they be solved? | 配對 problem → solution | | Direct Question| Why is this happening? Is it positive or negative? | 分別回答兩個獨立問題 |
關鍵區別：direct question 的兩個問題彼此獨立——第一個問「原因」，第二個問「評價」。不能把 §2 寫得像 opinion 的理由、§3 寫得像 counter-argument。必須各自回答。
題目
Many young people today spend large amounts of time on social media.
Why is this happening? Is this a positive or negative development?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.
題型：Direct Question（兩部分）。我的立場（第二問）：largely negative, with qualifications。
完整範文（280 字）
¹ Young people in virtually every society now devote several hours each day to social media, a shift that would have seemed inconceivable to their parents at the same age. ² This essay will first examine why this pattern has emerged so rapidly, before arguing that — on balance — the development is more harmful than beneficial, despite some genuine upsides.
³ The principal driver is the deliberate design of the platforms themselves. ⁴ Major services such as Instagram and TikTok are built by teams of behavioural engineers whose explicit goal is to maximise time-on-app, using variable rewards, infinite scrolling and personalised algorithms refined through constant experimentation. ⁵ A 2023 UN report on adolescent wellbeing found that the average 15-year-old now spends close to five hours daily on social platforms — roughly triple the figure recorded a decade earlier. ⁶ Combined with peer pressure to remain constantly reachable, these design choices make heavy use almost inevitable rather than genuinely chosen.
⁷ Turning to the second question, the costs of this pattern outweigh the benefits in most respects. ⁸ A growing body of evidence links heavy social-media use among adolescents with sharply rising rates of anxiety, disrupted sleep and distorted body image, particularly among teenage girls. ⁹ Admittedly, these platforms also offer valuable connection for isolated young people and cheap access to educational content. ¹⁰ Nevertheless, when the same tools simultaneously erode attention spans and expose minors to algorithmically amplified misinformation, the overall ledger tips unmistakably toward harm.
¹¹ In conclusion, the surge in youth social-media use is driven largely by platform design rather than free individual choice, and its effects on mental health and cognition make it a broadly negative development. ¹² Targeted regulation and digital-literacy education would substantially mitigate, though not eliminate, the damage.
句句解析
§1 — Intro
- 句 1 (Hook): "Young people in virtually every society now devote..." — paraphrase 題目 + would have seemed inconceivable 用 past-conditional 展示 grammar range。注意沒有抄 "large amounts of time"。
- 句 2 (Signpost thesis): "This essay will first examine why... before arguing..." — 明確預告 兩個分開的動作。這是 direct question 的關鍵，讓評分員立刻知道你辨認出題型。
§2 — 回答第一問（Why?）
- 句 3 (Topic sentence): "The principal driver is the deliberate design..." — 一個明確的原因（不是列三個淺原因）。
- 句 4 (Explanation): "Major services such as Instagram and TikTok are built by teams..." — 具體化 deliberate design。用 behavioural engineers, variable rewards, infinite scrolling 這類 topic-specific 詞彙。
- 句 5 (Evidence): "A 2023 UN report... found that... roughly triple..." — 具體數字 + 機構歸屬。虛構沒關係，可信就好。
- 句 6 (Link): "Combined with peer pressure..., these design choices make heavy use almost inevitable..." — 收回主論點：是系統讓他們滑，不是他們想滑。
§3 — 回答第二問（Positive or negative?）
- 句 7 (Pivot): "Turning to the second question, the costs... outweigh the benefits..." — Turning to 是 Band 7 常見的轉場，明確告訴評分員「我現在切到第二問」。立場明確：negative。
- 句 8 (Evidence for negative): "A growing body of evidence links... anxiety, disrupted sleep and distorted body image..." — 三項具體危害 + particularly among teenage girls 精準化。
- 句 9 (Counter-concession): "Admittedly, these platforms also offer valuable connection..." — 承認對方一下——這是 Band 7 的分水嶺。不承認 = 看起來太單一。
- 句 10 (Rebuttal + reinforce): "Nevertheless, when the same tools simultaneously..., the overall ledger tips unmistakably..." — 反駁 + 重申立場。the overall ledger tips 是 idiomatic 但 formal 的搭配。
§4 — Conclusion
- 句 11 (Summarise both answers): "...driven largely by platform design... its effects on mental health and cognition..." — 兩個問題都回應。direct question 的結論必須兩問都提。
- 句 12 (Forward-looking): "Targeted regulation and digital-literacy education would substantially mitigate..." — 不是新觀點，是應用前面的分析，合格結尾。
四大評分項證據表
| 評分項 | 本篇證據 | Band | |--------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------| | Task Response | 兩個問題都明確回答；立場清晰（negative with qualification）；論點充分發展；承認反方 | 7 | | Coherence & Cohesion | 段落功能分明（intro / Q1 / Q2 / conclusion）；linker 多樣（Turning to, Admittedly, Nevertheless, Combined with）；referent 清楚 | 7 | | Lexical Resource | Topic-specific（behavioural engineers, variable rewards, algorithmically amplified）；學術（inconceivable, mitigate, ledger, in virtually every）；無重複 | 7 | | Grammar Range | Past conditional（would have seemed）；passive（are built by teams, amplified misinformation）；relative clause（whose explicit goal is to...）；participle phrase（Combined with peer pressure...）| 7 |
三個你可以立刻套用的 takeaways
1. Direct question 的 intro 要明說兩個動作
不要寫 "I will discuss this issue"——太模糊。寫 "This essay will first examine why X happens, before arguing whether it is positive or negative"——讓評分員一眼看到你辨認題型。
2. §2 跟 §3 功能完全不同，不要混
- §2 = 診斷（why）：用 driver, cause, stems from, arises because
- §3 = 評價（pos/neg）：用 on balance, costs outweigh, the development is largely...
用錯 verb → Task Response 扣分。
3. 結論必須兩問都複述
很多考生結論只寫第二問（positive/negative）——第一問（why）完全消失。評分員會扣 Task Response 未完整。寫結論前在題目旁邊寫 Q1 ✓ Q2 ✓——兩個勾都畫到才收尾。
自我批改練習
拿這題自己寫一篇：
Many elderly people today live alone rather than with their adult children.
Why is this happening? Is this a positive or negative development?
寫完對照本篇結構檢查：
- [ ] Intro 預告兩個動作（examine why + argue whether）？
- [ ] §2 全部在講原因，沒有偷偷評價？
- [ ] §3 全部在評價，明確表態？
- [ ] §3 至少承認反方一次（Admittedly / That said）？
- [ ] Conclusion 兩個問題都回應？