[TOEFL] Serious movies or entertaining movies? Which is better?

Topic:It is better to watch serious movies that are designed to make you think than to watch movies that are primarily designed to amuse or entertain

Going to the movies has been one of people's favorite pastime activities. In relation to this phenomenon, the question has been arisen as to whether it is better to watch serious movies that are designed to make you think than to watch movies that are primarily designed to amuse or entertain. In my opinion, I believe that watching enjoyable movies are more preferable choice for its ability to relieve one's stress and put people closer.

First of all, people can alleviate the level of stress they get from their daily lives by watching fun movies. In today's fast-paced society, more and more people get stressed out and fed up with high workloads as well as growing responsibilities to take. Entertaining movies such as comedies can act as remedy for those under pressure amid hectic lifestyle. For example, one study has found that there is tendency of people watching more comedy movies when the economies are bad which implies that people prefer watching comedies in order to deal with hardships. Thus, watching fun movies is a great way for one to restore joy to his/her life.

Secondly, comedy movies play a crucial role in keeping a tight relationship between people. Unlike those serious movies based on political and social issues, movies such as comedy mostly come up with more ordinary stories that people can have in common with. For this reason, when friends or couples go to movies, they select comedy movies with a view to have chemistry with each other. For instance, when I first had a date with my girlfriend Su-ji, we went to the cinema to watch a movie. At the time, we watched the movie called "Yesman" which was classified as comedy but also romantic movie. After watching the movie, our relationship became tighten because we got to know more about each other. In this sense, people can have build a close relationship with others by watching comedies.

In conclusion, although some people may find serious movies to be their favorite, I strongly believe that movies that are entertaining and amusing are the best for its capability to relieve one from his/her stressful situation and make people become closer with one another.

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I don't think i'm on right track with my second reasoning.
Can someone please give more plausible idea for this topic?
And also please someone help me with my grammar, i'm always in trouble with grammar.:)

Actually, I like your second argument. It's original and plausible.


I think what you have so far is plausible. A third argument might be that the distinction between serious and entertaining films is false. Many of the best serious films, like much of the best serious literature, are also entertaining. Also, comedies can address serious issues, sometimes more effectively than tragedies. When people are laughing, they are less defensive and perhaps more open to new ideas.

This argument would give you the opportunity to mention a couple of entertaining movies that address important social issues. I'm sure you can think of a few.


I notice a tendency toward wordiness, perhaps because you are trying to write formally or worried about having enough words in your essays. For example:


In relation to this phenomenon, the question has been arisen as toSome people ask whether it is better to watch serious movies that are designed to make you think than to watch movies that are primarily designedintended to amuse or entertain.

Me too. I like the first part of the second argument because it shows the contrast between 2 types of movies, making it more convincing.
our relationship became tighter/ stronger.
After watching the movie, our relationship became tighten because we got to know more about each other.
There is a structure problem here. You must have written: after we watched the movie, our relationship...
if you want to use V-ing here, you have to use the same subject.
For example: After graduating from university, I became a teacher. (I graduated and I became a teacher)
I don't really know about TOEFL essays and its criteria. In ielts essay that I'm told to not use some personal pronoun like I, he/she because this might make the essay look informal. However, it ultimately depends on you to decide the style you want to follow.

Thanks for replies
It's good to know that I'm on the right track with my supporting ideas
I delight to learn new things day by day with help from you guys:)

This came up on another topic posted here recently, too. Prompts with a structure "Some people prefer A while others prefer B, which do you think is better?" can often be dealt with via a thesis, antithesis, synthesis structure in the essay. In fact, I believe this was once taught as the standard way of composing essays, though it seems to have fallen out favor now.

What Sean means here is:

Thesis: One position
Antithesis: The opposite position
Synthesis: A viewpoint that incorporates or reconciles the two positions

To write a five paragraph essay using this structure, rather than the three arguments in favor of a single position structure, you would an overview of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis in your introduction and then devote a paragraph to each, again providing support in the form of logic or examples, before coming to a conclusion that clearly states that these two positions can be reconciled and, thus, need not be seen as opposing one another.

I. "Some people prefer entertaining movies; others argue that serious movies are more worthwhile; I believe that the best movies raise serious issues while still being entertaining."

II. Arguments in favor of entertaining movies
III. Arguments in favor of serious movies
IV. Examples of movies that are both; argument that these are the best movies.
V. There's no need to choose between entertaining and serious movies. Entertaining yet serious movies are the best of both worlds.

And, yes, Sean... they do seem to have stopped teaching this, at least at the basic composition level. I don't know why. In addition to being an excellent way to structure and essay, this way of writing fosters synthetic thinking, which is critical to democratic problem solving in a polarized world.

Wow, great example. I've always thought that this sort of structure made a lot of sense for many topics, as it forces people to seriously consider both sides of an issue. I suspect, though, that it fell out of favor because it is harder to teach and to master than an essay format reliant only on three arguments in favor of a single thesis. Many of the essays I've read here, especially those for TOEFL, IETLS, etc. seem to have been written by students who have been taught this structure. Often, this means that the essay ends up seeming diluted and weak, with the thesis lost in conflicting statements of view that are never really reconciled.

This conversation has really got me wondering whether teachers at the secondary level really have quit teaching thesis-antithesis-synthesis, if so when, and if so why.

I was taught thesis-antithesis-synthesis in secondary school, but that was in the 1970s. Forum users who have been in school more recently, tell us: Were you taught this method of essay organization?

You were taught it? I never was, in school or at university. I first learned about it through my parents, who were taught it formally. I was therefore under the impression that it wasn't really taught here (in Canada), and I just sort of assumed that it would be too complex for Americans :-). However, many students preparing for the TOEFL have educational experience in other countries than these, where it seems the form may still be taught, judging on what I have seen on the forums.