TOEFL Independent Writing
Test of Written English
Sample Answer by Jeenn Lee Hsieh
It is sometimes said that borrowing money from a friend can harm or damage the friendship. Do you agree? Why or why not? Use reasons and specific examles to explain your answer.
Example writing (Jeenn Lee Hsieh):
What friends are for if they cannot exchange favors like lending or borrowing money once in while? Without mutual trust about money, they are more like acquaintances than true friends. Rain or shine, what is a little money between faithful friends?
The value of real friendship is best demonstrated in times of desperate need. Neither borrowing money from a friend, nor lending money to a friend should damage the friendship. The old saying that "neither a lender nor a borrower be" may not apply to friends of good faith, particularly on rainy days. For that matter, fair-weather friends should not have become friends in the first place, if they ever consider lending or borrowing money as losing friendship. It is as if money should separate more friends than it could make. Therefore, the logic is that, although losing money may be a big loss, losing a friend is a bigger loss and, of course, the biggest loss is losing faith.
About borrowing or lending money, it is better to have faith, hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. What an irony in which a friend, seemingly so sweet and steady and loyal and enduring as to last through a whole lifetime, turns out to be indifferent, if asked to lend money. Sunshine friends used to eat and drink and have fun together, probably for years, but now the friendship becomes sour and bitter in minutes because of money. At this point, faith dies and friendship is gone. This clearly shows that lack of faith leads to mistrust between friends. So much so, such friendship as built on "good food and good wine" could be harmed and would never be the same again.
To conclude, money may be the best way to tell a faithful friend from simply an acquaintance. There are always plenty of acquaintances but there may be very few friends who are willing to help each other. In case people want to know how many true friends they think they have, go and try to borrow some money. (Essay created by Jeenn Lee Hsieh)
