Showing posts with label essay title. Show all posts
Showing posts with label essay title. Show all posts
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Friday, December 26, 2008
Essay 101
Analyze the questions. Decide what you are being asked to do. If you immediately begin to cast about indiscriminately for ideas, you may become flustered, lose concentration, and even go blank. Try looking closely at what the question is directing you to do, and try to understand the sort of writing that will be required.
Focus on what you do know about the question, not on what you don't.
Look at the active verbs in the assignment—they tell you what you should be doing. For example:
For longer answers, you will need to develop a much more definite strategy of organization. You only have time for one draft, so allow a reasonable amount of time—as much as a quarter of the time you've allotted for the question—for making notes, determining a thesis, and developing an outline.
For questions with several parts (different requests or directions, a sequence of questions), make a list of the parts so that you do not miss or minimize one part. One way to be sure you answer them all is to number them in the question and in your outline.
You may have to try two or three outlines or clusters before you hit on a workable plan. But be realistic—you want a plan you can develop within the limited time allotted for your answer. Your outline will have to be selective—not everything you know, but what you know that you can state clearly and keep to the point in the time available.
Again, focus on what you do know about the question, not on what you don't. As with planning, your strategy for writing depends on the length of your answer. For short identifications and definitions, it is usually best to start with a general identifying statement and then move on to describe specific applications or explanations. Two sentences will almost always suffice, but make sure they are complete sentences. Find out whether the instructor wants definition alone, or definition and significance.
For longer answers, begin by stating your forecasting statement or thesis clearly and explicitly. Strive for focus, simplicity, and clarity. In stating your point and developing your answers, you may want to use important course vocabulary words from the question.
If you have devised a promising outline for your answer, then you will be able to forecast your overall plan and its subpoints in your opening sentence. Forecasting always impresses readers and has the very practical advantage of making your answer easier to read. Also, if you don't finish writing, it tells your reader what you would have said if you had finished (and may get you partial points).
You might want to use briefer paragraphs than you ordinarily do and signal clear relations between paragraphs with transition phrases or sentences. As you move ahead with the writing, you may think of new subpoints or ideas to include in the essay. Stop briefly to make a note of these on your original outline. If they are most appropriately inserted in a section you've already written, write them neatly in the margin, at the top of the page, or on the last page, with arrows or marks to alert the reader to where they fit in your answer. Be as neat and clear as possible.
Don't pad your answer with irrelevancies and repetitions just to fill up space. Within the time available, write a comprehensive, specific answer.
Watch the clock carefully to ensure that you do not spend too much time on one answer. You must be realistic about the time constraints of an essay exam.
If you run out of time when you are writing an answer, jot down the remaining main ideas from your outline, just to show that you know the material and with more time could have continued your exposition.
Write legibly and proofread. Remember that your instructor will likely be reading a large pile of exams. The more difficult they are to read, the more exasperated the instructor might become. Your instructor also cannot give you credit for what they cannot understand. A few minutes of careful proofreading can improve your grade. Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind in writing essay exams is that you have a limited amount of time and space in which to get across the knowledge you have acquired and your ability to use it. Essay exams are not the place to be subtle or vague. It's okay to have an obvious structure, even the five-paragraph essay format you may have been taught in high school. Introduce your main idea, have several paragraphs of support—each with a single point defended by specific examples, and conclude with a restatement of your main point and its significance.
Just think—we expect athletes to practice constantly and use everything in their abilities and situations in order to achieve success. Yet, somehow many students are convinced that one day's worth of studying and no sleep are good preparation for a test. Essay exams are like any other testing situation in life: you'll do best if you are prepared for what is expected of you, have practiced doing it before, and have arrived in the best shape to do it.
You may not want to believe this, but it's true: a good night's sleep and a relaxed mind and body can do as much or more for you as any last-minute cram session.
If you tend to go blank during exams, try studying in the same classroom in which the test will be given. Some research suggests that people attach ideas to their surroundings, so it might jog your memory to see the same things you were looking at while you studied.
Take all of the time you've been allotted. Reread, rework, and rethink your answers if you have extra time at the end, rather than giving up and handing the exam in the minute you've written your last sentence. Use every advantage you are given.
Focus on what you do know about the question, not on what you don't.
Look at the active verbs in the assignment—they tell you what you should be doing. For example:
- information words ask you to demonstrate what you know about the subject, such as who, what, when, where, how, and why.
- define —give the subject's meaning (according to someone or something). Sometimes you have to give more than one view on the subject's meaning.
- explain why/how —give reasons why or examples of how something happened.
- illustrate —give descriptive examples of the subject and show how each is connected with the subject.
- summarise —briefly cover the important ideas you learned about the subject.
- trace —outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current form.
- research —gather material from outside sources about the subject, often with the implication or requirement that you will analyze what you've found.Relation words ask you to demonstrate how things are connected.
- compare —show how two or more things are similar (and, sometimes, different).
- contrast —show how two or more things are dissimilar.
- apply - use details that you've been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept works in a particular situation.
- cause —show how one event or series of events made something else happen.
- relate —show or describe the connections between things.Interpretation words ask you to defend ideas of your own about the subject. Don't see these words as requesting opinion alone (unless the assignment specifically says so), but as requiring opinion that is supported by concrete evidence. Remember examples, principles, definitions, or concepts from class or research and use them in your interpretation.
- prove, justify —give reasons or examples to demonstrate how or why something is the truth.
- evaluate, respond, assess —state your opinion of the subject as good, bad, or some combination of the two, with examples and reasons (you may want to compare your subject to something else).
- support —give reasons or evidence for something you believe (be sure to state clearly what it is that you believe).
- synthesize —put two or more things together that haven't been put together before; don't just summarize one and then the other, and say that they are similar or different—you must provide a reason for putting them together (as opposed to compare and contrast—see above).
- analyze —look closely at the components of something to figure out how it works, what it might mean, or why it is important.
- argue —take a side and defend it (with proof) against the other side.Plan your answersThink about your time again. How much planning time you should take depends on how much time you have for each question and how many points each question is worth.
For longer answers, you will need to develop a much more definite strategy of organization. You only have time for one draft, so allow a reasonable amount of time—as much as a quarter of the time you've allotted for the question—for making notes, determining a thesis, and developing an outline.
For questions with several parts (different requests or directions, a sequence of questions), make a list of the parts so that you do not miss or minimize one part. One way to be sure you answer them all is to number them in the question and in your outline.
You may have to try two or three outlines or clusters before you hit on a workable plan. But be realistic—you want a plan you can develop within the limited time allotted for your answer. Your outline will have to be selective—not everything you know, but what you know that you can state clearly and keep to the point in the time available.
Again, focus on what you do know about the question, not on what you don't. As with planning, your strategy for writing depends on the length of your answer. For short identifications and definitions, it is usually best to start with a general identifying statement and then move on to describe specific applications or explanations. Two sentences will almost always suffice, but make sure they are complete sentences. Find out whether the instructor wants definition alone, or definition and significance.
For longer answers, begin by stating your forecasting statement or thesis clearly and explicitly. Strive for focus, simplicity, and clarity. In stating your point and developing your answers, you may want to use important course vocabulary words from the question.
If you have devised a promising outline for your answer, then you will be able to forecast your overall plan and its subpoints in your opening sentence. Forecasting always impresses readers and has the very practical advantage of making your answer easier to read. Also, if you don't finish writing, it tells your reader what you would have said if you had finished (and may get you partial points).
You might want to use briefer paragraphs than you ordinarily do and signal clear relations between paragraphs with transition phrases or sentences. As you move ahead with the writing, you may think of new subpoints or ideas to include in the essay. Stop briefly to make a note of these on your original outline. If they are most appropriately inserted in a section you've already written, write them neatly in the margin, at the top of the page, or on the last page, with arrows or marks to alert the reader to where they fit in your answer. Be as neat and clear as possible.
Don't pad your answer with irrelevancies and repetitions just to fill up space. Within the time available, write a comprehensive, specific answer.
Watch the clock carefully to ensure that you do not spend too much time on one answer. You must be realistic about the time constraints of an essay exam.
If you run out of time when you are writing an answer, jot down the remaining main ideas from your outline, just to show that you know the material and with more time could have continued your exposition.
Write legibly and proofread. Remember that your instructor will likely be reading a large pile of exams. The more difficult they are to read, the more exasperated the instructor might become. Your instructor also cannot give you credit for what they cannot understand. A few minutes of careful proofreading can improve your grade. Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind in writing essay exams is that you have a limited amount of time and space in which to get across the knowledge you have acquired and your ability to use it. Essay exams are not the place to be subtle or vague. It's okay to have an obvious structure, even the five-paragraph essay format you may have been taught in high school. Introduce your main idea, have several paragraphs of support—each with a single point defended by specific examples, and conclude with a restatement of your main point and its significance.
Just think—we expect athletes to practice constantly and use everything in their abilities and situations in order to achieve success. Yet, somehow many students are convinced that one day's worth of studying and no sleep are good preparation for a test. Essay exams are like any other testing situation in life: you'll do best if you are prepared for what is expected of you, have practiced doing it before, and have arrived in the best shape to do it.
You may not want to believe this, but it's true: a good night's sleep and a relaxed mind and body can do as much or more for you as any last-minute cram session.
If you tend to go blank during exams, try studying in the same classroom in which the test will be given. Some research suggests that people attach ideas to their surroundings, so it might jog your memory to see the same things you were looking at while you studied.
Take all of the time you've been allotted. Reread, rework, and rethink your answers if you have extra time at the end, rather than giving up and handing the exam in the minute you've written your last sentence. Use every advantage you are given.
Works consulted.
Axelrod, Rise B. and Charles R. Cooper. The St. Martin's Guide to Writing. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1988.
Gefvert, Constance J. The Confident Writer: A Norton Handbook. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1988.
Fowler, H. Ramsey. The Little, Brown Handbook. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1995.
Kirszner, Laurie G. Writing: A College Rhetoric. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1988.
Lunsford, Andrea and Robert Connors. The St. Martin's Handbook. 5th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's Press, 2003.
Woodman, Leonora and Thomas P. Adler. The Writer's Choices. Illinois: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1985.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Essay 25
Ideas about money have been on the minds of great thinkers for centuries. Henry Fielding said, "Make money your God and it will plague you like the devil." Ken Hakuta once said, "Lack of money is no obstacle. Lack of an idea is an obstacle." Maybe money is, after all, NOT, the key ingredient to providing some of life's most sought-after answers?
Assignment: How do you feel about the idea that there are more important things in life than money?
Assignment: How do you feel about the idea that there are more important things in life than money?
Essay 24
Anger is an emotion common to all human beings. Laurence J. Peter said, "Speak when you are angry and you'll make the best speech you'll ever regret." On the other hand, Malcolm X had a different point of view about anger claiming, "Usually when people are sad, they don't do anything. They just cry over their condition. But when people get angry, they bring about a change." Maybe anger has two sides, like a coin?
Assignment: How do you feel about the idea that anger can be both a positive or negative force depending upon how it is used?
Assignment: How do you feel about the idea that anger can be both a positive or negative force depending upon how it is used?
Essay 23
Epictetus, who lived from 55 AD-135AD, claimed, "Only the educated are free." Just under 2,000 years later Benjamin Franklin, one of the most influential founding fathers of America, said, "An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest" Unfortunately, many people are still dropping out of school and not pursuing a degree. Maybe these great thinkers were wrong?
Assignment: How do you feel about the idea that education is not necessarily as important as the two people mentioned in the passage above claim it to be?
Assignment: How do you feel about the idea that education is not necessarily as important as the two people mentioned in the passage above claim it to be?
Essay 22
Friends are an important part of life. They make us smile, feel good and laugh. However, the famed actress Marlene Dietrich once said, "It's the friends you can call up at 4 a.m. in the morning that really matter." John Collins echoed the same sentiment when he pronounced, "It's in adversity that we know our genuine friends." Maybe friends only show their true color when times are tough?
Assignment: How do you feel about the idea that real friendship can only be truly revealed during troubled times in a person's life?
Assignment: How do you feel about the idea that real friendship can only be truly revealed during troubled times in a person's life?
Essay 21
Sometimes in life, we lose. Abraham Lincoln lost numerous congressional elections before he went on to become President of the United States. Henry Ford went bankrupt and lost his ownership in The Detroit Automobile Company before ultimately succeeding with the Ford Motor Company. Michael Jordan’s basketball teams endured many heartbreaking playoff losses before becoming World Champions six times over. Maybe losing in the secret ingredient to success?
Assignment: How do you feel about the idea that losing might be “the secret ingredient to success”?
Assignment: How do you feel about the idea that losing might be “the secret ingredient to success”?
Essay 20
Why do people help others? Many philosophers and psychologists claim that everything people do, no matter how noble and beneficial to others, is really directed toward the ultimate goal of self-benefit. According to this view, helping others is always motivated by the prospect of some benefit to the helper, however small, and not out of genuine concern for the welfare of another.
Adapted from C. Daniel Batson, The Altruism Question
Adapted from C. Daniel Batson, The Altruism Question
Assignment: Do we only help others in order to help ourselves in some way?
Essay 19
When people are very enthusiastic—always willing and eager to meet new challenges or give undivided support to ideas or projects—they are likely to be rewarded. They often work harder and enjoy their work more than do those who are more restrained. But there are limits to how enthusiastic people should be. People should always question and doubt, since too much enthusiasm can prevent people from considering better ideas, goals, or courses of action.
Assignment: Can people have too much enthusiasm?
Essay 18
Whether it is a child pouting to get ice cream or a politician using emotionally charged language to influence potential supporters, all people use some form of acting to achieve whatever ends they seek. Public figures of all kinds would have short, unsuccessful careers without the aid of acting. Acting—consciously assuming a role in order to achieve some purpose—is a tool people use to protect their interests and gain advantages in every aspect of life. Adapted from Marlon Brando, Foreword to The Technique of Acting by Stella Adler
Assignment: Is acting an essential part of everyday life?
Essay 17
The biggest difference between people who succeed at any difficult undertaking and those who do not is not ability but persistence. Many extremely talented people give up when obstacles arise. After all, who wants to face failure? It is often said about highly successful people that they are just ordinary individuals who kept on trying, who did not give up. (Adapted from Tom Morris, True Success: A New Philosophy of Excellence)
Assignment: Is persistence more important than ability in determining a person's success?
Essay 16
“Independence? That’s middle class blasphemy. We are all dependent on one another, every soul of us on earth.” Bernard Shaw expected to provoke controversy with these words, but I would agree with him that these days there is too much emphasis on independence. While it is certainly true that excessive dependence on others is not a sign of maturity, total independence of others is neither attainable nor desirable; we need to be mature, and unselfish enough to recognize our interdependence.
Assignment: Do we put too much emphasis on self-reliance and independence, and are we afraid of admitting that we need other people in our lives?
Essay 15
There is usually a kernel of truth in the words Oscar Wilde puts in the mouth of his most outrageous characters – they wouldn’t be funny otherwise. One such gem that is worth pondering is; the only thing to do with good advice is to pass it on. It is never of any use to oneself.
Assignment: Is it true that when we most need advice we are least willing to listen to it? Or is good advice always welcome?
Essay 14
A man who waits to believe in action before acting is anything you like, but he is not a man of action. It is as if a tennis player before returning the ball stopped to think about his views of the physical and mental advantages of tennis. You must act as you breathe. Georges Clemenceau
Assignment: Is it true that acting quickly and instinctively is the best response to a crisis? Or are there times when an urgent situation requires a more careful consideration and a slower response?
Essay 13
“What man calls civilization always results in deserts. Man is never on the square – he uses up the fat and greenery of the earth. Each generation wastes a little more of the future with greed and lust for riches.” - Don Marquis
Assignment: With our modern awareness of ecology are we likely to make sufficient progress in conservation, or are we still in danger of damaging the earth beyond repair?
Assignment: With our modern awareness of ecology are we likely to make sufficient progress in conservation, or are we still in danger of damaging the earth beyond repair?
Essay 12
“A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.”-Alexander Pope.
Assignment: Do we learn more from finding out that we have made mistakes or from our successful actions?
Assignment: Do we learn more from finding out that we have made mistakes or from our successful actions?
Essay 11
“The price of greatness is responsibility.” Winston Churchill
Assignment: Do we expect too much from our public figures?
Assignment: Do we expect too much from our public figures?
Essay 10
Many societies believe that the pursuit of happiness is a fundamental human right. But it is also true that attainment of happiness remains elusive. Perhaps Bertrand Russell had it right when he said, “To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness.”
Assignment: What gives us more pleasure and satisfaction, the pursuit of our desires or the attainment of them?
Assignment: What gives us more pleasure and satisfaction, the pursuit of our desires or the attainment of them?
Essay 9
“A little inaccuracy saves a world of explanation.” C.E.Ayers
Assignment: Is it always essential to tell the truth, or are there circumstances in which it is better to lie?
Assignment: Is it always essential to tell the truth, or are there circumstances in which it is better to lie?
Essay 8
If we are afraid to reveal our lack of knowledge we will not be able to learn. In order to make progress we must admit where we are now. Such an admission of ignorance is not easy. As Thoreau says, “How can we remember our ignorance which our growth requires, when we are using our knowledge all the time?”
Assignment: Does the present system of education encourage us to admit our lack of knowledge, or is there too much pressure to demonstrate the acquisition of knowledge?
Assignment: Does the present system of education encourage us to admit our lack of knowledge, or is there too much pressure to demonstrate the acquisition of knowledge?
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