Name: ____________________________________ Date:____________________
Cheat Sheet – Writing an Essay
● Essays are MORE than one paragraph (minimum of 4)
○ Introduction
○ Body paragraphs
○ Conclusion
● Introductions have three main parts (usually 35 sentences)
○ Hook (1 sentence)
○ Bridge (12 sentences)
○ Thesis (12 sentences)
● Body paragraphs also have three main parts
○ Assertion
○ Evidence
○ Commentary
● Conclusions also have three main parts (usually 35 sentences)
○ Restate the thesis (1 sentence)
○ Bridge (12 sentences)
○ Clincher (12 sentences)
Introductions ● Hook: This is the first sentence in the introduction. This sentence should make the reader
interested in your topic WITHOUT mentioning the prompt or your answer to the prompt.
● Bridge: Connects the Hook to the Thesis. The bridge should give any background information
needed for the reader to understand the essay. You may talk about your hook and how it
connects to the topic of your essay.
● Thesis: This is the last sentence in your introduction. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT
SENTENCE IN THIS PARAGRAPH. This sentence must do THREE important things:
○ Restate the question
○ Answer the question
○ Include the name of any authors or texts that you are talking about.
● TIPS: assume that the person reading your essay has not seen the QUESTION you are
answering. You have 35 sentences to give them all of the information they will need to
understand what you are talking about.
Body Paragraphs ● Assertion: This is the first sentence in a body paragraph. This sentence should do two things:
○ Refer to the thesis
○ Tell the reader what this ENTIRE paragraph is proving.
Example: If your thesis is: The books “Crossing the Wire” and “Hunger Games” have
similar motifs such as Family and Fear.
This leads to TWO paragraphs because there are two examples given in the thesis (underlined in the
thesis).
1. One motif found in both books is Family. Assertion for first paragraph
2. Another motif found in both books is Fear. Assertion for second paragraph
● Evidence: This is your next sentence in your body paragraph. In this sentence you must
include a quote or paraphrased evidence (quotes are better). Quotes and paraphrased
sentences must have 3 things:
○ quotation marks (“ “) around the words or idea you are using.
○ Never start a sentence with the quote. You can introduce it with something like: The article states “...” OR This can be seen when “....” OR Some proof of this is “...”
■ Experienced writers can introduce a quote fluidly with their own words and
ideas. If you feel you have mastered everything else and want to learn about
this, please ask me and I will show you.
○ Always include where you found the quote. Put the line number or page number in
parenthesis after the quote but before the period. It should look like this: An example
of this “can be seen in this sentence” (Line 20).
● Commentary: This is the last sentence or two in your body paragraph. This is where you will
EXPLAIN your evidence. This is arguably the hardest part of the body paragraph. You must
show your thought process and TELL THE READER WHY YOUR EVIDENCE PROVES PROVES
THAT YOU ARE RIGHT. In this area you can act like a pretentious jerk. Tell me how right you
are and tell me why.
Conclusions ● Thesis: First sentence of the conclusion. RESTATE your thesis from the introduction BUT DO
NOT copy and paste it. Just remind the reader what you were proving.
● Bridge: Similar to the introduction, the bridge gives information. Instead of information the
reader needs to understand your paper. This should list the information the reader NOW
knows because of you.
● Clincher: This is the last sentence in the conclusion. This sentence should make the reader
want to think about your topic AFTER THEY FINISH READING. Just because your essay is done
doesn’t mean your ideas have to be. Make the reader interested enough to think about it
more.
Time to Practice! Introductions
What is a hook?
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Where can you find the
hook?____________________________________________________________
Make a hook for this prompt: Is it better to take risks and perhaps make some mistakes or remain cautious and risk nothing? Explain using specific details and examples in your response. ___________________________________________________________________________________
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Looking at the prompt from the previous question, what is wrong with the the following hook: Taking risks can lead to making mistakes, but someone can’t succeed at something unless they try first, so
this is definitely better than not taking risks.
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What is a bridge?
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Where can you find the bridge?
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Make a bridge between the following hook and thesis: People can be motivated to do extraordinary
things in this world!
___________________________________________________________________ In the novel
“Hunger Games,” by Suzanne Collins, Katniss is motivated to survive because of the memories of
her father and her love for Prim.
What would you change about the following bridge? Some people crave the adrenaline they get
from defying death, while others would take a bag of chips and comfortable couch over anything
else in the world. Out of those two sets of people, one set is awesome and the other set is stupid.
The only way someone can ever succeed or reach greatness is if they are willing to take the risk,
thus taking risks and making a few mistakes is much better than remaining cautious and risking
nothing at all.
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What three things must you include in your
thesis?___________________________________________
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Where can you find the thesis?
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Make a thesis for this prompt: Compare or contrast Viktor and Rico from “Crossing the Wire” _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ Looking at the prompt in the question above, what is wrong with the following thesis: Viktor and Rico are really similar characters but they also have a few differences.
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Put the sentences of this paragraph in the correct order: (1) In “Crossing the Wire,” written by Will
Hobbs, Rico and Viktor are opposites, because while Rico lives like everyday is his last, Viktor is far
more cautious. (2) In literature, some characters are able to think like this, but books would be
crazy and life would be chaos if everybody lived this way. (3) Life is short, people need to live as if
tomorrow is their last day.
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What is a hook?
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Where can you find the
hook?____________________________________________________________
Make a hook for this prompt: Some people think that schools should offer only nutritious drinks such as white milk, water, and natural fruit juice. Do you agree or disagree with this policy? Use specific details and examples to convince your principal to accept your position. ___________________________________________________________________________________
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Looking at the prompt from the previous question, what is wrong with the the following hook:
Schools need to stop offering only nutritious drinks at lunch because most people don’t like them.
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What is a bridge?
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Where can you find the bridge?
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Make a bridge between the following hook and thesis: Everyone’s tastes buds may be different, but
what is good for everyone is the same.
___________________________________________________ __________________. Many schools
will only serve nutritious drinks at lunch and this should continue to happen because some kids can
not get enough nutrition at home and others are choosing not to.
What three things must you include in your
thesis?___________________________________________
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Where can you find the thesis?
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Make a thesis for this prompt: Compare and contrast the Hunger Games movie with the book. _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________
Looking at the prompt in the question above, what is wrong with the following thesis: The “Hunger Games” book and movie are different in many ways .
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Put the sentences of this paragraph in the correct order: (1) This is why some people hate when
movies are different than the books they were based on. (2) The movie “Hunger Games” is a
perfect example of this because the movie changed things from the book like the point of view, the
order of events, and even small visual details. (3) People create a movie in their mind, and if the
movie that comes out is different than the movie in their mind, they feel betrayed. (4) Reading a
book is like watching a movie in your mind.
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If you are writing a paper proving that teachers should not give homework and you have two body
paragraphs (1. about how it doesn’t teach you anything and 2. about how no one does it anyway)
what would be a good thesis statement?
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What is a hook?
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Where can you find the
hook?____________________________________________________________
Make a hook for this prompt: Many teachers assign group projects. Sometimes, however, an uncooperative member can affect the entire group. Argue for or against the use of group projects using specific details and examples. _____________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________
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Looking at the prompt from the previous question, what is wrong with the the following hook: Group
projects can be fun or chaotic depending on the group, but overall they are worth it.
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What is a bridge?
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Where can you find the bridge?
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Make a bridge between the following hook and thesis: Some people like working in groups, but many
of those people are the ones that don’t actually do the work. ______________________________
___________________________________________________________. Teachers should stop
assigning group projects because most groups have too many people slacking off and it usually
takes longer for the group to do something that one person could easily do alone.
What three things must you include in your
thesis?___________________________________________
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__
Where can you find the thesis?
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Make a thesis for this prompt: Compare or contrast the motifs of “Crossing the Wire” and “Warriors Don’t Cry”____________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ Looking at the prompt in the question above, what is wrong with the following thesis: The book “Warriors Don’t Cry” has many similar motifs to the book “Crossing the Wire.”.
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Put the sentences of this paragraph in the correct order: (1) In Literature, recurring words or ideas
that lead to a theme are called motifs. (2) The book “Warriors Don’t cry” shares the motifs family
and fear with the book “Crossing the Wire. (3) Some books even share the same motifs. (4) Life is
full of patterns and repetition. ” (5) Life isn’t the only thing with patterns and repetition though.
If you are writing a paper proving that schools should not have a dress code and you have two body
paragraphs (1. about how girls get treated different than boys and that is sexist 2. about how that
destroys creativity) what would be a good thesis statement?
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If you are writing a paper proving that Mr. Rebello is cooler than all of your other teachers and you
have two body paragraphs (1. about how he doesn’t give much homework 2. about how he is
hilarious) what would be a good thesis statement?
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If you are writing a paper proving that farts are funny and you have 2 body paragraphs (1. about the
sound 2. about the smell) what would be a good thesis statement?
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Body Paragraphs
put the sentences of this paragraph in the correct order: (1) A dog could be called out of the road if a car was coming, a cat however, would be nothing but flat sadness after the car passes by and the
owner is feeling both sadness and regret for not buying a dog. (2) In the article, it is stated that
“dogs are 98% more likely to do what their owner asks them to do than a cat, and 99% more likely
to come when called” (line, idk I made this up). (3) Imagine if Lassie was a cat, how many dead
Timmy’s would be stuck at the bottom of wells? (4) One reason dogs are better than cats is their
sheer loyalty to their owners. (5) This basic loyalty and ability to listen to commands not only shows
how much more a dog loves his/her owner, but it could also save a life.
What is an
Assertion?___________________________________________________________________
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What is a Topic
Sentence?_______________________________________________________________
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Where can you find the Assertion/topic
sentence?____________________________________________
Make an assertion/topic sentence for two paragraphs when the Thesis is: It is important to learn
from other people’s experiences because they can tell you what wrong and what led to happiness.
1._________________________________________________________________________________
__2._______________________________________________________________________________
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What is
evidence?______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
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Where can you find the
evidence?_________________________________________________________
What is missing from this evidence: This can be seen when Katniss says “the hard thing is finding the
courage to do it.”
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How would you introduce the following evidence: “May the odds be ever in your favor” (page 26).
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What is
commentary?___________________________________________________________________
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Where can you find the
commentary?______________________________________________________
Make a commentary for the following evidence: As one can see, statistics are not important when
“90% of statistics are made up” (Page 25).
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If the Thesis is “Dogs are better animals than cats because they are cuter and smarter” What is
wrong with the following assertion? Dogs are better animals than cats and always have been.
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If the evidence is “This can be seen when Katniss says ‘Prim, no! Don’t die Prim! No! Wah Wah Wah!
No!’ (Page 5000) what is wrong with the following commentary: Katniss cares so much about her
family that she is motivated to do absolutely anything. If her sister was to die, she would do
anything to avenger her.
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If the assertion is “Pineapples are better fruits than oranges because they are better for you” what is
wrong with the following evidence? In the article it states “Pineapples have twice as many vitamins
as apples” (line 26).
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put the sentences of this paragraph in the correct order: (1)One reason people don’t like the Jonas
brothers is that they are stupid. (2) This shows that not only was the first brother stupid, but both
of them admit how dumb they are. (3) During this song one of the brothers admits to his family how
stupid he is. (4) However, if that is not enough, his brother responds “Oh yes brother, I am much
stupid as well!” (Same awful song). (5) This can be seen when one brother says to the other “hey
Jonas number 2, I’m dumb, how about you?” (one of their awful songs).
What is an
Assertion?___________________________________________________________________
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What is a Topic
Sentence?_______________________________________________________________
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Where can you find the Assertion/topic
sentence?____________________________________________
Make an assertion/topic sentence for two paragraphs when the Thesis is: It is important to recycle
because it can help save the ozone and it keeps small animals from getting caught in trash.
1._________________________________________________________________________________
__2._______________________________________________________________________________
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What is
evidence?______________________________________________________________________
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Where can you find the
evidence?_________________________________________________________
What is missing from this evidence: “God gives money to the wealthy because without it they would starve to death” (Crossing the Wire, page 20).
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How would you introduce the following evidence: “Danny was my guardian but even he would not
be able to protect me forever” (page #).
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What is
commentary?___________________________________________________________________
Where can you find the
commentary?______________________________________________________
Make a commentary for the following evidence: Recent evidence has shown that “thousands of sea
animals die every year when they get stuck in other people’s trash (Page 25 of some article I made
up).
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If the Thesis is “Video games are better for teenagers than television because it helps their creativity
grow and it often keeps them thinking” What is wrong with the following assertion? Video games are
better for teenagers than television because they can socialize at the same time.
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If the evidence is For example, “last year 2,000 seagulls were found with soda cans stuck on their
feet” (Page 5) what is wrong with the following commentary: Littering and pollution also destroys the ozone and this makes it harder for animals to breathe.
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If the assertion is “Schools should allow students to have any drink they want because students
should be treated with respect” what is wrong with the following evidence? The article “Schools and their lunches” states that “Soda is one of the worst things a person can drinks, and many people
have not done the research to find out exactly how bad it
is.”________________________________________
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put the sentences of this paragraph in the correct order: (1) To get this result with a console
someone would have to be a brand new console or the newest model, which would cost
significantly more money. (2) When the newest Playstations and Xbox’s came out they cost upward
of $500 dollars, and that is five times more expensive than just upgrading a PC. (3) An article titled
“Mr. Rebello is Always Right” states that “it would cost about one hundred dollars to update a
computer to the point of doubling its speed or performance” (Line 10). (4) Computers are a far
better way to play video games because they can be updated easier and cheaper than updating a
console like Playstation or XBOX.
What is an
Assertion?___________________________________________________________________
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What is a Topic
Sentence?_______________________________________________________________
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Where can you find the Assertion/topic
sentence?____________________________________________
Make an assertion/topic sentence for two paragraphs when the Thesis is: School should only be four hours a day because after 4 hours people stop paying attention and because students would have
time to get a job to make some money.
1._________________________________________________________________________________
__2._______________________________________________________________________________
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What is
evidence?______________________________________________________________________
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Where can you find the
evidence?_________________________________________________________
How would you introduce the following evidence: “This is no place for a girl on fire” (page 276).
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What is
commentary?___________________________________________________________________
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Where can you find the
commentary?______________________________________________________
Make a commentary about living longer because of video games for the following evidence: In the article, it is stated that “video games help relieve stress in people of all ages (Line 20).
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Conclusions
What should a thesis do and not do in the conclusion?___________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ Where can you find the thesis in the conclusion?________________________________________________
Make a thesis for a conclusion using the following thesis from the introduction: Pizza is the best meal that someone can buy because it gives the purchaser the most food for their money and because pizza is made of multiple food groups. ______________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ What should the bridge do in the conclusion?___________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ Where can you find the bridge in the conclusion?_______________________________________________ Make a bridge for the thesis you created above_________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ What is the clincher?_______________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ Where can you find the clincher?____________________________________________________________ Make a clincher to end the paragraph you started above__________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ What is wrong with the following thesis for the conclusion? As stated above, pizza is the best meal that someone can buy because it gives the purchaser the most food for their money and because pizza is made of multiple food groups. ______________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ Put the sentences of this paragraph in the correct order: (1)There are however, many reasons that people should recycle. (2) Everyone in the world should think about what they are throwing away and what they could do differently in the future. (3) From protecting the ozone to saving a little bird’s life, proper disposal of trash is a small action that goes a long way. (4) Recycling is one of the
most important things a person can do to save the planet. (5) Since Recycling is so easy to do, there is little to no excuse to not recycle. What should a thesis do and not do in the conclusion?___________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ Where can you find the thesis in the conclusion?________________________________________________ Make a thesis for a conclusion using the following thesis from the introduction: The article “Little Fish Don’t Cry” and “Big Elephants Can’t Sit” are similar because they share the theme of desensitization to violence. _______________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ What should the bridge do in the conclusion?___________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ Where can you find the bridge in the conclusion?_______________________________________________ Make a bridge for the thesis you created above_________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ What is the clincher?_______________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ Where can you find the clincher?____________________________________________________________ Make a clincher to end the paragraph you started above__________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________ What is wrong with the following thesis for the conclusion? The theme of desensitization to violence that the two articles share, is not the only theme that they share. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Put the sentences of this paragraph in the correct order: (1) Imagine knowing that everyone in the world is being controlled by some unseen “writer” or “artist” but a select few people know that this is happening and are able to talk to the controllers. (2) The strongest super hero ever created is deadpool because deadpool can not die and because deadpool can break the 4th wall allowing him to talk to the people drawing him. (3) Breaking the 4th wall is done in a wide variety of shows, comics, and other forms of entertainment, but rarely is it done to benefit the characters. On the Next page you will find a list of tips and tricks for answering essay questions. These ARE NOT Mr. Rebello’s tips, but they are tips from professional writers and people that GRADE standardized tests. 1. Read – write – read – write – read – write – read – write – read – write – read
What does this mean? It means that you should go back and read the paragraph you have just
written before you start the next one. You may think that this is a waste of time. If so, you’d
be wrong.
2. Don’t be smart, be clear – select your best idea
You are being tested on the quality of your English, not on the quality of your ideas. Don’t
worry if it is not your best explanation, worry about whether it is your clearest explanation.
3. See the whole essay in your head before you start writing
It’s very important that your essay is a whole – that all the bits fit together. If you don’t do
that, you may lose significant marks for both coherence and task response.
4. Focus on the question and refocus on the question
I have left this one to last as it is for me the most important idea. Essays go wrong for different
reasons. Some of these you may not be able to avoid: the quality of your English may not be
good enough yet. The one mistake you can always avoid is that you didn’t answer the
question. Too many essays go wrong because candidates didn’t read and think about the
question properly.
The practical suggestion: before you write each paragraph, refer back to the question
to remind yourself about what you are meant to write about.
It is very easy to get carried away in exams. You may start off on topic, then you have
a “good idea” as you write. So you write about that. Sadly, that “good idea” may not fully
relate to the question. Big problem
What to look forward to NEXT WEEK: The differences between different types of essays
1. Expository 2. Argumentative 3. Persuasive 4. Narrative 5. Compare and Contrast
Possible Essay Prompts: due Friday: pick one Explain why it is important to learn from the experience of others. Include specific details and examples in your response. Think about how daily life, from reading to playing games to communicating with others, has changed over the past hundred years because of technology. Using specific details and examples, explain how these advancements in technology have changed daily life. Think about how daily life, from reading to playing games to communicating with others, has changed over the past hundred years because of technology. Using specific details and examples, explain how these advancements in technology have changed daily life. Community parks, state parks, and national parks provide a wide variety of interesting activities. Write about an enjoyable way to spend time outdoors. Using specific details and examples, explain why someone might find that activity enjoyable. When people ask for advice, they sometimes talk to more than one person. Explain why seeking multiple opinions can help someone make a better choice. Use specific details and examples in your response.
Is it better to take risks and perhaps make some mistakes or remain cautious and risk nothing? Explain using specific details and examples in your response. Many professional athletes and entertainers earn large sums of money. Do you agree or disagree with these individuals making high salaries? Use specific details and examples to convince others to support your position. Some people think that schools should offer only nutritious drinks such as white milk, water, and natural fruit juice. Do you agree or disagree with this policy? Use specific details and examples to convince your principal to accept your position. Many teachers assign group projects. Sometimes, however, an uncooperative member can affect the entire group. Argue for or against the use of group projects using specific details and examples. Compare or contrast the Hunger Games movie with the book Compare and contrast the Hunger Games movie with the book Compare or contrast Viktor and Rico from “Crossing the Wire” Compare or contrast the motifs of “Crossing the Wire” and “Warriors Don’t Cry”