Essay topics that have been closely modeled on those in the SAT.
Each of the topics consists of a prompt and an assignment.
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Prompt:
"That which we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly. It is dearness only which gives everything its value."
Thomas Paine
Assignment:
Do we value only what we struggle for? Plan your response, and then
write an essay to explain your views on this issue. Be sure to support
your position with specific points and examples. (You may use personal
examples or examples from your reading, observations, or, knowledge of
subjects such as history, literature, science.)
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Prompt:
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? Plan your response, and then write an essay...
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Prompt:
“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? Plan your response, and then write an
essay...
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Prompt:
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? Plan your response, and then write an
essay...
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Prompt:
“The price of greatness is responsibility.”
Winston Churchill
Assignment:
Do we expect too much from our public figures? Plan your response, and then write an essay...
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Prompt:
“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? Plan your response, and then write an essay...
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Prompt:
“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? Plan your response, and then write an essay...
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Prompt:
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? Plan your response, and
then write an essay...
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Prompt:
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? Plan your response, and
then write an essay...
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Prompt:
“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? Plan
your response, and then write an essay...
Prompt:
Prompt:
