Example Essay Prompt
- The essay prompt is divided into four parts: introduction to the issue, three perspectives on the issue, the essay task, and planning your essay advice.
- The introduction sparks discussion on a given topic, such as the conflicts between public health laws and personal freedom, with examples to illustrate the issue.
- Three perspectives offer different viewpoints on the issue, requiring the test-taker to analyze and relate their own perspective to at least one of these.
- The essay task section is crucial, outlining what the essay should accomplish, including stating and defending the test-taker's perspective while analyzing its relationship to other perspectives.
- Planning your essay is deemed less critical, serving as a reminder that pre-writing pages are not scored and providing tips for organizing thoughts.
Censorship
Almost since human beings first began sharing ideas, the issue of censorship (officially suppressing ideas or writing) has been debated. Proponents of censorship argue, for example, that offensive material might morally corrupt children or that governments have the right to protect their national secrets. Opponents argue that censorship infringes on individual freedom and hinders progress. Censorship has long been an issue regarding books and papers; now, it has become a critical issue concerning the great amount of information on the Internet. Given the continued impact of censorship on various aspects of our lives, it is an issue worth examining.
Read and carefully consider these perspectives. Each suggests a particular way of thinking about the impact of censorship.
Perspective One
Selective censorship prevents children from being exposed to offensive material. It allows parents and caretakers to determine what material children are ready for and when they are ready based on their maturity level.
Perspective Two
Censorship intrudes upon freedom of the press and freedom of speech. Individuals have the right to learn about their world, both its positive and negative aspects, and express their ideas on it.
Perspective Three
Censorship places too much power in the hands of a few: no government should be allowed to decide what information should reach the public.
Essay Task
Write a unified, coherent essay about the impact of censorship on society. In your essay, be sure to:
clearly state your own perspective on the issue and analyze the relationship between your perspective and at least one other perspective
develop and support your ideas with reasoning and examples
organize your ideas clearly and logically
communicate your ideas effectively in standard written English
Your perspective may be in full agreement with any of those given, in partial agreement, or completely different.