Examples that show the thinking.
534 examples and lessons to explore. Find an approach, follow the thinking, and try it in your own writing.
Why the Cost of Commuting Belongs in Discussions About Work
A developed explanation of why wages alone cannot measure the value or accessibility of a job, considering travel time, work location, transportation choices, and housing affordability.
Native American Adaptation to European Colonization, 1500–1754
Native societies adapted to colonization through trade, diplomacy, political choices, and cultural change. Their responses differed across communities and depended on the circumstances of colonial contact.
Individual Choices or Government Action: Who Should Address Global Warming?
A qualified argument that household choices matter, but government action on infrastructure and shared systems is necessary to make emissions reductions broad, durable, and fair.
Common App Challenge Essay: What a Setback Taught You
An illustrative personal narrative about a failed attempt to lead a school event, the choices that followed, and a more useful approach to later goals.
Educational Institutions and Student Choice: When Should Schools Discourage a Field of Study?
An argumentative essay contending that schools should offer candid, evidence-based guidance about academic and career paths without treating present difficulty as proof that a student cannot succeed.
Why Sleep Should Be Treated as a Public Concern, Not Just a Personal Habit
An explanatory essay arguing that sleep is shaped by shared schedules and environments, with consequences for learning and daily functioning.
Why Repairing a Scientific Instrument Can Be an Investment in Discovery
An explanatory essay on how Hubble’s servicing history connected maintenance and technological upgrades to sustained astronomical research.
Jack Worthing’s Double Identity in The Importance of Being Earnest
An analysis of how Jack’s invented identity as Ernest exposes the conflict between public respectability, private desire, and social approval in Wilde’s comedy.
Why Online Reviews Need the Same Skepticism as Other Sources
Online reviews can help consumers, but a star rating is not proof. Evaluating who wrote a review, how it was produced, and what it actually describes makes consumer decisions more informed.
Technology and Quality of Life in the Twentieth Century
A qualified argument that twentieth-century technology expanded human capabilities, but that this nuclear-technology case alone cannot establish broad improvements in individuals’ lives. Its benefits depended on how societies directed and governed its power.
Energy Efficiency and Clean Generation Should Be Evaluated Together
An explanatory essay argues that reducing electricity demand and expanding low-emission generation are complementary strategies: efficiency changes the amount of electricity the system must supply, while the generation mix determines the impacts of the electricity still needed.
Corporate Responsibility Beyond Making a Profit
An evidence-based argument that corporations should pursue profit within the law while also taking reasonable responsibility for the social and environmental effects of their operations.