Govt Promoting Green Life 2011B - Student Essay

Question 1

understand the prompt

Answer 1

make sure you read the whole thing, so you will understand the task. Whenever you see “to which extend” in an essay prompt, you know that you have a broad spectrum of possibilities as to how far you can go on the issue. you can choose to have your position be for, against, or somewhere in the middle on the issues, but you must have a clear and definite position

Question 2

developing your position

Answer 2

make sure your argument is “central,” which means you have an original position that is not just based on what a source says

Question 3

sample introduction

Answer 3

starts out by giving the context, exploring the conflict, and then revealing the thesis

Question 4

sample thesis

Answer 4

governments concerned with “going green” should offer incentive programs for people and companies that choose “green” alternatives, but should not be allowed to limit the amount of energy they use (this thesis is a clear statement of what the whole piece is going to be about. it establishes a clear parameter. now the writer knows where to go)

Question 5

samples claims, data, and warrants

Answer 5

the writer presents a debatable claim: When the government offers incentives for using a “green” alternative, people are generally willing to “go green”. Then the writer puts in a source to support the claim. There’s a nice flow between claims. Try to strive for at least two sources per paragraph

Question 6

mistakes

Answer 6

in a timed sessions, some redundancy will be forgiven. do your best, but don’t get caught up in tiny mistakes that you might make

Question 7

sample conclusion

Answer 7

the conclusion reiterates the point and uses good logic. it makes connections between the sources

Question 8

which source quote would best help strengthen this paragraph in response to the sample prompt?

Answer 8

• according to source E, “American residents express the highest levels of environmental stewardship”
• “the world has a problem: it is getting hot, flat, and crowded” (Source C)
• according to source F, you can “start making small changes today”
• according to source A, “Hydroelectric plants have the advantage of being long-lived”
• In Singapore, a 40 percent tax rebate is offered for choosing fuel efficient cars (Source B)
• Source F indicates, “The typical U.S. family spends about $1,900 a year on home utility bills
• “American and Japanese… express the highest levels of environmental stewardship,” claims Source E
• according to source F, Americans are more likely to waste money on utilities and must change
• businesses should continue “the quest for big profits and the tackling of big problems” (Source C)
• as “congress begins considering anti-global warming legislation” (Source D) they should enforce it
• “customers often buy green power for avoided environmental impacts” (source a)
• Source F encourages consumers to make smarter environmental choices like using mass transit
• “but this challenge is actually an opportunity,” claims source c
• the graph in source E shows Americans are trying to help, but incentives would increase success
• “America is always at its most powerful and most influential” (Source C) in a crisis
• source c indicates that americans must foster “green practices” to make our country better