Some believe that research on family history is a useful thing to do, while others disagree.
Discuss both sides and give your own opinion.
In recent years, many people have become increasingly interested in tracing their ancestry. While some argue that learning about family history can offer valuable insights into personal identity, I believe that it is a waste of time and resources on the whole.
On the one hand, supporters of researching family history believe that it can foster a deeper understanding of one’s identity. For instance, my friend Jessica, who was adopted as a baby in Canada, spent years trying to uncover her biological roots. Through online databases, DNA testing, and eventually hiring a genealogist, she discovered that her maternal family came from rural Vietnam and had immigrated to the United States during the Vietnam War. This discovery not only provided a sense of closure but also allowed her to reconnect with relatives and learn about her culture’s traditions, language, and values. For people like Jessica, family history research can be a deeply meaningful journey that enriches their lives and strengthens their connection to their heritage.
On the other hand, critics argue that researching family history can be a time-consuming and ultimately fruitless endeavor. Not everyone has access to detailed records, especially those whose ancestors came from regions affected by war, colonization, or poor documentation. A person today in Zimbabwe may not be able to trace their lineage as many records have been destroyed during political unrest. After spending months and a considerable amount of money, this person may give up, frustrated by the lack of progress. In such cases, the process can feel more like long errand than a meaningful pursuit. This focus on the past can distract from the present and future. Investing time and money into discovering long-lost ancestors can be seen as indulgent given the more serious personal and public issues that face all individuals today. For example, a single mother working two jobs may find little value in knowing her great-grandfather was a fisherman in Ireland when she is struggling simply to pay bills and take care of her children.
In conclusion, while researching family history can be deeply rewarding for some, I believe that it is generally a poor use of time, resources, and curiosity. The ultimate usefulness of such research largely depends on an individual’s personal circumstances, access to resources, and what they hope to gain from the experience.
Analysis
1. In recent years, many people have become increasingly interested in tracing their ancestry. 2. While some argue that learning about family history can offer valuable insights into personal identity, I believe that it is a waste of time and resources on the whole.
Paraphrase the overall essay topic.
Write a clear opinion. Read more about introductions here.
1. On the one hand, supporters of researching family history believe that it can foster a deeper understanding of one’s identity. 2. For instance, my friend Jessica, who was adopted as a baby in Canada, spent years trying to uncover her biological roots. 3. Through online databases, DNA testing, and eventually hiring a genealogist, she discovered that her maternal family came from rural Vietnam and had immigrated to the United States during the Vietnam War. 4. This discovery not only provided a sense of closure but also allowed her to reconnect with relatives and learn about her culture’s traditions, language, and values. 5. For people like Jessica, family history research can be a deeply meaningful journey that enriches their lives and strengthens their connection to their heritage.
Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
Explain your main idea.
Develop it with specific or hypothetical examples.
Keep developing it fully.
Better to have more detail.
1. On the other hand, critics argue that researching family history can be a time-consuming and ultimately fruitless endeavor. 2. Not everyone has access to detailed records, especially those whose ancestors came from regions affected by war, colonization, or poor documentation. 3. A person today in Zimbabwe may not be able to trace their lineage as many records have been destroyed during political unrest. 4. After spending months and a considerable amount of money, this person may give up, frustrated by the lack of progress. 5. In such cases, the process can feel more like long errand than a meaningful pursuit. 6. This focus on the past can distract from the present and future. 7. Investing time and money into discovering long-lost ancestors can be seen as indulgent given the more serious personal and public issues that face all individuals today. 8. For example, a single mother working two jobs may find little value in knowing her great-grandfather was a fisherman in Ireland when she is struggling simply to pay bills and take care of her children.
Write a new topic sentence with a new main idea at the end.
Explain your new main idea.
Include specific details and examples.
Add as much information as you can and make sure it links logically.
The more detail, the better.
Continue expanding on your ideas.
Be specific with your details.
This essay is a bit long – aim for about 275 words.
1. In conclusion, while researching family history can be deeply rewarding for some, I believe that it is generally a poor use of time, resources, and curiosity. 2. The ultimate usefulness of such research largely depends on an individual’s personal circumstances, access to resources, and what they hope to gain from the experience.
Summarise your main ideas.
Include a final thought. Read more about conclusions here.
Vocabulary
What do the words in bold below mean?Make some notes on paper to aid memory and then check below.
In recent years, many people have become increasingly interested in tracing their ancestry. While some argue that learning about family history can offer valuable insights into personal identity, I believe that it is a waste of time and resources on the whole.
On the one hand, supporters of researching family history believe that it can foster a deeper understanding of one’s identity. For instance, my friend Jessica, who was adopted as a baby in Canada, spent years trying to uncover her biological roots. Through online databases, DNA testing, and eventually hiring a genealogist, she discovered that her maternal family came from rural Vietnam and had immigrated to the United States during the Vietnam War. This discovery not only provided a sense of closure but also allowed her to reconnect with relatives and learn about her culture’s traditions, language, and values. For people like Jessica, family history research can be a deeply meaningful journey that enriches their lives and strengthens their connection to their heritage.
On the other hand, critics argue that researching family history can be a time-consuming and ultimately fruitless endeavor. Not everyone has access to detailed records, especially those whose ancestors came from regions affected by war, colonization, or poor documentation. A person today in Zimbabwe may not be able to trace their lineage as many records have been destroyed during political unrest. After spending months and a considerable amount of money, this person may give up, frustrated by the lack of progress. In such cases, the process can feel more like long errand than a meaningful pursuit. This focus on the past can distract from the present and future. Investing time and money into discovering long-lost ancestors can be seen as indulgent given the more serious personal and public issues that face all individuals today. For example, a single mother working two jobs may find little value in knowing her great-grandfather was a fisherman in Ireland when she is struggling simply to pay bills and take care of her children.
In conclusion, while researching family history can be deeply rewarding for some, I believe that it is generally a poor use of time, resources, and curiosity. The ultimate usefulness of such research largely depends on an individual’s personal circumstances, access to resources, and what they hope to gain from the experience.
Answers
For extra practice, write an antonym (opposite word) on a piece of paper to help you remember the new vocabulary:
In recent years → Over the past few years
increasingly interested in tracing their ancestry → more inclined to explore their family roots
family history → ancestral background
offer valuable insights into personal identity → provide important clues about one’s sense of self
a waste of time and resources → an inefficient use of energy and money
on the whole → overall
On the one hand → From one perspective
foster a deeper understanding of one’s identity → encourage greater self-awareness
adopted → raised by non-biological parents
uncover her biological roots → discover her genetic origins
Through online databases → Using internet-based genealogical tools
DNA testing → genetic analysis
eventually hiring a genealogist → ultimately employing a family history expert
maternal family → mother’s side of the family
rural Vietnam → countryside in Vietnam
immigrated to → relocated to another country
a sense of closure → emotional resolution
reconnect with → re-establish ties with
deeply meaningful journey → profound personal quest
enriches → enhances
strengthens their connection to their heritage → deepens their bond with cultural roots
On the other hand → Conversely
critics argue that → skeptics claim that
time-consuming and ultimately fruitless endeavor → lengthy and potentially unrewarding task
detailed records → comprehensive documentation
regions affected by war → areas impacted by conflict
colonization → imperial rule
poor documentation → inadequate recordkeeping
trace their lineage → follow their ancestral trail
destroyed during political unrest → lost amid civil turmoil
a considerable amount of money → a significant financial investment
may give up → could abandon the search
frustrated by the lack of progress → disheartened by slow results
In such cases → Under these circumstances
long errand → drawn-out task
meaningful pursuit → worthwhile endeavor
distract from the present and future → shift focus away from current and upcoming priorities
long-lost → estranged or forgotten
can be seen as indulgent given the more serious personal and public issues that face all individuals today → may seem self-indulgent in light of more pressing societal and personal challenges
find little value → see limited benefit
struggling simply to pay bills and take care of her children → barely managing financial responsibilities and childcare
deeply rewarding → highly fulfilling
generally a poor use of time, resources, and curiosity → often an unwise investment of effort, funds, and interest
The ultimate usefulness of such research largely depends on → How beneficial this type of exploration is often hinges on
individual’s personal circumstances → someone’s unique life situation
access to resources → availability of support and tools
what they hope to gain from the experience → the outcomes they aim to achieve
I recommend getting a pencil and piece of paper because that aids memory. Then write down the missing vocabulary from my sample answer in your notebook:
I_____________s, many people have become i_____________________________y. While some argue that learning about f____________y can o_____________________________y, I believe that it is a__________________________e.
O______________d, supporters of researching family history believe that it can f______________________________________y. For instance, my friend Jessica, who was a________d as a baby in Canada, spent years trying to u_______________s. T______________________s, D____________g, and e___________________t, she discovered that her m___________y came from r___________________m and had i______________o the United States during the Vietnam War. This discovery not only provided a_______________e but also allowed her to r____________h relatives and learn about her culture’s traditions, language, and values. For people like Jessica, family history research can be a d_________________y that e__________s their lives and s_________________________________________e.
O________________d, c________________t researching family history can be a t_______________________________________________r. Not everyone has access to d______________s, especially those whose ancestors came from r___________________r, c_______________n, or p__________________n. A person today in Zimbabwe may not be able to t__________________________e as many records have been d_________________________t. After spending months and a_____________________________y, this person m_______________p, f_______________________________________s. I___________s, the process can feel more like l_________d than a m____________t. This focus on the past can d______________________________e. Investing time and money into discovering l_____________t ancestors c___________________________________________________________________________________y. For example, a single mother working two jobs may f_____________e in knowing her great-grandfather was a fisherman in Ireland when she is s__________________________________________n.
In conclusion, while researching family history can be d______________g for some, I believe that it is g____________________________________________________________y. T_____________________________________________n an i___________________________s, a_______________s, and w___________________________e.
Listening Practice
Learn more about this topic by watching from YouTube below and practice with these activities:
Developing countries should be encouraged to implement high tariffs to grow their local industries.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
In recent years, there has been considerable debate regarding whether developing countries should impose high tariffs to protect and nurture local industries. While there are compelling arguments in favor of this approach, on balance, such a strategy may not always be the most effective solution for fostering sustainable economic growth.
On one hand, high tariffs can provide temporary relief to fledgling industries in developing countries. By imposing tariffs on imported goods, local businesses are protected from international competition, allowing them to grow and improve their productivity without the immediate threat of cheaper foreign products undercutting the market. For example, in countries like Vietnam, tariffs on foreign electronics and automobiles have given local manufacturers a chance to scale up their operations, improve technology, and create jobs for the local workforce. In such cases, tariffs act as a shield, fostering the development of domestic industries and enabling them to become more competitive in the global market over time.
However, high tariffs can lead to higher prices for consumers and impact core industries. In a developing economy, where many people already struggle with low wages, the imposition of tariffs can make essential goods more expensive, further exacerbating inequality. For example, in certain Southeast Asian countries, high tariffs on imported agricultural equipment have made it more expensive for local farmers to access modern machinery, limiting their productivity and overall income. Relatedly, if industries are protected from competition for too long, they may not innovate or improve their products and services, as they are not under the same pressure to compete with more efficient global companies. In some cases, this results in the growth of uncompetitive industries that fail to meet global standards. Despite high tariffs on foreign rice in countries like India, the local rice industry has struggled to modernize and remain competitive with other rice-exporting nations such as Vietnam and Thailand.
In conclusion, while high tariffs can offer short-term benefits for developing countries, I believe they should only be implemented cautiously and with a clear focus on long-term strategies. A balanced approach that combines targeted protection for emerging industries with efforts to increase global competitiveness.
Analysis
1. In recent years, there has been considerable debate regarding whether developing countries should impose high tariffs to protect and nurture local industries. 2. While there are compelling arguments in favor of this approach, on balance, such a strategy may not always be the most effective solution for fostering sustainable economic growth.
Paraphrase the overall essay topic.
Write a clear opinion. Read more about introductions here.
1. On one hand, high tariffs can provide temporary relief to fledgling industries in developing countries. 2. By imposing tariffs on imported goods, local businesses are protected from international competition, allowing them to grow and improve their productivity without the immediate threat of cheaper foreign products undercutting the market. 3. For example, in countries like Vietnam, tariffs on foreign electronics and automobiles have given local manufacturers a chance to scale up their operations, improve technology, and create jobs for the local workforce. 4. In such cases, tariffs act as a shield, fostering the development of domestic industries and enabling them to become more competitive in the global market over time.
Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
Explain your main idea.
Develop it with specific or hypothetical examples.
Keep developing it fully.
1. However, high tariffs can lead to higher prices for consumers and impact core industries. 2. In a developing economy, where many people already struggle with low wages, the imposition of tariffs can make essential goods more expensive, further exacerbating inequality. 3. For example, in certain Southeast Asian countries, high tariffs on imported agricultural equipment have made it more expensive for local farmers to access modern machinery, limiting their productivity and overall income. 4. Relatedly, if industries are protected from competition for too long, they may not innovate or improve their products and services, as they are not under the same pressure to compete with more efficient global companies. 5. In some cases, this results in the growth of uncompetitive industries that fail to meet global standards. 6. Despite high tariffs on foreign rice in countries like India, the local rice industry has struggled to modernize and remain competitive with other rice-exporting nations such as Vietnam and Thailand.
Write a new topic sentence with a new main idea at the end.
Explain your new main idea.
Include specific details and examples.
Add as much information as you can and make sure it links logically.
Keep adding detail.
This essay is a bit long – aim for about 275 words.
1. In conclusion, while high tariffs can offer short-term benefits for developing countries, I believe they should only be implemented cautiously and with a clear focus on long-term strategies. 2. A balanced approach that combines targeted protection for emerging industries with efforts to increase global competitiveness.
Summarise your main ideas.
Include a final thought. Read more about conclusions here.
Vocabulary
What do the words in bold below mean?Make some notes on paper to aid memory and then check below.
In recent years, there has been considerable debate regarding whether developing countries should impose high tariffs to protect and nurture local industries. While there are compelling arguments in favor of this approach, on balance, such a strategy may not always be the most effective solution for fostering sustainable economic growth.
On one hand, high tariffs can provide temporary relief to fledgling industries in developing countries. By imposing tariffs on imported goods, local businesses are protected from international competition, allowing them to grow and improve their productivity without the immediate threat of cheaper foreign products undercutting the market. For example, in countries like Vietnam, tariffs on foreign electronics and automobiles have given local manufacturers a chance to scale up their operations, improve technology, and create jobs for the local workforce. In such cases, tariffs act as a shield, fostering the development of domestic industries and enabling them to become more competitive in the global market over time.
However, high tariffs can lead to higher prices for consumers and impact core industries. In a developing economy, where many people already struggle with low wages, the imposition of tariffs can make essential goods more expensive, further exacerbating inequality. For example, in certain Southeast Asian countries, high tariffs on imported agricultural equipment have made it more expensive for local farmers to access modern machinery, limiting their productivity and overall income. Relatedly, if industries are protected from competition for too long, they may not innovate or improve their products and services, as they are not under the same pressure to compete with more efficient global companies. In some cases, this results in the growth of uncompetitive industries that fail to meet global standards. Despite high tariffs on foreign rice in countries like India, the local rice industry has struggled to modernize and remain competitive with other rice-exporting nations such as Vietnam and Thailand.
In conclusion, while high tariffs can offer short-term benefits for developing countries, I believe they should only be implemented cautiously and with a clear focus on long-term strategies. A balanced approach that combines targeted protection for emerging industries with efforts to increase global competitiveness.
Answers
For extra practice, write an antonym (opposite word) on a piece of paper to help you remember the new vocabulary:
In recent years → In the past few years
there has been considerable debate regarding whether → there has been much discussion about whether
impose high tariffs → enforce steep tariffs
protect and nurture local industries → safeguard and support domestic industries
While there are compelling arguments in favor of this approach → Although there are strong reasons to support this method
on balance → overall
strategy → approach
the most effective solution for fostering sustainable economic growth → the most viable method for promoting long-term economic development
provide temporary relief to fledgling industries in developing countries → offer short-term support to nascent industries in emerging nations
By imposing tariffs on imported goods → Through levying taxes on foreign products
protected from international competition → shielded from global competition
grow and improve their productivity without the immediate threat of cheaper foreign products undercutting the market → expand and enhance their efficiency without the immediate risk of less expensive imports undermining the market
tariffs → duties
local manufacturers → domestic producers
scale up their operations → expand their businesses
create jobs for the local workforce → generate employment for the national labor force
In such cases → Under these circumstances
shield → protect
fostering the development of domestic industries → encouraging the growth of homegrown industries
enabling them to become more competitive in the global market over time → allowing them to gain a competitive edge in the international marketplace gradually
lead to higher prices for consumers → result in increased costs for consumers
impact core industries → affect key sectors
struggle with low wages → face challenges with inadequate salaries
imposition → enforcement
make essential goods more expensive → raise the cost of basic necessities
further exacerbating inequality → deepening social disparities
in certain Southeast Asian countries → in some nations across Southeast Asia
local farmers to access modern machinery → local agricultural workers to acquire advanced tools
limiting their productivity → hindering their efficiency
Relatedly → In connection with this
protected from competition for too long → shielded from rivalry for an extended period
innovate or improve their products → create new or enhance their offerings
not under the same pressure to compete with more efficient global companies → not facing the same competition from more proficient international firms
In some cases → Occasionally
this results in the growth of uncompetitive industries that fail to meet global standards → this leads to the development of inefficient sectors that cannot compete with international benchmarks
Despite high tariffs on foreign rice → Even with steep taxes on imported rice
struggled to modernize and remain competitive with → found it difficult to modernize and stay competitive with
rice-exporting nations → countries that export rice
high tariffs → steep duties
offer short-term benefits for developing countries → provide immediate advantages for emerging nations
implemented cautiously → enforced carefully
with a clear focus on long-term strategies → with a clear emphasis on sustained policies
A balanced approach → A well-rounded strategy
combines targeted protection for emerging industries with efforts to increase global competitiveness → merges specific safeguards for growing industries with initiatives to boost international competitiveness
I recommend getting a pencil and piece of paper because that aids memory. Then write down the missing vocabulary from my sample answer in your notebook:
I_____________s, t____________________________________________________r developing countries should i_______________s to p______________________________________s. W________________________________________________________________h, o_____________e, such a s_________y may not always be t________________________________________________h.
On one hand, high tariffs can p_____________________________________________________________s. B_______________________________________s, local businesses are p____________________________________n, allowing them to g_________________________________________________________________________________________________________t. For example, in countries like Vietnam, t__________s on foreign electronics and automobiles have given l_________________s a chance to s__________________________s, improve technology, and c____________________________e. I_____________s, tariffs act as a s_______d, f____________________________________________________s and e____________________________________________________________________________________e.
However, high tariffs can l___________________________________s and i__________________s. In a developing economy, where many people already s____________________s, the i______________on of tariffs can m______________________________e, f_____________________________y. For example, i___________________________s, high tariffs on i_____________________________t have made it more expensive for l______________________________________y, l________________________y and overall income. R____________y, if industries are p___________________________________g, they may not i__________________________________s and services, as they are n____________________________________________________________________________s. I_____________s, t___________________________________________________________________________s. D__________________________e in countries like India, the local rice industry has s_______________________________________h other r_________________________s such as Vietnam and Thailand.
In conclusion, while h_____________s can o______________________________________________s, I believe they should only be i________________________y and w___________________________________s. A___________________h that c_____________________________________________________________________________________________________s.
Listening Practice
Learn more about this topic by watching from YouTube below and practice with these activities:
Many people feel that media coverage has become increasingly biased today.
Why is this?
What can be done to fix this problem?
Media bias has become a growing concern in recent years, as people increasingly find news coverage skewed towards particular political, economic, or ideological perspectives. This shift in media impartiality is primarily driven by financial incentives and the rise of social media. However, various measures can be taken to address this issue and restore trust in journalism.
One major reason for media bias is the influence of corporate incentives. Many news organizations are owned by large conglomerates with vested interests in certain political or economic outcomes. For example, in the United States, media networks such as Fox News and MSNBC are often criticized for presenting news in a manner that aligns with their owners’ political leanings, catering to either conservative or liberal audiences. These networks prioritize viewership ratings and advertising revenue, often sensationalizing stories or omitting perspectives that do not align with their target audience’s beliefs. Audiences then receive filtered information, reinforcing their existing biases rather than presenting a balanced view of issues. Relatedly, the rise of social media has exacerbated this problem. Platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok use algorithms that prioritize content engagement over factual reporting. This means that articles with sensational headlines or extreme viewpoints are more likely to be shared, even if they lack credibility.
To address media bias, promoting independent journalism is crucial. Governments and private institutions can fund non-profit investigative journalism organizations such as ProPublica, which aims to provide unbiased, in-depth reporting. Additionally, stronger transparency laws should be enacted, requiring media companies to disclose their ownership structures and financial backers. This would help audiences assess potential biases in news reporting. A related effective solution would be the implementation of media literacy programs. Schools and universities should teach students how to critically evaluate news sources, distinguish between fact and opinion, and recognize biased reporting. Countries like Finland have already integrated media literacy into their education system, resulting in a more informed and skeptical public that is less susceptible to manipulation by biased news outlets.
In conclusion, media bias stems from corporate interests and the rise of social media-driven misinformation. By implementing countermeasures, societies can work towards a more balanced and trustworthy media landscape.
Analysis
1. Media bias has become a growing concern in recent years, as people increasingly find news coverage skewed towards particular political, economic, or ideological perspectives. 2. This shift in media impartiality is primarily driven by financial incentives and the rise of social media. 3. However, various measures can be taken to address this issue and restore trust in journalism.
Paraphrase the overall essay topic.
Write a clear opinion. Read more about introductions here.
Just two sentences is usually enough.
1. One major reason for media bias is the influence of corporate incentives. 2. Many news organizations are owned by large conglomerates with vested interests in certain political or economic outcomes. 3. For example, in the United States, media networks such as Fox News and MSNBC are often criticized for presenting news in a manner that aligns with their owners’ political leanings, catering to either conservative or liberal audiences. 4. These networks prioritize viewership ratings and advertising revenue, often sensationalizing stories or omitting perspectives that do not align with their target audience’s beliefs. 5. Audiences then receive filtered information, reinforcing their existing biases rather than presenting a balanced view of issues. 6. Relatedly, the rise of social media has exacerbated this problem. 7. Platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok use algorithms that prioritize content engagement over factual reporting. 8. This means that articles with sensational headlines or extreme viewpoints are more likely to be shared, even if they lack credibility.
Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
Explain your main idea.
Develop it with specific or hypothetical examples.
Keep developing it fully.
Better to have more detail.
1. To address media bias, promoting independent journalism is crucial. 2. Governments and private institutions can fund non-profit investigative journalism organizations such as ProPublica, which aims to provide unbiased, in-depth reporting. 3. Additionally, stronger transparency laws should be enacted, requiring media companies to disclose their ownership structures and financial backers. 4. This would help audiences assess potential biases in news reporting. 5. A related effective solution would be the implementation of media literacy programs. 6. Schools and universities should teach students how to critically evaluate news sources, distinguish between fact and opinion, and recognize biased reporting. 7. Countries like Finland have already integrated media literacy into their education system, resulting in a more informed and skeptical public that is less susceptible to manipulation by biased news outlets.
Write a new topic sentence with a new main idea at the end.
Explain your new main idea.
Include specific details and examples.
Add as much information as you can and make sure it links logically.
This essay is a bit long – aim for about 275 words.
1. In conclusion, media bias stems from corporate interests and the rise of social media-driven misinformation. 2. By implementing countermeasures, societies can work towards a more balanced and trustworthy media landscape.
Summarise your main ideas.
Include a final thought. Read more about conclusions here.
Vocabulary
What do the words in bold below mean?Make some notes on paper to aid memory and then check below.
Media bias has become a growing concern in recent years, as people increasingly find news coverage skewed towards particular political, economic, or ideological perspectives. This shift in media impartiality is primarily driven by financial incentives and the rise of social media. However, various measures can be taken to address this issue and restore trust in journalism.
One major reason for media bias is the influence of corporate incentives. Many news organizations are owned by large conglomerates with vested interests in certain political or economic outcomes. For example, in the United States, media networks such as Fox News and MSNBC are often criticized for presenting news in a manner that aligns with their owners’ political leanings, catering to either conservative or liberal audiences. These networks prioritize viewership ratings and advertising revenue, often sensationalizing stories or omitting perspectives that do not align with their target audience’s beliefs. Audiences then receive filtered information, reinforcing their existing biases rather than presenting a balanced view of issues. Relatedly, the rise of social media has exacerbated this problem. Platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok use algorithms that prioritize content engagement over factual reporting. This means that articles with sensational headlines or extreme viewpoints are more likely to be shared, even if they lack credibility.
To address media bias, promoting independent journalism is crucial. Governments and private institutions can fund non-profit investigative journalism organizations such as ProPublica, which aims to provide unbiased, in-depth reporting. Additionally, stronger transparency laws should be enacted, requiring media companies to disclose their ownership structures and financial backers. This would help audiences assess potential biases in news reporting. A related effective solution would be the implementation of media literacy programs. Schools and universities should teach students how to critically evaluate news sources, distinguish between fact and opinion, and recognize biased reporting. Countries like Finland have already integrated media literacy into their education system, resulting in a more informed and skeptical public that is less susceptible to manipulation by biased news outlets.
In conclusion, media bias stems from corporate interests and the rise of social media-driven misinformation. By implementing countermeasures, societies can work towards a more balanced and trustworthy media landscape.
Answers
For extra practice, write an antonym (opposite word) on a piece of paper to help you remember the new vocabulary:
Media bias → News partiality
Become a growing concern in recent years → Has increasingly raised alarms in recent times
Increasingly find news coverage skewed towards → More often notice reporting leaning towards
Ideological perspectives → Political viewpoints
This shift in media impartiality is primarily driven by financial incentives → The decline in media neutrality is largely fueled by monetary motives
The rise of social media → The expansion of digital platforms
Various measures can be taken to address this issue → Different steps can be taken to tackle this problem
Restore trust in journalism → Rebuild credibility in news reporting
Influence of corporate incentives → Impact of business-driven motives
Large conglomerates with vested interests in certain political or economic outcomes → Major corporations with stakes in specific political or financial agendas
Media networks → Broadcast organizations
Often criticized for presenting news in a manner that aligns with → Frequently accused of delivering news that conforms to
Political leanings → Ideological affiliations
Catering to either conservative or liberal audiences → Targeting right- or left-leaning viewers
Prioritize viewership ratings → Focus on audience numbers
Advertising revenue → Marketing profits
Sensationalizing stories or omitting perspectives → Exaggerating news or neglecting certain viewpoints
Align with their target audience’s beliefs → Match the convictions of their core viewers
Audiences → Viewers
Receive filtered information → Consume selectively presented content
Reinforcing their existing biases rather than presenting a balanced view of issues → Confirming preconceived notions instead of offering an impartial perspective
Relatedly → In connection to this
Exacerbated → Worsened
Platforms → Digital outlets
Algorithms → Automated content-ranking systems
Prioritize content engagement over factual reporting → Favor user interaction over accuracy in journalism
Sensational headlines → Clickbait titles
Extreme viewpoints → Radical opinions
Lack credibility → Are unreliable
To address media bias → To combat journalistic partiality
I recommend getting a pencil and piece of paper because that aids memory. Then write down the missing vocabulary from my sample answer in your notebook:
M_________s has b________________________________s, as people i_______________________________________s particular political, economic, or i_______________________s. T___________________________________________________________s and t____________________a. However, v_________________________________________________e and r_________________m.
One major reason for media bias is the i______________________s. Many news organizations are owned by l_________________________________________________________________________s. For example, in the United States, m_______________s such as Fox News and MSNBC are o___________________________________________________h their owners’ p___________s, c____________________________________________s. These networks p______________________s and a____________________e, often s__________________________________________s that do not a______________________________s. A_________s then r_______________________________n, r________________________________________________________________________s. R________y, the rise of social media has e_____________d this problem. P___________s like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok use a____________s that p___________________________________________________g. This means that articles with s______________s or e______________s are more likely to be shared, even if they l___________y.
T______________________s, p_______________________m is c_______l. Governments and p______________s can f___________________________________________s such as ProPublica, which aims to p____________d, i___________g. A____________y, s_____________________________________________d, requiring media companies to d________________________________________________________________s. This would help audiences a__________________________g. A________________________________________e the i_____________________________________s. Schools and universities should teach students how to c____________________________s, d__________________________n, and r_________________________g. Countries like Finland have already i_________________________________________m, r_____________________________________________c that is l___________________________________________________s.
In conclusion, media bias s____________________________s and the r________________________________________n. B_________________________________s, societies can w_______________________________________________________e.
Listening Practice
Learn more about this topic by watching from YouTube below and practice with these activities:
Media coverage of violent crime frightens people and encourages criminals. Some people say it should be banned from newspapers and TV programs.
To what extend do you agree or disagree?
Some argue that reporting violent crimes in newspapers and on TV causes unnecessary fear among the public and such coverage should therefore be banned. While I agree that sensationalized crime coverage can have negative effects, completely banning it would do more harm than good.
One major concern is that excessive reporting on violent crime makes people feel unsafe, even in areas where crime rates are low. For example, in many developed countries, violent crime has been steadily decreasing over the past few decades. However, due to the way media outlets focus on shocking incidents, many people believe crime is becoming worse. In the United States, studies have shown that despite a significant drop in violent crime since the 1990s, public perception remains the opposite. News programs frequently highlight cases of murder, robbery, and assault, often broadcasting disturbing images and interviews with victims’ families. This kind of coverage implies such crimes are common occurrences. Audiences may then become unnecessarily fearful, avoid going out at night, or even purchase weapons for self-defense, which could lead to more violence rather than less.
However, crime reporting serves an important function in raising awareness and promoting justice. For example, when journalists cover a case of police brutality or domestic violence, it can lead to public outcry and legal action against the perpetrators. A famous example is the 2020 murder of George Floyd in the U.S., which sparked global protests against police violence after the video footage was widely shared by the media. Without media coverage, many injustices would go unnoticed. To mitigate the concerns of critics, governments and media organizations can intensify current collaborations to ensure crime reporting is factual and responsible, rather than sensationalized. For instance, they could avoid showing graphic images, limit the use of criminals’ names and photos to prevent glorification, and provide context about crime trends rather than focusing only on isolated incidents.
In conclusion, while there are valid concerns about media coverage of violent crime increasing public fear and inspiring criminals, banning it outright is not the answer. Doing so would prevent the public from being informed.
Analysis
1. Some argue that reporting violent crimes in newspapers and on TV causes unnecessary fear among the public and such coverage should therefore be banned. 2. While I agree that sensationalized crime coverage can have negative effects, completely banning it would do more harm than good.
Paraphrase the overall essay topic.
Write a clear opinion. Read more about introductions here.
1. One major concern is that excessive reporting on violent crime makes people feel unsafe, even in areas where crime rates are low. 2. For example, in many developed countries, violent crime has been steadily decreasing over the past few decades. 3. However, due to the way media outlets focus on shocking incidents, many people believe crime is becoming worse. 4. In the United States, studies have shown that despite a significant drop in violent crime since the 1990s, public perception remains the opposite. 5. News programs frequently highlight cases of murder, robbery, and assault, often broadcasting disturbing images and interviews with victims’ families. 6. This kind of coverage implies such crimes are common occurrences. 7. Audiences may then become unnecessarily fearful, avoid going out at night, or even purchase weapons for self-defense, which could lead to more violence rather than less.
Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
Explain your main idea.
Develop it with specific or hypothetical examples.
Keep developing it fully.
Better to have more detail.
1. However, crime reporting serves an important function in raising awareness and promoting justice. 2. For example, when journalists cover a case of police brutality or domestic violence, it can lead to public outcry and legal action against the perpetrators. 3. A famous example is the 2020 murder of George Floyd in the U.S., which sparked global protests against police violence after the video footage was widely shared by the media. 4. Without media coverage, many injustices would go unnoticed. 5. To mitigate the concerns of critics, governments and media organizations can intensify current collaborations to ensure crime reporting is factual and responsible, rather than sensationalized. 6. For instance, they could avoid showing graphic images, limit the use of criminals’ names and photos to prevent glorification, and provide context about crime trends rather than focusing only on isolated incidents.
Write a new topic sentence with a new main idea at the end.
Explain your new main idea.
Include specific details and examples.
Add as much information as you can and make sure it links logically.
This essay is a bit long – aim for about 275 words.
1. In conclusion, while there are valid concerns about media coverage of violent crime increasing public fear and inspiring criminals, banning it outright is not the answer. 2. Doing so would prevent the public from being informed.
Summarise your main ideas.
Include a final thought. Read more about conclusions here.
Vocabulary
What do the words in bold below mean?Make some notes on paper to aid memory and then check below.
Some argue that reporting violent crimes in newspapers and on TV causes unnecessary fear among the public and such coverage should therefore be banned. While I agree that sensationalized crime coverage can have negative effects, completely banning it would do more harm than good.
One major concern is that excessive reporting on violent crime makes people feel unsafe, even in areas where crime rates are low. For example, in many developed countries, violent crime has been steadily decreasing over the past few decades. However, due to the way media outlets focus on shocking incidents, many people believe crime is becoming worse. In the United States, studies have shown that despite a significant drop in violent crime since the 1990s, public perception remains the opposite. News programs frequently highlight cases of murder, robbery, and assault, often broadcasting disturbing images and interviews with victims‘ families. This kind of coverageimplies such crimes are common occurrences. Audiences may then become unnecessarily fearful, avoid going out at night, or even purchase weapons for self-defense, which could lead to more violence rather than less.
However, crime reporting serves an important function in raising awareness and promoting justice. For example, when journalists cover a case of police brutality or domestic violence, it can lead to public outcry and legal action against the perpetrators. A famous example is the 2020 murder of George Floyd in the U.S., which sparked global protests against police violence after the video footage was widely shared by the media. Without media coverage, many injustices would go unnoticed. To mitigate the concerns of critics, governments and media organizations can intensify current collaborations to ensure crime reporting is factual and responsible, rather than sensationalized. For instance, they could avoid showing graphic images, limit the use of criminals’ names and photos to prevent glorification, and provide context about crime trends rather than focusing only on isolated incidents.
In conclusion, while there are valid concerns about media coverage of violent crime increasing public fear and inspiring criminals, banning it outright is not the answer. Doing so would prevent the public from being informed.
Answers
For extra practice, write an antonym (opposite word) on a piece of paper to help you remember the new vocabulary:
· Reporting violent crimes → Covering acts of violence
· Causes unnecessary fear among the public → Instills undue panic in society
· Coverage → Media reporting
· Therefore be banned → Should consequently be prohibited
· Sensationalized crime coverage → Overhyped reporting on criminal activity
· Completely banning → Outright prohibiting
· Do more harm than good → Have a net negative impact
· One major concern is → A key issue is
· Excessive reporting on violent crime → Overexposure of criminal incidents in the media
· Unsafe → Perceived as dangerous
· Areas where crime rates are low → Regions with minimal criminal activity
· Steadily decreasing over the past few decades → Consistently declining over the years
· Media outlets → News organizations
· Shocking incidents → Disturbing events
· Becoming worse → Deteriorating
· Studies have shown that → Research indicates that
· Significant drop → Notable decline
· Public perception remains the opposite → General opinion contradicts this trend
· Broadcasting disturbing images → Air shocking visuals
· Victims’ → Survivors’
· This kind of coverage implies → Such reporting suggests
· Common occurrences → Frequent events
· Audiences → Viewers
· Unnecessarily fearful → Overly anxious
· Avoid going out at night → Refrain from venturing out after dark
· Purchase weapons for self-defense → Acquire firearms for protection
· Lead to more violence rather than less → Escalate aggression instead of reducing it
· Serves an important function in raising awareness and promoting justice → Plays a crucial role in informing the public and advocating for fairness
· Journalists cover a case of police brutality or domestic violence → Reporters investigate incidents of excessive force or abuse
· Lead to public outcry → Trigger widespread outrage
· Legal action against the perpetrators → Prosecution of offenders
· A famous example is → A well-known case is
· Sparked global protests against police violence after the video footage was widely shared by the media → Ignited worldwide demonstrations against law enforcement brutality following the viral spread of recorded evidence
· Without media coverage → In the absence of press reporting
· Unnoticed → Overlooked
· Mitigate the concerns of critics → Address the objections of skeptics
· Intensify current collaborations → Strengthen ongoing partnerships
· Ensure → Guarantee
· Factual and responsible → Accurate and ethical
· Rather than sensationalized → Instead of exaggerated
I recommend getting a pencil and piece of paper because that aids memory. Then write down the missing vocabulary from my sample answer in your notebook:
Some argue that r__________________________s in newspapers and on TV c_______________________________c and such c_______e should t__________________________d. While I agree that s____________________________e can have negative effects, c____________________g it would d____________________d.
O_____________________s that e_____________________e makes people feel u____e, even in a___________________________________w. For example, in many developed countries, violent crime has been s_______________________________s. However, due to the way m_________s focus on s___________________s, many people believe crime is b_____________e. In the United States, s__________________________t despite a s___________p in violent crime since the 1990s, p_________________________________e. News programs f__________________________________r, r_______y, and a_____t, often b_____________________s and interviews with v______s‘ families. T_____________________________s such crimes are c_____________s. A________s may then become u_____________________l, a__________________________t, or even p_______________________e, which could l________________________________s.
However, crime reporting s________________________________________________________________________e. For example, when j_______________________________________________________________e, it can l_____________y and l_____________________________s. A_________________________________s the 2020 murder of George Floyd in the U.S., which s___________________________________________________________________________________a. W______________________e, many injustices would go u____________d. To m_________________s, governments and media organizations can i________________________________s to e_______e crime reporting is f________________e, r__________________________d. For instance, they could a_____________________________________s, l_______________________________________________________________n, and p______________t about c___________s rather than f___________________________________s.
In conclusion, w____________________________t media coverage of violent crime increasing public fear and inspiring criminals, banning it o_______t is n___________r. Doing so would p_____________________d.
Listening Practice
Learn more about this topic by watching from YouTube below and practice with these activities:
Here are 10 excellent college/university application essays.
The way I prefer for these essays to stand out is through storytelling.
These stories below need a bit more detail to be a full college application essay – a little preface or part at the end with some generalities about why you want to go to such-and-such a school.
But I’ve deliberately taken that part out to make the point that that is very standard. That the focus should be on something that grabs your attention, that is specific, that is memorable and makes you stand out head and shoulders above other candidates.
Lots of essays are too general, vague, sentimental, and full of cliches.
The solution to that is to tell a specific, concrete story.
It’s better to use understated, subtle language, and not try to teach some grand lesson at the end of your story – that comes off sounding pretentious and a bit arrogant. Or even sentimental, like a Disney fairytale movie.
Keep it subtle to impress more: someone who brags a lot, doesn’t actually impress anyone.
But someone who shows they are good at a skill, impresses and persuades.
And that’s your goal with these essays: subtle persuasion.
Dave
1. The Ticking Stopwatch
I learned to measure time by the sound of my grandfather’s stopwatch. Click. I held my breath before my name was called. Click. Fierce seconds before I stepped onto the mat. Click. A flurry of muscle pushing until it meets bone and can’t push any further – then twisting and straining to gain leverage, to press my opponent down onto the floor.
My maternal grandfather was precision. He carried his stopwatch everywhere, clicking it open and shut like a metronome to the rhythm of his life, the way some people unconsciously finger a cigarette or roll and unroll their sleeves. He had been a wrestler in his youth, a man who believed in effort over outcome, process over product. “Seconds matter,” he would say, though he never meant it in the way I thought. To him, the act of counting was a reminder to be present, to make each second count—not to fear them, as I often did.
I signed up the wrestling team in eighth grade, following in his footsteps. My dad wasn’t around much then. I took to it right away. The weight of an opponent on my back, the sweat pooling at my temples, the echo of my own breath as I strained against the mat— overwhelming, disorienting. I was neither the strongest nor the fastest, and I lost just about every match my first year. But each time, my grandfather was in the stands, stopwatch in hand, clicking it at the start and stop of every round. This sort of response felt impersonal and constructive to me.
One day, after a particularly humiliating loss, I slumped onto the bleachers beside him. “You never win,” I muttered, fishing for sympathy. He simply clicked the stopwatch and said, “What did you learn in the last six minutes?”
I shrugged. “That I lose.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “You learned where you were weak. Where you hesitated. Where you let fear take over.” He handed me the stopwatch. “Just count the seconds and don’t think about anything else.”
The next morning, I arrived at practice early. I set the stopwatch on the gym floor and timed my drills, not to rush through them but to see how long I could push myself before exhaustion. I started to think less about winning and more about endurance. When I finally won my first match—a narrow victory, a single point gained in the final seconds—I heard the click from the stands before the referee even raised my hand.
Years later, my grandfather’s stopwatch sits on my desk, its surface scratched from use. I quit wrestling my junior year, but I still hear its rhythm in my head. Click. The moment before I walk onto a stage to present. Click. The hesitation before submitting a college application. Click. Doubt. Click.
2. The Five-Dollar Bill
Every Sunday morning, my father gave me a five-dollar bill and told me to “make it count.” I never asked what that meant. He never explained. That was kind of our thing.
The first time, I spent it on a used book from a street vendor. It was missing pages, its spine cracked, but I carried it everywhere, filling in the missing words with my own. Another week, I gave the bill to a street musician, his violin case open at his feet. He nodded, kept playing. Most times, I filled a less altruistic craving – for junk food or a coffee. I’m lazy by nature.
Some weeks, I forgot about the bill until late Sunday night and ended up buying something meaningless—a nice drawing pen, a magazine I didn’t read. Those times, I felt like I had failed, as if there was an unspoken test I hadn’t passed, that someone marked me down and eventually I’d find out my GPA from an omniscient, disappointed observor.
One week, I saved the bill. Then another. And another. When I had fifty dollars, I walked into a bookstore and bought the most expensive journal they had. Heavy, bound in deep brown leather, permanent. I wrote in it every now and then, recording not what I did that day, but what I noticed—overheard conversations, the color of the sky before it rained, the way people’s faces changed when they thought no one was looking.
When my father stopped giving me this weekly allowance in High School, because I had part-time work by then, I felt I had learned an important lesson.
The things I bought and used – the snacks and books and so on – didn’t create any lasting value for me. I used them up and often felt worse for it.
But the journal encouraged me to be active: to write and think and improve a skill.
This mindset has influenced other areas of my life and now I seek out experiences, purchases, and services that foster a more active life.
And I look at essential items like my phone as potential vehicles for action – and do my best to avoid the vulnerable parts of my psychology that look for a passive crevice to get lost in.
3. The Blue Sweater
It had a small hole near the cuff, a loose thread along the collar, and a scent I could never quite place. My mother called it worn out nearly every time she saw me throwing it on on my way out the door.
I found the sweater at a thrift store when I was twelve, buried beneath a stack of scratchy wool pullovers. It wasn’t the color that caught my attention—faded navy, gray in places—but the softness, the way it felt like it had passed through hands already, been the soft cushion against many hard benches. I paid three dollars and wore it home, sleeves bunched at my wrists, the hem falling just past the hips I was becoming more and more self-conscious of.
I wore it through the rest of middle school and into high school, through seasons it should have sat out – sharp autumns and sweaty summers. It followed me to bonfires, bus rides, late-night anxious walks when I needed air. In the winter, I stuffed my hands into the sleeves when my gloves weren’t enough defense. In the spring, I tied it around my waist, waiting for a cold enough breeze as an excuse to slip it back on.
People started to recognize me by it. “Still wearing that thing?” my friend Mark joked one afternoon, tugging at the sleeve. I don’t know how to explain that it has become part of my routine, like carrying my house keys or checking the sky before I step outside. It’s an anchor, a blanket I can wear out of the house. A self-soother.
One afternoon, I left it at school, stretched over the back of a chair. I didn’t notice until I got home, until the air felt different against my skin.
When I opened my closet the next morning, I felt the cool air rushing out, remembered it wasn’t there and rummaged through my clothes looking for it anyway.
I checked the lost-and-found at school, ran my hands over piles of forgotten scarves and mismatched mittens – it wasn’t there.
I went back to classroom and found it lying on the floor.
4. The Unfinished Puzzle
When I was eight, my mother bought a thousand-piece puzzle. It was an image of a lighthouse standing against a storm, waves crashing against the rocks below. We spread the pieces across the dining table and started sorting: edges first, then the sky, then the ocean.
We worked on it for weeks. After dinner, before school, late at night when I was supposed to be asleep. It became part of our rhythm, filling the quiet spaces between us. We never talked much while we worked, just the occasional “I think this one fits” or “Try turning it the other way.”
One day, we lost a piece. A single, small section of sky near the top. We searched the floor, checked under the rug, sifted through the box. Gone. My mother sighed, pressing her fingers to the empty space. “Sometimes things stay unfinished,” she said.
We never took the puzzle apart. It stayed on the table for months, the missing piece like a pause in a sentence that was never completed. It bothered me a lot more than it bothered her. She seemed to move on in a way that seemed heartless and inattentive to me at the time.
Years later, after we moved, I found the puzzle box in storage. I lifted the lid, half-expecting the missing piece to have reappeared. It hadn’t. But I ran my fingers over the image, remembering the hours spent stitching it together.
How important it seemed then to make it whole. How unimportant it seems now.
5. The Overturned Canoe
The first time I tipped a canoe, I hoped I might drown. One second, I was rolling across the lake, my paddle cutting through the placid surface, and the next, I was underwater, arms doing their utmost, lungs stressed out. When I finally kicked my way to the surface, the canoe was upside down, my life jacket scratching against my neck, and my uncle was laughing from his boat a few yards away. “Looks like you found the hard way to cool off,” he called out.
I was ten years old and spent every summer at my uncle’s cabin by the lake. Canoeing was supposed to be easy—a quiet glide over smiling water, the kind of thing I’d seen in postcards. But the lake wasn’t still that day, and I wasn’t graceful and the lake wore no expression at all. My paddle had skimmed the surface at the wrong angle, my weight had shifted too far left, and suddenly, the canoe had turned against me.
I gripped the side of the boat, my fingers slipping on the wet aluminum. My uncle rowed over and showed me how to flip it back over, how to hoist myself up without sending it toppling over again. “Try again,” he said. I didn’t want to. My arms ached, my throat was raw from swallowing lake water, and my heart was still humming. But I climbed back in, because I didn’t want to sit in the boat with him, listening to him tell self-congratulatory stories about how he used to flip his canoe “on purpose” just to practice getting back in.
I paddled slower after that. I let the water tell me how it moved before I moved with it. The next time I wobbled, I adjusted my balance without thinking. I stayed dry.
Years later, my uncle and I took the same canoe out again, but this time, the lake was calm. I was sixteen. He sat in the back, letting me steer. We didn’t talk much (thankfully), just moved through the water, the dip and pull of our paddles the only sound.
Pausing, he asked, “Still afraid of tipping?”
I pretended to think about it. “Not really.”
“Then let’s see how fast you can go.”
I dug my paddle into the lake, the canoe following, cutting open the clear sky. The old fear wasn’t there anymore. Just the rhythm. Just the movement.
Just the water, just shadowing it.
6. The Grocery List
When my mother first handed me a grocery list, I was seven. “Just the essentials,” she said, placing a ten-dollar bill in my palm. I took the list like a treasure map, the handwriting looping and precise, the corners of the paper softened from being folded and unfolded for convenience.
At the small store down the block, I wandered the aisles, squinting at the list. Bread. Milk. Eggs. Cliche. I picked out each item self-consciously, afraid I’d reveal an undiscerning eye. At the checkout, cradling the carton of eggs in both hands, sure one would crack through an act of God, I counted out the money slowly, making sure I had enough before sliding the bills across the counter. When I returned home, my mother nodded: “You did good.”
Over time, the lists got longer, the instructions more complicated. Sometimes, my mother added notes in the margins—“Get the ripe avocados, not the hard ones, no black spots, no soft (squishy) spots” or “The yogurt your dad likes, blue and white brand.” I learned the way a ripe avocado should feel, how to check eggs for cracks before putting them in the cart. I honed my ability to choose a checkout line – to spot the most disaffected teenage cashier, to seek out the ones with lightning quick hands and half-liffed eyes.
By the time I was twelve, I could have stocked the shelves. I knew which products were just out of reach, which ones a growth spurt would propel me towards soon enough, where they kept the extra bags of rice when the main aisle was empty. I no longer needed to ask for help.
Then, one evening, my mother handed me the list with a different look in her eyes. “I need you to get everything,” she said. “Not just the essentials.” She gave me a longer list, a twenty-dollar bill instead of ten. I nodded like it was no big deal, but as I walked to the store, I read over the list twice, then again. There were things on there I’d never had to pick before—seasonings, a specific brand of rice, something called shallots. I pushed the cart slowly, reading labels, second-guessing myself. The store was louder that day, the lights brighter, the aisles longer.
I made it home with everything except the shallots. “They were out,” I said quickly, not wanting her to know I hadn’t known what they looked like.
She nodded, unpacking the bags. “Good.”
That night, I looked up shallots. The next time they were on the list, I got them.
I was happy I’d have nothing to hide this time.
7. The Sound of Typing
The first thing I hear every morning is the sound of my father’s keyboard. Before the sun rises, before anyone else grits themself awake, he’s away at his desk, typing. The rhythm is steady, concrete. A few words, a pause. More words. A longer pause. Some mornings, he sighs, leans back, cracks, and starts again.
I used to think he was writing stories. When I was little, I’d climb onto his lap and ask what the words meant, imagining characters coming to life behind the glowing screen. Fairy tales and children’s stories like Peter Pan and Dr. Seuss. He never corrected me. He’d just smile and read a sentence aloud, letting me believe it was something magical.
It wasn’t until I was older that I realized my father wasn’t writing fiction—he was writing emails. Reports. Plans. Things that made the house run, that kept the lights on, that made sure there was always food on the table. It’s disappointing. I had wanted him to be a storyteller. I noticed the way his fingers moved, the same secret rhythm every morning, like a pianist practicing scales.
When I started writing my own stories, I tried to match that rhythm. Type. Pause. Adjust. Type again. I learned that writing, no matter the kind, requires the same patience, the same doggedness to erase and begin again.
When I read back my work, it’s often disappointing too. I often read and reread it over and over again until it becomes good from familiarity.
The way I feel when I hear a pop song I’ve heard a hundred times before in cafes and restaurants. I might not like the song, but when it comes on, I recognize it and feel hyped up to listen to it for the first minute or so until I remember I don’t even like that song.
8. The Bus Ride
The bus ride home from school was always loud. Kids shouted across the aisles, backpacks unstuck from seats, the windows fogged up to reflect the snow. But my seat was almost always the same—third row from the back, by the window. Assigned to me by me.
Most days, I watched the houses blur past, counting mailboxes, wondering about the people inside. Back then I didn’t know I was near-sighted so sometimes I’d look at the scenery and wonder what it would be like to have bad vision. On rainy days, I traced shapes and words into the condensation on the glass. Once, I saw my reflection in the window and hardly recognized myself—the world outside moving so fast, my face still and bloated.
One afternoon, the bus hit a pothole, and a kid in front of me spilled his bag. I helped him gather his things. But the next day, he sat next to me. We never really talked, just watched the houses go by together.
9. The Old Piano
The piano in the corner of our living room was never quite in tune. Some keys stuck, a few let out muted thuds instead of clear notes, and the sustain pedal wobbled under my foot. But it got us by.
I grew up watching my older sister play it. She sat straight-backed and haughty, fingers moving across the keys, never looking down. I envied how arrogantly the music seemed to flow from her hands, how she could play without stopping to fumble or restart. When I turned eight, my mother signed me up for lessons too.
I didn’t take to it the way my sister had. The scales felt stiff, the sheet music unreadable. My fingers tripped over the keys. I was clumsy in a way I’ve never been playing sports. I wanted to quit. “Just practice,” mom said. “It’ll come.”
I did. Every afternoon, I sat on the wooden bench, forcing every lesson. I played the same songs over and over, each mistake like a pebble in my shoe. My sister, passing by and catching on, would hum the tune I was struggling with, effortlessly on pitch.
One day, disporportionately frustrated, I slammed the lid shut. “I don’t have a musical bone in my body,” I muttered.
My mother looked up from the couch. “Not everything comes easy.”
I didn’t respond to her platitude, just lifted the lid again.
The next time my sister passed, she stopped. Instead of humming, she sat beside me. “Try this,” she said, demonstrating a passage slowly. I mimicked her movements, and for once, the notes fell into place. She nodded condescendingly. “See?”
The piano is still out of tune today. Some keys still stick. But sometimes I’ll play when no one else is home. Now that those skills have had some time to simmer, I’m really not all that bad at it I think.
10. The Garden Hose
The garden hose was always tangled. No matter how carefully we coiled it, by the next afternoon, it had twisted itself into impossible knots. My grandfather never seemed to mind. He just shook his head, untangled it with the patient steady energy of a retired person, and turned the water on.
In the summers, I followed him around the yard, barefoot on the warm concrete, watching as he watered the plants. He never rushed. He moved the hose slowly from one flower bed to the next, letting the soil soak in the water before moving on. “No use drowning them,” he’d say. Make sure you water all around so all the roots get some. Some plants don’t want too much water. Better to water in the early morning or early evening for some reason I forget. Pat the soil to see how wet it is. Check for budding bugs and prune the leaves on the more delicate ones.
When he let me hold the hose, I always got carried away, sending arcs of water high into the air, drenching my feet. He never scolded me for wasting water. He just chuckled, then showed me how to angle the spray lower, closer to the roots.
One evening, after he had finished watering, he handed me the hose. “Your turn,” he said, and went inside.
I stood there, alone in the quiet yard, the hose heavy in my hands. I walked slowly from plant to plant, squinting to see water disappear into the soil. When I turned the spigot off, I coiled the hose carefully, pulling it into a neat loop. It had still tangled itself up by the next afternoon.
I don’t live in that house anymore, but sometimes, when I water the plants on our new balcony, I think about the way he moved the hose, the way he never rushed.
And I take my time too.
Practice
If you want to write your own essays based on these basic prompts, you can start with the summaries below and write them in your own style.
1. The Ticking Stopwatch I learned to measure time by the sound of my grandfather’s stopwatch. Click. The moment I held my breath before my name was called. Click. The silent seconds before I stepped onto the mat. Click. The instant I realized winning wasn’t everything, but learning to fight for something was.
2. The Five-Dollar Bill Every Sunday morning, my father gave me a five-dollar bill and told me to “make it count.” One week, I bought a used book. Another, I gave it to a street musician. Once, I left it on a bench with a note: “This is yours now.” It was a small experiment in agency, in generosity, in meaning.
3. A Crack in the Sidewalk Walking home, I tripped over a crack in the sidewalk. It was a reminder of the time I refused to read aloud in class. Of the missed soccer goal. Of the fear of failing a calculus test. But I stepped forward. The crack stayed behind me.
4. The Radio in My Grandmother’s Kitchen The same station played every morning—classical music, though she never called it that. “It’s just music,” she’d say, stirring soup, humming. I learned that some things don’t need labels to be understood.
5. The Worn Deck of Cards My uncle taught me poker at age eight. Not just the game, but the way to read people, the patience of waiting for the right hand, the art of folding even when I wanted to play.
6. The Paper Swan on My Desk I spent a summer perfecting origami. My first swan was lopsided, the second worse. By the end, my fingers folded paper with precision. My desk held a fleet of swans, each one a lesson in quiet perseverance.
7. The Library Basement I found solace in a basement filled with dusty books, in the company of stories older than my grandparents. There, I learned to listen, to observe, to piece together history from yellowed pages.
8. The Echo in the Empty Pool I swam before I could walk. Then the pool closed, and my strokes became memories. But echoes in empty places remind me that what we lose often lingers.
9. The Recipe Card Stained with Vanilla My mother’s handwriting, smudged with flour and vanilla, held secrets. “A pinch of patience. A dash of courage.” I learned that recipes, like stories, are meant to be passed down.
10. The Chessboard in My Backpack Each piece had a name, a purpose. The knight moved in L-shapes, the bishop cut diagonally. I found comfort in the logic, the certainty, until I learned that the best players embrace the unpredictable.
11. The Bus Ride with Strangers An old man spoke of his youth. A woman shared a poem. A child laughed at the raindrops. We were strangers, but for thirty minutes, we were a story in motion.
12. The Dictionary with Torn Pages I kept a list of words I loved: petrichor, serendipity, susurrus. Words that held weight, even when whispered.
13. The Kite That Never Flew I built it with my brother, but the wind wasn’t strong enough. We ran anyway, dragging it behind us, laughing. Failure never felt so light.
14. The Concert I Couldn’t Afford I stood outside, listening through the cracks in the walls. Music has no barriers; neither does passion.
15. The Letter I Never Sent I wrote it on a cold night, filled with words I was too afraid to say. I never sent it, but I never threw it away either. Some truths are meant to be held, not given.
16. The Blinking Cursor The essay began as a blank screen, a blinking cursor. One word, then another. That’s how all stories begin.
17. The Night Without Electricity No screens, no distractions—just candlelight and conversation. I learned that silence isn’t empty; it’s full of meaning.
18. The First Snowfall I was five when I first saw snow. I caught flakes on my tongue, convinced I was tasting the sky.
19. The Sea Glass on the Shore Waves tumbled sharp glass into smooth gems. I wondered if time could do the same for people.
20. The Morning I Forgot My Name For ten minutes, I was nobody. Then I remembered. And in that remembering, I realized identity is both fragile and unshakable.
21. The Polaroid of a Stranger I found it at a flea market. A frozen moment from someone else’s life, a story untold but deeply felt.
22. The Clock That Ticked Too Fast I raced time for years, until I learned to walk instead, to savor each second rather than chase it.
23. The House That Stood Empty My childhood home, abandoned. I peered through the windows and saw ghosts of my past selves.
24. The Whisper in the Wind Somewhere in the mountains, the wind carried a whisper. Maybe it was my own voice, learning to listen.
25. The Unfinished Puzzle One piece was missing, but the picture still made sense. Imperfection doesn’t always mean incompleteness.
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