Sample Essay Questions

Sample Essay Questions
Common strategy terms for Essay writing are as follows:

Analyze: Divide an event, idea, or theory into its component elements, and examine each one in turn: Analyze Milton Friedman's theory of permanent income.

Compare and/or Contrast: Demonstrate similarities or dissimilarities between two or more events or topics: Compare the portrayal of women in Beloved with that in Their Eyes Were Watching God.

Define: Identify and state the essential traits or characteristics of something, differentiating it clearly from other things: Define Hegelian dialectic.

Describe: Tell about an event, person, or process in detail, creating a clear and vivid image of it: Describe the dress of a knight.

Evaluate: Assess the value or significance of the topic: Evaluate the contribution of black musicians to the development of an American musical tradition.

Explain: Make a topic as clear and understandable as possible by offering reasons, examples, and so on: Explain the functioning of the circulatory system.

Summarize: State the major points concisely and comprehensively: Summarize the major arguments against using animals in laboratory research.
Following are some sample essay questions:

Education comes not from books but from practical experience.
Write a unified essay in which you perform the following tasks. Explain what you think the above statement means. Describe a specific situation in which books might educate students better than practical experience. Discuss what you think determines when practical experience provides a better education than books do.


Scientific inquiry is rooted in the desire to discover, but there is no discovery so important that in its pursuit a threat to human life can be tolerated.
Write a unified essay in which you perform the following tasks. Explain what you think the above statements means. Describe a specific situation in which a threat to human life might be tolerated in the pursuit of scientific discovery. Discuss what you think determines when the pursuit of scientific discovery is more important than the protection of human life.


Politicians too often base their decisions on what will please the voters, not on what is best for the country.
Write a unified essay in which you perform the following tasks. Explain what you think the above statement means. Describe a specific situation in which a politician might make an unpopular decision for the good of the country. Discuss the principles you think should determine whether political decisions should be made to please the voters or to serve the nation


An understanding of the past is necessary for solving the problems of the present.
Write a unified essay in which you perform the following tasks. Explain what you think the above statement means. Describe a specific situation in which solving a current problem might not require an understanding of the past. Discuss what you think determines whether or not the past should be considered in solving the problems of the present.


Wealthy politicians cannot offer fair representation to all the people.
Write a unified essay in which you perform the following tasks. Explain what you think the above statement means. Describe a specific situation in which a wealthy politician might offer fair representation to all people. Discuss what you think determines whether a wealthy politician can or cannot offer fair representation to all the people.


In a free society, laws must be subject to change.
Write a unified essay in which you perform the following tasks. Explain what you think the above statement means. Describe a specific situation in which a law should not be subject to change in a free society. Discuss what you think determines whether or not a law in a free society should be subject to change.