<p>Could I only use examples from literature, or is it a better idea to draw examples from different genres? I've heard that using unreal examples (e.g. fictional characters) can be disadvantageous for us but is it true?</p>
redjohn
February 15, 2010, 6:54pm
2
<p>History is also very good to use as an example!</p>
olleger
February 15, 2010, 7:32pm
3
<p>An article was posted how the graders don’t take off for incorect facts. If you need to make up a historical event so that it supports your essay/flows better then you wont get deducted = D</p>
mifune
February 15, 2010, 8:29pm
4
<p>
</p>
<p>That’s true. But having pre-determined examples and phrases at your disposal is very beneficial. I personally used literature examples in my SAT essays (Catcher in the Rye and Fahrenheit 451) since I found them to be widely applicable.</p>
<p>Advice we got was to use literature or history and avoid personal experiences if at all possible. OPne strategy is to make index cards - one for each book or historical event you know well - and review them the night before the test. With 10-15 index cards, you will surely have 2 good examples to use for just about any essay. Stick to “well-known” books, if possible.</p>
Kean
February 16, 2010, 11:29am
6
<p>I disagree with njdadof5. I use ANECDOTES extensively, and I love using them.</p>
<p>Here’s my 11 essay:</p>
<p>Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:
Are people entitled to have their own opinions? Yes and no. People can have virtually any opinion, no matter how illogical, uninformed, or foolish. But this does not mean that they are entitled to have their uninformed opinions taken seriously or that their opinions should be considered as valuable as informed opinions. Opinions are valuable only when they are backed up by thorough knowledge of the subject.</p>
<p>Adapted from John Chaffee, The Thinker’s Way
</p>
<p>ASSIGNMENT : Should all people’s opinions be valued equally, or should only informed opinions be taken seriously? Plan and blah blah blah.</p>
<p>
John Chaffee’s statement “opinions are valuable only when they are backed up by thorough knowledge of the subject” is absolutely correct. Opinions based solely on “gut” feelings and illogical reasoning are never as helpful and valuable as informed opinions. A personal experience involving the discussion of Japanese kamikaze pilots and President Clinton’s experiences with his political discussions are two examples that prove this thesis.</p>
<p>My English teacher is fond of socratic seminars because he regards them as activities where we can express our opinions freely; however, one experience involved opinions that were rude and uninformed. The socratic seminar involved heroes and the definition of a hero. While most of the classmates spoke extensively about saving others and helping the needy, one of my classmates had a different view. “My grandfather, a kamikaze pilot during World War II, was a hero to Japan,” said a diffident, Japanese boy. The seminar participants immediately attacked his view, saying, “That’s not heroic. That’s just stupid.” After the seminar was over, our English teacher returned to that point in the seminar. While such an act of suicide may not seem heroic to us Westerners, it is entirely different for the Japanese. Fighting for one’s country and ritual suicide are two of the most honorable ways to die in Japanese culture. Loyally giving his flesh and blood to Japan, the boy’s grandfather was certainly a hero. Our teacher censured the other classmates’ rude opinions, stating that they were uninformed about Japanese culture and not in the position to make such intolerable claims. Thus, in the case of this socratic seminar, the boys who were skeptical and contemptuous toward the Japanese kamikazes had uninformed opinions which were not valuable.</p>
<p>President Clinton also ran into uninformed opinions when he first entered the White House. Clinton’s first decision to have discussions about domestic affairs was to hold a mass gathering of students, interns, senators, and his Cabinet to hear the variegated opinions of his people. However, the first meeting in this structure was a total failure. Because he had invited even barely educated students and inexperienced interns, Clinton was swarmed with illogical, infeasible ideas that he knew would be useless and even possibly harmful for the country’s economy and social services. The next time President Clinton held a meeting, he made sure to only invite his Cabinet and a few senators. He had realized after the last meeting that some opinions were more valuable than others, especially the opinions by the knowledgeable and the experienced.</p>
<p>Both Clinton and my Japanese classmate had ridiculous opinions thrown at them. They were set back by such ridiculous ideas, and they certainly did not value them. Thus, some opinions are more valuable than others. Opinions that are not informed should not be taken as seriously as those made by educated and reasonable people. We should take to heart this fact and be ready to disregard opinions that are not really valuable for us to succeed and opinions that are rude and unnecessary.
</p>