Exploring an Essay

Answer Key
Activity 1: Studying a Classification Essay
Post-Reading
1. The story of Cinderella, her cleaning tasks, and how she felt about them
2. Answers will vary.
3. Ironing clothes, washing dishes, and cleaning the bathroom
4. 5 paragraphs; paragraph 1 (introduction); paragraph 5 (conclusion); paragraphs 2, 3, 4
(body)
5. Unpleasant household chores
6. “The top three of these unpopular tasks often include ironing clothes, washing dishes,
and cleaning the bathroom.”
7. Why people don’t like to iron clothes; “One of the most hated chores for many people
is ironing clothes because it is not a task that can be completed quickly or
thoughtlessly.”
8. Paragraph 3: “Another household chore that many people dislike is washing dishes.”
Paragraph 4: “Although ironing clothes and washing dishes are not the most pleasant
household chores, perhaps the most dreaded chore is cleaning the bathroom.”
9. Two possible supporting sentences: “Each piece of clothing must be handled
individually, so ironing a basket of laundry can take hours!” “After ironing a piece of
clothing meticulously, which entails smoothing out the fabric, following the seams, and
getting the creases just right, it needs to be put on a hanger as soon as possible.
10. “Because the bathroom is full of germs, a quick wiping of the surfaces is often not
enough.”
11. “Maintaining a house means doing a wide variety of unpleasant chores.”
Activity 2: Studying a Narrative Essay
Post-Reading
1. Then the doorbell rang, and my life changed forever.
2. Answers will vary.
3. (1) The writer’s family was napping. (2) The writer was bored. (3) The writer answered
the door. (4) The writer sat down on the sofa. (5) The writer wondered about her exam
score. (6) The mother gave the writer courage. (7) The writer opened the letter. (8) The
 writer read the letter. (9) The writer hugged her mother. (10) The writer was
congratulated by her family.
4. 6 paragraphs; paragraph 4
5. To describe the letter and establish the problem or conflict of the essay
Activity 3: Studying a Comparison Essay
Post-Reading
1. The differences between urban life and rural life
2. “Perhaps some of the most notable differences in the lives of these two groups include
the degree of friendliness between residents, the pace of life, and the variety of available
activities.”
3. Urban
4. activities: paragraph 4; more options for activities: city
5. Pace (paragraph 3): Urban: 1. “In the city, life moves very quickly.” 2. “The streets
reflect this hectic pace and are rarely empty, even late at night.” 3. “City dwellers appear
to be racing to get somewhere important.” 4. “Life for them tends to be a series of
deadlines.” Rural: 1. “In the country, life is much slower.” 2. “Even during peak hours,
traffic jams occur less often than in a city.” 3. “Stores close in the early evening, and
the streets do not come alive until the next morning.” 4. “The people in small towns or
villages seem more relaxed and move in a more leisurely way.”
Activity 4: Studying a Cause-Effect Essay
Post-Reading
1. Some cancer risks can be reduced by implementing lifestyle changes.
2. “By eating better, exercising regularly, and staying out of the sun, people can reduce
their risks of cancer.”
3. Each paragraph discusses one method (cause) for reducing cancer risks
4. The foods contain saturated fat (“These popular foods contain large amounts of
saturated fat, which is one of the worst kinds of fat.”) Processed food does not contain
fiber. (“Instead, they now eat a lot more processed foods that do not contain natural
fiber.”)
5. Food with a lot of fat tastes better. (“Although light and fat-free products are constantly
being introduced to the consumer market, many people still buy foods that contain fat
because they often taste better.”)
Activity 5: Studying a Comparison/Argument Essay
Post-Reading
 1. Community colleges and universities; community colleges
2. I. Thesis: “However, if the choice is based on three specific factors, namely, cost,
location, and quality of education, students will quickly see the advantages that
attending a community college offers.”
II. A. Costs
II. A. 1. a. $3,000II. A. 1. b. University: over $25,000
II. A. 2. b. Photocopying costs
II. A. 2. d. Cafeteria prices
II. B. 1. a. Students do not want to be away from home
II. B. 1. b. Students can wait till they have more experience before leaving home.
II. C. Educational benefits
II. C. 3. Library facilities are more than sufficient.
3. –7. Answers will vary.
Activity 7: Thesis Statement Questions
1. “Mandatory retirement for capable workers is wrong because it violates personal
choice, discriminates against senior citizens, and wastes valuable skills as well as
money.”
2. direct—It gives the specific reasons that will be discussed.
3. Answers will vary. Sample indirect thesis statement: Capable workers should not be
forced to retire when they reach a certain age.
Activity 9: Thesis Statement Questions
1. “These differences, however, pale in comparison to the similarities shared by the two
professions, for the main functions of athletic team coaches and business managers are
very closely related.”
2. indirect—It doesn’t give the specific similarities of the two jobs.
3. Answers will vary. Sample direct thesis statement: Athletic team coaches and business
managers are similar in their leadership roles, problem-solving capabilities, and
interaction with higher management.
Activity 10: Making a General Outline
Title: “July 13, 2013”
I. C. “Then the doorbell rang, and my life changed forever.”
II. B. “I turned the packet over in my hands a few times then gently began opening it,
careful not to tear anything that might be important.”
III. C. “So many questions were racing around in my head that I did not hear my mother
come down the stairs.”
Activity 11: Making a Specific Outline
Title: “Cinderella and Her Tedious Household Chores”
I. A. “Almost everyone knows how the story of Cinderella ends, but do people actually think
about how she spent her days before she met the prince?”
I. B. “Her daily routine was not glamorous. She did everything from sweeping the floors to
cooking the meals. If someone had asked Cinderella which chores she did not particularly like,
she probably would have answered, ‘Why, none, of course. Housework is my duty!’ In today’s
increasingly busy society, however, most people admit that they have definite dislikes for
certain household chores.”
I. C. “The top three of these unpopular tasks often include ironing clothes, washing dishes, and
cleaning the bathroom.”
II. A.1. “One of the most hated chores for many people is ironing clothes. It is not a task that
can be completed quickly or thoughtlessly.”
II. A. 2. a. 3. Getting the creases just right
II. A. 2. a. 4. Putting it on a hanger as soon as possible
II. A. 2. b. If it is not put on a hanger right away, it gets wrinkled. It will need to be ironed
again.
II. B.1. “Another household chore that many people dislike is washing dishes.”
II. B. 2. b. 2. Requires patience
II. B. 2. b. 3. Must be done every day
II. C.1. “Although ironing clothes and washing dishes are not the most pleasant household
chores, perhaps the most dreaded chore is cleaning the bathroom.”
II. C. 2. a. 1. Cleaning the bathtub
II. C. 2. b. 2. Must use strong bathroom cleansers
II. C. 2. c. Not a daily chore
Activity 12: Word Associations
1. unpleasant 6. money
2. difficult 7. hesitant
3. yes 8. negative
4. few people 9. habit
5. suspicious 10. common
Activity 13: Using Collocations
1. daily 6. grease
2. makes 7. against
3. with 8. higher
4. claim 9. wide
5. as 10. tackle