Argument v. Explanatory Essay Quiz

What type of essay is the following prompt wanting you to write?

Consider all the chores that the narrator does in "The Drive-In Movies." Is his hard work worth it? Why, or why not? Write an essay in response to this question. Support your main claim and supporting claims with evidence drawn from the story. Make sure to include what you believe the narrator learns from this experience.

• Argument

• Explanatory

What type of essay is the following prompt wanting you to write?

In "The Drive-In Movies," the narrator works hard to make his mother happy so she will take his family to the drive-in. Write an essay in which you compare and contrast the narrator's view of his mother with his mother's actions in the story. Explain the similarities and differences between the narrator's beliefs about his mother and his mother's behaviors. Support your explanation with specific details, quotations, or examples from the text.

• Argument

• Explanatory

What type of essay is the following prompt wanting you to write?

Write an essay in which you describe how the setting of "The King of Mazy May" contributes to the story's plot and the actions of the characters. For example, how does the setting determine the speed and nature of the chase? What challenges does the setting present to Walt and to the claim-jumpers in terms of weather? Include specific details from the story to illustrate your ideas.

• Argument

• Explanatory

What type of essay is the following prompt wanting you to write?

Fiction writers can invent, exaggerate, and change reality to fit their needs in a story. Think about Jack London's description of Walt and the dangerous events in "The King of Mazy May." Could a fourteen- year-old boy really do all the things that Walt does, or do you think London has exaggerated Walt's abilities to make a good story? State your claim in an essay. Cite evidence from the story to support your argument, and end with a conclusion that follows from the information in your essay.

• Argument

• Explanatory

What type of essay is the following prompt wanting you to write?

The tone of a literary work is the author's attitude toward his or her subject. In "A Woman's View of the Gold Rush," Mary B. Ballou's word choice sets a particular tone. Review the letter and list three sentences that clearly show tone. For each example, write an explanation in which you show how specific words and phrases convey Ballou's attitude, or tone.

• Argument

• Explanatory

What type of essay is the following prompt wanting you to write?

In "A Woman's View of the Gold Rush," Mary B. Ballou describes the difficulties she faces in her work of running a boarding house, and her sadness at being away from her children. Do you think she made the right choice in joining the Gold Rush? Answer this question in a brief essay, using details from the letter to support your position.

• Argument

• Explanatory

What type of essay is the following prompt wanting you to write?

Write a letter to the editor of a California newspaper in which you argue why Chinese and African Americans should be hired to work in gold mines and other businesses. State the reasons that these workers deserve the same pay as whites. Use information from the article to support your claims about both groups' strengths and skills.

• Argument

• Explanatory

What type of essay is the following prompt wanting you to write?

The Chinese and African Americans who came to California expected to get rich, find good jobs, and have more freedom. Write an essay in which you describe what most of these people found when they first arrived in California. Use examples from the article to illustrate your main points.

• Argument

• Explanatory

What type of essay is the following prompt wanting you to write?

Write a brief essay about "The Curse of the Bambino." Use information from "Red Sox Get Ready . . ." to answer the following questions: Who was "The Bambino"? What event brought on the "curse"? How was the "curse" finally broken? Organize your essay so that one event flows logically to the next.

• Argument

• Explanatory

What type of essay is the following prompt wanting you to write?

The author of the article says that Fenway Park has been called "America's oldest living museum." Do you think this phrase accurately describes Fenway? Why or why not? Present your response in an essay. In your argument, describe the key features of a museum and explain why Fenway does or does not exemplify some of those features. Support your ideas with specific details from the article, and restate your claim in a strong concluding paragraph.

• Argument

• Explanatory