نمونه رایتینگ آزمون دولینگو (Duolingo test writing samples)

1. Mental disorders are often wrongly diagnosed and treated.
2. Binge drinking on college campuses is a serious health issue that students can help control by using peer pressure to make it unacceptable.
3. Drinking alcoholic beverages in moderation can be healthful and prevent Alzheimer’s.
4. Shamefully, many children in poor nations die from diseases which are easily preventable with inexpensive vaccines which are widespread in richer nations.
5. Rather than allowing large malpractice suits against doctors, medical ethics boards should be set up which would evaluate all patient complaints.
6. Every person should be tested for genetic disorders but this information should not be shared with insurance companies in order to prevent discrimination on policies.
7. Genetic engineering of humans is a good thing.
8. Hospice care for the terminally ill is an underused resource. More families could benefit from hospice care services for terminally ill loved ones if they knew more about these health services.
9. All of the concern about obesity in the news has caused more problems with body image among teenage girls.
10. Organ transplantation can make good out of tragedy, so everyone should sign up to be a donor, urge others to sign up, and be sure their family knows their wishes.
11. We should not get complacent about watching out for global pandemics because a flu pandemic is coming, it is just a matter of time.

As an English professor, I have taught persuasive writing to many college students. Although college students are often passionate in what they believe, they sometimes have a hard coming up with topics to write about. An excellent persuasive essay idea for your paper:

1. Doesn’t have an easy answer.
2. Has two or more sides.
3. Interests other people and involves them in your argument.
4. Is an essay topic you really care about.
5. Is an essay topic you can research.

Since academic persuasive essays require you to research, you don’t have to start your essay knowing what your position is on the topic. You may not even know much about the topic before you start gathering information for your argumentative essay.

To find a good topic, I often have my students write a list of things that they are interested in knowing more about, or which they believe in. To broaden their thinking, I find it helps to look at a list of argumentative topics like the one in the table below.

1. Gather some information about your topic by writing down everything you know, checking out some information on Google, or looking at TED lectures by experts on new technologies and science like the ones in the videos I include on this blog. Use what you read to help you create some search terms, and to help you decide on your own position.

2. Write down different positions people argue on this topic. Academic persuasive essays usually make one of five types of claims:

• Claims of Value: What is really important? What should we protect or value most?
• Claims of Fact: What really did happen? How should we think about this issue?
• Claims of Definition: What is the actual meaning of a word, an event, or an idea? What really is the problem?
• Claims of Policy: What should be done about this problem?
• Claims of Cause or Effect: What is the reason for this problem? What is the cause? What is the effect?

3. Use the questions above to write as many Claim questions for your issue as you can. Most issues can have essays on all of the above questions.

4. Write your Claim Question. Decide which of the questions you are most interested in writing about. Write it down. The question may be a part of your introduction, or it can make a great title.

5. Write down your own answer to the question. This is your thesis.

6. Write down the reasons you believe this answer. These will be your topic ideas for the body of your paper. Turn these into sentences and you will have your topic sentences done.

7. Write down what other answers people have to this question. This will help you refine the persuasive essay claim you want to make, and prepare you for adjusting your claim answer. You may want to qualify your answer by saying “If this… then…” Or you might want to narrow the claim to a certain group, or a certain time period. You can also use these opposing views in the body of your paper by bringing them up and then refuting them and saying why your ideas are better.

8. Make a list of search terms. Looking at what you’ve written so far, make a list of terms you can look up to try to get articles for your paper.

9. Do research in your library or on Google Scholar. As you read each article, underline parts that give you ideas you can use to support different parts of your paper.