Sample Descriptive Essay

My Own Little World

Passage taken from Theodore Johnston and James Gonzales, The Writers Advice Book, Ginn Press,
Massachusetts, 1987, p. 72

The door to my study is nearly always closed. It's the place I go to read and work in
tranquility. Today, however, I'm inviting you in for a visit.
As you open the door, notice the Guatemalan crucifix with its bright gold and maroon
flowers; it joyfully reminds me to dedicate my work to God. Although the room is small, I
hope you find it cozy. A big cheerful window lets in the morning sunshine, which
saturates the room with its warmth and embraces us with light. Birds chirp outside,
beckoning you to enter.
An old-fashioned doctor's desk with brass drawer handles sits in front of the window, its
wood full of nicks from many careless moves and tow once-teething puppies. May I
introduce you to Ralph, my friendly computer, who sits on top of the desk? When I turn
him on, he'll crackle "hello" and blink an inviting amber command on the screen. That's
my dog Chico under the desk, snoring in harmony with Ralph and the birds.
Against the left wall are my book cases, sagging with the wise weight of cheap
paperbacks and a few expensive gold-spined volumes interspersed. A bronzed Indian
chief in a watercolor squints knowingly at us from the wall. Won't you have a seat in the
tattered old green armchair nestled in the other corner? I know you smell the freshly
perked coffee. I made it specially for your visit. Use my favorite cup there on the tray; it's
the one with red and blued balloons around the rim.
Stay as long as you wish, but when you're ready to leave, be sure to close the door
behind you. I like the peaceful security of this, my own little world.
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Sample Narrative Essay

Senior Prom
Passage taken from Theodore Johnston and James Gonzales, The Writers Advice Book, Ginn Press,
Massachusetts, 1987, p. 14

My senior prom night became a comedy of errors when I was asked to represent the
Drama Club. I expected it to be a night that dreams are made of; instead, I was
provided with a less than perfect evening.

I wanted to give Richard, my date and escort, a dazzling first impression by meeting him
at the door in my beautiful Southern belle dress. When Richard arrived, he was met at
the door by my father instead of me, and he found my mother lying at my feet on the
living room floor, sewing the hem in my formal. Finally, after what seemed like an
eternity, my mother announced that she was finished and that we were late for the
prom.
I decided to relax and compose myself in the car, but instead of a comfortable coach, I
found a cramped pumpkin awaiting me in the form of a Fiat. As I got inside the car, I
realized that most of my dress was still outside. Quickly, I began piling layer after layer
of fabric on my lap until it reached the ceiling and obscured my view out of the car
windows.
Arriving at the prom in silence, my escort and I were quickly ushered into position
behind the other representatives. The procession started; I felt like Cinderella at the ball.
While the announcer introduced the representatives and their escorts, I visualized
myself walking gracefully up the ramp as the audience looked on.
Before I knew it, the spotlight was on us. As we slowly made our way up the ramp, the
announcer introduces us as Judy and Juan. Hearing the names of someone else
shocked both of us. Then it happened- as we turned, our feet became entangled in my
formal; with a hop, skip, and jump, we tripped down the ramp towards the stairs.
Determined to climb the stairs gracefully, I started a slow ascent. Upon reaching the top
step, I realized I had also climbed up the inside of my dress and was now on my knees.
My escort had to carefully back me down the steps until we could once again make our
climb.
As the evening concluded, I realized that with all that happened, only my friends knew
the true identity of the two clowns in the procession. Everyone else thought it was Judy
and Juan.
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Sample Process Essay

Giving Blood
From Nucleus: English for Science and Technology (General Science), Longman Press, 1983

Every hospital needs large supplies of blood for transfusions. It is given by donors.
Before giving blood, the donor is given tests to determine his blood group and make
sure he is not suffering from certain diseases. When this has been done his blood can
be taken.

First he lies down with his arm on a pillow. Next the nurse puts the cuff of the
sphygmomanometer around his upper arm, and inflates it to compress the veins. At this
stage she cleans his skin with ether and inserts the needle into a vein. As she does this
the blood begins to flow into a bottle until it is full. Meanwhile the donor opens and
closes his hand to increase the flow.
As soon as the bottle is full the nurse takes off the sphygmomanometer and withdraws
the needle. Finally, she puts a dressing on the donor's arm. The blood is immediately
labeled and refrigerated.
Before giving blood, the donor is given tests to determine his blood group and make
sure he is not suffering from certain diseases. When this has been done his blood can
be taken.
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Sample Classification Essay

The Human Body

From Nucleus: English for Science and Technology (General Science), Longman Press, 1983, p.47

The human body is made up of a number of different systems. Each system has a
separate function, but some work together.
One system is the skeleton, which serves to support the body and protect the internal
organs. The respiratory system enables us to breathe and take oxygen into the blood,
which moves around the body by means of the circulatory system. The digestive system
enables us to take in food needed for growth. Waste matter is ejected from the body by
means of the urinary system. The nervous system controls the other systems and
enables human beings to think.
The endocrine system consists of various glands, such as the thyroid, sex and adrenal
glands. The function of these glands is to secrete chemicals, known as hormones, into
the blood. These hormones control various processes in the body, such as growth,
sexual activities and digestion..
Each system is made up of organs. The lungs, for example, are part of the respiratory
system. The heart is an organ in the circulatory system. The liver functions as part of the
digestive system and other systems.
Every organ is composed of several kinds of tissue. Epithelial tissue, which includes the
skin, forms a covering over organs. Connective tissue supports and holds together parts
of the body and includes bone and cartilage. Other types of tissue include nerve tissue

and blood tissue.

All tissue consists of cells. These are so small that they are measured in thousandths of
a millimeter and can only be seen with a microscope. Each cell is covered with a thin
membrane which surrounds a nucleus, and a jelly-like substance, called cytoplasm.
This in turn contains minute particles, each with its own special function.
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Sample Comparison/Contrast Essay

Paragraphs and Essays

Passage taken from Theodore Johnston and James Gonzales, The Writers Advice Book, Ginn Press,
Massachusetts, 1987, p. 130

[College students in the United States often become confused with academiccomposition terminology. They hear teachers talking about topic sentences that are too
general or thesis statements that are too broad. They are asked to compose paragraphs
and expand them into more comprehensive essays about the topic.
How can students better understand the structures of these two writing structures in the
English? Perhaps discussing similarities and differences between the two would help.]
The structure of an essay is like the structure of a paragraph. Just as the controlling
idea of a paragraph is expressed in the topic sentence, the controlling idea of an essay
is expressed in the thesis statement . The topic sentence of a paragraph is generally
placed at the beginning of the paragraph, and the thesis statement of an essay is
placed in the introductory paragraph. In both paragraphs and essays, specific support in
the form of facts, details, and examples is needed to validate the opinion expressed in
the controlling idea. Finally, both paragraphs and essays tend to restate the controlling
idea at the end of the discussion rather than simply coming to an abrupt stop.
The difference between a paragraph and essay is primarily one of development.
Whereas a paragraph usually deals with only one dimension of a topic, an essay can
turn a thought through several dimensions. Once a writer starts to make notes on a
subject, he may discover that the complexity of the subject demands more than a oneparagraph treatment. The paragraphs of an essay treat a sequence of key points; each
of the paragraphs in turn focuses on the one key point the writer assigns it. Thus, the
writer turns the thought just to a certain point in each of the body paragraphs. When the
essay is successful, the totality of the turns unlocks a complex sequence of thoughts
which the writer can share with the reader.
[Perhaps and analogy would help. A person spending weekends or only a few days in
the mountains would require very little space: room for a bed, limited cooking supplies,

a restroom or outhouse, and perhaps a chair or two. On the other hand, someone who
lives in the mountains all of time would require much more space and materials for
survival. In the same way, a person writing only briefly about a topic might skim major
aspects of that topic in an essay whereas someone wishing to elaborate more on a
broader topic might choose to develop ideas through an essay.]
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Sample Definition Essay 1- TO PROVIDE MORE IN DEPTH INFORMATION

The Earth
From Nucleus: English for Science and Technology (General Science), Longman Press, 1983, p.27.

The earth is a solid sphere. It is made up of three concentric spheres or layers. These
are called the core, the mantle, and the crust. The solid sphere is surrounded by a
gaseous sphere, which is called the atmosphere.
We know most about the crust of the Earth which is the outermost sphere. This layer is
very thin compared with the diameter of the whole Earth. It is only about 10 km thick
under the ocean and about 30 km thick on land. It consists of rock which contains a lot
of minerals. These are usually in compounds called oxides, containing oxygen, or
sulfides, containing sulfur.
The mantle is much thicker than the crust. It is about 30 km thick. It consists mainly of
rocks, but we do not know much about their composition.
The core, which is situated inside the mantle, seems to be divided into two parts. The
inner core is about 2800 km in diameter. We believe that it is mainly composed of iron,
but it also contains about 10% nickel. The layer surrounding the inner core is called the
outer core and is approximately 2000 km thick. It is probably composed of molten iron
and nickel. However, the metals in the inner core seem to be rigid, and therefore solid.
This is because they are under very high pressure, which causes solidification in spite
of the high temperatures at the center of the Earth.

Sample Definition Essay 2-TO PROVIDE A UNIQUE VIEW OF A TERM

Have a Heart
(Leecy Wise)

What does the word "heart" mean? Strictly speaking, a heart is an organ of the physical
body which pumps blood into the organism. The term "heart," however, extends to more
than the physical body.

When lovers part, one will often claim to have a broken heart yet remain living. A
saddened gent or lady will often clutch the area between the ribs at the center of the
chest, and moan in sorrow over a lost lover. Physical or not, the heart in this case is
also something that pumps life into the emotional body.
"Don't lose heart," says a friend to another who has been discouraged by one of life's
many trials. Now how can anyone lose a heart? I ask. Easily, by getting discouraged.
Again, the heart becomes a symbol for pumping life into a system, but not a physical
one.
When one gets to the heart of the matter, she gets to its center - that which gives it
meaning. When people beg, "Have a heart," they are asking you to be compassionate to recognize the soul in another. Having a heart-to-heart talk means to share something
from the center of our being with someone else. Speaking from the heart always implies
communicating from what is real and essential in our lives.
Perhaps the most common definition of the word "heart," therefore, should recognize
that "heart" is something essential to every human being, whether it is physical or not.
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Sample Cause/Effect Essay

Climate and Pollution Related?

Nucleus: English for Science and Technology (General Science), Longman Press, 1983, p.106

Every year there are changes in climate in different parts of the world. Some of these
changes are due to natural causes. However, some climatic changes are caused by air
pollution and these changes may increase.
If the pollution affects the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the results are
likely to be serious. Carbon dioxide constitutes only a small part of the atmosphere. But
it has an important function in maintaining the balance between radiation from the sun
entering the atmosphere and radiation leaving the Earth. Some of the radiation is
absorbed by the Earth and some is radiated back into the atmosphere. The carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere prevents some of the radiation from leaving the atmosphere.
Thus the heat remains in the atmosphere and carbon dioxide helps to prevent the
temperature of the Earth from falling.
If the proportion of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increased as a result of air
pollution, the temperature of the atmosphere may rise. This might eventually cause the
ice in the north and the south poles to melt. If this happened, the sea level would rise
and parts of the Earth would be flooded. The likelihood of this happening is remote, but

the possibility exists.

There is also a fairly strong possibility that the dust level in the atmosphere will rise as a
result of industrial pollution. This dust pollution will reflect sunlight back into space. If
this happens, less sunlight will reach the Earth and the temperature will fall.
Another danger comes from the destruction of the Earth's vegetation, such as the
forests of Brazil, which are being cleared to make way for farmland and cities. Trees use
carbon dioxide and their destruction may upset the balance of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere.
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Sample Argumentation Essay

You Just Don't Understand

Passage taken from "You Just Don't Understand," by Deborah Tannen, in Mosaic Two, Blass, Laurie and
Meredith Pike-Baky, The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc., New York, 1996, p. 50, 51

Experts and nonexperts alike tend to see anything women do as evidence of

powerlessness. [The language of the media is replete with examples of how difficult it is
for women to be regarded as beings with authority and power. The attitude follows
women in power everywhere, but]... nowhere is the conflict between femininity and
authority more crucial than with women in politics.
The characteristics of a good man and a good candidate are the same, but a woman
has to choose between coming across as a strong leader or a good woman. If a man
appears forceful, logical, direct, masterful, or powerful, he enhances his value as a man.
If a woman appears forceful, logical, direct, masterful, or powerful she risks undercutting
her value as a woman.
As Robin Lakoff shows in Language and Woman's Place, language comes at a woman
from two angles: The words they speak, and the words spoken about them. If I wrote:
"After delivering the acceptance speech, the candidate fainted, "you would know I was
talking about a woman. Men do not faint; they pass out. And these terms have vastly
different connotations that both reflect and affect our image of men and women. Fainting
conjures up a frail figure crumpling into a man's rescuing arms, maybe just for dramatic
effect. Passing out suggests a straightforward fall to the floor.
An article in Newsweek during the 1984 vice presidential campaign quoted a Reagan
aide who called Ferraro [Geraldine Ferraro- a 1984 vice presidential candidate] "a nasty
woman" who would "claw Ronald Reagan's eyes out." Never mind the nastiness of the
remark and of the newsmagazine's using it to open its article. Applied to a man, nasty
would be so tame as to seem harmless. Furthermore, men don't claw; they punch and

sock, with correspondingly more forceful results. The verb claw both reflects and
reinforces the stereotypical metaphor of women as cats. Each time someone uses an
expression associated with this metaphor, it reinforces it, suggesting a general
"cattiness" in women's character.
In his book The Language of Politics, Michael Geis gives several examples of words
used to describe that undercut her. One headline called her "spunky" and "feisty." As
Geis observes, spunky and feisty are used only for creatures that are small and lacking
in real power; they could be said of a Pekingese but not a Great Dane, perhaps of
Mickey Rooney but not of an average-size man.
It's not that journalists, other writers, or everyday speakers are deliberately, or even
unintentionally, "sexist" in their use of language. The important point is that gender
distinctions are built into language. The words available to us to describe women and
men are not the same words. And, most damaging of all, through language, our images
and attitudes are buttressed and shaped. Simply by understanding and using the words
of our language, we all absorb and pass on different, asymmetrical assumptions about
men and women.