Cynthia Said:

Will some one please help me get started on this essay for 11th grade English?

We Answered:

Uh... I would assume Unit 4 of your book is telling you the answer.
This is how I would understand it:
Take a story (or story line) from The Crucible (written in 1953) or another book named in Unit 4. Look for relationships between an individual character and a group of people, like a family or community. Analyze how these relationships are described/presented and developed in the literature of the Contemporary Period (which is 1945 to present, by the way).

Does that help a bit?

Ted Said:

College Essay - Is it bad to write about how I USED TO BE lazy and failed in 9th grade?

We Answered:

Well as long as your current grades, SAT scores, and involvement within your school and/or community seem to reflect the transition that you feel you've gone through, then I would go for it.

Of course you don't have to go into detail of how you failed a class, but instead re-phrase that into saying how you felt school was not the top of your priorities and you couldn't clearly see the significance of perseverance in your courses, however, as you've spent time in high school you've inadvertently been inspired to turn that viewpoint into one where attending college is one of the greatest opportunities you could reward yourself with.

I'm sure an admissions panel would be much more delighted to see a potential student who has made mistakes and learned from them rather than one whose pompous attitude refutes the very statement of them even possibly making one.

Franklin Said:

What are some good topics for an english essay?

We Answered:

Relationships, stalking, dieting, depression, family values, racism, friendship, single mothers, child abuse, blind dates, adoption, marriage, fatherhood, romance, high school, dreams, jealousy, commercials, suicide, best teacher, ideal job, gambling, birth control, divorce, poverty, night clubs, nostalgia, american idol, stereotypes..
I can go on if u want me to,
I hope I helped :)

Beth Said:

I need major help with writing a good high school essay!!!?

We Answered:

Yes, you have the correct formula for your five paragraph essay.
An essay is a discussion about something. You focus on one particular topic and stay with it. It is usually backed up by references and is definitely non-fiction.
A story can be fictional or non-fictional, but relates a tale about something. It can involved people, use quotations, be set anywhere in the universe, and take you wherever your imgination goes.
A paragraph is a short piece of writing, that is concerned with only one aspect of one topic. For example,if you were to write an essay on stock car racing, there are many facets to it. You would write about the kinds of cars that are used. That would be a paragraph (or a separate paragraph for each car) but you wouldn't discuss the length of the track or the slope of the turns or the system of judging or awarding points, or the prizes that go to the winner -- only the kind of cars that are used. The other stuff would be in different paragraphs.
When you string a group of related paragraphs together, you have an essay, if it is research-based, or a story if it is something you are recounting. Read any article in your local newspaper and see how the paragraphs follow in order, each one amplifying what has been said before.
The easiest way to write is to give yourself an outline. It doesn't have to be fancy, just a few words, so you know where you are going with your topic.
good luck to you.