Starting an Enduring Issue Paragraph: How Do You Do it?

As an aspiring writer, you might be asked to tackle a variety of topics that span history and present significant global issues. A common task you might encounter is creating an enduring issue paragraph, particularly for the NYS Regents Examination. An enduring issue represents a lasting problem that exists throughout time. Your task in writing this paragraph is to identify these persistent issues and analyze how they have been dealt with in the past by societies.

Enduring Issue Explained

An enduring issue is a problem that has been present across different time periods and has been dealt with varying degrees of success by societies. These issues are significant and have lasting impacts on people. When writing an enduring issue paragraph, you’re expected to describe these challenges, drawing from historical documents, to express their significance and impact over time.

Structure of an Enduring Issue Paragraph

Creating an enduring issue paragraph follows a certain structure. Here are the key components arranged in a suggested order:

Introduction and Definition of the Issue: Identify and define the enduring issue you’ll be discussing.

Importance of the Issue: Explain why the issue significant and how it has impacted people over time.

Body Paragraph: This should include a topic sentence, document information, analysis of how the issue impacted or continues to impact people and societies, additional outside information, and an optional closing sentence.

Conclusion: Restate your claim and the issue’s importance, insisting on its significance and effect over time.

Body Paragraph

The body paragraph of your enduring issue essay is one of the most important parts.

Start with a topic sentence that outlines the main point of the paragraph.

This is followed by the document information where you detail the evidence supporting your topic.

Proceed with analysis, where you explain how the issue has impacted people/places and how it’s changed over time.

It is also useful to include outside information where possible to provide additional perspective.

To wrap up, consider adding a closing sentence that summarises the point made in the paragraph.

Conclusion

Wrap up with a conclusion which echoes the thesis statement but does not necessarily repeat it. The concluding paragraph is a chance to tie up your arguments and insights in a thoughtful way. Reiterate your claims about the enduring issue, sum up the overall discussion, and bring out the importance of the issue and its effects over time. As a general guideline, the conclusion should be concise, typically spanning 3-5 sentences.

Other Considerations

Finally, remember that your essay ought to be grounded in evidence and not merely opinions. Each sentence should advance your argument in some way, rather than resorting to generic claims and points. Remember that you have the freedom to explore other sources, further beyond the documents given and bring in more evidence to support your claim.

Conclusions

In conclusion, writing an enduring issue paragraph can be a challenging task, but with the right approach and understanding, it can be done effectively. Take the time to understand the issue at hand, structure your paragraph appropriately, and ensure you are presenting your argument based on solid evidence and analysis for a successful enduring issue paragraph.