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Hey all!!! Can anyone please explain the difference between the different instruction types in the Issue essay? How to approach these different types? Does one requires you to take a clear stand and other to take a balanced view?

In my opinion, your essay is well-written with good points. However, I am struggling to relate your points to the topic of dissuading students. It looks like your essay is about: "Do educational institutions play a role in career choices and should they?" This is related to the topic that is asked but not the same. I think it is very important to focus on the topic in order to get a score. Also, I would suggest using examples to make your point clear and writing a conclusion in a separate paragraph. I think this response will get a score in the lower half because it does not respond to the topic that is asked.

In my opinion, you have raised good points in your response but it needs more focus and detail. The organization of the essay and the use of transitions between paragraphs is good. It might help to plan your response before you start writing. You also need to be more clear about your stand on the issue and write a good introduction and conclusion to make that stand clear in order to get a good score. Your points need more expansion and must relate back to the main topic. I think you would get a 2.5 for this response. All the best!

Please grade and critique my essay on the following topic. Thanks in advance. Claim: Many problems of modern society cannot be solved by laws and the legal system. Reason: Laws cannot change what is in people's hearts or minds. Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim and the reason on which that claim is based. -------- The speaker’s claim is actually three-fold here: 1. People’s hearts and minds are key determinants of people’s behavior, 2. Laws cannot change people’s hearts and minds, and 3. In modern society, many problems cannot be solved by laws and the legal system. I agree with the first part of the claim, but disagree with the other two. The speaker goes to extreme by claiming that many problems unique to modern society cannot be addressed by implementing laws and the legal system. Experience tells us that human actions and behavior are primarily based on their feelings, beliefs and reasoning. What we do, where we go and what we follow under all circumstances is determined by our conscious, thinking and understanding. For instance, when I am faced with the option of bribing an officer and get the work done quickly instead of going by the rules and policies, I prefer to stick to the latter. I know people who would do otherwise because they follow their conventions and mores whereas I follow my own. Thus, the speaker’s implied claim is true that the heart and mind are key determinants of human behavior. However, one must admit that, the laws, if implemented effectively, act to deter people from committing offences. The laws can change people minds by creating fear and embarrassment and force them to think in a different manner. For instance, if the speeding limits are lifted, there is no doubt that there will be many more cases of speeding resulting into accidents and loss of people’s lives. Thus, even if people would like to go past the speed limit, they usually do not do it for the fear of getting a ticket. The laws and the legal system thus acts to maintain order in the modern society, in their absence the society will be worse off and would meet destruction. Though, the hearts of people might not change due to laws, they are effective in changing people’s minds and behavior. Nonetheless, there are some cases where laws are not effective in changing people’s hearts and minds. Those are the cases of extremism and irrational behavior. For instance, the terrorists do not fear of being caught, imprisoned and hanged even when there are strict laws and numerous precedents available for terrorists who were prosecuted based on that. This is because laws certainly do not change their hearts and minds. They are completely brainwashed and made to think about unilateral goals, to protect their religion or defend their own region. However, it is important to note that such problems are not unique to the modern society. For instance, the centuries old civilizations have also dealt with terrorism, murders and theft, at a smaller scale though. All societies in the past have faced such problems and have been unsuccessful to some degree in solving those problems through laws and the legal system. There might be nothing unique about such problems in the modern society. To sum up, I disagree with the speaker’s reason and claim. Human behavior, though dependent on heart and mind, can be influenced by the laws and there are ample empirical evidences of it. The problems of the extremism and irrational behavior are not unique to modern society and cannot be addressed by laws and the legal system.