Come up with interesting essay questions
If you want interesting essays, you need to think of engaging essay questions.
The joy of asking questions is probably best felt by an inquisitive three year old. Sometimes, the list of questions that he might ask could overwhelm the person who is at the receiving end. This is just the same as a student who has to face a barrage of questions from his teacher, who expects him to write good essays on them all. From the point of view of a teacher however, this might not sound like an easy task. One needs to know the subject and the topic really well, if one were to put forth an interesting question. Therefore, let us examine the factors that impact essay questions.
A good essay question should -
- promote a feeling of curiosity in the mind of the writer. It should encourage him to start thinking out of the box and come out with an explanation which is both correct as well as engaging.
- prompt the writer to look for further cases and examples on the same topic. For instance, if the question focuses on psychological disorders in elderly people, the writer should be inspired to read info that has already been published on the topic. If he is not able to lay his hands on this kind of writing, it is his duty to search the net or the college library for more information.
- ensure that a logical answer and solution is possible. The essay questions should be expressed in such a way that the writer will be able to draw a few conclusions after writing about the specific topic. It would be done only after extensive research and in depth study has been done on the subject.
- clearly indicate the level of writing. If the question just says – write on Indian philosophy – it is not a well worded question. It does not indicate the level of academic writing, nor does it ask for any extra information. The answer to this could be written in just five hundred words. On the other hand, if the question was more descriptive, it would give the writer enough scope to do his research and come up with a good piece of essay writing.
Courting controversy:
The more interesting the questions are, the more controversial the answers and essay could be. For instance, think of the kind of questions that could be asked on the topic of euthanasia. This refers to the concept of mercy killing or in other words, taking people of life support. If the question is going to focus on reflective thoughts on this subject, one would have to present relevant data that has been collected on the topic, till now. These are essay questions that cannot be taken lightly. The supporting data should be well researched before incorporation into the essay. You cannot use some statements that you have heard and hope that they will not be disputed. Therefore, check out details before you claim the authenticity of the data.
