SAT Mc Graw Hill 2011

476 McGRAW-HILL’S SAT

Practice Essay 12

Time—25 minutes

Directions for Writing the Essay

Plan and write an essay that answers the question below. Do NOT write on another topic. An essay on

another topic will receive a score of 0.

Two readers will grade your essay based on how well you develop your point of view, organize and ex-

plain your ideas, use specific and relevant examples to support your thesis, and use clear and effective

language. How well you write is much more important than how much you write, but to cover the topic

adequately you should plan to write several paragraphs.

Your essay must be written only on the lines provided on your answer sheet. You will have enough space

if you write on every line, avoid wide margins, and keep your handwriting to a reasonable size. Your essay

will be read by people who are not familiar with your handwriting, so write legibly.

You may use this sheet for notes and outlining, but these will not be graded as part of your essay.

Consider carefully the issue discussed in the following passage, then write an essay that answers the ques-

tion posed in the assignment.

A person’s greatness derives from the many small moral choices one makes moment by

moment. To be born into great wealth, power, or ability is not to be great at all. Rather, great-

ness only comes from the continual choice to use that endowment wisely, to struggle with the

needs of humanity as a member of its family.

Assignment: Are human beings more the products of their endowments, or of their choices?

Write an essay in which you answer this question and discuss your point of view on this

issue. Support your position logically with examples from literature, the arts, history,

politics, science and technology, current events, or your experience or observation.

Note:Write your practice essay on two pages of standard lined paper.