May someone please grade this SAT Essay? (1out of 6) It would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much!?

Question

Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.

Common sense suggests an obvious division between the past and present, between history and current events. In many cases, however, this boundary is not clear cut because earlier events are not locked away in the past. Events from history remain alive through people's memories and through books, films, and other media. For both individuals and groups, incidents from the past continue to influence the present—sometimes positively and sometimes negatively.

Assignment:

Do incidents from the past continue to influence the present? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

Answer 1

Hi,

There's a few word choice issues, but grammar and spelling are basically correct, and it proves the point you're going for.  If you can pull this off in 25 minutes, I think you'll do well.  5 or 6 out of 6.

Two suggestions.

1. Add something to your thesis to indicate where you are getting your examples from.  For instance, if you're using examples from literature and history, write at the end of your thesis, ..."and this is evident from examining literature and history."  Remember, the SAT graders are looking over your essay really quickly, and if it isn't clear what your thesis is, they may not notice the genius of the writing, to put it lightly.

2. Add a sentence or two at the end of the conclusion to directly state your opinion on the issue and connect it to real life.  For this essay, it might be something like "It is a good thing that past events influence us.  If they didn't, we would be bound to repeat our mistakes without learning from them."

May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you.