The Four Most Common Essay Topics
Most arguments fall into four categories. You can argue about:
1. Problems: What’s the biggest problem facing…?
2. Causes: What’s the true cause of the problem?
3. Solutions: How can the problem be solved?
4. Costs: Is the cost of the solution too high?
1. Arguments about problems
We can argue about what the biggest problem is. For example, in the run-up to an election, people argue about what the biggest problem facing their area is:
- Traffic congestion
- Unaffordable housing
- Crime
- High taxes
2. Arguments about causes
We can argue about the causes of a problem. If the problem we are discussing is traffic congestion, we can argue about whether high traffic is due to:
- Too many cars on the road
- Lack of public transit
- Bad driving habits
- Poor road design
3. Arguments about solutions
We can argue about the best solution to a problem. If we decide that lack of public transit is the main reason behind high traffic, we might suggest:
- More buses
- More streetcars
- More subways
- More designated bus lanes
4. Arguments about the cost of a solution
- “It’s not worth the price.”
The ideal solution to high traffic would be more subways. Subways are underground, so they don’t displace cars, they are not susceptible to traffic jams, they are fast, and they can go anywhere. However, building subways is incredibly expensive. Your argument might be that while new subways would be a great idea, we would have to raise taxes or cut funding in other areas in order to afford them; therefore, this solution is not ideal.