College Composition CLEP Prep Practice Exam

What is the best way to focus a topic for an essay?

1. Brainstorm ideas for a thesis statement

2. Inspect the evidence and analyze its implications

3. Research the topic and look for conflicting opinions

4. Narrow the scope of the topic by asking questions

The correct answer is: Narrow the scope of the topic by asking questions

Choosing the best topic for an essay can often be a challenging task. However, among the given options, the best way to focus a topic for an essay is to narrow the scope of the topic by asking specific questions. This allows for a clearer understanding of the subject matter and helps to identify important aspects that should be further explored and discussed in the essay. Option A, brainstorming ideas for a thesis statement, may lead to a broad and unfocused topic, making it difficult to produce a coherent and well-supported essay. Similarly, option B, inspecting evidence and analyzing its implications, may result in exploring multiple aspects of the topic, which can also cause the essay to become scattered and unfocused. Option C, researching the topic and looking for conflicting opinions, may be useful in providing different perspectives on the topic. However, without a clear focus, this approach can lead to a lack