Mode Essay ExamplesFor everybody, not just Griffin.

Keep in mind these are merely examples of how to approach discussing the topics of your books and how to structure your essays. They are not necessarily perfect essays but are just good examples of each Mode. As I have said, any attempt to copy portions of these essays is considered plagiarism and will result in a failing grade. Do your own work.

Example Cause-Effect Essay Name 1

Student Name

9/18/15

AP Language

Essay #2 Cause and Effect

The Effect of the War on Drugs

In June of 1971 President Richard Nixon declared a war that nobody saw coming. It’s

cost our county countless millions of dollars, and it’s cost our citizens even more, something you

can’t put a price tag on- it’s taken people’s sense of security away and robbed them of their

rights. This war is fought not on foreign soil, but in our very own homes. 46 years ago President

Nixon declared a war on drugs. The consequences have been more extreme than he could have

possibly imagined.

The declaration of the War on Drugs was only the beginning of a long, gruesome fight,

one that has waged on long after Nixon’s presidency. Advocates of this war include presidents

Ford, Reagan, Bush (both Jr. and Sr.), Clinton, and Obama. With each of these presidents have

come new regulations, laws. And policies that are stricter than ever on offenses involving drugs.

The “One Strike and You’re Out” initiative, which was put in place by Bill Clinton during the

War on Drugs, says that residents who commit drug crimes may be evicted immediately.

Mandatory minimum sentencing laws for those caught with drugs such as cocaine or marijuana

have become increasingly more tough as a part of the war. For example, anyone caught with five

grams of crack cocaine (the equivalent of five packets of sugar) has a minimum sentence of five

years without parole. This war also involves the mass militarization of police departments

because of funding given to them by the federal government, training and intelligence given to

them by the DEA, and military intelligence and firepower given to them by the Pentagon. All of

Topic Sentence

The topic

Notice the intro mentions the topic and is not focused on summarizing the book.

Example Cause-Effect Essay Name 2

this turned the figurative war on drugs into a literal one, which has had innumerable

consequences, one being mass incarceration.

For nearly 50 years the United States has been fighting a war against the use of drugs.

The ramifications of this go far beyond what we are currently able to see, but one result that

cannot be disputed is mass incarceration. With funding provided by the federal government for

endorsing the war on drugs, state and local law enforcement agencies have been able to employ

strong military tactics in order to target drug users. In 2001 the SWAT team was deployed an

estimated 40,000 times, a great majority of which was for nonviolent drug crimes. Although

some presidents, like Bill Clinton, have at one point advocated for rehabilitation and health care

rather than incarceration for those with drug charges, they all end up supporting the War on

Drugs. As a result of the military-style approach used and the excessive funding put toward this

war the rate of arrests for drug related charges has skyrocketed. Approximately 31,000,000

arrests have been made in connection to drugs since he year1980, and roughly 61% of prison

expansions have been made to accommodate the growing population of those charged for drug

law violations. In the city of Chicago there has been a 2,000% increase in the number of people

imprisoned for drugs, not including those who only received jail time or probation. It’s clearly

evident that because of this War on Drugs a system of mass incarceration has taken hold in

America.

When President Nixon officially announced the United States’ War on Drugs there was

no way he could have predicted the effect it has had on incarceration rates. A multitude of factors

have played a role in the development of mass incarceration in America, but the biggest of these

is the war that is being waged against drugs and their users.

Notice the paragraphs use details from the book to explain the topic and aren't just focused on summarizing the book.

Example Cause-Effect Essay Name 3

Works Cited

Alexander, Michelle. The New Jim Crow. New York: The New Press. Print.

“A Brief History of the Drug War”. Drug Policy. August 2015. Web. 17 September, 2015.

Example Classification/Division Essay Name 1

Student Name

09/19/2016

AP Lang

Classification/Division

Schools of America

Public schools are not the only way to teach the youth of America. Throughout America

parents, communities, and organizations join forces to create private schools and charter schools

that operate differently than public schools and provide many different curriculums. The three

main schools in America consist of public schools, private schools, and charter schools. It is hard

to conclude which school is the best since each type of school has its own advantages and

disadvantages.

Public schools are the main type of schooling, funded by the government to provide

education for communities. Public schools are the most populous school type because of its cost

and availability to most kids. Public school expenses are mostly subsidized by taxes and the

government which allows all types of kids to enroll in a public school. Socioeconomic class is a

small factor when kids go to a school. Kids from all different places are able to receive public

education without having to pay huge expenses. In fact, in many public schools, lunch is free

through the National School Lunch Program. This program provided over 31 million children

with low-cost or free lunches in 2012 based on financial needs. Public schools provide students

many opportunities to succeed in life no matter their background. If anyone wants to succeed,

they can through diligence and perseverance. However, public schools also have the potential to

be very bad for students. Since public schools are government funded, if the government can’t

fund schools, schools go into disrepair, constantly reuse old school supplies and pay teachers

The topic sentence identifies the topic of the paragraph

The three types or groups the main subject can be divided into

The main subject

Example Classification/Division Essay Name 2

less. This constructs a poor learning environment where students are not encouraged to succeed

and study.

In contrast to public schools, private schools, backed by private organizations instead of

the government, provides a different method to educating students. Because private schools are

supported by private institutions, they are less restricted when it comes to education. They are

freely able to make their own curriculum and set up their own guidelines on what kids should

learn. Private schools entertain certain minority groups that want their child in a specific

environment like all boys, all girls, or all Catholic. Private schools also consist of smaller class

sizes which enables more direct teacher to student discussions. Despite these perks, private

schools have remarkably high tuition costs. In the state of Washington, the average tuition is

$9,450 for one year and can reach $20,000 or even $30,000 in other states. Private schools lack

government control and therefore aren’t regulated as tightly as public schools. The educational

curriculum is different in every private school making it hard to compare or match data and

results.

In addition, charter schools exhibit a new innovative way of schooling. Charter schools, a

combination of private schools and public schools, are public schools that are independently run

as a public school under a charter. Charter schools are supported by the government like public

schools, but under a charter, are not regulated like private schools. Charter schools have more

accountability than public schools so charter schools feel encouraged to provide a better

environment of learning or else they lose their charters when results are poor or parents are

displeased. Like private schools, some charter schools are specifically designed for specific types

of people which improves the learning experience if a student feels comfortable in his/her

surrounding. Charters in its natural form sounds solid until corporations took control. In The

New topic in the topic sentenceTransition!

Example Classification/Division Essay Name 3

Death and Life of the Great America School System, Diane Ravitch explains because charter

schools are schools of choice, many are formed around a market model (Ravitch 127). The

market model revolves around the ideas of competition and deregulation which is commonly

practiced in businesses, but it does not always work in the education setting. Competition

between charter schools and public schools causes the better test taking students to transfer to

charter schools which skews the data of test results. It’s immensely hard to say which schools are

better when one is mostly made up of upper class students and one is made up of lower class

students. As a result of deregulation in schools, corporations that run charter schools primarily

focus on tests and teaching students to take tests in order to increase scores which doesn’t teach

kid substantial, applicable skills for the future.

When making a decision on where a kid should go, one must weigh all the advantages

and the disadvantages of public schools, private schools, and charter schools. Each schools

provides a different setting for learning, some are more open to all students whereas some create

high tuition barriers to filter out students. Evidently, the pros and cons of each school instills

competitions between the schools which can be perceived positively or negatively depending on

one’s opinions. No matter what, going to school and receiving an education is ultimately better

than not going to any type of school.

Example Classification/Division Essay Name 4

Works Cited

"Average Private School Tuition Cost (2016-2017)." Private School Review. Private School

Review. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.

"National School Lunch Program (NSLP)." Food and Nutrition Service. 18 Aug. 2016. Web. 20

Sept. 2016.

Ravitch, Diane. The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and

Choice Are Undermining Education. New York: Basic, 2010. Print.

Again, notice the essay used all the sources to describe the topic but wasn't focused on the sources themselves. They are just support.

Example Compare-Contrast Essay Name 1

Student Name

9/16/2016

AP Language

Compare-Contrast Mode

Men vs Women on Minimum Wage

Throughout history women have been seen as inferior to men. As time has passed respect

for women has increased dramatically, however women do still struggle in today’s society. They

are still often taken advantaged of and are paid less than men making living off a low wage

especially difficult. Women of the lower class struggle a little bit more than men do.

It’s no secret that there’s a gap between the wages of men and women. This is an issue

because people with low wage jobs already struggle with stretching their low salary, on top of

that women make less than men for the same jobs. “Institute for Women’s Policy Research”

found that in 2015 the wage gap between men and women was 80%. This means that for every

dollar a man makes, a woman makes 80 cents for the same job. Because of this, many women

need to work two jobs in order to pay rent and buy food or, split rent with other people. In Nickel

and Dimed, by Barbara Erenreich, the author spoke about a co-worker who was living in a $250

a week flophouse with a male friend who she disliked, but she had no choice but to live with him

because paying the rent by herself was impossible. The fact that women make less than men and

have to compete for the same housing costs is a big issue.

Living conditions are far more dangerous for women than men. Living off low wages

limits the options for housing. As stated before, Erenreich’s co-worker was forced to split rent

with someone she disliked because she couldn’t afford not to. Those who choose to try and live

on their own can normally only afford housing in unsafe neighborhoods. For example, when

New Topic of Comparison

Focusing on this Topic of Comparison

Comparing these two topics

Example Compare-Contrast Essay Name 2

Erenreich went to work in Minnesota, she lived in a run down motel room until she could find a

place to rent. The room was small with no screen on the only window and there was no lock on

the door. This meant someone could break into her room at anytime. Many women living off low

wages live in conditions like this and it’s extremely dangerous. Unlike a man who can defend

himself against another man, it’s harder for a woman to defend herself because of strength and

power. Erenreich stated that, “Poor women- perhaps especially single ones… really do have

more to fear than women who have double locked doors and an alarm system and husband…”

Single women living off low wage jobs, are constantly in danger of getting taken advantage of.

Women working low wage jobs arguably struggle more than men do. They pay for the

same products as men yet get paid less and are not always put in the safest of living conditions.

However, they still work hard, many working multiple jobs, and manage to get by every month.

If somehow, people manage to close the wage gap, maybe women wouldn’t need to work as hard

to get by.

Notice that these essays don't have to be too long. 2 or 3 body paragraphs are enough.

Example Compare-Contrast Essay Name 3

Work Cited

Ehrenreich, Barbara. Nickel and Dimed: On (not) Getting by in America. New York:

Metropolitan, 2001. Print

"Pay Equity & Discrimination". IWPR. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.

Example Exemplification Essay Name 1

Student Name

9/17/15

AP Language

Exemplification Essay

Companionship

Loyalty, respect, companionship. I discovered the true meaning of all these words

through reading the book Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden. A certain group of people would

do anything for each other, die for each other. I’m proud to say I’m talking about U.S. soldiers.

They never leave each other behind.

A man named Wilkinson does an amazing job of showing how much he cares for his

comrades. Wounded men are in dire need of IV bags, but the medics are pinned down and can’t

get to the wounded soldiers. Wilkinson steps up to the plate. “He ran across, again moving at

what seemed tortoise pace, and again arriving unscathed. The men watching from their positions

hunkered down around the intersection were amazed at Wilkinson’s bravery. Wilkinson told

Fales that he would have to go back for good this time. Rodriguez was in a critical state. He

needed to be taken out immediately. Wilkinson would care for him until that happened. Then,

with the fluids cradled in his arms, head down, he dashed across the road for the third and last

time” (Mark Bowden). Without giving it a second thought Wilkinson risked his life multiple

times to get injured soldiers supplies to save their life. He might be scared, heck he’s probably

terrified, but that doesn’t matter. All that matters is that he gives it his all to save his friends, his

family.

Carlson also shows bravery through his epiphany during battle. In the middle of a

firefight he is shot and what he recalls of it is really inspiring. “And then, in that moment of

Each paragraph will focus on a separate example that describes the topic

Example Exemplification Essay Name 2

maximum terror, he felt it all abruptly, inexplicably fall away…his own life no longer mattered.

All that did matter were his buddies, his brothers, that they not get hurt, that they not get killed.

These men around him, some of whom he had only known for months, were more important to

him than life itself” (Mark Bowden). This just amazed me. After being shot in the knee he must

be in unimaginable pain and yet that doesn’t matter to him. There aren’t a lot people like this in

the world. Many people won’t even do simple favors for each other because it’s “inconvenient”

for them. I look up to Wilkinson so much for his selfless acts, we need so many more people like

him in the world.

Along with Carlson and Wilkinson, Jim Telscher is one of those guys who would never

leave a man behind. When Joyce is shot, Telscher’s initial reaction is to run through the

hailstorm of bullets and save him. “One of the .50 cals promptly blasted gaping holes in the wall

around the window where the gun had appeared, and Sergeant Jim Telscher, ignoring the heavy

fire, sprinted out to Joyce, grabbed him by the shirt and vest, and, without even slowing down,

dragged him back to the column” (Mark Bowden). This was another one of those moments that

really spoke to me. All it takes is one bullet, one bullet is enough to end a life. Without a second

of hesitation Telscher ran through the spray of bullets to save his comrade.

These men are my inspiration. They never leave each other no matter what. It must have

been absolutely horrifying to risk their lives and yet they do it in the blink of an eye. No matter

the danger, they always have each other’s back. There is no way in the world that you could

show a greater friendship.

Works Cited

Should be on a separate page!!!

Example Exemplification Essay Name 3

Bowden, Mark. Black Hawk Down. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1999. Print.

Eversmann, Mathew. “Battle of Mogadishu”. Wikipedia. 9/10/15. Web. 9/14/15

Example Process Essay Name 1

Student Name

September 18, 2015

AP Language period 5

Process Essay

Getting the girl in the early 1900s

“I’ll never find a bae.”

“Hashtag forever alone.”

“Lol got another date night with me, myself and Netflix.”

These phrases that are seen all over social media and heard on a daily basis are words that

were never spoken in the 1900s. The dating life was so much simpler back then. There was no

worrying about how to build up enough courage to ask out that cute girl, and being asked on

dates by random strangers was never considered creepy. Back then, men were go-getters. They

would find a beautiful woman, and go for it. Rejection wasn’t a very big deal. They would just

brush it off, and move onto the next girl. Today, finding a significant other is considered to be

the biggest struggle that some people have ever faced in their lives. What was it about the early

1900s that made romance so easy? This is what the courting process looked like.

The first step is how the man asks out the girl. Men were spared the potential humiliation

of being declined after asking the question, “Will you go out with me?” They didn’t even have to

make any interaction with the woman in order to make the magic happen. All they had to do was

knock on the door of their possible future soulmate, and hand their calling card to the doorman or

servant of the woman’s household. If she and her parents were home and if she was up to

meeting him at that moment, then the caller1 would be invited inside. If the mistress was not

home, she would see on the calling card, the name and address of her suitor, and if she was

1 At the time, suitors were also called “gentleman callers.”

Example Process Essay Name 2

interested, she would reply, and set up a date for their first encounter. This method causes much

less stress than the system of asking a girl out than the one we presently undergo. This way, the

girl doesn’t feel any guilt for turning a guy down, and he won’t feel any embarrassment.

After the girl replies “yes” and sets up a rendezvous, the first date is held inside her

home. Today, teenage girls would drop dead from mortification if her first date, or any date for

that matter, had to be supervised by her parent. However, back then that was the norm. The

gentleman caller would have dinner with the girl’s family and they would all talk and play games

together. This was because whether or not the man was good enough to marry was always

decided by the parents. In the play The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, which was set

in 1937, the character Amanda is desperately searching for a gentleman caller for her daughter

Laura, who is terribly shy, has a crippled leg, and has never in her life been sought after by any

man. Her brother Tom invites his coworker Jim over for dinner, making him Laura’s first

prospective suitor. He was outgoing and charming, which was completely the opposite of

Laura’s timid nature. Amanda highly approved of Jim and was constantly giving him praise.

“Why Mr. O’Connor, nobody, nobody’s given me this much entertainment in years—as you

have!” she exclaims. Sadly, the audience later finds out that he is already engaged and was only

there to be nice; but that’s beside the point. If the man and woman are both interested in each

other after their first encounter, then they set up a second date.

People had much more freedom on the second date. The 1930s is when it started to be

conventional to go on private dates in public. Chaperones were no longer needed. Popular dating

spots were the movies, tea houses, and gazebos. However, there was an unspoken set of rules for

how people must act while in a relationship. According to the article, “Valentines Countdown:

Courtship Rules, 1900 vs. Now” by Sullivan entertainment:

Example Process Essay Name 3

1. A woman should never take a man’s arm-unless it was offered.

2. Once a couple began courting, kissing was NOT an appropriate way to show affection in

public.

3. A man must only marry when he is able to support a family with his income and

possessions.

4. Women were encouraged to test their suitors to see if they would remain loyal to them.

For example, they would feign illness, family disapproval, and possibly even break off

the relationship.

Just like today, after all the hassle of getting the girl, and if the particular girl happens to

be “the one,” then the man and woman will get married and live happily ever after. The

courting process back then sounds pretty fun compared to what we do now. There was no

“Netflix and Chill” and they would never use the phrase “hang out” to make it sound like it’s

not a date. Perhaps we would see many more happy couples if we readopt the old method of

dating.

Example Process Essay Name 4

Works Cited

Sullivan Entertainment. “Valentines Countdown: Courtship Rules, 1900 vs. Now.” Sullivan

Entertainment, Toronto, ON, 29 January 2013. Web. 16 September 2015.

Tennessee Williams. The Glass Menagerie. New Directions Publishing Corporation, 97 pgs.

Print. New York. 1999