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The Position Check
One thread through four loops, and one that lets go halfway.
Click to zoom
The thread has to reach the far knot.
Learner finds and repairs whichever position fault an essay carries, with nothing marking which.
Preview · progress not saved — Chapter 1 is free
The chapter assembled, which question gates the rest, and which fails most.
1 Is a position stated, and could
someone disagree with it?
2 Does each body paragraph
visibly serve it?
3 Does the conclusion still hold it?
4 Is every concession answered?
Run them in that order. The order is not decorative.
One thread through four loops, and one that lets go halfway.
The thread has to reach the far knot.
Four essays, one fault each. Nothing says which.
1. Intro ends: This essay will discuss both sides of the transport question. Body 1: Fares deter low-income commuters. Conclusion: Free transport is worth its cost.
Is a position stated in the introduction? The essay fails at question . Repaired introduction ending:
2. Intro ends: Free transport is worth its cost. Body 2: Public transport in Europe is funded in a variety of ways. Conclusion: Free transport is worth its cost.
Does body 2 serve the position? The essay fails at question . Repaired body 2 opening: Public transport is funded in many ways, .
3. Intro ends: Remote work has harmed young employees more than it has helped them. Body paragraphs both support this. Conclusion: On balance, both sides of this debate have merit.
Do the two ends agree? The essay fails at question . Repaired conclusion opening:
4. Intro ends: Tourism damages the historic cities it visits. Body 2, in full: Of course, tourism does pay for a great deal of preservation work. Conclusion: Tourism damages historic cities.
Is the concession in body 2 answered? The essay fails at question . Repaired body 2, second sentence:
Two skeletons, opposite faults. Nothing says which is which.
Essay A — prompt: should university be free?
Introduction ends: There are both advantages and disadvantages to free university education. (1) →
Body 1 opens: Tuition fees have risen steadily across most of Europe since 2005. (2) → Tuition fees have risen steadily since 2005, .
Body 2 opens: Free places would cost the exchequer around £9bn a year. (3) → Free places would cost around £9bn a year, .
Body 3 opens: Students from the poorest quartile apply at half the rate of the richest. (4) →
Conclusion: In conclusion, there are strong arguments on either side. (5) →
Essay B — prompt: has remote work helped or harmed young workers?
Introduction ends: Remote work has harmed young employees more than it has helped them. (6) →
Body 1 opens: Junior staff learn most of their craft by overhearing experienced colleagues. (7) →
Body 2, in full: Admittedly, remote work has widened access to jobs for people outside cities. (8) → Admittedly, remote work has widened access to jobs outside cities.
Body 3 opens: Video calls can be tiring over a long day. (9) → Video calls are tiring, .
Conclusion: Remote work has harmed young employees, and employers should rebuild structured mentoring. (10) →
Three parts of one essay, holding one position throughout.
Prompt: some argue that governments should subsidise public transport until it is free at the point of use. Others say the money is better spent elsewhere. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Write three parts:
If you concede anything, answer it.
Label each part.
Four questions. Which one does your writing fail?