At this point the writer is considering adding the following...

At this point the writer is considering adding the following sentence: In fact, it was a casual remark by a child that inspired Seligman to write The Optimistic Child. Assuming this statement is true, would it be a relevant and appropriate addition to the essay? (F) Yes, because it explains where Seligman got the title for The Optimistic child. (G) Yes, because child development is an important branch of psychology. (H) No, because casual remarks are not mentioned anywhere else in the essay. (J) No, because it distracts from the focus of the paragraph.

At this point the writer is considering adding the following sentence:
In fact, it was a casual remark by a child that inspired Seligman to write The Optimistic Child.
Assuming this statement is true, would it be a relevant and appropriate
addition to the essay?
(F) Yes, because it explains where Seligman got the title for The Optimistic child.
(G) Yes, because child development is an important branch of psychology.
(H) No, because casual remarks are not mentioned anywhere else in the essay.
(J) No, because it distracts from the focus of the paragraph.

Key Concepts

Focus and Organization

Focus and organization are key to effective essay writing and involve carefully curating content so that each part contributes to the overarching argument. A well-organized essay keeps the narrative on track, ensuring that peripheral anecdotes or details do not distract from the main points being made.

Consistency in Argumentation

Consistency involves maintaining uniformity in the evidence and arguments presented throughout an essay. When additional details or examples are introduced, they should seamlessly align with and reinforce earlier points, rather than introducing new elements that could confuse the reader or undermine the essay's overall focus.

Relevance of Information

This concept refers to the importance of ensuring that every detail or piece of evidence included in a written piece directly supports the main argument or thesis. Irrelevant or tangential information, even if interesting in its own right, can weaken the overall impact of the essay by diverting the reader's focus away from the central ideas.

Transcript

00:01 Number 12, this place.

00:03 They say, at this point, the writer is considering adding the following sentence.

00:07 In fact, it was a casual remark by a child that inspired seligman to write the optimistic child.

00:12 Assuming this statement is true, would it be a relevant and appropriate addition to the essay? so these questions that start with two yes answers and two no answers, they're also known as two keeps and two deletes, these are always.

00:31 Intended as focus questions, meaning they're evaluating, does the change that they want to make help to sharpen the focus by staying really strictly on topic, or does it blur the focus by veering off in another direction? so though the reasonings may play with lots of different things, know that ultimately what you're looking for is a matter of focus.

00:56 So we can start by just kind of fact -checking the answer choices.

01:00 F says yes, because it's explains where he got the title for optimistic child.

01:04 This is true.

01:04 Sure, it does explain that.

01:06 Now evaluate it through the lens of focus.

01:09 Is it relevant? well, check the context of the paragraph.

01:14 The paragraph is about martin seligman's work, focusing on the areas of happiness, engagement, and fulfillment.

01:22 The book, the optimistic child, is just thrown out kind of as an example of the books that are accessible to a wide audience of readers.

01:32 There's no real reason why you would go off on a tangent about optimistic child, but not on the other ones.

01:38 So it may be interesting.

01:39 It may be explaining where he got the title...

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