“A good essay should be a well-organized, well-supported argument, not a mere list of facts.” — Stephen Jay Gould
Good writing is difficult, and knowing how to write well can be mysterious. In this chapter, you will engage in a detailed review of a superior student essay to dissect the key components that make it successful. By analyzing elements such as a clear thesis statement, logical organization, effective use of evidence, and varied sentence structure, you will gain a deeper understanding of what constitutes high-quality academic writing. This chapter will also provide practical tips on how to apply these techniques in your own essays, ensuring that you can replicate the same level of excellence in your work.
Good writing is a fundamental skill that influences nearly every aspect of our lives. Whether it’s fair or not, we are often judged based on how well we can communicate, and our success in any field is largely determined by our ability to express ideas clearly and effectively. From drafting emails and reports in a professional setting to crafting compelling social media posts or writing personal reflections, good writing is essential. In everyday life, we use writing to communicate with colleagues, advocate for ourselves, and articulate our thoughts in ways that others can understand and appreciate. In the academic world, strong writing skills can lead to better grades, more persuasive arguments, and a deeper understanding of complex topics. By honing your writing abilities, you’re not just learning how to compose essays—you’re developing a crucial skill that will impact your personal, professional, and academic success.
Learning Objectives
After this project, you will be able to:
The following essay was produced by an English 101 student at Scottsdale Community College. As you read, click on the underlined sections to learn tips and techniques for writing a college essay. The chapter quiz will be based on the information in the pop-up boxes.
Professor Healy
English 101
26 October 2023
Designing Access: How Urban Planning Shapes Food Security in America
Food deserts, which affect 19 million Americans or 6% of the population, are areas with limited access to healthy and affordable food (Fowler). These deserts are often the result of urban planning that prioritizes car dependency, particularly in low-income communities. In Arizona alone, 43 food deserts have been identified, with one in six Arizonans expected to face food insecurity by 2030, according to Arizona State University’s School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning. This connection between poor urban planning and food insecurity highlights the significant impact of city design on public health.
Urban sprawl and poor zoning laws are major contributors to the development of food deserts, creating vast, car-dependent cities where essential services, including grocery stores, are difficult to access without a vehicle. Zoning ordinances, intended to keep residential areas separate from industrial zones, have inadvertently led to sprawling cities where basic needs require long commutes. The USDA reports that 6% of the U.S. population lives more than a mile from the nearest grocery store, with limited access to transportation (USDA ERS). This distance becomes a significant barrier for low-income families, who are less likely to own reliable vehicles and often have to rely on unhealthy food options nearby. Furthermore, the lack of reliable public transportation in these areas exacerbates the problem. A survey by U.S. Hunger found that 42.6% of food-insecure individuals have no access to transportation, making it even harder to reach grocery stores or food pantries (U.S. Hunger). This lack of mobility not only limits food access but also highlights how poor city planning can trap residents in cycles of poverty and poor health.
The impact of food deserts is even more severe for individuals with chronic illnesses or disabilities, who are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity. The U.S. Hunger survey reported that 73.5% of food-insecure households included someone with a disability or chronic illness, further complicating their ability to access healthy food[pb_glossary id="585"] (U.S. Hunger). Many are advised by healthcare providers to maintain a balanced diet, yet the high cost of healthy food in these areas forces them to choose between food and necessary medication. This creates a vicious cycle where poor health and food insecurity feed into each other, making it difficult for affected individuals to break free from these challenges.[/pb_glossary]
Imagine a future where every neighborhood has easy access to fresh, healthy food—where urban design actively supports the well-being of all residents. Addressing food deserts requires a fundamental shift in how we think about city planning and transportation infrastructure. By prioritizing public transit and creating walkable communities, we can ensure that all citizens have the opportunity to lead healthy lives, regardless of income or physical ability. The choices we make today in designing our cities will determine whether future generations inherit a landscape of abundance or scarcity.
Basav, Sen. “How the U.S. Transportation System Fuels Inequality” Inequality.org, 27, January 2022.
Caporuscio, Jessica. “Food deserts: Definition, effects, and solutions”, June 2020.
“Food Access | Arizona Department of Agriculture” Working on Food Access Issues.
Jih, Jane, et al. “Chronic disease burden predicts food insecurity among older adults” Public Health Nutrition, vol. 21, no. 9, 2018, pp. 1737-1742.
USDA. “Dietary Guidelines For Americans 2015-2020 Eighth Edition”, December, 2015.
“USDA ERS – Documentation”, 20 October 2023.
U.S. Hunger. “It’s Not Just Hunger: Transportation’s Role in Food Insecurity”, August 2022.
Silva, Christianna. “Food Insecurity In The U.S. By The Numbers”, 15 September 2023.
Rosales Chavez, Jose-Benito. “ASU researchers fight back against food deserts”, March 2021.
Ver Ploeg, Michele. “USDA ERS – Access to Affordable, Nutritious Food Is Limited in Food Deserts”, March 2010.
Please note that some formatting issues (such as font and spacing) in the essay above are due to limitations in Pressbook. Click here to see a correctly formatted version of this essay.
Chapter Quiz
The following quiz is graded.
You can retake the quiz as many times as you’d like, but your average score from all attempts will be recorded in the gradebook, so each attempt can help improve your overall performance. For example, if you take the quiz three times and score 3/10, 7/10, and 10/10, your final recorded score will be the average of these attempts: (3 + 7 + 10) ÷ 3 = 6.7/10.
The essay should be typed in a standard, readable font (such as Times New Roman, 12 pt.), double-spaced, with 1-inch margins on all sides. These formatting guidelines make the essay easy to read and help to ensure uniformity across all submissions
The MLA header includes the student's name, professor's name, course title, and date—details that are standard in academic writing and help maintain professionalism.
The title of your essay should be clear, specific, and indicative of your essay's focus. Jason Gray's title, "Designing Access: How Urban Planning Shapes Food Security in America," immediately informs the reader about the topic and the perspective the essay will take.
The introduction of an essay sets the stage for your argument. It should begin with a hook that grabs the reader's attention, followed by background information, and conclude with a clear, arguable thesis statement. In Jason Gray's essay, the introduction effectively hooks the reader by presenting the staggering statistic that 19 million Americans live in food deserts. It then uses the topic overview (the middle of the introduction) to provide context on the issue before presenting a thesis that connects urban planning with food insecurity.
The thesis statement is at the end of the introduction and includes a limited topic and at least one claim.
Each body paragraph begins with a strong topic sentence that clearly states the main idea of the paragraph. The topic sentence states a single arguable/discussable claim that can be proven with credible evidence.
Evidence from credible sources is used in each body paragraph to support the topic sentence.
The author uses a variety of credible sources. This shows the author is well-informed on the topic and trustworthy because she has conducted extensive research.
Notice how the author creates “evidence sandwiches” by placing explanation before and after evidence. Introducing the evidence places the information in context. Adding explanation after evidence allows the author to analyze the information and show it proves your larger point.
The author uses a hook technique to open the conclusion to grab the reader’s attention.
Here the author is reviewing key points from the essay to remind the reader of the important takeaways, but he is also rephrasing them to avoid sounding dull and repetitive.
The author uses a final hook to create closure. This gives the reader something to consider once the essay is finished.
A well-formatted Works Cited page is crucial for proper citation and avoiding plagiarism. Here, the Works Cited page lists all the sources referenced in MLA format, which is required for many academic disciplines. Each entry is carefully formatted with the author's name, title of the source, publication details, and URL or DOI when applicable. Note the sources are alphabetized. You can use a free citation generator like EasyBib to create your Works Cited page: https://www.easybib.com/mla/source