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# Improve Your English Tutoring Services Inc.

## Sitemaps
[XML Sitemap](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/sitemap_index.xml): Includes all crawlable and indexable pages.

## Posts
- [12 Tips to Improve Your Reading](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/blog/12-tips-to-improve-your-reading/): Do you feel like you can improve your reading? Many people think reading is simply going from one word to the next until done, but there's more to becoming a truly effective and efficient reader.
- [The 2026 Morning Dash](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/the-2026-morning-dash/): “Live from a peaceful and dark bedroom, welcome to the 2026 Morning Dash! The crowd goes absolutely silent, waiting as our athlete for the day, Mia Liu, prepares for her ultimate test. Trust me, these contestants are all very worthy and amazing, but no one has been able to make it in time to beat this game yet! And the only question, WILL SHE DO IT??? 
- [My Favorite Place: The State of Washington](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/my-favorite-place-the-state-of-washington/): Traveling is something that most people enjoy, because it lets them explore new places and experience different cultures. There are many different places to travel to. Some choose big urban cities like New York or San Francisco, others choose relaxing beaches, or some people may even travel all the way to Hawaii. A lot of people also like to travel because of the weather of their location. For instance, some people prefer the cold and chilly Chicago, versus the hot and relaxing weather down in the Florida Keys. There are a lot of places to choose from when traveling. But for me, my favorite place is Washington State because we have family there, there are many landmarks and sights to see, and there are many beautiful national and state parks to go camping. 
- [Become a Master Reader — in Just 15 Minutes A Day](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/blog/become-a-master-reader-in-just-15-minutes-a-day/): Want to read better?
- [My Favorite Place (So Far)](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/my-favorite-place-so-far/): Lots of people have a favorite place to visit. Some people like the beach, and some people prefer the mountains, and some people like to go to restaurants and museums. But lots of people love to visit other countries. Countries can have much bigger things, like buildings and mountains and cities. They can have different food, weather, and languages. Visiting different countries allows you to have a fun and unique trip. One of my favorite places is Italy because of the food, art, and landmarks.
- [Don’t Escape the Future in the Age of AI](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/featured/dont-escape-the-future-in-the-age-of-ai/): Open TikTok, Instagram, or even Facebook, and the same thing pops up: AI is everywhere. It edits your photos, suggests videos, and even finishes your sentences. So why is school trying to pretend it doesn’t exist? Tools like ChatGPT are becoming increasingly popular, and some teachers have suggested requiring all homework assignments to be handwritten and done in class to prevent the use of AI; however, this has consequences. Teachers should not remove at-home homework assignments because it would take away essential learning opportunities and ignore the reality that AI is becoming a major part of the world in which students are growing up.
- [The Iron Role Model](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/the-iron-role-model/): Role models are people who others look up to. They are those who can inspire others. Iron Man is a character from the Marvel Universe. He is a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist who is the CEO of Stark Industries. He has 270 IQ, being one of the smartest Marvel characters of all time. Even though he has many positive qualities, he can also be arrogant, selfish, and impulsive but he works on those things to improve. Despite these bad traits, Iron Man is a good role model because he changes for the better, learns from his mistakes, and he overcomes challenges.
- [Nature’s Canvas](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/natures-canvas/): by Shivali H. Patra Amidst the forest’s vast and tangled green, I roam beneath the shadows and the light. Ancient trees whisper, yet remain unseen, And nature paints its canvas pure and bright. Among the roots that anchor in the earth, I tread the path where sunbeams gently play. Air is thick with the scent of nature’s birth. Was it thousands of years ago, or just yesterday? Upon the hills, where blooms in breezes seek In every creature’s soft and mournful call, Where sunsets paint the closing of the peak, A harmony always echoes through it all. In forest’s deep, where ancient whispers walk, Moonlight spills its silver as if to talk.
- [Criminal Politicians?](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/criminal-politicians/): With the 2024 election just around the corner, the presidential candidates are narrowing down. One of the politicians who is running for president has a criminal record, and his running for the top spot in our nation has provoked some controversy. Despite concerns about this candidate, in general, I think politicians with a criminal record should be able to run for president. The government is not in complete power over the citizens who vote; the politician’s thoughts may have changed since the time of the wrongdoing; and the criminal record itself depends on the severity.
- [When You Give Me Free Time](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/when-you-give-me-free-time/): Imagine doing homework all day. That would be terribly boring. Everyone has hobbies, such as collecting quarters, playing Valorant past midnight, or trying out different makeup looks. While most of those activities sound fun, I like to spend my free time outside with my chickens, making little clay figures, and running with my friends.
- [Mark Rober: This Generation’s Bill Nye](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/mark-rober-this-generations-bill-nye/): One click is all it takes to access the world. Science, art, video games, and political commentary—these are just some of the topics which the millions of YouTube videos uploaded to the site each day cover. With so much content, what really stands out? For me, it’s Mark Rober. An engineer by trade, he quit jobs at Apple and NASA to fully pursue content creation on YouTube, making informative and engaging videos which represent the best of what YouTube has to offer. Mark Rober is the best YouTube creator because his content educates its audience and raises awareness for humanitarian issues.
- [Healthy Competition, Healthy Kids](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/healthy-competition-healthy-kids/): Andrew Whitworth, a successful NFL athlete, once said, “If you’re a true warrior, competition doesn’t scare you. It makes you better.” But what is competition, at its core? Is it pitting students against each other and encouraging them to put others down for their own benefit, or is it allowing students to better their skill and sportsmanship habits by urging them to measure themselves against each other? Should we have children participate in competitions? Some might say that we shouldn’t because it would just teach children to do whatever they can to beat each other. However, it would be best for children to partake in competitions because it not only gives them a chance to learn from their mistakes and provides them with motivation, but it also allows them to learn good sportsmanship habits for when they inevitably have to deal with tough competition later on in their life.
- [Weaving Through Traffic](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/weaving-through-traffic/): Today, when you go to work, most of the roads you travel on are very congested and filled with cars. Even on the widest of highways, each lane is filled with hundreds of automobiles. With everyone trying to get to their destination safely, everyone slows down, even if it means that they have to spend more time on the road. However, many workers, hard-pressed for time, try to break out of the slow lanes by merging into the surrounding, faster lanes to save some time. In almost all urban areas, this phenomena of waving through traffic is commonplace. This practice, although giving the impression of efficiency, should be stopped, as it is dangerous and inconvenient for everyone, and not worth the risks involved.
- [Pledge of Allegiance](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/pledge-of-allegiance/): When I was in sixth grade, I was an incredibly nationalistic young person. I used to think that the United States was a flawless nation, including a perfect legal system, government, and society. Also when I was in sixth grade, every student was required to recite the Pledge of Allegiance every day. However, one day, I decided that I wouldn’t. All of my classmates were shocked, thinking that I would be happy to recite the pledge since I was a nationalist. When they asked me why I wasn’t saying anything, I responded something along the lines of “I’m using my American right to free speech.” Although some of my thought processes were interesting, to put it mildly, I still stand by that small statement that I made over two years ago. There are few things that are less American than requiring students to give up their right to free speech.
- [Clothing in Anne of Green Gables](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/clothing-in-anne-of-green-gables/): In the book Anne of Green Gables, Anne undergoes many developments and changes as she grows up. Anne starts the story as an unloved orphan, but she ultimately grows into a young school teacher who can take care of others. From an ugly wincey dress to a beautiful green evening gown, Anne has come a long way as she matures. Throughout her journey, her clothes represent both her physical and her mental development.
- [Chips](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/chips/): The following essay was written as part of IYE’s biannual timed writing assessment. We’ve left in a few minor errors because the essay is well written. It’s impressive work, and even more impressive in that it was written in 45 minutes.
- [Summer Should Be Fun](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/summer-should-be-fun/): The following essay was written as part of IYE’s biannual timed writing assessment. We’ve left in a few minor errors because the essay is well written. It’s impressive work, and even more impressive in that it was written in 45 minutes.
- [No Ordinary Medicine](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/no-ordinary-medicine/): Cancer exists as one of today’s most deadly illnesses. Millions die each year around the world with no solution, and many of them cannot afford the treatment. However, the cure to cancer would solve all those problems. When this illness finally has a solution, scientists and doctors can focus on other illnesses. Not only would the professionals benefit, but cancer patients and relatives would save money on the treatment, potentially avoiding debt. All these changes in the medical industry may result in a negative impact on the American economy, but human life is far more important than money. The cure to cancer will save millions of lives, help researchers find other cures to illnesses, and impact others positively in countless ways.
- [Chess](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/chess/): Of the many games that exist currently, one of my favorites is chess. It is a game that has been around for thousands of years. Currently, it is played by millions of people, with some even devoting their careers to it in hopes that they will become the next chess champion. Chess is my favorite game because it is a hard game to master. Chess is a hard game to master because there are many openings, there are many strategies, and every game is different.
- [Keep Access to Streaming Video Platforms at School](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/keep-access-to-streaming-video-platforms-at-school/): Following the global spread of TikTok, videos have become the most important form of content. From copy cats like Instagram Reels to Youtube Shorts, videos have become a necessity for living and learning in a 21st century world. However, the school’s recent proposal to eliminate all forms of videos in classrooms threatens student’s abilities to engage meaningfully with this critical form of media. To ensure that Palo Alto High School adequately prepares its students for success after high school, Paly should not ban videos in classrooms because engaging with video content is critical for student’s survival in a technology-driven world, videos serve as a necessary supplement to education, and students are able to bond through videos.
- [Dogs](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/dogs/): Have you ever been to one of your friend’s house and they said, “Are you okay with having an animal around you? It’s a…” I don’t know about you, but I certainly have.
- [The Ghirardelli Chocolate Caramel Squares TV Ad](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/the-ghirardelli-chocolate-caramel-squares-tv-ad/): The Ghirardelli Chocolate Caramel Squares TV Ad is the worst piece of video media ever produced in the history of mankind. Every time I watch it, an intense wave of rage and hatred sweeps through me. To clarify, I am not exaggerating. The ad features a stressed woman opening a drawer to find a Ghirardelli chocolate caramel square inside of it. Nobody keeps one single piece of chocolate in a drawer, out of fear of it melting. As soon as the chocolate comes into sight, hopeful, uplifting music starts playing. The woman proceeds to take a bite of the chocolate and sinks back into her chair with a satisfied, blissful look on her face. Cue a barrage of positive imagery, with the uplifting music increasing in intensity. First of all, Ghirardelli chocolate is horrible. That woman had no business looking that content after biting into the worst abomination to curse the candy industry. Secondly, even if that chocolate was of the highest quality in the world, just one bite of it would not increase mood to the degree shown in the ad. The second part of the ad features a quite deep woman’s voice reciting a script about how Ghirardelli chocolate caramel squares are crafted with love and feature a “luscious caramel filling.” The amount of caramel inside of a single square of chocolate is grossly high. It utterly demolishes the entire experience of consuming chocolate from that brand. The ad ends with the woman claiming that Ghirardelli “makes life a bite better.” It is not possible to make life a bite better, because a bite does not have a fixed amount of dopamine units attached to it. This may come across as harsh, but Ghirardelli is a brand that offers horrifically low-quality chocolate in exchange for disgusting amounts of money. I feel that this justifies me to exercise my right to freedom of speech, protected by the First Amendment.
- [Play the Piano](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/play-the-piano/): The following essay was written as part of IYE’s biannual timed writing assessment. We’ve left in a few minor errors because the essay is outstanding in its organization, examples, and creativity. It’s impressive work, and even more impressive in that it was written in 45 minutes.
- [“The” or “A”](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/the-or-a/): ‘The’ or ‘A’ sets the tone for a story. Can you feel the aura changing as soon as you hear ‘the,’ a definite, distinctive, person that we all should have known beforehand or ‘a,’ an arbitrary human randomly selected? ‘A’ distances readers; ‘the’ draws them closer. ‘The’ can be shown as more important to a story; ‘a’ can signify that the object or subject being talked about is less needed. ‘A’ loves to introduce new, supporting characters. ‘The’ is an old friend that smiles warmly at you or a worn-out, much-loved sweater that is continuously slipped on throughout a lonely narrative. Consider these two sentences: The girl walked up to me. A girl walked up to me. ‘A’ makes someone feel less needed, more common. ‘The’ turns someone into a shining jewel in the midst of dirt and dust. Listen to these two similar quotes: “I want to win a trophy!” “I want to win the trophy!” In the first, we can assume that there are many trophies and that the person would be fine with any one of them. Perhaps we can even infer that the person isn’t picky or choosy–that the person is satisfied with simple, small victories. The second makes the character sound potentially ambitious, wanting more, determined to win the one solitary trophy. We should always pay attention to how we use small words, for it is they that make up the backbone, the mood, the nuance of the story.
- [One Blows Away the Dust](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/one-blows-away-the-dust/): One blows away the dust,
- [A Peaceful and Scholarly Place](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/a-peaceful-and-scholarly-place/): My favorite places outside of my home are bookstores, all kinds of them, from the ones that are big and showy, right in the middle of a busy business street and with lots of people reading a book or enjoying a cup of coffee, to the ones located in the end of a small and quiet road, run by one smiling manager behind the checkout counter and with only a few frequent visitors every day. I like reading paper books because of their special smell and the feeling of excitement when I open a new book and am about to start a new trip to a wonderland. Bookstores usually provide lots of books from a large range of categories, a warm environment to read unlike the serious-looking libraries, and a fun and simple place to hang out with friends and have some great memories.
- [Back to the Past](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/back-to-the-past/): There is an eight-year-old going to school, playing with her friends, and living a normal life. An eight-year-old immersed in her world -- learning about the arm bones, animals in the world, and basic multiplication -- is told that her grandfather had cancer. This kid has no idea what cancer is, besides the fact that there is usually no cure. An eight-year-old is someone who always has hope; an eight-year-old is someone who thinks life is very perfect until it isn’t. This eight-year-old was me, five years ago.
- [Exploring the Space Above Our Planet: Is It Worth Our Money?](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/exploring-the-space-above-our-planet-is-it-worth-our-money/): Launching rockets with multi-million-dollar satellites on top from Florida’s beautiful Space Coast. Sending space probes to the moon, Mars, the Asteroid Belt, and beyond. Landing rovers on the red planet to seek signs of ancient microbial life. Performing priceless scientific research in microgravity aboard the International Space Station. These are all leaves and branches that grow from the expansive trees of “space exploration” and “spaceflight.” Space exploration and spaceflight offer a wealth of benefits to us humans; however, as much as it is awe-inspiring to build a Mars colony, one problem of daring such mighty endeavors is that of cost. Therefore, we have the question of whether or not we should invest more of our resources—especially tax money—into space exploration. Should we? Yes, we should; investing more of our tax money in space exploration will advance humanity in the long run due to the countless benefits that space exploration provides, including buttressing our very limited knowledge of the cosmos.
- [School SEL Programs](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/school-sel-programs/): In highly competitive academic environments, the question of a healthy and emotional life is often forgotten by teachers and even parents. School counselors are not trained to help students with other problems or conflicts in their lives, especially if the student is performing well academically. However, social-emotional problems are a significant factor in both the student’s personal life and ability to learn effectively. Therefore, schools should create an SEL program because the type of lessons it teaches are absolutely essential in effectively educating a student: learning in a school environment is fundamentally social, and emotional development is crucial for any future career path.
- [Destruction in a Small World](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/destruction-in-a-small-world/): Since the 1950s, Americans have strived to be ahead in the international space race, competing with other countries to reach new places in space and now trying to innovate in space tourism, flying regular people out of our humble homes and into the vast cosmos. Not only have we as a country invested immense quantities of money into outer space-related endeavors, but we have also inspired many generations of kids to pursue jobs in the field. The exploration of space has also become increasingly commercial and accessible with companies such as SpaceX and Deep Space Industries over the last few decades. Both corporations and governments have figured that resources in and knowledge about space can help to improve life for humans on Earth. We are even making slow progress on a last resort: packing up and abandoning  Earth. However, with scientists thinking that they can rely on space to solve a lot of problems, they ignore the core problems within our societal structure. A lot of projects concerning space even suggest space exploration for the sake of it while failing to acknowledge Earth’s issues altogether. Overconsumption, mass unsustainable production, deforestation, and other issues are all concerns that need to be fixed through overhauls of a broken system, not simply by a change of policy in a fundamentally dissolving structure. Though space can provide us with more resources and knowledge, the abundance of what we know and have on Earth should be prioritized. Governments should first invest in Earth’s needs before investing in space exploration, because our problems on Earth are much more urgent, the massive costs of space exploration may not yield immediate benefits, and we have yet to explore our vast planet.
- [My First Few Years of Being a Teenager](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/my-first-few-years-of-being-a-teenager/): As a child, I couldn’t wait till the day I turned thirteen, to finally become a teenager. The teenage years are glorified everywhere. Movies and books are all about the adventures of teenagers. From Harry Potter to Nancy Drew, I was drawn into exciting stories of adolescent adventures. My twelve-year-old self couldn’t wait to be the main character. As it turns out, being a teenager isn’t all that great. With growing older comes experiences. With experiences come consequences and life lessons.
- [Keep Music Programs in College](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/keep-music-programs-in-college/): Since musicians are often viewed as the embodiment of poverty, students and parents wonder if universities should help music majors specialize in more practical jobs or completely eradicate a traditional music major course, allowing for more career path flexibility. However, according to a 2011 study conducted by the Future of Music Coalition, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit advocating for music education, the majority of successful music majors today make their living off of live performance, teaching, and composing, which are skills derived from the curriculum of a traditional music major. Pure music majors should be kept at universities because the classes and work will provide a solid foundation for students interested in music, no matter whether they are interested in the performing arts, composition, or something else entirely.
- [The Benefits of Gardening](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/the-benefits-of-gardening/): Each year, humans produce enough food to feed ten billion people, but much of that food is wasted, which contributes to global warming. Growing my own food would ensure that I would be more sustainable. Gardening is a very educational project that would teach me a lot of interesting facts. Not only is gardening informational and good for the planet, it would provide lots of satisfaction and exercise. If I could, I would have a vegetable garden to grow my own food because it would be an educational project, it would give me the satisfaction of my hard work, and it would provide me with an opportunity to go outside and exercise.
- [Thinking About Problems](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/thinking-about-problems/): The temperature of the planet slowly rises, bit by bit. Racism becomes more widespread as small actions pile up, clearly displaying our society’s flaws. People forget the past, allowing history to repeat itself. This is because nobody likes to think about uncomfortable subjects. Doing so casts doubt on the opinions and ideas of people, which causes them to be very reluctant to discuss these subjects. In turn, this allows problems to advance further. Even when doing so may be difficult, every individual has an obligation to think seriously about important matters because society can learn from its mistakes, thinking about the matters can provoke important thoughts, and the matters will only improve if people acknowledge and pay attention to them.
- [What Makes a Status Symbol Attractive](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/what-makes-a-status-symbol-attractive/): Status symbols are used to portray someone’s social rank, and there are many reasons why these status symbols are attractive. To some people, status symbols may seem useless while to others, status symbols are very important. The main reason people would want status symbols is to show off their wealth because they would want to reveal that they can afford these status symbols. Until status symbols are advertised by influencers and companies, they are not status symbols. Three examples in today’s society that are being promoted by people are mansions, designer clothes, and luxury cars.
- [Analogies in “The Schoolboy”](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/analogies-in-the-schoolboy/): Children should be having fun during their childhood, but school limits this. In his poem “The Schoolboy”, William Blake uses analogies to spread his opinion of children being restricted from having fun or growing healthily during school. In his six-stanza poem, he includes his message in three main analogies: the bird analogy, the blossom analogy, and the season analogy. In these analogies, he represents the schoolchildren as young, fragile creatures that could be free to grow but are being limited by school.
- [The Solution is Reading](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/the-solution-is-reading/): Question: Should students be given a 20-minute period each day in school, for the purpose of reading any non-school book they choose? If so, where would the extra time come from? If not, why not?
- [Mandatory Volunteering for Students: Is it worth it?](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/mandatory-volunteering-for-students-is-it-worth-it/): As the students get on the bus to volunteer at a poor nearby school, some students slump toward the bus while others continue laughing with their friends like they hold no regard for volunteering. The bus ride to the school is a constant buzz, filled with questions about what they will do there and who they will be helping. Many sit apathetically, but some are very interested. Although a study done showed that 30% of schools across California required mandatory volunteering from their students, the same poll showed that over half the students loathed volunteering. Parents, teachers, and faculty members all agree that volunteering is good for students, but many students disagree. Is it worth it for students to give up valuable school time in order to learn essential life skills through volunteering? The answer is yes. Schools should require mandatory volunteering because it allows students to learn important skills needed in the real world and give back to their respective communities.
- [High Schools Should Teach Math](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/high-schools-should-teach-math/): During study hall, unsure students discuss among each other: “What did you get for question 5 on the physics worksheet?” Others have already given up on their engineering homework and have stooped to consulting the answer key. CS students post their questions on Stack Overflow, having completely run out of ideas. These students all have one thing in common: a lack of experience and skill in math. To fill this hole in students’ knowledge, high schools should teach math for all four years because it is essential for jobs and is difficult to learn alone.
- [How Math Steals Time From Your Education](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/how-math-steals-time-from-your-education/): Students whisper to each other in the back of the room; one student texts on his phone, while another pulls out his graphing calculator to cheat. The teacher’s constant attempts to make the class focus have failed. These students seem to have no interest in the subject at all, but sadly, their schools graduation requirements force them to take this subject. This lack of concentration and interest brings us up to an important question: should we require four years of math in school? No, schools should remove their four-year math requirements in order to free up time to students to pursue their own interests. We should remove the mandatory requirement that students should attend math classes for four years in high school because high school math is far too advanced for a normal desk job, and also because few students care about the subject.
- [High Income Field Correlates with Work Hours](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/high-income-field-correlates-with-work-hours/): In the past 60 years, the average total annual work hours of U.S. citizens has decreased by about 200 hours, and it is projected to continue to decrease in the near future. This reduction in work hours is logical as automation and overseas manufacturing have reduced the need for labor, and governmental aids for unemployed or low-income people have increased over the last few decades. However, while the trend is justifiable, Americans, as individuals, should try not to reduce their own work hours.
- [How Do I Get My Child to Read?](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/blog/how-do-i-get-my-child-to-read/): Is your child a reluctant reader? Consider Sustained Silent Reading (SSR).
- [Let’s Work Together](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/lets-work-together/): Success has no restrictions; every victory counts, regardless if it’s winning a basketball game in one’s youth or becoming a millionaire in old age. However, the topic of success stirs up hot debate. Many people think that others cannot become successful without help and support. They believe that even the strongest and most successful leaders need advisers to define their goals, as well as followers to carry out their plans. Others argue that only those whose accomplishments are truly their own can claim to have success. I agree with the former argument: success should not be judged based on the conditions under which people achieve it, especially whether or not one receives support from others; receiving help from others is not a sign of weakness or a lack of ability to complete everything by oneself. Furthermore, if the mark of true success is strictly when a person solves a problem on his own, then few people in the history of the world have ever had success. Anyone who achieves their goals can call themselves successful, but it helps to accept guidance or assistance when it’s available.
- [Ace Attorney: Satirical, Hysterical, Incredible](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/ace-attorney-satirical-hysterical-incredible/): Today, there is a huge diversity of video games, from Life is Strange, a time travel graphic adventure that explores the consequences of the “butterfly effect” to Undertale, an indie role-playing game that encourages pacifism. Yet video games were also amazing in the past. 15 years ago, Capcom, a Japanese studio, released a video game called: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, which eventually become a series. This game tells the tale of Phoenix Wright, an amateur defense attorney, who fights to defend his clients from being falsely convicted in murder trials. Following after his mentor, Mia Fey’s, footsteps, Wright learns to unveil the truth through “thinking outside the box”, pressuring the witness, contradictions, and sometimes blatant bluffing and stalling. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is my favorite video game because it’s an excellent critique of the Japanese courtroom, it’s humorous, and it has exciting and unpredictable plot lines.
- [Personal Narrative: China](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/personal-narrative-china/): One day, my mom and dad told us that we were going to travel to China in the summer. The day before the trip, both Daniel and I were very excited. We packed our suitcases and went to sleep earlier than usual because our flight was early in the morning. However, I lay in bed, unable to sleep because I was so thrilled. In the morning, it was hard to get out of bed because I was so tired, but after breakfast, I was full of energy again. When we got to the airport, my parents checked in our flight, and we headed to security check. After all the complications were dealt with, we waited until we were allowed to board. Finally, we got on our flight and took off. Although we were excited to go to China, after 7 hours on the plane, Daniel and I could hardly stand it anymore even though there were still 5 hours left. When we finally landed in Shanghai, we hailed a taxi to the hotel. As we drove through the city, I realized that Shanghai was different from Saratoga: everywhere, people bustled around and traffic was very heavy. We arrived at the hotel soon, ready to collapse and sleep. Since we were all very tired from the long flight, we rested in the hotel room for the rest of the day.
- [Shakespeare’s Sonnet 73](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/shakespeares-sonnet-73/): Cultures all over the world memorialize death in different manners, from the celebratory style of Mexico's Dia de Los Muertos to the solemn ceremony of the United States. Typically, cultures memorialize the death after the person in question passes away, only mentioning it in events such as funerals. Sometimes, however, people seek to accept death as an inevitable consequence before the event itself. This approach is the one taken by Shakespeare in his sonnet 73, in which the poet describes death coming even before the old man in question breathes his last. Shakespeare uses the imagery of a tree in autumn, a day before night, and a fire burning away to describe that death slowly takes away the vitality that man once had.
- [Fearing the Future](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/fearing-the-future/): When I hear the words "growing older," my mind is flooded with thoughts of going to college and spending hours upon hours with my nose in a textbook, studying for midterms and finals. I think of writing resumes, attending job interviews, and maybe even paying for the rent of my first apartment. On the flip side, growing old holds a significantly different meaning for older people. When they think of growing old, they are bombarded with fears and images of not being able to run or move around like they used to, or being more easily influenced to make undesirable decisions. They may worry about how prepared they will be for retirement, or if they will be able to retire at all. Being a sophomore in high school, thoughts like those rarely ever cross my mind. Rather than being worried that I won’t be able to retire, I’m worried about whether or not I will be accepted into a good college. Instead of wondering if I will be able to move around the house on my own when I’m seventy, I worry about the mile I’ll have to run next Wednesday for my PE final. These great contrasts in thought show the importance of looking at life through the eyes of a different person. Trying to understand why some people view growing older with fear instead of with anticipation as I do benefits my perspective on life, especially because I do not consider it often. After trying to put myself in the shoes of someone in this situation and taking in the opinions of people experiencing it, I’ve slowly started to understand why people fear growing older. People are afraid of growing older because they fear losing their physical and mental abilities as well as being financially unstable for retirement.
- [A Dragonfly](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/a-dragonfly/): My friend and I had known each other from 6th grade. We sat next to each other in math class, and our friendship started from there. Soon, we would go to each other’s houses every other week to either play Bridge together or just have dinner. By 8th grade, we were almost always side by side because we always chose to sit next to each other in every class. We spent almost every holiday and weekend with each other, whether in each other’s houses or out playing ball.
- [A Modern Modest Proposal](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/student-writing-samples/a-modern-modest-proposal/): Climate change is a hotly debated topic, and rather than pushing for actual change, many people deny it is real or instead blame population growth without any meaningful discussions. Carbon dioxide emissions, which are the main cause of global warming, depend on the number of people emitting CO2 times the CO2 emission per person. The problem can be solved by reducing the number of people, or by reducing the emissions per person, using energy more efficiently, or moving to renewable energy technology, such as wind and solar that do not emit CO2. There are a few solutions to the increased carbon, but all proposals so far have holes in them. Solar geoengineering, by continuous production of a stratospheric cloud or by brightening clouds over the ocean to reflect sunlight, would produce so many dangerous side effects that the world could never come to an agreement on how to implement it. The technology to do geoengineering does not even exist anyway, and there are serious doubts if it is even possible to create a thick enough stratospheric cloud. Of course, there is carbon geoengineering, where humans would work together to plant trees or otherwise positively affect the environment, making the world a better place to live. However, the world has decided not to effectively carry out this line of action with the resources needed. The 2017 United Nations Climate Change Conference will start in November, and may take small moves toward mitigation, but so far there have been no global meaningful moves to reduce CO2 emissions, or even the rate of increase of CO2 in the atmosphere. Therefore, I have concluded that the only solution to global warming is population reduction.
- [Fablehaven](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/blog/fablehaven/): As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases below.
- [iPads in the Schools: A Threat to Reading and Learning](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/blog/ipads-in-the-schools-a-threat-to-reading-and-learning/): Danger Ahead
- [How does a sophomore get a perfect score on the SAT?](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/blog/how-does-a-sophomore-get-a-perfect-score-on-the-sat/): Sound impossible? It’s not. In fact, two of our sophomores recently did. Another one came very close. That’s three sophomores from Improve Your English with perfect or near-perfect scores.
- [How a 7th-grader Mastered 492 New Vocabulary Words](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/blog/how-a-7th-grader-mastered-492-new-vocabulary-words/): At Improve Your English, what does a year’s worth of vocab look like?

## Pages
- [Sat Vocabulary List](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/digital-sat-vocabulary-list/): This SAT vocabulary list includes advanced academic vocabulary words commonly encountered on the SAT Reading and Writing sections. The list is organized to help high school students strengthen reading comprehension, analytical writing, and academic English skills.
- [Info – Tutors (Bios)](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/tutors/): Since 2002, Improve Your English has helped Bay Area students become stronger readers, writers, and communicators through rigorous one-on-one tutoring.
- [Summer Reading Heroes](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/summer-reading-program/): A tutor-directed summer reading program from Improve Your English
- [Sat Reading and Writing: High Math Low Reading](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/sat-reading-and-writing/high-math-low-reading-sat/): Many Silicon Valley students score near-perfect on SAT Math but remain held back by weaker Reading & Writing scores.
- [Sat Reading and Writing: Reading Score Not Improving](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/sat-reading-and-writing/sat-reading-score-not-improving/): Many Silicon Valley students get stuck at 700 - 720 on the SAT Reading and Writing section. This page explains why. 
- [How To Improve a 720-740 SAT Reading and Writing Score](https://www.improveyourenglish.com/sat-reading-and-writing/): Many high-achieving students in the SF Bay Area become stuck between 720 and 740 on SAT Reading and Writing even while scoring near-perfectly on SAT Math. When taking practice tests, they’ve seen their math score move naturally from 720 to 780 or higher, so they wonder why their SAT Reading and Writing score isn’t increasing. 
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