1. The Topic: This is the subject matter of the essay. It provides the central idea that you'll be discussing and exploring.
* Example: "Discuss the impact of social media on political discourse."
2. The Task: This defines what you are expected to do with the topic. It specifies the type of essay (e.g., argumentative, persuasive, analytical, comparative) and the specific action you need to take (e.g., analyze, evaluate, compare, contrast).
* Example: "Analyze the ways in which social media has both facilitated and hindered political discourse."
3. The Focus: This narrows down the scope of the topic and provides specific guidelines for your argument or analysis. It can include specific time periods, geographical locations, or specific perspectives to consider.
* Example: "Analyze the ways in which social media has both facilitated and hindered political discourse in the United States since 2010."
These three components work together to provide a clear and concise understanding of what the essay prompt is asking you to do.