Question

Read the following prompt:

Choose two favorite childhood books and describe how they influenced you.

Which option below is the most effective explanatory thesis for the prompt?


Charlotte’s Web and The Incredible Journey taught me that friendship and loyalty are all you need to survive in a dangerous world.


My favorite books as a child were Charlotte’s Web and The Incredible Journey. They taught me to persevere, especially The Incredible Journey, because all of those animals had to fight to make it instead of one lying around while the other did all the work.


Both Charlotte’s Web and The Incredible Journey portray animals in very human terms, but it was more believable that pets could find their way home than spiders could spell.


I learned to love animals as individuals from Charlotte’s Web and The Incredible Journey, although I read Charlotte’s Web less often because it is much sadder and more cynical.

Answer 1

Option 1.

It names both books and gives a clear, focused claim about how they influenced you (friendship and loyalty as survival values). The other choices either add irrelevant personal details (4), are awkward and informal (2), or fail to state a clear personal influence (3).