Body Paragraph 1:

Develop Story:

Describe a story/example/reading that relates to part 1 of the essay prompt.

Example: Socrates and Buddha were two men who lived lives of relative inaction as opposed to their contemporaries. Socrates was a warrior earlier in his life, but towards his middle and later years he simply wandered the streets of Athens, telling young people about his ideas and confusing the old. He even was wary of writing—because he felt it was a distraction to living everyday life—and, therefore, he never wrote a single book. The Buddha, after leaving his life of luxury in his late twenties, spent many of his years as an ascetic by avoiding physical possessions and luxuries. After his spiritual awakening, he spent his remaining years walking around India with his followers and teaching others about his ideas. Buddha also never wrote a book of his own.

Body Paragraph 2:

Continue Story:

Continue your original story/example/reading in a way that progresses to part 2 of the essay prompt.

Example: Despite what many would describe as their relative inaction, Socrates and the Buddha impacted civilization more than—with few exceptions—almost any other people. Their works have impacted the progress and trajectory of Western and Eastern civilizations, respectively, for thousands of years. However, if they had been forced into “action”—such as hard labor, or even writing books—they may not have had the time necessary to form their earth-shattering ideas. If this had been the case, both Western and Eastern civilizations would have been unalterably changed, and they would have been made unquestionably worse.

Conclusion:

Close Out Story:

Sum up your story/examples/studies/readings—this may be done by paraphrasing the first sentence of your first body paragraph.

Example: Socrates and the Buddha may not have done much in terms of strict “action” in their lives.