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C2 Sample Essay 39 (School or family shapes one's personality)

In the minds of ESL exam candidates, e ssay writing is one of the most daunting tasks they are required to complete, regardless of the level of the exam, the administering body or the ease with which they themselves use the language. The same applies to students who are asked to write an essay by their teachers at school.  In the previous sample essays posted on the blog, the main point I stress is the need to become acquainted with this form of writing (as opposed to writing a letter, review or report, for instance), to get a feel of what authorial voice is and how to organize and progressively express the arguments you wish to make in a coherent manner.  Unfortunately, the best way to prepare for exam writing or learn how to write good essays for school is to read as many essays from as many sources as possible, then write as

The Latest Word: Dilemma

Let's look at the meaning of the word "dilemma", its origins and synonyms.


Definition

A dilemma is defined as a situation involving two or more differing options. The choice between the two is difficult and most often undesirable.

In a more general sense, it is used as a synonym for the word "problem" or "difficult situation".

Origins 

 It comes from the Ancient Greek word "δίλημμα". The word itself is made up of two parts: 
  • di: which is a prefix meaning "having two of" 
    • in Latin "di" became "bi" and is now part of many words such as bifocal, bipolar, binary
  • lemma: proposition 
    • in formal logic, it is considered a true proposition used in a syllogism in order to validate the truth of an inference


 Synonyms

 impasse, plight, predicament, quandary, difficulty, problem

 less formally: fix, jam, pickle, Catch-22, bind, tight corner


Phrases expressing dilemmas

  • between Scylla and Charybdis (the two monsters in Homer's The Odyssey Odysseus had to confront and choose between as he was making his way back to Ithaca. He opted for Scylla, a six-headed sea monster that killed six of his crew, rather than Charybdis, a whirlpool that would engulf his entire ship)
  • between a rock and a hard place
  • between the devil and the deep blue sea
  • out of the frying pan into the fire (also the title of J.R.R. Tolkien's sixth chapter from The Hobbit)
Other phrases
We say "I'm on the horns of a dilemma" to mean that I am struggling with a difficult decision where I have to choose between two unappealing options.
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