Body Paragraph 1:

Develop Story:

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

Example: I was a very successful student in elementary school. I rarely ever received a ‘B’ on any assignment. In fact, when I was in elementary school, I was consistently the highest performing student in my class even though I was not motivated by monetary rewards. Nonetheless, when I moved on to middle school, my parents thought that it might be a good idea to motivate my brother and I to do well in school by using cash rewards. Therefore, when I would get an ‘A’ on my report card, I would get $10, $5 for a ‘B,’ and so on. At first, the policy seemed to work, but then things began to get worse.

Body Paragraph 2:

Continue Story:

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

Example: My grades began to drop, and I became less interested in the material I was learning at school. Because I was focused on the reward rather than the process of achievement and learning, I was distracted by my altered motivation and my natural motivation to learn and to achieve for the pleasure of understanding was dampened because every ‘A’ I received was not a sign of learning and growth, but, instead, a dollar sign. No longer was I achieving for the sake of achievement, or learning for the sake of improving my understanding, but instead I was focused on the motivation of money ― my natural inclination towards learning had been reduced, and my parents soon after ended their policy.