A current event is a real-world situation or happening that interests people, draws attention, or is shocking. It could be a war, political assassination, sports competition, global disease outbreak, or air accident. In addition to these major events, a current event essay might focus on social issues (should transgender women play women’s sports?), environmental concerns, or economic crises. In most cases, a current event essay is an argumentative piece in which the author presents and defends his or her opinion about the topic.
Many schools and colleges assign students to write a current events essay. In some cases, educators provide specific instructions on what to select as the topic. In other instances, they allow students the freedom to choose a subject.
In such a case, it’s important to read the guidelines carefully and identify any restrictions that might affect your topic selection. For example, the guidelines may indicate that you should write on a current event within the last year or so.
After you select a topic, read news articles about the event or issue and analyze them. If you are writing about a political issue, look at the section of the newspaper that deals with politics. In general, you should try to find articles that are well written and have a good amount of facts in them. It’s also a good idea to read the news from several different sources so you get multiple perspectives on the issue or event in question.
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