Testing SAT Writing: Can the Past Influence the Present?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around a recent SAT exam topic: "Can the past influence the present?" The user expressed uncertainty about their essay, which included examples such as the Holocaust and Angela Merkel's apology to the Jewish community, as well as the Australian Prime Minister's efforts to address historical injustices against Indigenous Australians. These examples were confirmed as valid illustrations of how past events can shape current actions. The conversation also highlighted that the SAT prompts are designed to assess writing skills rather than deep factual knowledge, emphasizing the importance of crafting a persuasive argument with good grammar and organization. A humorous suggestion was made about using a simple example, like sharpening a pencil, to demonstrate the influence of past actions on present outcomes.
Kushal
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hi, i had my SAT exam today. The topic was: Can the past influence the present?

there was an example i included in the essay, which now I'm feeling unsure about. I talked about the holocaust (past event) and the recent apology of Angela Merkel to the jews (present). and i also talked about the Australian prime minister taking measures to restore the integrity of the australian natives who were victims of many atrocities.

can these be taken as examples of past events influencing the present?
 
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Yes. They are also examples of the present acting on the future.
 
thanks :) I'm feeling better...
 
That was seriously the topic? You could have mentioned how you sharpened your pencil earlier and were hence able to answer the question, a clear proof that the past can influence the present.
 
They aren't looking for very deep, factual information with these types of questions. The whole point is to show you can write a persuasive argument with proper grammar, spelling, organization, etc. Yes, you could have written it on sharpening your pencil earlier. They aren't trying to stump you on the topic, just give you something to write about.
 
very funny :)
 
Hey, I am Andreas from Germany. I am currently 35 years old and I want to relearn math and physics. This is not one of these regular questions when it comes to this matter. So... I am very realistic about it. I know that there are severe contraints when it comes to selfstudy compared to a regular school and/or university (structure, peers, teachers, learning groups, tests, access to papers and so on) . I will never get a job in this field and I will never be taken serious by "real"...
Yesterday, 9/5/2025, when I was surfing, I found an article The Schwarzschild solution contains three problems, which can be easily solved - Journal of King Saud University - Science ABUNDANCE ESTIMATION IN AN ARID ENVIRONMENT https://jksus.org/the-schwarzschild-solution-contains-three-problems-which-can-be-easily-solved/ that has the derivation of a line element as a corrected version of the Schwarzschild solution to Einstein’s field equation. This article's date received is 2022-11-15...

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