Answer: A little everyday boredom, chosen on purpose, is good for people; constantly filling every empty moment with a phone is a loss.

Answer: Boredom is where ideas come from; boredom is information that tells us what we are doing is not enough; tolerating boredom is a skill that weakens if it is not used.

Answer: once a day, let a gap in their time stay empty

“Once a day, let a gap stay empty.”

Answer: The writer, with nothing to do, began inventing a story about a girl who could talk to windmills and filled six pages of a road atlas. It was the first thing they had ever written.

Answer: It hooks the reader with a relatable, specific story and humor (“several geological ages”); it also acts as evidence, showing boredom leading to creativity, so the reader is already open to the claim when it is stated.

Answer: The writer concedes that not all boredom is useful (a class that is too easy, a dead-end job) and that phones have real benefits. The writer responds by narrowing the claim: only “ordinary, short, everyday” boredom is being defended, the kind we erase automatically.

Answer: It shows the writer is fair and has considered other views, which builds credibility. Narrowing the claim also makes it harder to argue against.

Answer: It is somewhere in between or fairly weak as proof: it relies on common experience (“Many people notice” ideas in the shower) and the writer's own story, which are relatable but not research or data. It is persuasive for a general audience but would be stronger with expert or scientific evidence.

Answer: It returns to the “girl who talks to windmills,” creating a circular structure.

The windmill girl reappears, linking the ending to the opening anecdote.

Answer: To present the request as small and reasonable (only once a day), so readers feel it is easy to try and not an extreme demand.

Answer: hyperbole used for humor

Geological ages last millions of years: an exaggeration to show how slow the drive felt.

Answer: we reach for screens out of habit, without thinking

The phrase “without ever deciding to” confirms it is an unthinking habit.

Answer: Thoughtful, warm and lightly humorous, but sincere; e.g., “The story is terrible. But I had never written anything before that afternoon.” or “several geological ages.”

Model answer: I agree with the writer that a little boredom is good for people, although I think the reason matters more than the essay suggests. The writer argues that “boredom is where ideas come from,” and my own experience supports this. Last year, during a power outage, I spent an evening with nothing to do and ended up teaching myself three chords on my dad's old guitar. I would never have picked it up if my phone had been charged. The writer's point that boredom is “information” is also convincing. When I feel bored in a club or activity, that feeling is often a sign that I need to try something more challenging. Some people might argue that boredom is simply wasted time, and that with so much to learn online, every spare minute should be used productively. However, this view assumes that the mind only works when it is being fed new content. Reflection, daydreaming and planning are also work, and they need empty time to happen. Other people point out, as the writer admits, that some boredom is harmful. A student who is bored every day in a class that is too easy should not be told to enjoy it. I agree, but that is a separate problem. The short, everyday moments of boredom the writer describes, such as waiting in line or walking home, are not harmful; they are simply unfamiliar now. For that reason, I think the writer's “modest proposal” is worth trying. Letting one gap stay empty each day costs nothing, and like the writer's story about the girl who talks to windmills, it might lead somewhere unexpected.