You have 24 hours to try this writing exercise! Can you suggest a viable outline sentence for the essay I have written?

As you can see, the following essay is missing an outline sentence. What do you think I should write? Leave your suggestions in the comments of this blog post. I will choose the best suggestion tomorrow night and add it to this essay.

(Essay question seen this month in Trondheim, Norway.)

A lot of older people are suffering from loneliness these days. They also lack physical fitness. What do you think are the reasons for these problems? Can you think of possible solutions? Use personal examples if applicable.

Increasing levels of loneliness and inactivity can be seen among aged people the world over. I argue that these problems primarily result from the absence of outing options and exercise in an older person’s life. ________________Insert your suggested outline sentence here!________________.

Firstly, engaging aged people in peer groups could help to give them the push they need to keep socially active. For example, in my hometown of Ottawa, many older people join day trip clubs. These clubs give them the opportunity to travel with their peers around the city for the purpose of socialising. As elderly Canadians often report themselves to be less lonely than their peers in other developed countries, it is clear that these outing groups may play a key role in curbing feelings of isolation among old people everywhere.

To address the issue of inactivity, encouraging old people to maintain a proper morning routine is important. For instance, signs have been erected in many public parks in China to promote simple exercises that elderly people can do to help keep themselves fit. This strategy has clearly been effective in Shanghai, where many old people practice these exercises every morning. Thus, this example provides clear evidence that public encouragement of physical activity among the elderly works.

Following this look at the issues that derive from a lack of outing options and general fitness, it is felt organised day trips and morning exercise routines provide plausible remedies. I hope these measures are put into action for the betterment of aged people everywhere.