How to Win Friends and Influence People

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. In the book, the author began a petty argument over a quote by Shakespeare.

• According to the book, why is winning an argument a bad idea? (topic sentence)
• Use textual evidence to describe why winning an argument is a bad idea, how someone should approach an argument, and how to get your point across without arguing.
• In your concluding sentences, describe the author’s strategies if you must find fault with someone.

2. In How to Win Friends and Influence People, the author describes strategies for meeting new people and making friends.

• What does Carnegie argue is the best way to make friends? (topic sentence)
• Who does the author recommend should be the focus of a conversation when meeting new people? Using evidence from the book, explain how someone might prepare to make a new acquaintance and what strategies can be used if you meet someone for the first time without preparation.
• In your concluding sentences, explain the principle in the book that a person should always keep in mind when meeting new people and why that principle is important.

3. The author provides several anecdotes to describe situations on training others with additional instruction.

• What does Carnegie believe is a good way to help people who are having trouble using a skill? (topic sentence)
• How does Carnegie suggest personal experience, reputation, and praise assist in developing new skills in others?     
• In your concluding sentences, describe other strategies that can be used to influence others to develop a skill.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Considering Carnegie's advice, explain ways in which someone might spoil a conversation and lose influence over another person. How do criticisms, bragging, and talking about oneself serve to isolate others? What other ways might someone isolate their audience? What would Carnegie advise instead? 

2. You must give a sales pitch in support of a new brand of synthetic meat. What strategies would Carnegie suggest you use to make the sale? How can the Socratic method assist in sales? How should you interact with the company’s leaders? What should be the focus of your conversation?  

3. The author explains that the most important thing to remember about others is that they want to feel appreciated and important. How does the author teach his audience to make people feel appreciated and important? What anecdotes does the author use to explain how to accomplish a person’s desires? How do those anecdotes build his arguments about how to treat people?