Read the following excerpt from a student essay.How can the writer best improve his or her ideas and development? Owning a pet offers several benefits. You can go to your local animal shelter and adopt a stray dog or cat that needs a home Perhaps you're interested in more unusual pets, such as rats, fish, reptiles or birds. No matter what animal you choose for a pet, the experience is an enjoyable and rewarding one. by including more evidence to support the main idea by removing a second main idea __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

## Step 1<br />The first step in improving the ideas and development of an essay is to understand the main idea or argument that the writer is trying to convey. In this case, the main idea is that owning a pet offers several benefits.<br /><br />## Step 2<br />The next step is to evaluate the evidence provided to support this main idea. In this essay, the writer provides examples of different types of pets, but does not provide any evidence or explanation to support the main idea.<br /><br />## Step 3<br />The final step is to consider how the writer can improve the essay. In this case, the writer can improve the essay by including more evidence to support the main idea. This could be in the form of personal experiences, research findings, or expert opinions.