Timed essay writing is a pain for students, whether they are English majors or not. As a tutor, this author has found that most students inquire about techniques they can use while writing essays for standardized tests. With this in mind a checklist of things to remember has been well founded and proven to work. These are but a tip of the iceberg, so to speak. Practice is essential for essay writing as it strengthens one’s writing skills. It builds confidence in one’s abilities as well. However, these 12 tips are a start for anyone struggling with writing a well thought out essay.
1.) Five paragraph structure! (include at least 5-6 sentences in each paragraph)
2.) Outline/ Brainstorm your essay before writing!
3.) ‘Catchy intro.’ (Avoid clichés and common openings!)
4.) Thesis statement (Be specific!) You should briefly list each problem in the thesis. This will inform the reader of each topic you will discuss within the paper. You can use each topic as the basis of the supporting/body paragraphs. Avoid using a broad or general thesis; otherwise you will have too much to cover within your allotted time period.
An example of a broad/general thesis is, “The role of the tragic mulatta in literature is usually quite predictable.”
A more specific thesis would be, “High school graduates should be required to take a year off to pursue community service projects before entering college in order to increase their maturity and global awareness.
5.) When starting your first paragraph, list the literary works you are going to address. Then, begin with the first literary work you listed.
6.) Cite examples to support your position! Check the relevance of each quote. Your quotes should add value to the points you are trying to make and should be as specific as possible. However, if you can’t use quotes or if you do not remember any quotes of significant value during the exam, please paraphrase examples to support your work and make the examples as detailed as you can.
7.) Follow the example with an explanation stating why you chose the example and why the example is appropriate. Introduce each quotation with a short sentence or two then follow the quote with an explanation.
8.) Do not open an essay with a quote or end a paragraph with a quote. If you cite an example at the end of a paragraph, you must immediately follow it with an explanation.
9.) Take care to use appropriate transitional phrases when moving from paragraph to paragraph!
10.) Conclude your essay and remember to restate your thesis!
11.) Try to avoid writing out your entire rough draft. Use a full sentence outline as your rough draft so you will spend less time rewriting your essay. Outlining your paper will help you keep your ideas in order. It will also help with transitioning from one paragraph to the next. Be sure to address each character thoroughly before discussing another character. Refrain from moving back and forth between characters.
12.) One last thing you will want to be mindful of is grammar. Remember to check each sentence thoroughly for grammatical errors. Break the sentences down one by one if necessary. You will want to be certain that your sentences have subject-verb agreement. In addition, you will want to make sure you do not have any run-on sentences or sentence fragments.
Grammar manuals are very useful to students in English composition courses. Rely on it as a guide when you are unable to obtain immediate feedback on your work.
