Tips to Score a 6 on the FCAT Writing

Types of Essays

There are many types of essays, but only two that you need to know of that will be presented in your FCAT writes. The two types of essays are persuasive and expository. The difference between the two is that expository is to explain a point, while persuasive is to convince the reader to do or believe something. The reason you need to know this is because you have mostly been taught to do expository, but the chances of you getting a persuasive as getting an expository are 50-50.

To know the difference between a persuasive prompt and an expository essay one is that in the prompt, for a persuasive, it may say something like “convince the _____” or “persuade the ___” which are usually the words included in a prompt that notify you if you are writing to persuade. In an expository prompt it may say something along the lines of “write to explain why____”.

Word Choice and Dialogue

This part of the essay is important but not as important as anecdotes or back-up support, but, it is still very meaningful and may help you still raise your FCAT score. Word Choice and Dialogue are small details, but, they may help you raise that 3 to a 4, or a 4 to a 5. Word choice I personally believe is the more important of the two. Word choice can be as hurtful as it can be as helpful in an essay. Helpful because it may help your essay flow more fluently, which graders think of as high level writing, which may raise in the end the score they may give you. But, it may be hurtful for the very reason that bad word choice leads to a rough and bumpy essay. It causes your graders confusion and may make them re-read the essay for more understanding, which, believe me causes at least a point off of what you may have gotten. Dialogue is something that you can use once in a while if you are comfortable with it. Dialogue and voice are things that you can input into your essay most recommended after, you have gotten the hang of anecdotes and word choice, because it may cause your graders to see you as getting of focus or it may just cause them to be perplexed.

Transitions

Okay next up the list, is transitions. Transitions actually are near the very top of useful type of words for essays that may help you gradually raise your score. Transitions are words that help the flow of your essay by presenting a new point, concluding it, or showing a time or place while supporting in a paragraph. Transitions are actually mostly everywhere in ever day language, but people never find the need to use it on an essay.

Examples of transitions are:

-However -After -To begin with -The first point to consider

-Therefore -In conclusion -Most importantly -Likewise

-A perfect example -For instance – In fact -To illustrate -Obviously

-Without question -Undeniably

Example of a transition in a sentence:

As you can see, this clearly shows that at least 1 hour of physical activity a day may provide you to live a healthier life, and may actually save you your life one day.