Note: It's getting close to exam time. Here are some hints I've shared with students for writing successful exam essays:
1.
Carefully read and understand the essay topic
before you begin.
2.
Answer
all parts of the question or essay topic.
3.
Before
the exam, take notes and make an outline to help you formulate and practice how
you will write the essay.
4.
Look
at your lecture notes and the reading material to find specific and accurate
information to use in your essay to support your argument.
5.
Take
a clear position and make a reasonable argument for it.
6.
Use
full paragraphs of 3-4 sentences in writing the essay.
7.
Begin each part of the essay question with a
new paragraph.
8.
Write
in complete, simple sentences.
9.
Avoid
compound and run-on sentences.
10. Use proper grammar.
11. In formal writing, avoid contractions (e. g.,
“It is…” rather than “It’s…”, etc.).
12. Try
to use active rather than passive verbs (e. g., “Paul wrote Romans.” instead
of, “Romans was written by Paul.”).
13. Spell important terms correctly.
14. Avoid vague, subjective, or general
statements and claims that you have not proven or substantiated (e. g., “I
really like Paul, because he is such an interesting writer.”).
15. After you finish writing the essay, read over
it to check for content, grammar, and spelling.
1 comment:
1. Carefully read and understand the essay topic before you begin.
2. Answer all parts of the question or essay topic.
3. Before the exam, take notes and make an outline to help you formulate and practice how you will write the essay.
4. Look at your lecture notes and the reading material to find specific and accurate information to use in your essay to support your argument.
Items 1 through 4 should be reviewed prior to the exam, even by an experienced writer who is doubtlessly very familiar with them as the review will help the student's focus.
5. Take a clear position and make a reasonable argument for it.
What a blessing it is to read a clearly written essay!
6. Use full paragraphs of 3-4 sentences in writing the essay.
7. Begin each part of the essay question with a new paragraph.
8. Write in complete, simple sentences.
Items 6 - 8 are very important. An otherwise solid position can be ruined by grammatical errors.
9. Avoid compound and run-on sentences.
Ah, the old run-on sentence. A veritable pot hole in a newly opened highway. Your advice about compound sentences is solid, but I would be tempted to add that the useage depends on the skill of the author.
10. Use proper grammar.
You might consider highlighting this or underscoring it a few times.
11. In formal writing, avoid contractions (e. g., “It is…” rather than “It’s…”, etc.).
Truth. Also avoid 'etc.', 'et al' and similar items.
12. Try to use active rather than passive verbs (e. g., “Paul wrote Romans.” instead of, “Romans was written by Paul.”).
I've always had trouble with this one. The removal of passive voice occupies most of my editing.
13. Spell important terms correctly.
Maybe just 'spell correctly'.
14. Avoid vague, subjective, or general statements and claims that you have not proven or substantiated (e. g., “I really like Paul, because he is such an interesting writer.”).
As with item 10, please underscore this a few times.
15. After you finish writing the essay, read over it to check for content, grammar, and spelling.
There you go.
Great stuff, Jeff!
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