| Before
writing:
Set up a time schedule to
answer each question and to review/edit all questions
- If six questions are to be
answered in sixty minutes, allow yourself only seven
minutes for each
- If questions are
"weighted", prioritize that into your time
allocation for each question
- When the time is up for one
question, stop writing, leave space, and begin the next
question. The incomplete answers can be completed during
the review time
- Six incomplete answers will
usually receive more credit than three, complete ones
Read through the questions
once and note if you have any choice in answering
questions
- Pay attention to how the question
is phrased, or to the "directives", or words
such as "compare", "contrast",
"criticize", etc. See their definitions in
"Essay
terms"
- Answers will come to mind
immediately for some questions
Write down their key
words, listings,
etc, as they are fresh in mind. Otherwise these ideas may
be blocked (or be unavailable) when the time comes to
write the later questions. This will reduce
"clutching" or panic (anxiety, actually fear
which disrupts thoughts).
Before attempting to answer a
question, put it in your own words
- Now compare your version with the
original.
Do they mean the same thing? If they don't, you've misread
the question. You'll be surprised how often they don't
agree.
Make a brief outline for each
question
- Teachers are influenced by
compactness, completeness and clarity of an organized
answer
- Writing in the hope that the right
answer will somehow turn up is time-consuming and usually
futile
- To know a little and to present
that little well is, by and large, superior to knowing
much and presenting it poorly--when judged by the grade
received.
|
Writing
& answering:
Begin with a strong first
sentence
that states the main idea of your essay.
Continue this first paragraph by presenting key points
Develop your argument
- Begin each paragraph
with a key point from the introduction
- Develop each point
in a complete
paragraph
- Use transitions,
or enumerate, to
connect your points
- Hold to your time
allocation and
organization
- Avoid very definite
statements
when possible; a qualified statement connotes a
philosophic attitude, the mark of an educated person
- Qualify answers when in
doubt.
It is better to say "toward the end of the 19th
century" than to say "in 1894" when you
can't remember, whether it's 1884 or 1894. In many cases,
the approximate time is all that is wanted; unfortunately
1894, though approximate, may be incorrect, and will
usually be marked accordingly.
Summarize in your last
paragraph
Restate your central
idea and indicate why it is important.
|
| Review:
Complete questions left
incomplete,
but allow time to review
all questions
Review, edit, correct
misspellings, incomplete
words and sentences, miswritten dates and numbers.
Not enough time?
|
