1. Essay Writing Strategies

2. The writing prompt describes an issue of importance or relevance to a high school student. The prompt will present two sides of an argument. You will need to pick one side of the argument and defend your position with support/evidence.

3. The essay score is based on 5 major criteria: EVALUATION CRITERIA 1. Does the essay present a clear position on the issue described in the prompt? 2. Does the essay maintain focus? 3. Does the essay successfully develop the position through the use of logical reasoning and supporting evidence? 4. Does the essay organize ideas in a logical fashion? 5. Does the essay use language clearly and effectively according to the rules of standard written English?

4. During the pre-writing process, you should pick a stance, then create an outline with a thesis statement and three key support items. SAMPLE ESSAY OUTLINE I. INTRODUCTION -Thesis Statement II. FIRST KEY POINT III. SECOND KEY POINT -Sub-point 1 -Sub-point 2 IV. THIRD KEY POINT -Sub-point 1 -Sub-point 2 V. CONCLUSION -Restatement of Thesis

5. The introduction should: Explain/describe the topic of the essay Clearly state your point of view on the topic Give a very brief overview of the main evidence or argument *Be sincere, straightforward, and clear. Do not be cute, funny, ironic, or overly dramatic.

6. Each body paragraph should focus on one argument, and each sentence in a body paragraph must relate to that one argument. Use transition words to make connections between body paragraphs. AVOID THESE COMPOSITION ERRORS 1. DO NOT use sentences that include irrelevant material. In each body paragraph, only include sentences that relate specifically to the argument being made in that paragraph. 2. DO NOT use sentences that disrupt logical development. In each body paragraph, make sure each sentence logically follows from the sentence that comes before it.

7. The conclusion should: Re-state your point of view on the essay topic Briefly restate main arguments/evidence used to support this point of view DO NOT: Apologize for being unable to present all your argument in the time permitted. Introduce new material that you don’t have time to develop.

8. Re-read your essay to correct any grammatical errors or logical inconsistencies. Check that the essay is well-structured: it has unity, coherence, and support. Check for common mechanics/usage issues like:  Omission of words (especially a, an, the)  Omission of final letters in words  Careless spelling errors  Incorrect use of capital letters  Faulty punctuation

9. Write Only on the Assigned Topic. (Essays written off topic receive a score of “0”) Do Not Try To Do Too Much. (3.5 essay with time to proofread)