How to Write a Timed Essay Mrs. Johnson Accelerated English

The Scenario  You have 45 minutes in which to write a timed essay.  Half way through you start to run out of ideas.  You forget about that brilliant point that you were going to make.  You read through your essay and you get that horrible sick feeling that you haven’t answered the question properly.

The Solution  Spend 5 to 10 minutes planning your answer. But … “I need all the time I have to get my ideas onto paper” WRONG

Steps to Planning a Successful Essay  Break down the question to the most important parts. Highlight or underline what you are being asked to do.  Spend 5 minutes brainstorming and organizing your ideas.  Make sure that your answer is balanced. Answer all parts of the question equally. Don’t go into tons of detail on one part of the question, only to neglect the other part  Structure your essay with a clear introduction, main body and conclusion.

How to Brainstorm an answer: Brainstorming a Timed Essay Draw up a list or a spider graph Write down as many relevant facts that you can remember Number your ideas in order to prioritize them Cross out any ideas that you know are not relevant Make sure that you have enough ideas for a balanced answer

The Introduction  Define the key words or phrases.  Briefly state the argument you are going to follow in the main body.  Have a thesis statement: make sure it covers what you are going to prove. Be careful that it is not too general.

Main Body of your Timed Essay  You must avoid superficial statements or trying to retell a story.  Each paragraph needs a balance of evidence and analysis.  Remember to keep referring back to the thesis and unifying all of your points.

Warning  Avoid the phrase ‘I Think’  Your essay is your point of view, so the “I think” is understood.  Try not to include an personal pronouns...”you” “me” etc.  Do not neglect your conclusion!! It is the last thing a reader remembers!!

Conclusion  Restate your argument using the words of the thesis.  Briefly summarise the main points again in one sentence.  Finish with a contemporary example, quote or profound thought.

Finally  Spend five minutes checking your answer.  Edit unnecessary words or repetitive phrases.  Make sure each paragraph connects to the thesis.  Make sure your name is on it and staple the pages in the correct order!  Double check the rubric and make sure you have fulfilled all of the requirements.