Student Information

• Tutoring
• Handouts for Writing
• International students
• Writing Resources

Become a Consultant

• Undergraduate Work Study
• Graduate Assistantship

Faculty Information

• Academic Integrity
• Referring Students
• Writing Center Facts

Related Writing Links

• Documenting Sources
• Reference Sites
• Writing in the Disciplines

Strategy for

Writing Passing Essays

THE PRODUCT

What they want to know: Do you know how to structure, organize, develop, and write a mechanically clean essay? This is not a test of style or creativity; it is one of knowledge and skill.

1. Topic Paragraph: orient reader to topic and present essay's main idea (thesis).
2. Topic Sentences: begin each paragraph with a point that clearly supports the thesis.
3. Details: provide examples and support for the argument.
4. Conclusion: summarize the essay's main points.
5. Active voice: avoid passive construction.
6. Mechanical correctness: demonstrate standard usage in grammar, punctuation, spelling.

STRATEGY

Test-takers have only 30 minutes in which to successfully write their essay. Therefore, time management and planning are essential. Writers who don't plan run the risk of producing an incomplete essay.

Sample Prompt:

Some people say that machines cause difficulty for people. Others say that machines help people. Choose one of these positions. Give a specific example of a machine that causes difficulty or one that helps people. Write an essay that explains how the machine you chose causes difficulty for people or helps people.

Read and understand the prompt. (1 minute)

a. What is the topic?
b. Decide if you are for or against it.
c. What do you know about the topic that you could write about?

I can think of a lot of positive machines: computers, escalators and elevators, cars, the heart-lung machine. I'm a Science Education major and I know a lot about the heart-lung machine: it circulates blood in place of the heart during an operation when the heart is unable to pump. That's what I'll write about.

Decide on a focus and write a thesis statement. (1 minute)

a. Write your thesis in one clear sentence.
b. Use some of the key terms from the prompt in your thesis.
c. Establish your line of reasoning?

Sample Thesis: Position + because + reason.

Heart-lung machines are machines that help people because they take the place of the heart during surgery.

Write a brief outline that includes the following essay elements. (4 minutes)

a. Introduction
b. Thesis statement
c. Topic sentence and details for each supporting paragraph
d. Focus on how, what, why. Conclusion

Sample Outline:

a. A heart lung machine saves lives.

b. People would die if the machines weren't available.

c. The machine circulates and filters blood during operations.Special membranes filter the blood, removing impurities. The heart can literally stop while the heart-lung machine is in use.Doctors have to restart the heart

d. Summarize my main points in conclusion.

Write the essay. (20 minutes)

a. Use your outline as your guide

b. Present each point with specific examples and then move on to the next point .

c. Keep an eye on the time. If you begin to run out of time, it is better to write a short paragraph than to write no paragraph

d. Summarize my main points in conclusion.

e. Plan to write a minimum of 5 paragraphs total – approximately 350 words.

Proofread and edit . (4 minutes)

a. Did you stick to your thesis?
b. Check sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, spelling.

REMEMBER – mechanical error can mean the difference between a passing or failing score. So take it seriously.

Location:

Room 101 Davis Hall

Clarion, PA

Phone:

(814) 393-2173

Hours:

Monday- Thursday

8 a.m. to7 p.m.

Friday:

8 a.m. to 3 p.m.