Writing Prompts and Essays

Developing key writing skills

How is a writing prompt graded?

Students' essays will be scored holistically—that is, on the basis of the overall impression created by all the elements of the writing. Two trained readers will read each student's essay, each giving it a rating from 1 (low) to 6 (high). The sum of those ratings is the Writing subscore, which can range from 2 to 12.

For a successful prompt you must:

take a position on the issue

clearly answer the writing prompt

maintain focus on the topic throughout

Other useful suggestions:

develop a position by using logical reasoning and evidence

organize ideas in a logical way

use language clearly and effectively according to the rules of standard written English

DO State your position

early and clearly Respond directly to

prompt Use “rule of thumb” Acknowledge the

opposing argument while proving why your opinion is more valid

DON’T Be subtle with your

position Discuss why prompt is

“an interesting topic” Change the prompt Make skimpy, one-to-

two-sentence, paragraphs

Make paragraphs longer than a page

Let opposing argument alter overall position

DO Use personal experience

(use “I”) Provide examples Write assertively Include a compelling

introduction and satisfying conclusion

Connect your beginning with the ending

Use words you can control

Let your ideas determine your organization

DON’T Be too fancy with

organization unless you immediately see a sophisticated and unique way to articulate argument

Use “I think” “I feel” Use thesaurus gems Use text messaging or

email “grammar” (u, r, ur, ill, 2, etc.)

Let your organization determine your ideas

Organization of time

As soon as you get the prompt, take a few minutes to jot down a rough outline. Doing so will help you develop your main points with organization and focus.

Write legibly! If the readers can’t read your essay, you’ll get a low score even though you’re ridiculously brilliant.

Leave time to proofread and edit your writing. Fixing an error with a cross-out trumps neatness

Time Breakdown

1 minute: Select a position

4 minutes: Plan (outline)

21 minutes: Write (intro, body, conclusion)

4 minutes: Edit