Writing Timed Essays

Downloadable version (Microsoft Word document)

Before the Exam

Practice answering possible essay questions by writing either a full essay response or an outline of what your answer would include. Some teachers may provide sample questions that you can use to practice and study.

During the Exam

When you read the question, underline or circle key words that help you understand exactly what is being asked. These key words will dictate the content and organization of your essay.

These are some key words commonly found in essay questions:

Compare—Discuss similarities.

Contrast—Discuss differences.

Criticize—Discuss merits and demerits.

Define—Make a claim about how something should be defined. Describe attributes which can be used to compare or contrast it to similar concepts.

Discuss—Give pro and con evidence which describes the relative strengths and weaknesses.

Explain—Give a series of statements which describe reasons, causes, significance, etc., of important or hard-to-understand concepts.

Illustrate—Give concrete examples.

Interpret—Write statements which clarify the meaning you find in the ideas or evidence you are writing about.

Justify—Give reasons why an act, a judgment, a behavior, etc., is rational or significant.

List—Write a number of features, events, actions, etc., which together serve to explain or define something.

Gauge Your Time

Spend the most time on questions worth the most points. When possible, answer the questions in order of priority. Also, distribute your time within each response. For example, if you have 30 minutes to write an essay, you could spend 5 minutes outlining and pre-writing, 20 minutes writing, and 5 minutes revising. Be aware of the clock to keep yourself on schedule.

Writing your essay

Organization

For longer essays, compose a scratch outline or a list of points you wish to cover. An organizational plan will help you write with more confidence and clarity. Do not spend too much time on this—only about a minute or so.

Writing

Write the essay prompt as a statement, including all key aspects. This becomes your thesis. Don't waste time trying to think of a catchy opening statement—just state your thesis, then support it. Your thesis should be in the first paragraph, usually the first sentence of your answer.

Plan to write as much as you reasonably can about the relevant points of each question, but avoid padding. Remember, the reader is looking to see if you have a command of the expected content or skills, not how many pages you can write. Present your ideas plainly and directly, remembering to give concrete evidence in support of your ideas. Use examples, facts, explanations, careful analysis, ideas from authoritative sources, etc. Don't just restate your thesis throughout your essay; show how it is true with some kind of concrete evidence.

Write clear, well-structured paragraphs. Each paragraph should directly address a specific aspect of the thesis. Clear topic sentences and transitions between ideas serve to emphasize your main points, making sure the reader doesn't overlook them.

Revising

Leave enough time to review your answer. Try to catch inconsistencies, omissions, inco¬herencies, and other weaknesses. Don't hesitate to strike out, rewrite, or add sentences—even paragraphs (use * or arrows for this). You probably won't have time to rewrite or recopy large portions of your essay, but you can make minor changes. Some students double-space their answers to provide space for changes or additions. Check for minor errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation only if you have time.

Revised by Traci Stricler, January 1993

Revised by Jessie Leatham & Steven Haderlie, summer 2005