Timed Writing Tips and Tricks English B60 Timed Writing Tips and Tricks

What to bring On days that we have in-class essays, you should bring the following items: A blue book Pens, whiteout, pencils, erasers, etc. Scratch paper, if you would like some Your watch—no phones are allowed out on the desk to check the time. A PRINT dictionary—again, no looking up words on phones. All of your pre-writing and notes, but no finished essay.

What to do to prepare When you get the topic Read through it and draft a thesis statement. Do some prewriting. Choose whichever method appeals to you most. Create a plan for your essay. Will you have enough material to sufficiently develop your argument and meet the minimum word count? Will it be well organized?

Pre-writing and Drafting The day of the in-class essay, quickly jot down some notes on scratch paper. You don’t have to replicate your pre-writing exactly, but make a sketch of your initial plan so you don’t forget it. This step should take no more than 10 minutes. Begin drafting your essay. Take your time, and don’t be tempted to rush through. This will take the bulk of your writing time, approximately 40 minutes to one hour.

Revising When you are done, go back and read through your draft. Make sure You had a clear and correct thesis statement. Your essay maintained a consistent stance throughout. Your paragraphs are well developed and organized. You stayed on topic. You may need this time to delete material that doesn’t fit, add in material that didn’t make it in initially, or move parts of your essay around. This process may take 20-40 minutes, depending on how many changes you want to make. You may need to re-write your essay entirely as a final draft if it requires many changes, but you may also choose to make those changes directly on your initial draft.

Editing When you are finished revising, you will want to proofread your essay for grammar, mechanics, and other errors. Take time to look for the types of errors that you make specifically. Erase, use whiteout, or mark through parts of your essay—just make sure that your final version is legible. This process should take about 15 minutes. You might leave more time for this if you struggle with grammar.

Turning in your essay When you are finished, turn in Your blue book Your scratch paper Your topic sheet Your notes/prewriting At that time, you will be free to go…

A word of caution …but don’t rush through it so you can go home early! Remember that each of these essays is worth 5% of your overall grade. Remember that you MUST pass one in-class essay in order to pass the class. This is your first of four attempts. Give the assignment the attention it deserves.