SAT E SSAY W RITING

W HAT DO I WRITE ABOUT ? You have no choice of topic: you have to write on the prompt given in a text box. For example, you may see something like: “Time has a doomsday book, on whose pages he is continually recording illustrious names. But as often as a new name is written there, an old one disappears. Only a few stand in illuminated characters never to be effaced.”Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

L OOK AT THE ASSIGNMENT Underneath the prompt is the assignment – a statement that clarifies what you are supposed to do. For example, after the issue given in the prompt above, you might see: Assignment: Are there some heroes who will be remembered forever? Or are all heroes doomed to be forgotten one day? Plan your response, and then write an essay to explain your views on this issue. Be sure to support your position with specific points and examples. (You may use personal examples or examples from your reading, observations, or, knowledge of subjects such as history, literature, science.)

The examiners tell us in the Official Guide to the SAT that there is “no formula for writing an effective essay.” This is not a helpful statement. In 25 minutes you do not have the luxury of experimenting with different essay formats.

U SE REAL EXAMPLES ! Therefore, let’s build some skills on which you can depend! Select one suitable illustrative example from your personal experience, or your reading, or knowledge of current affairs, history, science, etc., and use this as the basis for a discussion of the topic. The example should be specific and real rather than invented. It is best to avoid religion or politics or other controversial issues.

L ET ’ S GO BACK TO THE PROMPT “Time has a doomsday book, on whose pages he is continually recording illustrious names. But as often as a new name is written there, an old one disappears. Only a few stand in illuminated characters never to be effaced.”Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Assignment: Are there some heroes who will be remembered forever? Or are all heroes doomed to be forgotten one day? Plan your response, and then write an essay to explain your views on this issue. Be sure to support your position with specific points and examples. (You may use personal examples or examples from your reading, observations, or, knowledge of subjects such as history, literature, science.) B RAINSTORM WITH YOUR NEIGHBOR : H OW COULD YOU DEVELOP THIS ? J OT DOWN SOME NOTES / A PLAN

W ORD COUNT The essay should be over 400 words in length. Research has found that 90% of essays over 400 words in length receive the highest score of 12. However, the word count is not the issue. There is no word limit but a limited space is provided. The space you have to fill is approximately one and a half sides of A4 paper (longer but not as wide as letter size). The space is sufficient to write a well developed essay. You will have to write in pencil.

5 ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS OF A GREAT SAT ESSAY Subject matter used to prove your essays: Literature and history examples tend to help an essay score better. Examples based on personal experiences tend to score lower. Organization : One paragraph per example scores better than paragraphs with multiple examples. Explicitness : Tell readers what you are going to tell them in your introduction and the first sentence of each paragraph. Use the last sentence of each paragraph to remind them and the conclusion to repeat your main point. Following Directions : You need to answer the topic and make it obvious that you are answering it. The easiest way to do this is to paraphrase the prompt in your thesis and to mention your main idea at the start of each body paragraph. Essays that are off topic get a score of 0. Command of Language : Sentence construction, grammar and word choice

Apply all those grammar rules you’re learning for the writing section to your writing in the essay. You’re flat out told that they reward varied sentence structure and apt vocabulary, so be sure to include them. (Starting sentences with words like although and despite is a great way to start; understanding the proper use of a semi-colon is also priceless.)

H OW IS THE ESSAY SCORED ? Two graders give your SAT Essay a score on a scale of 1 to 6. You can achieve a total score of 12 (6 from each grader) on the SAT Essay and a low score of 2 (1 from each grader). SAT Essays that are off topic are given a score of 0. Graders are asked to grade your essay “holistically.” This means that they are instructed to look at your essay as whole judging the quality of your ideas, and how you prove them to come up with your score.

C OMPETENT OR EXCEPTIONAL ? That’s the key difference between essays earning a score of 4 and essays earning a 6. The 4s are like average students: They do the work the night before, turn it in, and get back a passing grade that keeps their parents off their back. The 6s are excellent students: They do their homework days in advance, turn it in early, and submit superior quality work.

L ET ’ S BRAINSTORM IDEAS FOR DEVELOPMENT