1. Strategies for Acing the Essays

2. Testing Tips
You must make an effort to understand the writer and be sensitive to their meaning.
Remember that your reader/evaluator can only receive what you place on your paper, not your unstated ideas.
Clearly state your thesis, fully support that thesis with interesting, apt, and logical information that is well-organized, fully developed, coherent, and unified.
Remember to use the present tense when you analyze writing.
Write the essay that you feel most confident about first. Save the most difficult for last.
You will be given paper for your essay, and you will be able to use your test booklet for scratch paper.

3. Plan of Attack for the Free Response Essays

4. Step #1 Read the material
Read the prompt:
Answer the question
Identify the type of essay question you are being asked to answer
Underline the important points/key words in the question
Restate the question/paraphrase it to be sure you understand it

5. Step #1 Read the material
Read the selection:
Remember you have about 5 minutes per essay to read and plan
Read the selection several times
Skim it the first time
Read carefully the second time
Annotate: language, diction, person, tone, writer’s intentions/purpose and special techniques the author uses
Underline the words/sentences that seem significant (especially things you may want to quote in your paper)
Determine the theme or meaning of the piece (in order to talk about the elements of the selection, you need to know what the piece is about)

6. Step #2 Plan and Write Your Essay
Take a few minutes to plan
Brainstorm ideas and thoughts (do not outline)
List how each element enhances the communication in the passage
Make another list of examples and supporting evidence from the passage
Review anything you underlined in the passage to include in the lists

7. Step #2 Plan and Write Your Essay
Check through your notes and lists
Develop your thesis
Organize your ideas and begin writing
Number your lists (as an organizing tool)
Periodically reread your intro paragraph to be sure you stay on track and prove your thesis
Do more than summarize – include your insights, reactions, and emotions.

8. Step #2 Plan and Write Your Essay
Be sure to include examples from the selection
Don’t quote to fill space, quote purposefully
Remember in the planning stage you shouldn’t write everything out – use abbreviations and ellipses
Write an effective concluding paragraph
Restate your thesis and summarize how your essay supports it

9. Step #2 Plan and Write Your Essay
Use your “Analyzing Literature” chart with its suggested questions to ask yourself to help you analyze the literary selections and find meaning in what you read.

10. Step #3 Revise Your Essay
Pace yourself
Be sure you have at least 2 minutes to reread your essay for proofreading and revision.
Cross out irrelevant ideas or words and make any additions – neatly.
This is the time to make sure you followed your plan and developed your thesis and correct your grammar and mechanics
Is your handwriting legible?

11. Plan of Attack for the Synthesis Essays

12. Step #1 Read the material
Read the introduction carefully – consider what you think about the topic.
Underline the important points/key words in the assignment (these are the things you will need to look for in the sources provided)
When you read the claim made in the assignment, decide if you want to challenge, defend, or qualify the claim.
Keep this in mind when you read the sources
Keep an open mind as well as the sources may change your approach
Restate the question to yourself – paraphrase it – to be sure you understand what you are being asked to write about.

13. Step #1 Read the material continued
At this point you will have less than 15 minutes left to read and analyze the sources
The assignment will give you a minimum number of sources you MUST use to support your argument
Determine the theme/meaning of the selection

14. Step #1 Read the material continued
The first time you read each source – skim!
The second time – read carefully!
Be aware of the theme, writer’s purpose, intended audience, the source’s impact, any rhetorical devices, and any bias or propaganda elements in each piece

15. Step #1 Read the material continued
Note how the sources are identified. Choose one of the documentation styles given and be consistent (the letter identifiers are faster) use it immediately when taking notes.
Underline words/sentences that seem significant and that you might want to quote in your essay. Jot down notes.
Remember quoting sources is not the same as internalizing the information from the sources and producing a synthesis of ideas.

16. Step #2 Plan and Write Your Synthesis Essay
After you have read the sources, go back to the intro and question (prompt) and ask yourself if you have changed your mind about what you think about the topic.
Reread the assignment and make the final decision to defend, challenge or qualify the claim.
Review your notes and the sources and choose at least the minimum number of sources to use in your essay.

17. Step #2 Plan and Write Your Synthesis Essay continued
Brainstorm/list information from sources and your own knowledge that relate to the topic and your position. List point you want to make and list information that supports those points.
Using your notes, formulate a thesis statement.
Organize your ideas by numbering them in the order you want to use them.

18. Step #2 Plan and Write Your Synthesis Essay continued
Begin writing.
Periodically reread your introduction to be sure you stay on track to prove your thesis.
Include your own ideas with the information in the sources – DO NOT just summarize or paraphrase the sources. Integrate the information in the sources to create convincing support for your argument.
Write an effective conclusion, restate your thesis and summarize your support.

19. Step #3 Revise Your Essay
Pace yourself
Be sure you have at least 2 minutes to reread your essay for proofreading and revision.
Cross out irrelevant ideas or words and make any additions – neatly.
This is the time to make sure you have given attribution to every idea that you used from the sources (both direct and indirect citations).
Correct your grammar, usage, and mechanics
Is your handwriting legible?