1. Writing on Your OWN: The ABCDEs

2. Why do I do my A,B,C, D, Es
They help me set up a great essay that answers the prompt and they prepare you to write a well-written essay.

3. A: ATTACK the Prompt

4. How to attack the prompt
The Do/What Strategy: Do
What
Verbs
Nouns

5. .
What is it used for? Why?
Quick strategy that trains writer to stop and understand the prompt
Allows writer to map out WHAT the prompt is asking the writer to DO
Helps ensure that the writer responds to all parts of the prompt
Provides students with have a check-list to go back to after drafting the essay to make sure all parts of the prompt were addressed.

6. B: BRAINSTORM possible answers

7. B:Brainstorm possible Answers
Subject
Idea 1
Idea 2
Idea 3
Idea 4
Idea 5

8. B—Brainstorm Possible Answers
Brainstorm topics by creating a web
Select a topic
Add supporting details
Many of our students know how to do this. They just don’t have a systematic order in which they know how to process their thoughts and respond to a prompt.

9. C—Create a Thesis Statement Thesis: the central idea of an essay the writer is trying to prove
How to create a thesis statement:
Choose (three) ideas from your brainstorm to act as main points in your thesis.
These will later become the
TOPIC SENTENCES of the body
paragraphs
*Use key words from the prompt in your thesis

10. DESIGN Outline/DRAFT THE ESSAY
Write!

11. E:EVALUATE your Writing

12. E—EVALUATE YOUR WRITING
Even the best writers make errors when completing writing on-demand. It is essential to
Re-read your paper
Find the mistakes
Fix your mistakes (do this as neatly as possible!)

13. .
Practice Prompt #1: The Scarlet Ibis
Write an essay discussing the theme of The Scarlet Ibis. What is the author’s message? Use details and quotes from the story to develop your ideas about the theme.

14. A: ATTACK the Prompt. Step 1:
Identify (underline) anything the prompt is asking you to DO ( the verbs)

15. .
Practice Prompt #1: The Scarlet Ibis
Write an essay discussing the theme of The Scarlet Ibis. What is the author’s message? Use details and quotes from the story to develop your ideas about the theme.

16. .
A: ATTACK the Prompt
Step 2:
Identify (Circle) the WHAT (the nouns) that corresponds with verb the prompt is asking you do

17. .
Practice Prompt #1: The Scarlet Ibis
Write an essay discussing the theme of The Scarlet Ibis. What is the author’s message? Use details and quotes from the story to develop your ideas about the theme.

18. Infer any missing verbs.
A: ATTACK the Prompt
Step 3
Infer any missing verbs

19. .
Practice Prompt #2: The Scarlet Ibis
Write an essay discussing the theme of The Scarlet Ibis. What is the author’s message? Use details and quotes from the story to develop your ideas about the theme.
* For the highlighted questions what verb can be inferred?

20. A: ATTACK the Prompt
Step 4
Make a Do/What Chart

21. The Do/What Essay (Intro, Body, Conclusion) Write theme Discuss
The author’s message
Details and quotes
Ideas
Write
Discuss
Explain
Use
develop

22. B—Brainstorm Possible Answers
Brainstorm topics by creating a web
Select a topic
Add supporting details
Subject
Idea 1
Idea 2
Idea 3
Idea 4
Idea 5
Students work in pairs to brainstorm possible answers
Many of our students know how to do this. They just don’t have a systematic order in which they know how to process their thoughts and respond to a prompt.

23. C—Create a Thesis Statement Thesis: the central idea of an essay the writer is trying to prove
How to create a thesis statement:
Choose (three) ideas from your brainstorm to act as main points in your thesis.
These will later become the
TOPIC SENTENCES of the body
paragraphs
*Use key words from the prompt in your thesis

24. D: DESIGN OUTLINE/DRAFT the Essay

25. E—EVALUATE YOUR WRITING
Even the best writers make errors when completing writing on-demand. It is essential to:
Re-read your paper
Find the mistakes
Fix your mistakes (do this as neatly as possible!)

26. . Practice Prompt # 2: TTTC Essay 1
 The first chapter of Tim O’Brien’s novel The Things They Carried offers many details about life during and after the Vietnam War. Write an essay in which you describe what the speaker reveals about war in the first chapter of this novel. How is this view revealed? Include specific references to the novel in your response.

27. A: ATTACK the Prompt
Make:
Do/What Chart

28. B—Brainstorm Possible Answers
Now that you are given the opportunity to redo your essay, how could you use B (Brainstorming) to improve your essay?
Many of our students know how to do this. They just don’t have a systematic order in which they know how to process their thoughts and respond to a prompt.

29. B—Brainstorm Possible Answers
Brainstorm topics by creating a web
Select a topic
Add supporting details
Subject
Idea 1
Idea 2
Idea 3
Idea 4
Idea 5
Students work in pairs to brainstorm possible answers
Many of our students know how to do this. They just don’t have a systematic order in which they know how to process their thoughts and respond to a prompt.

30. C—Create a Thesis Statement Thesis: the central idea of an essay the writer is trying to prove
How to create a thesis statement:
Choose (three) ideas from your brainstorm to act as main points in your thesis.
These will later become the
TOPIC SENTENCES of the body
paragraphs
*Use key words from the prompt in your thesis

31. D: DESIGN OUTLINE/DRAFT ESSAY

32. E—EVALUATE YOUR WRITING
Even the best writers make errors when completing writing on-demand. It is essential to
Re-read your paper
Find the mistakes
Fix your mistakes (do this as neatly as possible!)