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[Paragraph
Development]
[Outline]
[Summary]
[Essay Question] |
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Essay
Question |
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In a test, it is very likely that you will be asked to
answer a question in sentences. Usually, the question
regards a topic which covers several important ideas and
your teacher would like you to make sentences of your
own to discuss it. To present such a good answer, you
need to pay attention to two requirements as you are
developing a paragraph to such an answer. The first
requirement is organization of ideas like arrangement of
topic sentence and supporting details in a paragraph.
The second requirement is language accuracy including
accurate use of vocabulary and grammar. The following
tips help you produce a good answer for an essay
question. |
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I.
Content Development |
1. Remember your answer should be written in a
paragraph. In this way, a topic
sentence should be the first sentence of the
paragraph. Provide relevant details
like evidence, personal experience, and examples
to support it. |
2. The question usually is formulated from chapter
articles in your textbook;
therefore, don¡¦t just rely on the ideas or
knowledge you had learned before. Old
knowledge is the reason makes your writing
lacks adequate ideas and
vocabulary to write your answer in full
discussion. As a result, you finish the
answer with only two or three sentences. A
short answer finished in two or
three sentences is not considered a good
discussion or argument. Writing with
weak discussion is not graded high or
satisfactory. |
3. Your answers need you to present strong and powerful
discussion. Accordingly,
use new ideas you read from your textbook or
handout articles. You do not
need to memorize word by word these ideas. You
just circle or underline the
key words about an important idea during
reviewing. Keep the key words in
mind. When summarizing in the test, use them to
make your own sentences.
Together with old and new knowledge, you are able
to elaborate the topic with
many interesting and important ideas. |
4. Don¡¦t use notes with points because points can
dangerously cut your thoughts
into fragments. Fragments are phrases, not
sentences. Besides, fragments
lack connection and unity which a paragraph
requires. Most importantly,
fragments disconnect your thoughts with the
main idea so that you are unable
to develop more ideas relevant to your
topic. |
5. To help you generate interesting ideas, think of
¡§cause and effect¡¨ or ¡§contrast
and comparison¡¨ techniques. It can make you
generate more ideas in a
creative way. |
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II.
Language Accuracy |
1. After writing, proofread and edit ( double check) the
mistakes you made in
grammar, word usage, idioms, and sentence
structure. For instance, pay
¡@ attention to the main subject and verb to see
either one is missing. An
incomplete sentence results in confusion. |
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2. A
writing full of many mistakes should not be graded high
or satisfactory. Writers like you are responsible for
your own mistakes and correct them on your own before
handing in papers. |
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