Timed Writing

Direction Words

Most essay test
items are not presented in the form of a question. Instead, they are
often presented as a statement that includes a direction word. The
direction word tells you what you should do when you write your answer
to the item. Underline the direction word and be sure to do what it
tells you to do.
Here are the direction words that are most frequently used by teachers
when they write essay test items. The meaning of each direction word is
provided and is followed by an example of an essay test item using that
direction word. Get to know what each of these direction words tells
you to do.
Analyze – Analyze tells you to break something down into its parts and show how the parts relate to each other to make the whole.
Compare – Compare tells you to show how two or more things are BOTH similar and different.
Contrast – Contrast tells you to show how two or more things are different.
Define – Define tells you to explain the meaning of something in a brief, specific manner.
Describe – Describe tells you to present a full and
detailed picture of something in words to include important
characteristics and qualities.
Diagram – Diagram tells you to illustrate something by drawing a picture of it and labeling its parts.
Evaluate – Evaluate tells you to present both the positive and negative characteristics of something.
Explain – Explain tells you to provide facts and reasons to make something clear and understandable.
Justify – Justify tells you to provide reasons and facts in support of something.
List – List tells you to present information about something as a series of brief numbered points.
Outline – Outline tells you to present the most important information about something in a carefully organized manner.
Summarize – Summarize tells you to present the main points about something in a brief form.
Trace – Trace tells you to present the order in which something occurred.

Addressing the Prompt in Timed Writing

1. Read the prompt carefully.
Identify the abstract concept that is the focus of the prompt.
Identify any concrete device(s) the prompt specifies or suggests you use.
2. Read the passage for understanding.
Ask yourself who, what, when, where, why questions if necessary.
Keep the prompt in mind when you read.
3. Reread and mark the passage.
Focus on concrete devices that create the abstract. Jot notes in the
margins as you read. These notes may be all of the prewriting you have
time to do.
4. Your thesis should directly reflect the prompt.
Do not be afraid to state the obvious.
Be clear as to the approach that you are taking and the concepts that you intend to prove.
5. Focus on your commentary.
Your insight and understanding of the literature, as well as how you
make the connections called for in the prompt are what the grader will
look for.
Be sure to organize your ideas logically.
6. Your conclusion must be worth reading.
Do not just repeat what you have already said.
Your conclusion should reflect an understanding of the passage and the question.
Use a thematic statement, but avoid moralizing and absolute words. 

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Sentence Variety

A Variety of Sentence Structures

One way to improve writing is to use a variety of sentence structures.
A simple sentence is one independent or main clause with no subordinate clauses.

Without music, life would be a mistake.

A compound sentence is composed of two or more independent clauses with no subordinate clauses.

One arrow is easily broken, but you cannot break a bundle of ten.

A complex sentence contains one independent clause and one or more subordinate clauses.
People often make wise statements like age is a state of mind.

A compound-complex sentence contains at least two independent clauses and one or more subordinate clause.
Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.

Length and Openings

Make your writing more effective by using a variety of other strategies.

Vary the length of your sentences to suit the
tone and topic of your writing. A short sentence increases tension. A
longer sentence structure slows down the action and soothes the reader.
Avoid predictability and monotony with a variety of sentence lengths.

Vary your sentence beginnings, using modifiers, phrases, and clauses.

Arrangement of Ideas

Vary the arrangement of the ideas within your sentences (Writer’s Inc. 308-309).

A loose sentence expresses the main thought near the beginning and adds explanatory material as needed.
We bashed the piñata for 15 minutes without
denting it, although we at least avoided one another’s heads and, with
masks raised, finally pried out the candy with a screwdriver.

A balanced sentence is constructed so that it
emphasizes a similarity or contrast between two or more of its parts,
including words, phrases, and clauses.

Joe’s unusual security system invited burglars and scared off friends.

A periodic sentence postpones the crucial or most surprising idea until the end.

Following my mother’s repeated threats of a lifetime grounding, I decided it was time to propose a compromise.

A cumulative sentence places the general idea in
the main clause and gives it greater precision by adding modifying
words, phrases, and clauses before it, after it, or in the middle of
it.

Eyes squinting, puffy, always on alert, he showed the effects of a
week in the forest, a brutal week of staggering in circles driven by
the baying of wolves.

Sentence Combining Strategies

Use sentence-combining strategies to add variety to your sentence structures.

Use a series to combine three or more similar ideas.
The unexpected tornado struck the small town, causing much damage, numerous injuries, and several deaths.

Use a relative pronoun (who, which, that, whose) to introduce the subordinate or less important ideas.
The tornado, which was completely unexpected, swept through the
small town, causing much damage, numerous injuries, and several deaths.

Use an introductory phrase or clause for the less important ideas.
Because the tornado was completely unexpected, it caused a great deal of damage, numerous injuries, and several deaths.

Use a participial phrase (-ing, -ed) at the beginning or end of a sentence.
The tornado swept through the small town without warning, leaving behind a trail of death and destruction.

Use a semicolon to connect two related ideas.
The tornado swept through the small town without warning; as a
result, it caused a great deal of damage, numerous injuries, and
several deaths.

Repeat a key word or phrase to emphasize an idea.
The tornado left a permanent scar on the small town, a scar of destruction, injury, and death.

Use a dash to set off a key word(s) or phrase at the beginning or end of a sentence.
The tornado, which unexpectedly struck the small town, left behind a grim calling card — death and destruction.

Use a correlative conjunction (either, or; not only, but also) to compare or contrast two ideas in a sentence.
The tornado not only inflicted much property damage, but also much human suffering.

Use a colon to emphasize an important idea.
The destruction caused by the tornado was unusually high for one reason: it came without warning.

Use an appositive (a word or phrase which renames) to emphasize an idea.
One event, the tornado which came without warning, changed the face of the small town forever.

Use parallelism, a repetition of structures like parts of speech, phrases, and clauses.
That monster storm descended on the unsuspecting town, caused horrific suffering and damage, and left without a glance.
The tornado struck swiftly, relentlessly, and loudly. 

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Paraphrasing

What is Paraphrasing?

  • Taking the ideas of another person and expressing them in your own words.
  • A
    much more specific re-wording than a summary, which focuses on one
    central idea. A paraphrase goes into the details, with more complexity
    and information.
  • A reasonable way to borrow from another source, if accompanied by source documentation.

How do I Choose Between Paraphrasing and Quotations?

  • Paraphrasing is preferred when there isn’t great
    expression or idea in the piece of writing. Quotations should be used
    when the original author had a powerful, unique form of expression you
    want to preserve.
  • Use paraphrasing when it will function as well as a quotation.

Use of Paraphrasing in a Paper

(Taken from the Purdue Online Writing Lab, http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_quotprsum.html)

Writers frequently intertwine summaries, paraphrases, and quotations.
As part of a summary of an article, a chapter, or a book, a writer
might include paraphrases of various key points blended with quotations
of striking or suggestive phrases as in the following example:
In his famous and influential work On the Interpretation of Dreams,
Sigmund Freud argues that dreams are the "royal road to the
unconscious" (47), expressing in coded imagery the dreamer’s
unfulfilled wishes through a process known as the "dream work" (44).
According to Freud, actual but unacceptable desires are censored
internally and subjected to coding through layers of condensation and
displacement before emerging in a kind of rebus puzzle in the dream
itself (21).

Examples of Paraphrasing and Direct Quotes

Direct Quote
 		Paraphrase
"The protest provided a wonderful opportunity for those interpreters to assist the deaf community" (Gannon 95). The DPN protest was a great opportunity for deaf people to bond with interpreters (Gannon 95).
According to King Jordan, "Deaf people can do anything but hear" (72). I. King Jordan asserts that Deaf people can succeed in life (72).

6 Steps to Effective Paraphrasing

  • Reread the original passage until you understand its full meaning.
  • Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase on a note card.
  • Jot
    down a few words below your paraphrase to remind you later how you
    envision using this material. At the top of the note card, write a key
    word or phrase to indicate the subject of your paraphrase.
  • Check
    your rendition with the original to make sure that your version
    accurately expresses all the essential information in a new form.
  • Use quotation marks to identify any unique term or phraseology you have borrowed exactly from the source.
  • Record
    the source (including the page) on your note card so that you can
    credit it easily if you decide to incorporate the material into your
    paper. (Purdue Online Writing Lab, http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_paraphr.html)

Examples of Paraphrasing and Summary

Original Quotation
 		Paraphrase
  Students frequently overuse direct quotation in
taking notes, and as a result they overuse quotations in the final
[research] paper. Probably only about 10% of your final manuscript
should appear as directly quoted matter. Therefore, you should strive
to limit the amount of exact transcribing of source materials while
taking notes. Lester, James D. Writing Research Papers. 2nd ed. (1976): 46-47. 		Legitimate Paraphrase

In research papers students often quote excessively, failing to keep
quoted material down to a desirable level. Since the problem usually
originates during note taking, it is essential to minimize the material
recorded verbatim (Lester 46-47).

Acceptable Summary

Students should take just a few notes in direct quotation from sources
to help minimize the amount of quoted material in a research paper
(Lester 46-47).

A Plagiarized Version

Students often use too many direct quotations when they take notes,
resulting in too many of them in the final research paper. In fact,
probably only about 10% of the final copy should consist of directly
quoted material. So it is important to limit the amount of source
material copied while taking notes.

     

“Rarely, if ever, do we develop ideas in our individual minds, free of the effects and influences of others’ previous findings, claims, and analyses. This is not to suggest that writers never forge new ideas; rather, the majority of one’s thoughts—and certainly the intellectual thinking that we do in university settings—is
prompted, shaped, and changed in response to and in light of what has
already been stated by others. Our ideas emerge in response to reading
others’ texts, in sites of conversation and verbal exchange, with and against the grain of the words and formulations of others.” (Duke University Library Page, http://www.lib.duke.edu/libguide/plagiarism.htm)

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Parallelism

1. A good writer uses parallel structure; that is, he or she puts nouns, verbs, phrases, and thoughts into a similar form. This is done primarily for style: it makes the writing easier to read and in turn, easier for the reader to understand. Often, sentences that seem to be correct but just sound wrong have a lack of parallelism at the core of their problem. The ability to write a good parallel sentence is invaluable in essay work. Faulty parallelism, on the other hand, produces an effect in your reader similar to changing gears without using the clutch. A successful parallel sentence reads smoothly, while a faulty parallel sentence lurches awkwardly.
 

Examples of Parallel and Non-Parallel Structure

Nonparallel
 Parallel
Students spend their time going to classes, studying, working, and they wish they had time for a social life. Students spend their time going to classes, studying, working, and wishing for a social life.
By the end of the quarter they’re exhausted, irritable, and have learned a lot. By the end of the quarter they’re exhausted, irritable and smarter.
HHS students hope for short school days, and close-in parking spaces are important, too. HHS students hope for short school days and close parking spaces.

2. Parallelism requires that an article (a, an or the) or preposition applying to all members of a series must either appear before the first item only or be repeated before each item.

3. Some words require that certain prepositions precede them. When such words appear in parallel structure, it is important to include all of the appropriate prepositions, since the first one may not apply to the whole series of items.

4. Sentences with correlative expressions (both/and; not/but; not only/but also; either/or; first, second, third) should employ parallel structure as well. Simple rewriting can often remedy errors in these types of sentences.
 

Nonparallel
 Parallel
a mark, a yen, buck or pound a mark, a yen, a buck or a pound
on Monday, Wednesday or on Friday on Monday, Wednesday or Friday
(on Monday, on Wednesday or on Friday)
His speech was marked by disagreement and scorn for his opponent’s position. His speech was marked by disagreement with and scorn for his opponent’s position.
a time not for words but action a time not for words but for action
Either you must grant her request or incur her ill will. You must either grant her request or incur her ill will.
My objections are first, the injustice of the measure, and second, that it is unconstitutional. My objections are first, that the measure is unjust, and second, that it is unconstitutional.

Five Rules for Parallelism

  • Use parallel structure with elements joined by coordinating conjunctions. 
  • Use parallel structure with elements in lists or in a series.
  • Use parallel structure with elements being compared.  (X is more than / better than Y)
  • Use parallel structure with elements joined by a linking verb or a verb of being.
  • Use parallel structure with elements joined by a correlative conjunction.

Resources about Parallelism

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Formatting

Please Follow MLA format for All Papers

  • Type the paper. 

  • Double-space the paper.
  • The margins should be 1" on all four sides of the paper.

  • Use 12-point type. Use an easy to read font, please.
  • Use white, 8" X 11" paper only.

  • Indent each paragraph 1/2" (approximately 5 spaces from the left margin).

  • Justify the paper on the left margin only.

  • Type your last name and page number on every page in the top right corner one-half inch from the top, using a header.
  • Type
    your name, your teacher’s name, course name and number, and date on
    separate lines of the first page, beginning flush with the top left
    margin. Center your title on page one. Your title should be the same
    font size as the rest of the paper. Do not underline the title; do not
    put the title in quotation marks; do not put the title in all caps; do
    not place the title in bold letters, and do not place the title in
    italics.

Heading Sample

Ima Good Student
Mrs. Edelen
Honors Sophomore English
12 September 2007

Heading

  • in the upper left hand corner
  • student name – first and last
  • course and period of the day
  • teacher’s name
  • date (date month year — 5 September 2007)
  • name of assignment
  • draft number (if applicable)
  • double space the heading

Title

  • double space below the heading
  • center title on first line of first page
  • capitalize the first word and all other important words
  • double space between the title and the first line of the paper
  • do not punctuate your title

Page Layout

  • one side only
  • all margins should be either 1 inch or the Microsoft default of 1 ¼ inches
  • double space (even the drafts)
  • number each page in the upper right hand corner
  • indent the first line of each paragraph one tab

Neatness

  • use staples to fasten sheets together; please do not fold corners
  • submit neat and legible final drafts – no crossed out words, no torn edges

Timed writings

  • write in a legible manner
  • cross out mistakes or errors with a single line
  • one side only
  • single-spacing is acceptable in this situation

Researched writings

  • use MLA format as indicated in the HHS Research Guidebook

Writing Expectations for Formal Assignments

Students should ask the following questions as they plan and review their work.

  1. Does the paper follow the mode and length of the
    assignment? Does it convey and accomplish a clear purpose? Is it true
    to that purpose throughout or does it stray?
  2. Does the
    structure of the paper help the reader to understand its ideas? It must
    be separated into paragraphs that indicate relationships and
    transitions between ideas.
  3. Does the paper follow MLA
    format, which includes a specific title? MLA also requires double
    spacing, 1-1.25 inch margins, and 12 point font.
  4. Unless
    the assignment allows for dialogue or a personal example, have I
    avoided using “you,” “we,” “I,” and other first and second person
    pronouns?
  5. Have I been academically honest? Have I cited
    all sources of quoted and paraphrased material with in-text citations
    and a Works Cited page? Did I underline titles of books, plays, or
    films? Did I place in quotation marks the titles of poems, essays, or
    songs?
  6. Have I proofread for misspellings and
    typographical errors? I should pay special attention to the use of
    words on the “egregious errors” list and to the spelling of author or
    character names and the title.
  7. Did I avoid using contractions or abbreviations?
  8. Did I revise to eliminate clichéd language or redundant phrases?
  9. Have I stapled every paper over one page long before class begins?
  10. Did I proofread a third time—with fresh eyes and after taking a break from the assignment?

 

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