Reading the Prompt

1. Read the prompt carefully (often several times), circling key words.

2. Make sure you have identified the instruction words.

3. Understand what the prompt is asking. Try to rephrase the question.

4. Jot down ideas as they come to you, before you forget them.

5. Do not begin the essay immediately. Take some time to plan.

Planning Possibilities

1. Develop a thesis and select an appropriate number of supporting points.

2. Prepare an outline.

3. Brainstorm a list of ideas.

4. Make a cluster.

5. Create a pros & cons two-column list.

6. Free write.

Writing the essay

1. You might want to double-space your essay to provide space for insertions or revisions.

2. Write an introduction and conclusion.

3. Make one main point per paragraph with transitions between examples.

4. Include transitions between paragraphs.

5. Each paragraph should have a topic sentence which directly supports your thesis.

6. Provide concrete and specific details in each paragraph supporting the topic sentence.

7. Use the think list method to make sure you’ve included enough details.

8. Rank and arrange the supporting points to your thesis.

9. Revision is necessary.

When you are finished:

1. Read the essay over, fixing misspellings or omitted words. Do not make wholesale

revisions. Edit and revise slightly.

2. If you have time, revisit the checklist above and make sure you have included everything.

3. When the time is up, forget about it. It’s done. You can do nothing about it now.

WASL test writing

1. WASL test writing differs in terms of time, so make sure you use it all.

2. Use a dictionary and thesaurus.

3. Use your personal checklist when responding to WASL prompts.

Sample introductions

The Great Depression was an important time in our nation’s history. Unemployment, urban decay and a sense of hopelessness filled almost every part of human life. Yet, even in the midst of great misery, people needed to entertain themselves. People tried many different ways to relieve their tensions, from religious revivals, to jazz music, to membership in the Communist party. But a whole lot of average people who were suffering in their daily lives often sought escapist enter-tainment in the form of movies. One such movie was Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times. In Modern Times, “The Little Tramp” symbolizes the simple human values that are threatened by industrialism.

Throughout the ages, scholars have looked at the question of X. When confronted with works A and B, we are left to ask ourselves, do works A and B present the idea that X is true, or do they challenge it? Scholars have tried to answer this question for many years. There are many ways to attempt to answer it.