C H A P T E R 10 Writing an Effective Essay PART II of the GED Language Arts, Writing Test has only one question—an essay prompt But this test is just as important as Part I, and you must pass the essay test to pass the writing exam This chapter will teach you how to write an effective essay for the GED You will learn six steps to take during an essay exam, including how to brainstorm and organize ideas and how to write with style O n Part II of the GED Language Arts, Writing Test, you will be asked to write a short essay about a general topic, such as whether there is too much violence on television or what makes a good parent You will have 45 minutes to demonstrate how effectively you can express your ideas in writing A strong GED essay will have these five key elements: Response to prompt (Does your essay present a well-developed main idea and a focus that responds to the assigned prompt?) Organization (Have you presented your ideas and support in a logical order?) Development and details (Have you explained your ideas?) Conventions of EAE (Have you followed the conventions of Edited American English?) Word choice (Is the word choice accurate, diverse, and appropriate?) As a general guide, you will need to write about four or five paragraphs to have a sufficiently developed essay That includes an introductory paragraph that states your main idea, two or three paragraphs developing and supporting that main idea, and a brief concluding paragraph Your essay should be approximately 250 to 300 words 75 – WRITING AN EFFECTIVE ESSAY –  General Writing Strategies K NOWING Y OUR P URPOSE As important as knowing whom you are writing for is knowing why you are writing What is the goal of your essay? What are you hoping to convey through your writing? The more clearly you can articulate your purpose while you outline your essay, the more effective your writing and revising states will be Here are some verbs you might find helpful for describing your purpose: To well on the essay exam, you need to have a solid grasp of general writing strategies These strategies are those basic techniques writers use to develop a readable and engaging text They include: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ writing in a way that is appropriate for audience and purpose providing appropriate and sufficient support crafting effective introductions and conclusions using effective transitions revising for more effective writing show prove compare inform defend Audience and Purpose At its core, effective writing has a constant awareness of and attention to audience and purpose Good writers are always thinking about their readers: Who are they? What they know about the subject? What prejudices or preconceived notions might they have? What will keep their attention? Good writers are also always thinking about purpose Is their goal to teach a lesson? Provide information? Entertain? Answer a question? Convince or persuade? W RITING FOR describe convince contrast summarize explore explain demonstrate review propose encourage Of course, your specific goals will be guided by the prompt you receive on the GED In a narrative essay, for example, your main purpose will be to describe In a persuasive essay, your main purpose will be to convince In an expository essay, you may aim to inform, compare, propose, or explain, depending upon your topic As you think about how to write your essay, think about how you would fill in the blank in the following sentence: Y OUR A UDIENCE My goal in this essay is to: Knowing your audience will help you make a couple of key writing decisions First, it helps you determine your level of formality Will you use slang or very formal language? It depends upon your relationship with your reader On the GED, you will be expected to write for a general audience That is, you should assume your readers are “everyday” people with a wide variety of interests and backgrounds You will need an appropriate level of formality for this audience Treat your readers with respect, but not put them off by sounding too formal or pretentious Avoid slang (too informal) or jargon (technical or specialized language) Let your writing be natural without being too informal Your audience also determines the level of detail and specificity in your essay Because you are writing for a general audience and not friends, you cannot assume that readers know the context of your ideas and experiences For example, if you are arguing that Internet sites should be censored, not assume that readers have seen the kind of sites you are talking about—or even that they have been on the Internet You will need to briefly describe those sites to give your readers sufficient context Beginnings, Middles, and Ends As you know, essays have three distinct parts: ■ ■ ■ beginning (introduction) middle (body) end (conclusion) You will be expected to have all three parts in your GED essay I NTRODUCTIONS First impressions count, and that’s why introductions are so important in writing A good introduction: indicates what the essay is about (its topic) and what the writer is going to say about the topic (its main idea) grabs the reader’s attention establishes the tone of the passage 76 – WRITING AN EFFECTIVE ESSAY – Many of the same introductory techniques can be used to help make conclusions memorable: Techniques to grab attention include opening with: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ a question a quotation a surprising fact or statement an imaginary situation or scenario an anecdote interesting background information a new twist on a familiar phrase ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ For example, a more attention-grabbing introduction to the Batman passage in the pretest might be something like the following: a quotation a question an anecdote a prediction a solution or recommendation a call to action For example, the conclusion to an essay about a healthy diet might end with a call to action: Take a good, long look in your refrigerator and pantry What unhealthy foods call your icebox and cabinets their home? Find them, get rid of them, and stock up on foods that will help you live a longer, healthier life Pow! Bam! Zap! Batman triumphs again, saving the citizens of Gotham City from evil This opening plays upon a convention of comic strips and the Batman television series And because it is unique and action-filled, it generates interest and excitement in the reader  Effective Essays and the Writing Process C ONCLUSIONS Conclusions, too, should be powerful After all, people tend to remember most what comes first and last, and the final words have the power to ring in readers’ ears for a long time afterward A good conclusion will: Experienced writers know that good writing doesn’t happen all at once Rather, it develops in stages That’s because writing is a process, not just a product And it’s difficult to get a good product without going through each step in the writing process The writing process can be divided into three steps: restate the main idea provide a sense of closure (not “open a new can of worms” by introducing a new topic) arouse readers’ emotions to make the ending and main idea memorable planning drafting revising and editing The Batman text, again, provides a good example When you are under pressure to write a winning essay in just 45 minutes, you may be tempted to skip these steps and just write your essay in one shot You may end up with a successful essay with this approach But your chances of doing well on the GED Writing Test—or, on any writing task—will increase dramatically if you take the time to work through each step Even though you only have 45 minutes, the ten minutes you spend planning and proofreading your essay will be time well spent In fact, for essay exams, the planning stage is so important that it has been divided into six separate steps in the following section In Batman, Kane gave us an image of our own superhero potential This concluding sentence sums up what makes Batman so popular, rounding out the passage in a way that makes readers think about their own similarities to Batman and what sort of superheroes they could be 77 – WRITING AN EFFECTIVE ESSAY – Notice, for example, the underlined key words in the two prompts below: How to Divide Your Time on an Essay Exam The Internet includes many websites with images and content that are inappropriate for children Other sites on the Internet promote violence or intolerance against certain groups of people Should websites like these be censored? In your essay, state your position on this issue and explain why you take that position Use your personal observations, experiences, and knowledge to support your essay When your time is limited, how long should you spend on each step in the writing process? On an essay exam, use this general rule for dividing your time:    of the time: planning of the time: writing of the time: revising and editing Sometimes, events take an unexpected turn and things turn out differently than we imagined Tell about a time when something unexpected happened to you In your essay, describe what was supposed to happen and how things actually turned out Use supporting details throughout your essay Your 45 minutes on the GED can be divided as follows: 10 minutes planning 25 minutes writing 10 minutes revising and editing You are on your way to a successful essay if:  Six Steps to a Strong Essay You understand what kind of essay to write: narrative (tell a story), persuasive (make an argument), or expository (explain an idea or respond to a situation or scenario) You follow the directions exactly and directly answer the questions in the prompt In the first example, you must state your position on the issue raised in the prompt—censorship of certain types of Internet sites In the second example, you must tell a story about a specific kind of experience—a time when something unexpected happened These six steps will help you write a strong, effective essay on the GED Step 1: Understand the Writing Prompt Before you can begin to plan your essay, you need to be sure you understand the kind of essay you need to write As noted earlier, it is essential that you respond accurately to the writing prompt you are given on the exam If you write about a different topic, you will not receive credit for your essay It’s therefore critical to understand exactly what the prompt is asking you to Earlier in this section, we divided the essay prompts into three types: narrative, persuasive, and expository How you know which kind of essay the prompt is asking for? Each prompt will have key words that can help you understand what to These key words include terms such as: tell describe identify Step 2: Formulate a Clear Thesis Before you begin to write, you need to decide what you are going to write about Once you are sure you understand the prompt, how will you answer its question? Your answer will form the core of your essay It will be the main idea that controls everything you write and determine the kind of support you will provide In other words, your answer to the question in the prompt is your thesis—your main idea It is the “argument” that you are going to make and the idea you need to support A thesis does not just repeat or paraphrase the question or prompt It does not simply make general state- explain 78 – WRITING AN EFFECTIVE ESSAY – For example, here’s how you might brainstorm support for the previous prompt: ments about the topic or state how others might respond to the question A good thesis takes a clear, personal position For example, look again at the following prompt: Thesis: Good neighbors are friendly, helpful, and respectful of boundaries Our relationships with our neighbors are very important Sometimes, these relationships are the source of great joy in our lives; other times, they can be the source of great trouble In your opinion, what makes a good neighbor? In your essay, identify the characteristics of a good neighbor and explain why these characteristics are important for people living side by side Use your personal observations, experiences, and knowledge to support your essay Why? Friendly neighbors are pleasant to have around, make it nice to live where you live Helpful is important—know you can count on them for small favors, when you are in need Need to respect boundaries, not take what is yours, not get too involved in your life— otherwise, they will not be welcome The following sentences are not thesis statements (they not answer the question) ■ ■ ■ Examples: Friendly—my neighbor Selma and her family— always saying hello, often chatting, cookies at Christmas Helpful—lending tools to Dad, borrowing sugar etc., babysitting Respecting boundaries—don’t just walk in, don’t be nosy; they’re your neighbors, not your family There are all kinds of neighbors What makes a good neighbor? There are many characteristics of a good neighbor These, however, are thesis statements They respond directly to the question ■ ■ ■ Listing is just one brainstorming strategy You can also map your ideas This is especially effective if you are a visual learner, as shown on the map on the following page Good neighbors are helpful and kind The best kind of neighbors help when asked and otherwise mind their own business Good neighbors are friendly, helpful, and respectful of boundaries Freewriting Step 3: Brainstorm Support for Your Thesis If you are totally stuck and can’t think of how to answer your question or how to support your thesis, try freewriting This brainstorming technique is what it says—free writing Write down whatever comes to mind about the question or topic Don’t worry about grammar or structure Write in your own language if you like Just write If you keep your hands moving for even two or three minutes, you are bound to come up with some good ideas Once you have decided how to answer the question(s) in the prompt, decide how you will support your answer On your piece of scrap paper, list at least three to five reasons, examples, or specific details to support your thesis or events to develop your story Because you are still in the planning stage, write down whatever comes to mind You don’t have to include everything you list in your essay And the more ideas you put down, the more freedom you will have to pick the best (strongest) support for your thesis 79 Donít have to avoid Feels good Friendly 80 Pleasant for everyone Nice to be around Makes you feel welcome Greetings Respect boundaries Don’t be nosy Mind own business Respect privacy Good Neighbors Helpful Small favors Watering garden Don’t take each other’s things Respect property Baby-sitting Borrowing things Accepting packages Tools Sugar – WRITING AN EFFECTIVE ESSAY – – WRITING AN EFFECTIVE ESSAY – O RGANIZING Y OUR S UPPORT Step 4: Create a Detailed Outline Obviously, you know where to put your introductory and concluding paragraphs But how you organize the ideas in the body of your essay? Which of the four organizational patterns you reviewed earlier—chronology, comparison and contrast, cause and effect, and order of importance—should you use for your support? (See pages 69–71 for a review of organizational patterns.) If you are responding to a narrative prompt, chronological order is clearly your best choice Describe the events in the order in which they happened Be sure to use strong transitions and details as you tell your story If you are responding to a persuasive prompt, order of importance is probably the most effective pattern to use Because the prompt asks you to take a position, your main support will consist of the reasons that you took this particular stance A logical and effective way to present those reasons is by rank Organize ideas from the least important to the most important reason, from the least compelling to the most compelling example If you are responding to an expository prompt, your organizational pattern will depend upon your purpose Often, order of importance will be your most effective choice This is true for the good neighbor prompt Notice, for example, how you might organize the support from the brainstorm above: The next step is your opportunity to make sure the essay you write is both well organized and well developed By creating a detailed outline, you can: ■ ■ put your ideas in a logical, effective order fill in any gaps in your support B ASIC O UTLINE S TRUCTURE Essays follow this basic structure: introduction (states thesis) body (explains and supports thesis) conclusion (brings closure and restates thesis) Your outline should follow this basic structure, too Because you are writing a very short essay, you should have at least one point in your outline for each paragraph Thus, the “body” section of your outline should be broken down into the individual supporting ideas for your essay: introduction support support support conclusion Introduction: Good neighbors are friendly, helpful, and respect boundaries This basic outline has three supporting points If each outline item has one paragraph, you will have a total of five paragraphs in your essay While there’s no set rule to how many points or how many paragraphs you should have in your essay, this is a pretty good guide to follow Three supporting paragraphs will generally give you enough support to make a strong case (if you are writing a persuasive essay), sufficiently explain your ideas (expository essay), or tell your story (narrative essay) Friendly neighbors are pleasant to have around, make it nice to live where you live Ex: my neighbor Selma and her family Helpful is important—know you can count on them for small favors, when you are in need Ex: lending and borrowing things Need to respect boundaries, not take what is yours, not get too involved in your life— otherwise, they will not be welcome (It’s okay to not be friendly and not be helpful, I can live with that—but it’s not okay to not respect boundaries.) Ex: physical boundaries (yard, house) and social boundaries (private family business) Three-Part Essay Structure Introduction: Tell your readers what you are going to tell them (State your thesis.) Body: Tell them (Develop your ideas and provide specific support for your thesis.) Conclusion: Tell them what you have told them (Restate your thesis.) Here, the characteristics that make good neighbors are organized by order of importance The most important characteristic and most compelling examples come last 81 – WRITING AN EFFECTIVE ESSAY – Ex: S TRONG S UPPORTING PARAGRAPHS Outlining your ideas not only sets up an effective organization It can also show you if your essay is sufficiently developed For an essay to be effective, each paragraph must be effective, too And that means each paragraph must be sufficiently developed While there is no magic formula, there are some general guidelines regarding paragraph length A paragraph with just one sentence—unless that sentence is specifically set off to create a special effect—is too short It doesn’t sufficiently develop its idea A paragraph with ten sentences, on the other hand, is probably too long There’s likely to be more than one idea developed in that paragraph (Remember, a paragraph, by definition, is a group of sentences about the same idea.) For an essay of this type, paragraphs of three or four sentences each should be enough to explain and provide specific details and examples for each of your supporting ideas To help you develop your paragraphs, expand your outline For each main supporting idea, list at least one specific detail or example Imagine each paragraph as a mini-essay, with its own thesis (topic sentence) and support (specific examples and details) Notice, for example, how the outline above can be expanded as follows: Introduction: Good neighbors are friendly, helpful, and respect boundaries Friendly neighbors are pleasant to have around, make it nice to live where you live Ex: my neighbor Selma and her family— ■ always saying hello ■ often chatting ■ cookies at Christmas ■ ■ physical boundaries: don’t just walk in; it’s not your house, don’t take things • old neighbors, the Wilcoxes, taking things from our shed without asking social boundaries: don’t be nosy; it’s not your family; respect privacy • what happened when Uncle Andy’s neighbors got too nosy ➔ neighbors got involved in divorce ➔ made painful experience more complicated and confusing for everyone Notice now how clearly the order of importance organizational pattern stands out, especially in the last section And because this outline is so detailed, it offers a guide for just about every sentence in the body of the essay Step 5: Write Your Essay Now that you have a clear, detailed outline, you can begin to write If you can quickly think of a catchy way to begin your essay, terrific If not, don’t spend precious minutes trying to come up with the perfect opening line You don’t have the time Remember, you only have 45 minutes for the whole essay—planning, writing, and editing You need to start writing as soon as you organize your thoughts One good way to jump right in is to paraphrase (repeat in your own words) the key discussion note stated in the prompt and then state your thesis Here’s an example of this kind of introduction: It is very important to have good relationships with our neighbors In my opinion, there are three characteristics that make it easy to live side by side with someone Neighbors should be friendly, they should be helpful, and they should respect boundaries Helpful is important—know you can count on them for small favors, when you are in need Ex: ■ borrowing sugar etc ■ Hank lending Dad tools ■ Selma helping Mom sew curtains Notice how this introduction also outlines the three main topics that will be developed in the body of the essay: being friendly, helpful, and respecting boundaries Once you have written your introduction, write the body of your essay paragraph by paragraph, following your outline Make sure each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and specific support Don’t forget about transitions between paragraphs Key words and phrases like more importantly and similarly help guide your reader Need to respect boundaries, not take what is yours, not get too involved in your life—otherwise, they will not be welcome (It’s okay to not be friendly and not be helpful, I can live with that—but it’s not okay to not respect boundaries.) 82 – WRITING AN EFFECTIVE ESSAY – Notice how effective word choice cuts back on wordiness and creates much more powerful sentences in the following example: through your argument (See “Transitions” on page 72 to review transitional words and phrases.) After your supporting paragraphs, write a brief conclusion Restate your thesis, but not in exactly the same words Don’t introduce any new topics Instead, make readers feel as if you have covered your topic thoroughly and that they have gotten something meaningful from reading your essay Here’s an example: He walked very quickly into the room He rushed into the room He raced into the room He burst into the room When you live side by side with someone, it’s important to have a good relationship To be a good neighbor, you need to be friendly and helpful Most importantly, you need to respect boundaries Your house is your house; your life is your life It doesn’t belong to your neighbor W RITING WITH Each italicized verb has much more impact than the verb walked and its two modifiers, very quickly These exact verbs create a vivid picture; they tell us precisely how he entered the room Exact nouns will improve your sentences, too Here’s an example of a general sentence made more precise: S TYLE The machine made a loud noise and then stopped The generator made a loud bang and then stopped Style refers to the manner in which something is done For example, we all buy and wear clothes that fit our own personal style—the way we like to look and feel when we are dressed The same is true of our writing; each person has his or her own individual style, and the more you understand stylistic techniques, the more effectively you can express yourself in writing Style in writing is created by several different elements, including: ■ ■ ■ The second sentence, with its exact nouns, tells us what kind of machine it was and what kind of noise it made, giving us a much clearer picture of what happened Adjectives, too, should be precise Instead of writing: I am very tired word choice consistent and appropriate tone variety in sentence structure and use of punctuation and other techniques for effect Try an exact adjective: I am exhausted Word Choice Exhausted means very tired—and it’s a much more powerful word to convey your idea One of the most important decisions writers make is constant: word choice As you write, you are always, in every sentence, thinking about the right words to express your ideas The “right” word has three essential characteristics: Appropriate Level of Formality Word choice determines level of formality and vice versa Would you say to your boss, “Yo, wassup?” Probably not But you certainly might talk that way to your friends We’re usually careful to use the right level of formality when we talk to someone The same should be true of writing Writers must decide how formal or informal they should be when they write, and they make this decision based on their audience and their purpose It expresses the idea you wish to convey It is exact (precise) It is appropriate for the audience and tone 83 – WRITING AN EFFECTIVE ESSAY – Here, the punctuation changes the tone The first sentence is calm and neutral The second sentence, on the other hand, is emotional and excited There are endless varieties of tones when you speak Likewise, there are endless varieties of tone in writing Here’s a list of some of the more common words used to describe tone: Level of formality can range from the very informal (slang) to the very formal (esoteric, ceremonial) to everything in between Writers use word choice and sentence structure to manipulate the level of formality Here’s an example: A: It was so cool I mean, I never saw anything like it before What a great flick! You have to check it out cheerful apologetic sarcastic bossy disrespectful matter-of-fact humorous timid hesitant complimentary B: It was really an impressive film, unlike anything I’ve ever seen before You should definitely go see it These two sentences are drastically different in style and, in particular, in the level of formality Though they both tell the same story and both use the personal firstperson I, there’s clearly a different relationship to the reader From the word choice and style—the short sentences, the very casual language—we can tell that the writer of passage A has a more informal, more friendly relationship with the reader than the writer of passage B The emotion of the writer in passage A is much more transparent, too, because the language is more informal and natural.You get the idea that passage A is addressed to a friend, while passage B might be addressed to a colleague or supervisor In your essay, be sure to write at an appropriate level of formality Do not use slang, but not be excessively formal, either hopeful critical ironic indifferent foreboding somber mocking joyful bold angry sad sincere playful anxious uncertain grateful defeated secure rude confident gloomy insincere demanding respectful threatening annoyed uplifting insecure proud mischievous As you write, choose words that convey your desired tone For example, if you are describing a humorous event, you might use the phrase topsy-turvy rather than chaotic or disorganized Similarly, if you are describing an unpleasant event, you might use the word tumultuous or helter-skelter to convey the same idea Variety in Sentence Structure and Rhetorical Techniques for Emphasis Consistent and Appropriate Tone An appropriate and consistent tone is another essential element of effective writing Tone is the mood or attitude conveyed by words or speech Think, for example, of all the different ways to say sure or hello It’s how you say the word that conveys so much of its meaning When you listen to others, it’s usually pretty easy to hear the tone of their voice But how you establish tone in writing? When you speak, you create tone by how quickly or slowly you say a word, how loudly or softly you say it, and how you use facial expressions and body language When you write, though, your readers can’t hear how your words sound And they certainly can’t see your facial expressions or body language But you can use word choice, punctuation, and style to establish tone For example, recall this pair of sentences from the punctuation review: Wait, I’m coming with you Wait—I’m coming with you! 84 A strong GED essay will demonstrate an ability to manipulate sentence structure and punctuation for effect Sentence structure, as noted earlier, is an important element of style If all your sentences have the same pattern, you will end up with monotonous and dry writing like the following passage: She is a teacher She lives in Montana She has a ranch there She goes to California a lot She has family there She has two pets, a cat and a dog Unsophisticated and quite dull, isn’t it? That’s because all of the sentences are short and share the same structure; they all start with she and a present tense verb This is quite different from parallel structure Parallelism means using a repeating sentence pattern to create rhythm within a sentence or paragraph This kind of repetition, on the other hand, creates monotony and shows a lack of flexibility in creating sentence patterns Here is – WRITING AN EFFECTIVE ESSAY – the same paragraph, revised to show variety in sentence structure: Wordiness and redundancy typically result from three causes: She is a teacher and lives on a ranch in Montana with her cat and dog Because she has family in California, she travels there frequently ➧ The use of unnecessary words or phrases Redundant: Turn left at the green-colored house Correct: Turn left at the green house Notice how much more interesting this paragraph is now The seven sentences have been combined into two, and only one sentence starts with she Many of the short sentences have been turned into modifiers that make for more varied sentence patterns Sentence structure and punctuation can also be used to manipulate emphasis The best place to put sentence elements that you want to emphasize is at the end (the “save the best for last” approach) What comes last is what lingers longest in the readers’ ears ➧ Unnecessary repetition of nouns or pronouns Redundant: Riva she couldn’t believe her ears Correct: Riva couldn’t believe her ears ➧ The use of wordy phrases instead of adverbs Wordy: She spoke in a very convincing manner Concise: She spoke very convincingly He is tall, dark, and handsome [The emphasis is on handsome If tall is the most important characteristic, then that should come last.] Don’t skimp on details, but try not to waste words She is smart, reliable, and experienced [The emphasis is on experienced; if smart is the most important characteristic, then that should be last in the list.] Step 6: Proofread Carefully In the three-step writing process, the third step is to revise and edit What exactly is the difference between revising and editing, anyway? To revise means to carefully read over your essay and make changes to improve it Revising focuses on improving the content (what you say) and style (how you say it) In other words, when you revise, you concentrate on the “big picture”: your ideas and how you organize and present them in your essay Editing, on the other hand, deals with grammar (correct sentences), mechanics (correct spelling, capitalization, and punctuation), and usage (correct use of words and idioms) Editing is very important; your writing should be as clear and correct as possible But as a general rule, it doesn’t make much sense to carefully proofread each sentence, only to realize that you need to rewrite several paragraphs However—and this is a big “however”—the guidelines are a little different on a timed essay exam, especially when the time is so short Because your time is so limited, revising should actually take place before you write, while you are outlining your essay As you outline, You can also use an em dash to set off part of a sentence for emphasis: He is tall, dark, handsome—and married Here, the stress on the last element is heightened by the dash, which emphasizes the sense of disappointment in the sentence Don’t Repeat Repeat Yourself On the sentence level, in general, less is more The fewer words you use to get your point across, the better Redundancy is the unnecessary repetition of ideas Wordiness is the use of several words when a few can express the same idea more clearly and concisely Avoid both of these as you write your essay 85 – WRITING AN EFFECTIVE ESSAY – Good neighbors aren’t just friendly, they’re also helpful If we run out of sugar while baking or need one more egg for a recipe, we know we can run over to the Ulerios’ or our other neighbors, the Zurowskis’ Mr Zurowski is particularly helpful to my dad My dad doesn’t have a lot of tools, but Mr Zurowski does, and he’s always willing to lend them to my dad He also helps my dad with projects once in a while, like fixing the roof on the dog house There have also been plenty of times when we stayed with Mrs Ulerio while our parents were out Perhaps the most important aspect of being a good neighbor is respecting boundaries I think most of us could live with neighbors who are unfriendly or never offer a helping hand But few of us will tolerate neighbors who don’t respect our property and our privacy Our old neighbors, for example, used to come and take toys and lawn equipment from our shed without asking Sometimes, we’d have to go to their house and ask for our things back because they didn’t return them Even worse, my Uncle Andy’s neighbors were extremely nosy and gossipy They got involved in Uncle Andy’s divorce and made the experience more complicated and painful for everyone Good neighbors like mine are hard to find I hope I will always have neighbors like the Ulerios and Zurowskis They are kind, they know when to help, and they respect our property and privacy make sure you have a clear thesis that addresses the writing prompt, sufficient and relevant support, and logical organization You probably won’t have time to rewrite paragraphs or add new ones That’s why it’s crucial to outline so carefully But you will probably have a few minutes to change word order, adjust word choice, and correct grammatical and mechanical mistakes And this final “polishing” step can help make your ideas come across much more clearly for your readers  Sample Essay You have seen the brainstorming and outline for the good neighbor prompt Now, here is a complete essay This essay would score a “4” on the GED exam No matter where you live, you have neighbors The kind of neighbors you have can make a big difference in how happy you are I’m lucky to have wonderful neighbors The people who live next to me are friendly, they are helpful, and they respect boundaries Friendly neighbors help make it nice to live where you Grumpy, unpleasant neighbors don’t usually you any harm, but they don’t make you feel good, either A friendly neighbor makes you feel welcome For example, our neighbors, Mr and Mrs Ulerio and their children, are very friendly Whenever we see them, they say a cheerful hello and ask how we’re doing Mr and Mrs Ulerio often chat with my parents, and every Christmas, Mrs Ulerio and her daughter Jessica bring us homemade cookies They make us feel like they’re glad to have us next door 86 C H A P T E R 11 Tips and Strategies for the GED Language Arts, Writing Exam YOU HAVE reviewed what you need to know for the Language Arts, Writing Exam Now you will learn some specific tips and strategies to use on the writing exam O ne of the myths about writing is that either you have writing talent, or you don’t True, some people have a special gift for effective writing But good writing is a skill, and like other skills, it is something that everyone can learn Throughout this chapter, you will review the structure of the writing exam and specific tips you can use to improve your score on the test Read this chapter carefully, and then review your notes from the whole Language Arts, Writing section When you are ready, move on to the practice questions that follow  The GED Language Arts, Writing Test in a Nutshell The GED Language Arts, Writing Test consists of two parts Part I (75 minutes) will ask you 50 questions about sentence structure, usage, mechanics, and organization These questions will be drawn from informational passages, business documents such as memos, and how-to texts You will be asked the best way to correct or revise sentences or paragraphs Part II (45 minutes) will ask you to write an essay of about 250 words (four to five paragraphs) Your essay prompts may ask you to write a narrative essay (tell a story), a persuasive essay (argue a point of view), or expository essay (explain or describe your response to a question) Essays are scored holistically, taking into account the overall effectiveness of the essay 87 – TIPS AND STRATEGIES FOR THE GED LANGUAGE ARTS, WRITING EXAM –  Sentence Structure Memorize irregular and troublesome verb forms Remember that verbs should be consistent in tense Make sure that verbs agree with their subjects Make sure the correct helping verbs are used to convey the intended meaning Use infinitives and gerunds correctly Sentence structure refers to the way we put words together in sentences Chapter reviewed the building blocks of sentences: subjects, predicates, and objects; independent and dependent clauses; sentence boundaries; parts of speech; and parallel structure Approximately one-third of the questions on the GED writing test will be about sentence structure Here are some tips for tackling questions about sentence structure: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■  Indefinite Pronouns To remember singular indefinite pronouns, note that someone, anyone, everyone, and no one all contain the word one One, of course, is singular Indefinite pronouns beginning with some, any, every and no are all singular Look for words that signal relationships and make connections: subordinating conjunctions, coordinating conjunctions, and conjunctive adverbs These words help describe the relationship between ideas and determine sentence boundaries and punctuation Look carefully at word order Are modifiers close to the things they modify? Look for grammatical patterns Is there—or should there be—parallel structure at work in the sentence? Could sentences be combined effectively? If you suspect a sentence fragment, isolate that sentence and see if it makes sense on its own If not, it probably needs to be combined with another sentence or revised to be complete If you suspect a run-on sentence, look at each clause Is it independent? If so, is there strong enough punctuation or connecting words between the clauses? Agreement When it comes to agreement, think of sentences as a scale with subjects on one side and verbs on the other, or with antecedents on one side and pronouns on the other The subjects and verbs need to agree in order for the scale to be balanced Likewise, the pronouns need to agree with their antecedents to balance the scale Pronouns It’s so easy to make a mistake with pronouns and contractions because we show possession of nouns with an apostrophe (Ralph’s car) With pronouns, however, possession does not require an apostrophe If you get confused, think of a possessive pronoun that doesn’t get confused with contractions, like my or our These not have apostrophes; other possessive pronouns shouldn’t, either And here’s one way to remember to use that when referring to things: both words begin with the letter t Usage Prepositional Idioms Another third of the questions on Part I will be about usage: the rules that govern the form of the words we use and how we put those words together in sentences Chapter reviewed the usage rules you should know for the exam Here are some specific tips for questions about usage If prepositional idioms tend to give you problems, try writing sentences with the idioms to give yourself extra practice Create a worksheet for yourself or someone else who may also need extra idiom review  Mechanics Verbs Because verbs are the driving force in every sentence, and because verbs can take so many different forms, you can be sure that many usage questions will be about verbs Here are five tips to help you prepare for those questions: 88 About one-fourth of the questions on Part I will be about mechanics: the rules that govern punctuation, capitalization, and spelling Chapter reviewed punctuation guidelines, rules for correct capitalization, and – TIPS AND STRATEGIES FOR THE GED LANGUAGE ARTS, WRITING EXAM – For example: spelling for contractions and possessive pronouns as well as homonyms Here are some specific tips for handling questions about mechanics stationary vs stationery: Remember that “stationery” is the one to write on because it’s spelled with an “er” like the letter you are writing Punctuation Remember that punctuation marks are used to separate sentences, show the relationships between ideas, reveal tone, and clarify meaning Each punctuation mark has a specific function and should only be used in specific situations Take the time to memorize the uses for each punctuation mark Here are some tips to help you learn them: ■ Pay attention to how punctuation is used as you read Now that you know the rules, the more you see them in action, the easier it will be to remember them ■ Write your own sentences with each punctuation mark and each comma rule Notice how punctuation can change the impact and meaning of sentences ■ Teach the punctuation rules to someone else (See page 22 for more about mnemonic devices.) For a list of over 700 pairs of homonyms, visit www.cooper.com/alan/homonym_list.html You can also find homonym quizzes and worksheets at www.edhelper com/language/Homonyms.htm  Organization Finally, a smaller portion of the questions on Part I will be about organization: how writers arrange their ideas Chapter reviewed essay structure and organizational patterns, effective paragraphs, and transitions When you encounter a GED question about organization, these guidelines can help you identify the correct answer Capitalization Identify the organizational pattern How are the ideas in the passage or paragraph organized? Then consider: Does any sentence or paragraph seem to be out of place in the pattern? Identify the main idea of the paragraph or passage What thought holds the paragraph or passage together? Is there a topic sentence expressing that thought? Then consider: Is there any sentence (or portion of a sentence) that doesn’t fit under the controlling idea? Look for transitions in the paragraph or passage Are there strong transitions leading you from one idea to the next? Would the paragraph or passage be more effective if more (or more appropriate) transitions were added? When capitalization is the issue, ask yourself whether the word in question is specific or general If it is a specific person, place, or thing, then it probably should be capitalized Remember, in this regard, specific means particular or individual, not detailed For example, a poodle is a specific type of dog, but it is not capitalized because it doesn’t refer to a specific (individual or particular) dog Rover, however, should be capitalized because Rover is a specific (particular, individual) dog Contractions Whenever you come across a question with a contraction, read it as two words If it doesn’t make sense, then you need a possessive pronoun, not a contraction Eliminate the apostrophe Homonyms  Unfortunately, the only thing you can to prepare for questions about homonyms is to memorize the correct meanings and spellings Try using mnemonic devices to remember which word is which Part II: The Essay Chapter 10 described the steps you should take to write well on an essay exam You learned that when you must write under pressure, good planning and time management are the keys to success 89 – TIPS AND STRATEGIES FOR THE GED LANGUAGE ARTS, WRITING EXAM – At test time, remember this guideline for using your time on the exam: 4  4 time (10–15 minutes): planning time (20–25 minutes): writing time (10–15 minutes): revising and editing Six Steps for Essay Exam Writing When you are writing for an exam, follow these six steps: Step Step Step Step Step Step 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: Understand the writing prompt Formulate a clear thesis Brainstorm support for your thesis Create a detailed outline Write the essay Proofread carefully The following 11 tips can help you write a successful essay for the GED: Make sure you understand the prompt What kind of essay are you being asked to write? Make sure you directly answer the prompt Remember, you will receive a score of or if you not write on the assigned topic Remember that you only have 45 minutes, so it’s important not to waste any time If you are stuck and can’t seem to get started, try freewriting or another brainstorming technique This will help you get some ideas down on paper and get your thoughts flowing Remember that in a brainstorm, there’s no such thing as a stupid idea; write down anything that comes to mind When you’re ready to outline, you can eliminate ideas that don’t fit On the GED, it’s important to write for a general audience That means two things: a You must provide context for your readers Don’t assume that your readers know what you know For example, if you are writing about your favorite film, you must provide some essential information about that film for your readers, including the basic plot and characters 10 11 90 b You must use an appropriate level of formality Avoid jargon (technical or specialized language) and slang Don’t try to use big words just to sound more intelligent Often, the more simple words are the most clear and effective Besides, you may end up misusing vocabulary and saying things you don’t mean Make sure you have a clear purpose Know what you want to accomplish in your essay What is your goal? Before you begin to write, draft a thesis statement Remember that a thesis must say something about the subject Remember that first impressions count Get your reader’s attention and state your thesis clearly in your introduction Remember that writing is a process, and effective planning is perhaps the most important part of that process Plan your essay carefully Use your outline to organize your ideas and make sure you have provided strong and sufficient support If you don’t have at least two supporting ideas, you should rethink your essay If you are making an argument, use order of importance (least-tomost important) to organize your ideas Make sure to provide strong transitions throughout your essay Use transitional words and phrases to connect sentences and ideas Remember that style is important When you revise: a Try to make a few word choice changes so that your writing has more impact Use precise, vivid verbs and nouns b Check for wordiness and redundancy Don’t repeat yourself or use bulky constructions such as in this day and age (today is more concise and appropriate) c Be sure you have some variety in sentence structure If your essay has a sing-songy or monotonous rhythm, combine sentences and add introductory phrases so that your sentence patterns are more diverse Even if you have only a few minutes left at the end of the exam, take the time to review what you have written If you make only one or two minor corrections, you have still made an improvement in your essay  ... happened These six steps will help you write a strong, effective essay on the GED Step 1: Understand the Writing Prompt Before you can begin to plan your essay, you need to be sure you understand the. .. like they’re glad to have us next door 86 C H A P T E R 11 Tips and Strategies for the GED Language Arts, Writing Exam YOU HAVE reviewed what you need to know for the Language Arts, Writing Exam. .. good planning and time management are the keys to success 89 – TIPS AND STRATEGIES FOR THE GED LANGUAGE ARTS, WRITING EXAM – At test time, remember this guideline for using your time on the exam: