Writing Essay Study Guide: Pre-GED Language Arts, Writing (page 6)

The practice quiz for this study guide can be found at:

Writing Essay Practice Problems: Pre-GED Language Arts, Writing

In this article, you'll learn how to recognize the parts of an effective essay. You'll also learn how to use the basic steps of the writing process to plan and draft an effective essay in response to a given prompt.

The second section of the GED Language Arts, Writing Exam is what most people think of when they talk about the writing portion of the test. In this section, you will be given a prompt, or a question addressing a certain topic, and be asked to respond to it in the form of an essay. Most prompts are about the length of a short paragraph and are based on a very general topic, many of which ask you about yourself. Here's an example of a prompt that you might see on the GED:

If you could choose to do one thing in your life over again, what would it be? In your essay, identify what you would like to do over again. Explain why you would like to do it again and what the result might be if you were given the opportunity to do so. Use your personal experience and observations to support your essay.

This prompt is like many others on the GED in that it asks you to write about your personal experience. You don't have to know a lot about other subjects like literature, science, or current events in order to respond to the prompt; you just have to know how to write about yourself.

Don't be concerned with right or wrong answers. Because the point of the GED Writing Exam is not to test your knowledge of a topic, but rather to test how well you express ideas in writing, what you write is not as important as how you write. The goal of this chapter is to prepare you to respond to any GED prompt with a well-developed and organized essay.

What's in an Essay

In the last chapter, you learned that an essay is a short piece of nonfiction writing that presents the writer's point of view on a particular subject. Remember, short is a relative term; in this case it basically means shorter than a book. An essay can actually be as short as a paragraph or two, or as long as fifty pages. On the GED, you'll want to shoot for a four or five paragraph essay.

Every essay has three main parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion, also known as a beginning, middle, and end. In a five-paragraph essay, the first paragraph is the introduction, the last paragraph is the conclusion, and the three paragraphs in the middle are the body.

The Introduction

The introduction is the first paragraph in an essay. In a five-paragraph essay such as the one you'll be writing for the GED, the introduction is usually about three or four sentences long. It has three main purposes:

• state the main idea of the essay
• catch the reader's attention
• set the tone for the rest of the essay

Stating the Main Idea

In the previous chapter, you learned that a main idea is the main thing the writer wants the reader to know. You also learned that the main idea of a paragraph is stated in the topic sentence, and that the topic sentence is often the first sentence of the paragraph. Like a paragraph, an essay has a main idea. It is stated in a single sentence called the thesis statement, and is generally the last sentence of the introduction.

On the GED, your thesis sentence should be a clear, concise answer to the prompt. For example, a possible thesis sentence for the previous sample prompt might be as follows:

If I could do one thing in my life again, I would relive my wedding day.

This is a good thesis statement because it clearly answers the question in the prompt (If you could choose to do one thing in your life over again, what would it be?). It also presents the main idea of the essay without trying to tell the reader too much at once.

Catching the Reader's Attention

In addition to containing the thesis statement, a good introduction starts off with a couple of sentences that catch the reader's attention. Obviously, the content of these sentences will vary widely depending on your thesis statement. A possible introduction based on the sample thesis statement provided might look something like this:

What if you could live one day of your life over again? Some people might choose to relive a day in order to change something about their lives. Others might simply want a second chance to enjoy a great experience. If I could do one thing in my life again, I would relive my wedding day.

As you can see, the three sentences at the beginning of the paragraph lead into the thesis statement in a relatively engaging way. It might not be Harry Potter, but it's definitely better than the following approach:

This is my paper about the thing I would like to do over again in my life. I would like to live my wedding day over again.

The people who grade GED Writing exams read dozens, perhaps even hundreds of essays written from the same prompt. An essay with a clear, creative introduction will almost certainly earn a higher score than an introduction that merely states what the essay is supposed to be about.

Setting the Tone for the Essay

Finally, a good introduction sets the tone for the rest of the essay. Tone refers to the attitude the writer takes towards the subject and the reader. For example, your tone might be formal, informal, humorous, ironic, aggressive, or apologetic. The tone you choose depends to some extent on your purpose for writing. For example, if your purpose is to amuse the reader, your tone will be humorous.

On the GED, it is a good idea to use a formal tone. That means using standard English vocabulary and grammar, rather than casual slang such as you might use with a friend. You should strive to use complete sentences with correct grammar and punctuation, and to keep contractions (words like can't, don't, and won't) to a minimum. Using a formal tone in your writing shows respect for your readers while proving that you are able to write correctly.

To better understand the difference between formal and informal tone, take a look at the following examples. The first example is written using an informal tone. The second uses a formal tone. In both examples the thesis statement is bold so that you can easily locate it.

Example 1: You know, living your life over again would be like a dream. I guess some people would want to go back and try to change something they messed up the first time, and some people would probably just want to relive a day when they did something really cool. I would totally do my wedding day again.

Example 2: What if you could live one day of your life over again? Some people might choose to relive a day in order to change something about their lives. Others might simply want a second chance to enjoy a great experience. If I could do one thing in my life again, I would relive my wedding day.

While the first example may be a more accurate representation of how people speak, it is not an acceptable way to write an academic essay. The second paragraph uses a tone that is appropriate to academic writing. You will be expected to write using a similar tone on the GED exam.

Notice that in both introductions the thesis statement is the last sentence of the paragraph. You should strive to structure your introductions in the same way. Just as business people generally chat for a few minutes before getting down to business, a good writer strives to get the reader's attention before stating the essay's main idea.

Now you try it. Using the space below, draft and write an introduction only in response to the following prompt:

What is your favorite thing? Whether it is a gift you were given during your childhood or something you saved up for years for and bought, you probably have something that is special to you. Write about this special object and why it is important to you.

Introduction

The Body

The body is the part of the essay where you develop and defend your argument. Like the essay itself, the body can range from a single paragraph to many pages in length. For the purposes of the GED, however, the body of your essay should be two or three paragraphs long.

In the last chapter you learned that each paragraph must have a topic sentence stating the main idea of the paragraph. As previously mentioned, it's a good idea to make the topic sentence the first sentence of the paragraph so that your reader knows right away what the paragraph is going to be about.

The following paragraph is an example of a body paragraph that might follow the sample introduction on reliving one's wedding day:

Reliving my wedding day would give me the opportunity to see my family together again. It was the only day of my life when my mom's and my dad's families came together to celebrate in one place. Furthermore, my wedding day was the last time I saw my grandfather because he passed away a few weeks later.

The first sentence is the topic sentence and states the main idea of the paragraph—that reliving the wedding day would allow the writer to see his or her family together again. The other sentences support the main idea by providing examples of how the family was united that day. As a whole, the paragraph develops the main idea of the essay, which is that the writer would like to experience his or her wedding day again.

It's your turn. Using the space provided, write a thesis and body paragraph that explores the following prompt.

What is your favorite thing? Whether it is a gift you were given during your childhood or something you saved up for years for and bought, you probably have something that is special to you. Write about this special object and why it is important to you.

Your thesis:

Body paragraph:

The Conclusion

The conclusion is the final paragraph of the essay. A good conclusion should accomplish the following things:

1. restate the main idea
2. give the reader a sense of closure

Restating the Main Idea

The purpose of restating the main idea in the conclusion is twofold; first, it reminds the reader of the most important thing you want him or her to remember. Second, it gives the essay a more unified feeling.

Restating the main idea, however, doesn't necessarily mean writing the exact same thing or simply switching the words around. You can be more creative this time around, including adding some extra information or restating your ideas in a new and interesting way. Here's one way to restate the thesis statement we've been working with throughout this chapter:

Original thesis:

If I could do one thing in my life again, I would relive my wedding day.

Restated:

Though I will never have the chance, I would love to be able to experience my wedding day again.

In this example, the main idea is given in both sentences, but in the second one it includes something more: the idea that reliving any moment of one's life is impossible. It adds a sense of regret to the essay that can leave the reader feeling pleasantly wistful.

Now it's your turn to write. Using the following lines, rewrite the thesis statement you wrote in the previous example as it would appear in the conclusion of your essay.

Original thesis:

Restated thesis:

Giving the Reader a Sense of Closure

To give readers a sense of closure means to make them feel satisfied with how the essay ends. It's difficult to say specifically what to do so that people come away with this feeling. It's fairly easy, however, to say what not to do. To ensure that readers feel a sense of closure at the end of your essay:

• don't introduce completely new ideas
• don't only refer to narrow, specific examples
• don't end your essay with a question

An example of an effective conclusion for the topic of reliving some moment of your life would be:

Beautiful weather, a fairytale setting, my happy family; for one day of my life, everything was perfect. Although I know I will never have the chance, I would love to experience my wedding day again.

As you can see, the conclusion doesn't have to be long and involved. It just needs to be a long enough to tie the essay together and leave the reader feeling satisfied. Although conclusions can be difficult to write well, it becomes easier with practice.

Using the following space, write a conclusion for the essay you've been working on in the previous examples. Include the restated thesis you wrote in the last exercise.

Original thesis:

Restated thesis:

Conclusion:

How to Write a Powerful Essay

As discussed in the previous chapter, an effective essay is one that clearly and completely accomplishes its purpose. There are many possible purposes for an essay: to inform, to persuade, to entertain, to compare, to prove, or to disprove. The purpose of your essay on the GED will most likely be either to inform the reader regarding your opinion of an issue or to persuade the reader to agree with your point of view on an issue.

Planning

Writing an effective essay requires planning, something that new writers are often reluctant to do. Why? Many students are impatient and just want to get the job over with. Others worry that taking the time to plan out their essay will cause them to run out of time to write.

However, planning what you are going to write beforehand should make the writing process much smoother and easier. It will also help you come up with ideas for what to write, organize your ideas effectively, and express your ideas clearly once you start writing. Most of the writing you did in the last section of this chapter was much like planning; in this section you will learn how to plan more.

There are three main steps to successfully planning an essay:

1. come up with a thesis statement
2. brainstorm ideas related to your thesis statement
3. organize your ideas into an outline

The following subsections will describe each step in detail.

Coming up with a Thesis Statement

Many students find it difficult to come up with an effective thesis statement. Often, writing a thesis statement for the GED exam is as simple as answering a question about yourself, a question which may appear in the prompt. Then all you have to do is answer it. For example:

What is your favorite thing? Whether it is a gift you were given during your childhood or something you saved up for years for and bought, you probably have something that is special to you. Write about this special object and why it is important to you.

The question here is What is your favorite thing? Your thesis statement should answer that question in a complete sentence.

Sometimes, the prompt provided is in the form of a statement. In this case, there will be a sentence that gives you instructions to tell, describe, or explain something. Simply take the sentence that instructs you to do something and turn it into a question. For example:

Many people believe that humans' spirits remain on earth after they die, in the form of ghosts. Explain why you do or do not believe that ghosts exist.

Notice that the second sentence of the prompt gives you instructions: Explain why. Drop the word explain and turn the statement into a question: Do you or do you not believe that ghosts exist? Again, your thesis statement should answer that question. Let's practice what you've learned so far. Write a thesis statement in response to the following prompt:

Embarrassing moments often remain clear in our memories, despite the fact that we would like to forget them. Tell about one of your most embarrassing experiences.

Thesis statement:

Brainstorming Your Ideas

Brainstorm is simply another way of saying write down anything you can think of as fast as you possibly can. The purpose of brainstorming is to help you get all your ideas down on paper so that you can figure out how to organize them later.

So let's say you've come up with the following thesis statement: If I could do one thing in my life again, I would relive my wedding day. To brainstorm ideas related to this thesis, you would take out a blank sheet of paper, write your thesis at the top, and then spend about three or four minutes writing down whatever related thoughts come to you, in no particular order. Here is a sample brainstorm on this thesis statement:

• flowers
• beautiful day
• perfect temperature
• no rain
• family together
• husband handsome
• felt like a princes
• beautiful hair
• grandmother's dress
• mom and dad happy
• mom's family and dad's family
• no fighting
• laughter
• great music

At this point, the brainstorm doesn't look anything like an essay; it just looks like a bunch of ideas. The next thing to do is to sort through the mess by going over each thing you wrote down, circling related ideas, and connecting them by drawing a line between them. This leaves you with a brainstorm that looks like this:

The largest groups in the brainstorm should tell you what the main ideas will be for the body of your essay. In this brainstorm, there are three ideas related to the weather (beautiful day, perfect temperature, no rain), three related to the bride's appearance (felt like a princess, beautiful hair, grandmother's dress), and five ideas related to the family (family together, mom and dad happy, mom's family and dad's family, no fighting, and laughter). That means the two body paragraphs in the essay should have to do with weather, her appearance, and the family.

Now it's your turn to brainstorm. Using the space provided, brainstorm about your favorite object and why it's important to you.

Organizing Your Ideas

The next step in the planning process is to organize your ideas into an essay outline. An outline is basically a list of the major elements in your essay: introduction (ending with the thesis statement), topic sentences, support, and conclusion, in the order in which you plan to write them.

Here's a sample outline structure. To create an outline for an essay, all you need to do is fill in the blanks.

Introduction:

Thesis Statement:

Body Paragraph #1 - Topic Sentence:

Support #1:

Support #2:

Support #3:

Body Paragraph #2 - Topic Sentence:

Support #1:

Support #2:

Support #3:

Body Paragraph #3 - Topic Sentence:

Support #1:

Support #2:

Support #3:

Conclusion:

You should have already written a thesis statement when you started planning, so that part's done. The next thing to do is to write the main ideas for your body paragraphs as topic sentences. Remember, a topic sentence is a complete sentence that states the main idea of the paragraph.

In the example we've been using, the main ideas focus on weather and family. To turn these ideas into topic sentences, you need to answer the question, What about them? What about the weather? Was it terrible? Was it boring? No, according to the notes in the brainstorm, the weather on the writer's wedding day was perfect. So a topic sentence on that main idea could simply state, The weather was perfect on my wedding day. It could also be more creative, On my wedding day the weather was more beautiful than I would have ever imagined.

Let's say the writer has come up with the following three topic sentences:

Topic sentence #1:   The weather was perfect on my wedding day.

Topic sentence #2:   I felt like a princess on my wedding day.

Topic sentence #3:   The best thing about my wedding day was seeing my family together.

These three sentences should be added to the outline. The order they go in depends on the writer's purpose, but on the GED, it's a good idea to go with order of importance. Therefore, whichever idea is least important should come first, followed by the next important, and finally the most important.

The next step is filling in the support. Supporting sentences provide examples and help to explain the main idea. Flip back to the brainstorm for a minute and take a look at all the ideas that are related to weather. Some of those ideas can be used as support.

Body Paragraph #1 - Topic Sentence:   The weather was perfect on my wedding day.

Support #1:   perfect temperature

Support #2:   no rain

You don't have to have exactly three supporting sentences for each topic sentence; you can write more or fewer as the situation requires. It's a good idea, however, to shoot for at least two. If you have fewer than two supporting sentences, there's a good chance that you haven't fully explored the main idea.

Like topic sentences, supporting sentences should be organized. You can put them in order from least to most important, chronological order, or ordered by cause and effect. For a more thorough explanation of how to organize supporting sentences, review the chapter on organization.

Also note that for the purposes of an outline, it's not necessary to write out the support in complete sentences. You will expand the notes into complete sentences during the writing process.

The final step in writing the outline is to draft your conclusion. Remember, a good conclusion should restate the thesis statement and give the reader a sense of closure.

Essay Outline

A complete essay outline will look something like this:

Introduction:   What if you could live one day of your life over again? Some people might choose to relive a day to change something about their lives. Others might simply want a second chance to enjoy a great experience.

Thesis statement:   As for me, if I could do one thing in my life again, I would relive my wedding day.

Body Paragraph #1 (Topic Sentence):   The weather was perfect on my wedding day.

Support #1:   perfect temperature

Support #2:   no rain

Body Paragraph #2 (Topic Sentence):   I felt like a princess that day.

Support #1:   beautiful hair

Support #2:   holding flowers

Support #3:   wearing my grandmother's dress

Body Paragraph #3 (Topic Sentence):   The best thing about my wedding day was seeing my family happy together.

Support #1:   mom's and dad's family there

Support #2:   no fighting

Support #3:   everyone laughing

Conclusion:   Beautiful weather, a fairytale setting, my happy family; for one day of my life, everything was perfect. Though I know I will never have the chance, I would love to experience my wedding day again.

That's it for planning. Now you know what your essay is going to be about, what the topic sentences of your body paragraphs are going to be, and what support you're going to use to back them up. You're now ready to move on to the next step: writing the essay.

Using the following outline form as a guide, create an outline for the essay topic you've been working on about your favorite object.

Introduction:

Thesis Statement:

Body Paragraph #1 - Topic Sentence:

Support #1:

Support #2:

Support #3:

Body Paragraph #2 - Topic Sentence:

Support #1:

Support #2:

Support #3:

Body Paragraph #3 - Topic Sentence:

Support #1:

Support #2:

Support #3:

Conclusion: