writingexam

Regent’s Writing Exam: 

Regent’s Writing Exam Beating the Test

Know the Rules: 

Know the Rules The Test booklet is provided Top of the cover has the four questions to choose from. Bottom of the front cover has a space to brainstorm your ideas Inside of the booklet and the back are where you write your essay You have to write in black/blue ink (Required) You cannot use white out/Can use erasable ink You have 15 minutes at the end of the exam to use a dictionary You have 60 minutes to brainstorm and write a coherent, almost error free, essay

What to Bring to the Test: 

What to Bring to the Test Two erasable ink pens (navy blue or black) Two number two pencils with erasers for the information sheet Bring your own dictionary (Cannot share with another student) A sweater or jacket Bring your ticket that you received in the mail and follow the instructions on your ticket

Mental Preparation: 

Mental Preparation Find the testing location the day before Allow time to eat a light snack (Make sure you are not starving or that you are not uncomfortably stuffed) and use the bathroom before the test Wear layers (short sleeve shirt) and bring a sweater or jacket – make sure your clothes are comfortable Get to the testing site early, so you can easily find a parking space Students who are late are not admitted in the testing center Once inside, relax, focus on your task and do not socialize. Keep yourself focused.

Strategies for Timed Essay Tests: 

Strategies for Timed Essay Tests It’s all in the TIMING! No more than 1 minute to choose your topic No more than 5 minutes to do an outline No more than 34 minutes to write your essay No more than 20 minutes to proofread and edit DO NOT SKIP A STEP!!!

Taking it Step-By-StepChoosing a Topic: 

Taking it Step-By-Step Choosing a Topic Choose a topic that you can easily identify the essay structure needed. Narrative Essay Argumentative Essay Example Essay Compare/Contrast Essay And Choose a topic where you can provide detailed examples (personal or societal)

The Five Types of Essays1. The Narrative Essay: 

The Five Types of Essays 1. The Narrative Essay Narrative Essay – telling a story that has a point and that answers the question This essay contains a plot – a building of tension that reaches a high point before it is concluded. Narratives must be written in past tense, “experienced,” “saw,” “felt,” “believed,” “witnessed,” etc. SAMPLE TOPICS: How do you account for the popularity of horror films? Have Your Eating Habits Changed Since You’ve Been in College? Discuss. Have computers made our lives easier or more complicated? Explain. Discuss how life can be made easier for the elderly.

2. Argumentative Essay: 

2. Argumentative Essay Argumentative Essay – You are either attacking or defending your position about a topic. Use Logic and Personal Knowledge to Defend Your Position or Attack the other point-of-view Acknowledge that there is another side to the argument Formula Thesis (Others may believe X, but I believe Y) Topics Should beauty pageants for children be banned? Should women in the military service be assigned combat duties? The Supreme Court has recently ruled that public schools have the right to conduct searches of students’ persons and property when there is a reasonable cause to suspect the presence of weapons or drugs. Do you support or oppose such searches? Explain.

3. Example Essay: 

3. Example Essay Example Essay – Explain to the reader through examples why you feel or believe the way you do Provide three detailed sub-topics that prove your point Within each sub-topic, you must give specific, detailed examples Sample Topics: What’s happening to the structure of the American Family? What do you think are the major effects of divorce upon children? Explain. Do you long for the past or look eagerly toward the future? If you could go back in time, which time period would you choose and why?

4. Compare/Contrast Essay: 

4. Compare/Contrast Essay Compare/Contrast Essay – Showing Similarities and Differences to make a point Sample Topics: Is it better to have brothers and sisters than to be an only child? Explain. Would you prefer to raise a family in the city or the country? Is it better for students to work full-time or not at all while attending college? Do you prefer shopping at a large shopping center or at a downtown stores? Discuss

The Five Paragraph EssayRegardless of Essay Type: 

The Five Paragraph Essay Regardless of Essay Type Introduction Think about your first sentence – Hook the reader Introduce your topic (General to Specific) Thesis statement (Make it the last sentence of the introduction and make sure it echoes/answers the question) Body Paragraphs (2 to 3 paragraphs – NO MORE) Make sure they include specific examples and those examples need to be detailed (Use your five senses – taste, touch, smell, see, and hear) Conclusion Restate the point of your essay What have you learned? State how this topic has influenced YOU (Not others) – DO NOT USE “YOU” in a formal first-person essay

Going from the Topic to Writing the Introduction: 

Going from the Topic to Writing the Introduction Topic – If you could choose one famous person in which to have a conversation, then who would you choose? Hook – Some people might prefer to talk to a rock star or television star, but not me. Introduction Body – Growing up, I spent hours in my room curled up on my bed with a novel clutched in my hands. The rhythm of the words and the mental images created by reading became my music and my television. Of all the authors I admired, only one stands apart from the rest. Thesis – Nathaniel Hawthorne is the one famous person with whom I would like to converse.

Body Paragraphs: 

Body Paragraphs Outline: Three questions I would ask 1. What symbolism did you intend for your stories to have? 2. What authors influenced your writing? 3. Were you ever discouraged by critics? Sample Body Paragraph: The first question I would ask is, “What symbolism did you intend for your stories to have?” I know that using symbolism was popular during that time period, but how does the reader know which symbolism the author actually intended? For example, did Hawthorne really mean for the reader to believe that the birthmark on Georgiana’s face in his story, “The Birthmark,” symbolized nature? How can the reader be sure? I would love to discuss the symbolism of his individual stories. I may even discover that his use of symbolism was a technique that he learned from another author.

Conclusion: 

Conclusion Restate the point of your essay. What have you learned or gained insight about? Final statement on the topic Sample Conclusion: Of all the authors I have read, Nathaniel Hawthorne stands apart from the others for me. I can not put into words the intellectual pleasure I would derive from a conversation with him. As a reader, I would gain new insights into his literature. I wish that he would have kept and other authors would keep journals of the thoughts and ideas had when writing these works, so readers in the future could have a greater insight to the author’s works and genius. But until a scientist develops a time machine, I will have to be content with discovering what I can from what I read.

The Importance of Content and Structure: 

The Importance of Content and Structure Keep to the Five Paragraph Structure Write a Thesis that Echoes the Question Organize your body paragraphs in a logical pattern Make sure you have transitions between your sentences and paragraphs (use your concluding sentence) Make sure you have specific examples and details – Use your five sense Do Not Forget to restate your point and communicate what you have learned or realized

It Is All About Style: 

It Is All About Style Use active verbs whenever possible “I want,” “His stories speak to me,” etc. Use specific subjects (Avoid starting a sentence with “it” or “this” or “that” or “there” Avoid Repetition (I want to learn what he learned from other authors.) Avoid using vague words like “things” Avoid using contractions (cause misspellings and homonym errors) it’s and its or their, there, or they’re Avoid using clichés or colloquialisms – Going to school is not all that it is cut out to be. My grandfather passed last month. Create parallel or balanced sentences when listing For example: Some people might prefer to talk to a rock star or television star, but not me. Or I would prefer reading a book to listening to music or watching television.

What about Grammar and Punctuation?: 

What about Grammar and Punctuation? Editing is Crucial to receiving a passing grade on the Regent’s exam. Your essay does not have to be error free, but it does have to contain as few errors as possible. Grammar and punctuation errors can impede the communication of your essay’s point.

Errors to Make Sure You Avoid: 

Errors to Make Sure You Avoid Fragments – incomplete thoughts Fused Sentences – two sentences that run together Comma splices – two sentence joined with a comma Agreement – incorrect verb for the subject or incorrect pronoun for the antecedent Improper Verb Tense (Make sure you put an “ed” on the past tense verbs that need it. For example: “She believed” NOT “She believe”) High Frequency of Spelling Errors (Use a dictionary)

Fragments: 

Fragments Incomplete Thoughts Watch Subordinating Clauses (Dependent Clauses) Examples: After I went to work. While he was cutting grass. If she believes I am special. Because Carol wanted to dance again. As I was calling his name.

Fused Sentences: 

Fused Sentences Two sentences that are fused together Watch long sentences (Know your subjects and verbs) For Example: Leslie asked me take her to the dance she wanted to go. After talking to the doctor, I found out that I had broken my arm in two places I was devastated.

Comma Splices: 

Comma Splices Joining two sentences with a comma Know your subjects and verbs Never list sentences – use semicolons The wind blew the orange leaf off the tree, it floated to the ground, and I picked it up. Peter asked me to speak to Sarah, I could never tell her what he said.

Agreement: 

Agreement Watch subjects that are treated as singular 1. The faculty discusses the issue. 2. The football team plays tomorrow. Watch pronoun and antecedent agreement A student can act irresponsibly when in a group, which is what they have to avoid. The garden contained many flower.

Minor Punctuation to Watch: 

Minor Punctuation to Watch Comma Usage Apostrophe End Punctuation Semicolon Colon Punctuation to Avoid

Commas with Introductory Words or Phrases: 

Commas with Introductory Words or Phrases KNOW YOUR PARTS OF SPEECH! Comma can always go after an introductory word or phrase – place the comma before the subject of the sentence After the party, I went to sleep. However, I think you are wonderful. Luckily, I ate a pizza before we went to the movies. At Pfizer's Boutique, I bought my prom dress. During dinner, I walked out of the room and never came back.

Commas with Coordinating Conjunctions: 

Commas with Coordinating Conjunctions Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction to combine two sentences. 7 coordinating conjunctions: And, Or, Nor, So, But, Yet, For (FANBOYS) While the rain poured down, we ran for the car, but I tripped and fell on the curb. We stayed out all night talking, and after I got out of bed, the next morning I could barely speak. We sat with each other for hours, yet neither of us said a word.

Commas with Dialogue, Renaming, and Direct Address: 

Commas with Dialogue, Renaming, and Direct Address Whenever you use dialogue, you need to use a comma or commas Use commas when you are renaming someone. “I’d like to introduce you to my father, Robert.” Whenever you say someone’s name or title to speak directly to them, then you separate their name with a comma. Polly, my sister, said, “I’m sorry, Dad.” “I can’t speak to you anymore, Peter,” she said. She muttered, “Oh, Sam, can’t you just leave me alone?” but I did not hear her.

Apostrophe: 

Apostrophe Make sure you use apostrophes to show possession Pay attention to the word that comes after the word you think needs an apostrophe. It should always be a noun. FORMULA - The dog’s bowl (The bowl of the dog) (Is this correct? Which example fits the formula?) 1. Harry wanted to go to the movies, but his parents’ said he could not go. 2. Living in Lucy’s apartment for four years, I wanted nothing more than to have an apartment of my own.

End Punctuation: 

End Punctuation Do Not forget to use the correct end punctuation. If you ask a question, then use a question mark after it. Does he really believe that I am going to speak my mind? Ouch! I yelled.

Semicolons: 

Semicolons Semicolons Can join two complete sentences – usually used when the second sentence starts with a subordinating conjunction Harry, who made the highest grade in orienteering, led the group through the woods; however, he still managed to get us lost. Can be used with items in a list that contain commas I have a cat, Basil; a dog, Murphy; and a goldfish, Perkle. Can be used to list sentences Laura acted like my best friend; Sue acted like my mother; but Roberta acted like my sister.

Colons: 

Colons Can be used to join two sentences if the second sentence adds information to the first sentence No matter what my mother said, I rebelled and bought my first dog: the cocker spaniel had been named Eagle by the pound keeper. Can be used to join a sentence and a fragment No matter what my mother said, I rebelled and bought my first dog: a cocker spaniel, Eagle. Can be used to list, but you have to keep the sentence: fragment formula I always wanted to meet three famous people: Benjamin Franklin, Elvis Presley, and Marilyn Monroe.

Punctuation to Avoid: 

Punctuation to Avoid Some punctuation is considered distracting. Do not use Parenthesis Do not use dashes Use quotations only when necessary – like in dialogue Do not use punctuation that you are not 100% certain of its usage

Final Tips: 

Final Tips Stay between the lines of the booklet when writing Write in large enough print that it is easy to read Write as legibly as possible – practice your handwriting if necessary Make sure the grader can tell where new paragraphs start and stop Mark through mistakes only once and write above it Avoid writing in simplistic sentences. This is called perfunctory writing, and it is just as bad as making major grammatical and punctuation errors.

The Grading Process: 

The Grading Process Each Essay will be coded and sent to a clearing house to be graded by professional English instructors in another region of the state of Georgia. Each essay is given the following grades: 1 – failing essay 2 – minimum pass 3 – above average Your essay will be graded blindly by three graders. You must receive at least two scores of a 2 or better to pass. Example: 1, 2, 2 Your essay is graded holistically, which means each grader takes into account your content, style, grammar, and punctuation, while they are reading. The grader is trying to determine if you can communicate through written expression.