Test Taking Skills – Part Four Writing Tests

Test Taking Skills – Part Four Writing Tests

When you take a writing test, always think before you write!

Find something in the topic that you care about.  If you don’t care, the essay will be boring.  You get more fluent when you write something that you know well. 

Always write an outline.  Since you won’t have time to rewrite, you need to know where you’re going in order to write a good introduction.  Your outline will give you the topic sentences for all of your paragraphs.

If you need to study specific material or vocabulary, but sure you did.  Study the structures that will be needed.  If there are rules or quotes you should know, write them on 3x5 cards and study them several times a day leading up to the test..

The process is:

# LEVEL 1-2:

1.  Write an outline

2.  Write your paragraph

3.  Check that you have a topic sentence and a main idea.

4.  Check that you have a strong last sentence and no new ideas in the conclusion.

5.  Check your grammar:  Make sure each sentence has a subject and verb.   Use articles before singular count nouns.

# LEVEL 3-6:

1.  Write an outline

2.  Write 5 paragraphs

3.  Check that you have examples.  Check that you have only one main idea per paragraph.  Make sure you don’t have new topics in the conclusion.

4.  Check the subject-verb sets.

•       do they match in time and number?
•       are there fragments with no subject or verb?
•       are there run-on sentences with many subject-verb sets?

5.  Review the rest of the grammar – concentrate on your biggest grammar problems.

Practice1- Outlines: 

Your topic is “Why We Give Final Exams”

Write an outline for your essay.

Introduction: ....................................................

Reason 1:  .......................................................

Reason 2:  .......................................................

Reason 3:  .......................................................

Conclusion:  .....................................................

Practice 2 – Paragraph system:

Your paragraph is about why this is a good school.

            1.  Write a general sentence stating that this is a good school..................................................

            2.  Write a restatement/clarification of your topic sentence......................................................

            3.  Write one reason that this is a good school........................................................................

            4.  Give a specific example related to that reason (1-3 sentences)...........................................

            5.  Write a second reason that this is a good school................................................................

            6.  Give a specific example related to that reason (1-3 sentences)...........................................

            7.  Write a summary of these two reasons in one sentence......................................................

            8.  Rewrite your topic sentence in different words...................................................................

            9.  Write a pretty last sentence about this school.....................................................................

Practice 3 – Grammar check:

Check each sentence for:

- subject and verb

- not a run-on or fragment

- an article on every singular count noun

- good sentence word order

- subject-verb agreement

1.  My mother she likes every day to work in the yard.

2.  Because they weren’t at home yesterday.

3.  I like my classes I am learning a lot.

4.  I met woman and dog.  They were in park next to lake.

5.  In the kitchen yesterday she was cut the hand.

6.  When we went home because it was raining.

7.  The children are played in the living room.

8.  After we finish dinner, we are watch TV.

9.  Why she doesn’t know what to do yet?

10.  I am learn to write good essay.

11.  Before she go to work, she always exercise, eat and shower.

12.  She did before went to the another college.

Practice 4 – More outlines:

Your topic is:  Why grammar is important.

Introduction: ................................................

Reason 1: ....................................................

Reason 2:  ...................................................

Reason 3:  ...................................................

Conclusion: ..................................................