By: Sean
Savoie
The general purpose of an academic writer is to strongly express an opinion about something that has been learned and mentally stimulate the reader. The most important goal is to express a clearly supported and organized opinion.
The College Board (www.collegeboard.com) has a great deal
to teach about the new SAT. According to this test making board, an ideal score
of 6 is described below:
An essay in this category is outstanding, demonstrating clear and consistent mastery, although it may have a few minor errors. A typical essay
§
effectively and insightfully develops a point of view on the issue and
demonstrates outstanding critical thinking, using clearly appropriate examples,
reasons, and other evidence to support its position
§
is well organized and clearly focused, demonstrating clear coherence and
smooth progression of ideas
§
exhibits skillful use of language, using a varied, accurate, and apt
vocabulary
§
demonstrates meaningful variety in sentence structure
§
is free of most errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics
Pre-writing is essential. Outlines are beautiful tools, but with only 25 minutes to write an essay a full outline is nearly impossible.
First, consider the scope of the idea, by which is meant: How much are you attempting to say in this one essay? Too much, and it is unfinished; too little and it is shallow. Before able to compose a fine essay in 25 minutes as required on the new SAT and preferred on college essay tests, one must see the whole idea as some form of map, which, if not a genius, requires development in writing. For us mortals this means a fast outline. Limit pre-writing to 5 minutes when tackling a short, timed essay. Upon reading the quote and assignment on the SAT, TOEFL, and other standard tests, focus on reasons to support why you believe one opinion more than another.
Developing the introduction, you should move from general to specific, with the most specific idea being the thesis statement itself. Therefore, develop the topic sentences and then refer to them often while devising the introduction. The concept and general guidelines for writing a strong introduction are simple; the actual writing of this paragraph, however, should always continue to challenge the developing writer.
Remember, five paragraphs;
introduction, body paragraphs 1, 2, 3, and a conclusion. Make the thesis (main
point) the center of the entire essay. Anything not serving this purpose must
have another specific goal. However, on the essay for the new SAT, the five
paragraph rule is broken when necessary. The lack of time is reason enough. Some
essays that receive a perfect score only two paragraphs long. This kind of
flexibility is convenient, but the writer must still be extremely focused and
organized.
Students often have a difficult time writing an introduction. My students feel the introduction and conclusion are equally difficult. Do not attempt to explain your opinion in the introduction. This common mistake not only causes you to jump into the position (opinion) too quickly, but also gives you less of an opportunity to attract the reader by creating some background information and a tone for the whole essay.
With my students, I have found it most effective to first write out the thesis statement (main opinion) and three topic sentences (factual supportive sentences introducing each paragraph in the body). Using this method, a writer develops the skeleton of the whole essay and has the best overview for writing a beautiful introduction. Before writing a strong thesis, one must consider how it will be supported. Therefore, write a very basic thesis statement and then revise it after writing out the topic sentences by using key words and ideas from these topic sentences.
Remember that the introductory paragraph is the most important paragraph in almost any essay. If the reader is not attracted by the first paragraph, he or she will probably not read the rest of the essay. Even in the academic world, a professor, often required to read 200 or more student essays, is more likely to pay attention to an essay that grabs his or her attention.
So, what are some techniques for attracting the interest of the reader? You might start by thinking about what gets your own attention. Stimulating writers often use sarcasm, quotes, shocking information, humor, vivid description, personal experiences, and questions to the reader. It is essential to consider what is appropriate to the topic; for example, use of humor would be completely inappropriate in an essay about torture but may be fine in one about students cutting class.
Also, remember that personal examples bring the first person point of view into the essay, which may not be the most effective point of view, but this technique is often seen in examples on the College Board website. If you ask a question in the introduction, make sure to address and preferably answer this question at some point in the essay. Editorial writers often answer significant questions in the conclusion.
Sometimes writers encounter “writer’s block”, which is the inability to form a cohesive idea based on the topic assigned by a teacher. “Brainstorming”, the rapid listing of every word or notion that comes into one’s head, helps to solve this problem. Simply write everything that you can think of without considering if it is relevant or important at all. Usually correlations between seemingly random ideas begin to surface, allowing the writer to discover a specific connection around which the thesis may develop. Again, the key here is to list as much as possible without making any judgments. After this process, examine which words and ideas may be grouped together into one category. The basis for a strong opinion should become clearer. Professors often read the same opinions hundreds of times; therefore, exploring a less common idea may result in a higher grade.