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Process for Taking the WR121 Final
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On the first day of the WR121 Final, you will be given two questions. Select one question and use this hour to plan and draft your essay. You will need to turn in all work at the end of the hour.Prewriting and planning (allow about 10 minutes)
- READ the question.
- Identify KEY WORDS that you must respond to in your essay.
- BRAINSTORM (make a list of) the ideas you want to write about (You might think of a supporting example. Jot that down!)
- ORGANIZE the ideas by numbering (so you know what will come first, second, etc.).
Drafting (allow about 40 minutes)
- Begin with an ATTENTION-GETTING opening.
- Make sure your introduction includes SUBJECT and PURPOSE (otherwise known as the thesis).
- Write the body, remembering that readers look for:
- CONTENT: Is your writing thoughtful?
- ORGANIZATION: Is the essay logical, well-balanced, tied together with transitions?
- DEVELOPMENT: Is each idea supported by facts, examples or anecdotes?
- STYLE: Are the ideas expressed clearly?
- End with a CONCLUSION that connects back to the main point of your paper. Is it thoughtful?
On the second day of the WR121 Final, Start by reading over your rough draft from Day One. Today's goal is to revise and edit your draft essay. Because we can generally concentrate on only one thing at a time, plan to REREAD and REVISE your paper more than once, each time with a slightly different focus:
- Revise CONTENT, looking for completeness.
- Revisit ORGANIZATION, looking for logical order and 'smooth flow' between ideas and paragraphs.
- Revise STYLE for clarity.
- Try to avoid: slang, abbreviations and fragments!
- Watch out for shifting point of view (I? You? They? She/he?)
- Watch out for 'run-away' paragraphing.
- Double-check that introductions and conclusions connect!
- Edit PUNCTUATION, GRAMMAR and SPELLING for correctness.
Try not to get bogged down in a very long paper, but work to express your ideas as fully and thoughtfully as possible. Your readers will remember this is a timed test, but your readers will also appreciate your best writing!