SAT ESSAY
SAT essay is an optional section. That means that only selected college need you to take the test with an essay.
It's your responsibility to decide the colleges you want to apply in the beginning and then check whether these colleges need you to take essay or not.
After all the sections of SAT( reading, writing, math without calculator, math with calculator) comes the SAT Essay. It is a 50 mins long test which comprises a passage which is just as big as the largest passage of the reading section. In it, you will have to read the entire passage then analyze it and write about it.
It seems simple but it is not, the prompt always seems a bit confusing.
ESSAY Question format
A typical essay starts with instructions asking you to consider evidence such as facts or examples, reasoning and stylistic or a persuasive elements.
Then you will have a long passage( expect to spend a good amount of time in it) which you need to read thoroughly and analyze. It will be a test of your comprehending skills.
At the bottom, you will find the prompt asking you to write an essay explaining how the writer built an argument to persuade his audience(for some certain thing).
You will be asked to analyze how the writer uses facts or examples, reasoning and stylistic or persuasive element to strengthen the logic and persuasiveness of his agreement. You need to be sure to focus to focus on the relevant features of the passage.
It's strictly mentioned that you should not support or disregard writer's claim.
GENERAL MISTAKES
1) The majority of students don't prepare for essay at all.
2) Some students take sides with the writers claim.
3) Grammatical errors
4) Due to lack of practice, some students couldn't write the entire essay.
5) Some students don't use the proper name of the elements to make the essay look professional.
6) Not having a good vocabulary.
HOW TO WRITE THE ESSAY
First do at least 2 sample papers before the exam, so you would already know the instructions, prompt and format of the SAT essay.
Now during the exam you will have to read the writer's name and other information to get an idea of what you are going to read in the passage.
You should take around 2 mins to check the instructions, prompt( in case of any unexpected changes in them) and the information about the writer.
Now in 10 mins, you will have to read the entire passage and mark all the evidence such as facts or examples, reasoning and stylistic or persuasive element. Try not to miss any information related to it. Theses markings are the things that you will be writing in your essay.
Now you have to take 5 mins and plot how will you write the essay in your mind. You should analyze all the markings and describe them.
Now you should not jump on writing an essay directly by points. You should choose an outline.
OUTLINE 1
INTRO - Introduce and provide claim
THESIS - Author's argument developed through evidence, rhetorical language and structure
PARAGRAPH 1- Evidence to support claim
PARAGRAPH 2- Use of rhetoric to develop to develop claim
PARAGRAPH 3- Structure
CONCLUSION- Refer back to claim and effectiveness of argument
INTRO - Introduce and provide claim
THESIS - Author builds argument by explaining how"........." and support claim
PARAGRAPH 1- Point 1 (evidence,rhetorical devices and quotes)
PARAGRAPH 2- Point 2 (evidence,rhetorical devices and quotes)
PARAGRAPH 3- Point 3 (evidence,rhetorical devices and quotes)
CONCLUSION- Refer back to claim and effectiveness of argument.
INTRO - Introduce and provide claim
THESIS - Claim (explain the claim in depth)
PARAGRAPH 1- Point 1 (evidence,rhetorical devices and quotes)
PARAGRAPH 2- Point 2 (evidence,rhetorical devices and quotes)
PARAGRAPH 3- Point 3 (evidence,rhetorical devices and quotes)
CONCLUSION- Refer back to claim and effectiveness of argument.
You can also discuss rhetorical devices separately in a paragraph.
Now the things you will have to notice while reading the passage are claim, evidence, rhetorical devices, tone, structure.
Together they are called CERTS.
CLAIM
EVIDENCE
RHETORICAL DEVICES
TONE
STRUCTURE
While writing the essay, pay attention to the variety of sentences and transition.
Types of sentences
1) Declarative sentence - Statement
2) Interrogative sentence - Question
3) Imperative sentence - Command
4) Exclamative sentence - Exclamation
Try not to get stuck with just declarative sentences, learn to use other types of sentences too in your passage.
Transition
While making transitions from different sentences or paragraphs there are some words if used would make it better.
They are -
furthermore
correspondingly
consequently
on the whole
chiefly
as an illustration
as a result
in other words
on the other hand
moreover
in brief
conversely
initially
With all these information in your hands you are prepared for SAT essay
Comments