Writing Smart, 3rd edition - Princeton Review 2018

Timed writing

The art of the timed essay

When given time to research, outline, and edit, one can write a serviceable term paper. (More on this in Chapter 7!) In an exam situation, however, when you’re writing against the clock, how do you produce a clear, organized, and well-argued essay? Knowing how to approach any piece of timed writing is an essential skill for many standardized tests that feature an essay, such as the SAT. And this same skill can be applied to situations outside the classroom or testing center, such as when you are writing to hit a deadline at work.

The following format is recommended for essay tests, but you can also use it for any type of non-personal essay, including editorials, reviews, and creative nonfiction. See the recommended reading list at the end of the chapter for books that include this type of essay. Reading examples of a literary form can inspire you in your own writing.

Basic template for timed essays

The basic format for timed essays or any non-personal essay includes an introduction, body, and conclusion.

Introduction

An introduction is a brief response to the question, consisting of a paragraph made up of just a few sentences. It is, essentially, how you would respond to the question if you weren’t forced to write an entire page on the subject.

Body

The body of the essay includes in most cases three (sometimes more or fewer) paragraphs, with specific examples in support of the answer you present in your introduction.

Conclusion

The conclusion is a restatement of your introduction, with some notes on how the intervening examples clearly support your contention.

Writing the timed essay

Step 1: Research

The research for your essay must take place before you go in to take your test. You will likely have a basic idea of what the test will be about, so you must read the background material, your textbook, and any additional assigned readings as though you had to write a paper about the subject. You want to know what you are talking about so you can form opinions (your introduction and conclusion) and support them with clear evidence (the supporting paragraphs and examples that make up the body of your paper). These are the essential aims of studying anyway.

Rose’s upcoming test on the history of basketball will definitely include an essay question. The test is to be about the 1992—1993 basketball season, and it will focus primarily on the Eastern Conference teams. Rose studies her textbook and does extensive Internet research as well. She hopes for a question on Patrick Ewing and his greatness; she dreads a question on Dominique Wilkins. She struggles, she hopes, she dreams, but most of all, she prepares.

Step 2: Take the test

Generally, an essay test will have more than two essay questions. If you look at the first essay question and don’t know how to answer it, do not waste time attempting to finagle your way through. If you have extra time at the end of the test, you can go back, but it is best to focus your time on the questions you know how to answer.

Step 3: Outline your essay

These questions deserve very brief outlines. The outlines need not even be written down; nevertheless, they must be thought through. Do not make life needlessly difficult for yourself by writing without knowing what you are writing. Figure out your topic sentence, then your three examples; then you can begin.

Rose goes to class on the day of the test. She has extra pens in case one runs out of ink. She has gotten sufficient sleep the previous three nights. She is ready for anything. The test begins with true-or-false questions; she breezes through these. Then, the essay prompt reads: “Compare and contrast Patrick Ewing and Shaquille O’Neal as they performed over the course of the 1992—1993 basketball season, and decide which of the two you think should have been the starting center of the All-Star game.”

She quickly writes:

Ewing was the better center. (1) better leadership of team (2) more control over whole game, not just his performance, and (3) not a show-off.

Her outline is now complete; she is ready to start writing.

Step 4: Write the essay

Essays written under timed conditions leave less room for posturing. The pressure of time forces you to think of what you want to say, say it, and proceed. This can lead to better writing in general, because you are forced to say what you mean. Do not be intimidated by those who sit at desks near yours and ask the teacher for additional blue books or paper. Length is not in and of itself a virtue. The more succinctly you express yourself, the better your essay will be, so do not spend time thinking about the fanciest way to write something, just write it.

In the paragraphs that make up the body of the essay (the exception being the one-paragraph essay in which you simply state the examples that support your conclusion), you must clearly present the supporting evidence, and then show how that evidence supports your point. It is not enough to say that there were high taxes on tea at the time and people in Boston were unhappy. You must also note that this demonstrates that there was ample reason for revolution.

INTRO

Two of the most important centers in the Eastern conference over the 1992—93 season were Patrick Ewing of the New York Knickerbockers and Shaquille O’Neal of the Orlando Magic. Both are magnificent athletes, and they have similarities as well as differences, but in any comparison, Patrick Ewing is a better center and deserved to start in the All-Star game.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

The two players were very similar. Both were high-scoring centers, both excelled in the college game, and both were the number-one draft picks of their respective years. Yet it is important to note that these years were very different. O’Neal came out of the draft in 1992, so the 92—93 season was his first. Ewing was drafted in 1985. During the 1992—93 season Ewing was just reaching the height of his considerable powers. His experience and maturity would lend an important resonance to the Eastern All-Star team.

EWING BETTER

They both played the role of the outstanding player of their particular teams. But this role, and the ways they performed in it, also demonstrates some of their differences, and shows why, and how, Ewing was the more appropriate choice for All-Star center.

REASON 1

As the star of his team, Ewing did an outstanding job in scoring, rebounds, and assists. Thus, he not only played well for himself, making himself a better player, but he made his team a better team. One of the most important developments of the 92—93 season was the offensive presence of John Starks. Clearly, Starks could not have come to the fore unless Ewing had played in such a way as to help develop another outstanding player.

REASON 2

While some may say that Ewing was surrounded by better players, this is not enough to prove that the centers’ differences resulted solely from their teams. Most glaring among O’Neal’s weaknesses of that season was his self-congratulatory play. A smashed backboard may have looked impressive at the time, but it was only another piece of evidence showing that O’Neal wanted his playing to be noticed. Contrast that with Ewing, who never asked for attention, but worked his absolute hardest so that his team would be noticed, and win.

CONCLUSION

The many reasons mentioned here: experience in the National Basketball Association, leadership ability, and generous play, provide sufficient evidence that during the 1992—93 season, Patrick Ewing was a better center, and a better player, than Shaquille O’Neal, and thus would have been the best choice for the starting center for the Eastern All-Star team.

Step 5: Determine if your essay answers the question

This is very important. Sometimes you may go off on a tangent that interests you, and in doing so provide a strong base for your response to the question without actually answering it. If so, simply add a paragraph that more fully responds to what you have been asked.

Step 6: Proofread

While proofreading is always a part of writing, it takes a slightly different form in a test situation. You do not have much time, so you must restrict your check to flagrant errors of meaning and form. A sentence that expresses what you mean in a slightly awkward form does not have to be rewritten in a testing environment. If your teacher had intended you to create a perfectly written piece, he would have assigned theses topics as essays to take home rather than to be written under timed conditions in class. Your essay must (1) make sense, and (2) answer the question asked. These are your two main criteria when proofing.

Step 7: Hand that baby in

And pat yourself on the back too—you did it.

Common pitfalls

Before moving on, take a moment to review these common pitfalls for timed writing.

“Creative” writing

There are some people who, even if caught red-handed with the Mona Lisa outside the Louvre Museum in Paris, would be able to talk our way out of the situation—in French. If this description does not fit you, do not attempt to talk your way out of not knowing the answer to an essay question.

Illegible handwriting

Remember that the person who wrote this test needs to grade it as well, and if she cannot read what you wrote, then you likely will not get a high score, no matter how brilliant the content. Try to be aware of this as you write. Slow down, and if it will help, print instead of using cursive.

Too many examples

An essay usually calls for three examples. In some circumstances you may be called upon to present as many as five. Include more than five examples and your efforts will be counterproductive. The reader of your essay wants to know that you understand the subject and can back up your understanding with pertinent facts, observations, or illustrations. Going beyond this becomes tedious.

Formatting your essay

Essays on examinations require no particular format other than paragraph form. Be sure to indent and use full sentences.

When referring to a published work for the first time in an essay test, write the name of the book or article and the author. For subsequent references to that work, simply use the author’s last name.

Recommended reading

These books contain essays of a less personal nature than most. Any would be helpful to read for inspiration when writing a personal essay, or writing any sort of non-personal essay, such as a review, editorial, or creative nonfiction.

Mike Davis, City of Quartz, London Press.

M. F. K. Fisher, The Art of Eating, Collier Books.

Fran Lebowitz, Social Studies, Pocket Books, and Metropolitan Life, E.P. Dutton.

John McPhee, The John McPhee Reader, Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Flannery O’Connor, Mystery and Manners, Noonday Press.

George Plimpton, Hank Aaron: One For The Record, Bantam Books.

William Strunk and E. B. White, The Elements of Style, Macmillan.