Lecture Essay writing & presentation skills - Lecture 21: The essay exam

The main contents of the chapter consist of the following: What is literature essay? parts of literature essay, how to write literature essay? checklist after writing your essay, types of literature essay, topics for literature essay, example; hamlet.

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Lecture 21

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Recap

‘ What Is Literature Essay? - Parts of Literature Essay

- How to Write Literature Essay? * Checklist after writing your essay - Types of Literature Essay

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What Is an essay exam?

- Atest in which you write an essay or a certain number of paragraphs in response toa

question

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Preparing for the Exam

* Know what Is expected of you What content will be covered? How many questions will be on the exam?

- Ask yourselt:

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Taking the Exam: Preview

- Skim over the entire exam to get a sense of everything you have to do

- Estimate how much time you have to Spend on each question

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Taking the Exam: Preview

Identify which essay question you want to answer first

Read the question carefully

- Many students do poorly on essay exams because they misread the question

Underline key words or phrases

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Essay Question “Action” Words

Discuss- Consider important characteristics and main points

Compare- Show how items are similar or different; include details or examples

Contrast- Show how items are different; include

details or examples

Define- Give an accurate meaning of the term with enough detail to show that you really

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Essay Question “Action” Words

Explain- Give facts and details that make the idea or concept clear and

understandable

Evaluate- React to the topic in a logical way Discuss the merits, strengths,

weaknesses, advantages, or limitations of the topic

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Essay Question “Action” Words

Describe- Tell how something looks’ or happened, including how, who, where, and why

- Justify- Give reasons that support an action, event, or policy

- Criticize- Make judgments about quality or worth; Including both positive and negative

aspects

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In Essay Exam

Organization and

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Before writing out the exam:

- Write down their key words, listings, etc, as they are fresh In your mind

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Set up a time schedule

- To answer each question and _ to review/edit all questions

- If six questions are to be answered in sixty minutes, allow yourself only seven minutes for each

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Set up a time schedule (cont )

* When the time Is up for one question, stop writing, leave space, and begin the next question The incomplete answers can be completed during the review time

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Read through the questions once and note If you have any

choice In answering

Quester, to how the question Is

phrased, or to the "directives", or words such as "compare", "contrast", "criticize", efc

— See their definitions in previous lectures

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Before attempting to answer a question, put it In your own

* Now compare WOEOSrsion with the question

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Think before you write:

- Make a brief outline for each question - Number the items in the order you will

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Get right to the point

* State your main point in the first sentence - Use your first paragraph to provide an

overview of your essay

‘ Use the rest of your essay to discuss these points in more detail

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Teachers are influenced by

compactness

- completeness and clarity of an organized

answer

Writing in the hope

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To know a little and to present

that little well is,

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Writing & Answering

- Begin with a strong first sentence

— that states the main idea of your essay

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Writing & Answering

Develop your argument

- Begin each paragraph

- with a key point from the introduction

- Develop each point

- In acomplete paragraph

—- Use transitions

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Writing & Answering

Hold to your time

— allocation and organization

- Avoid very definite statements

- when possible; a qualified statement connotes a philosophic attitude, the mark of an educated person

- Qualify answers when in doubt

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Summarize in your last paragraph

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Review

Complete questions left incomplete,

— but allow time to review all questions

Review, edit, correct

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Directives for Essays

- "Directives" ask you to answer, or present Information, In a particular way

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Compare:

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Contrast:

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Criticize:

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Define:

- Definitions call for concise, — clear,

authoritative meanings

- Details are not required but limitations of the definition should be briefly cited

- You must keep in mind the class to which

a thing belongs and whatever

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Describe:

- In a descriptive answer you should recount, characterize, sketch or relate In

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Evaluate:

‘In an evaluation question you are expected to present a careful appraisal of the problem stressing both advantages and limitations

* Evaluation implies authoritative and, to a lesser degree, personal appraisal of both

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Explain:

- In explanatory answers It is Imperative that you clarify and interpret the material you

present

‘ In such an answer it is best to state the “how or why," reconcile any differences in opinion or experimental results, and, where possible, state causes

- The aim ts to make plain the conditions which give rise to whatever you are

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SO

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Don’t be Nervous!

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steps to Success

- Read the essay question carefully

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steps to Success

Practice: Read the exam question below Which words are the most important words in the

questton? Man

attend

you think

arents do not allow their children to

of a person who has died Do

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steps to Success

Rephrase the question into a statement

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steps to Success

Example: Look at the example below of how a question can be rephrased into a statement

Question: In what ways has T.V affected society?

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steps to Success

Practice: Read the exam question below How can you rephrase this into a statement?

Question: What is your major in college? Why did you choose that major? Support your

answer

Thesis Statement: | chose the major of computer science because | enjoy working on

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steps to Success

- Brainstorm on paper Write down notes, words, phrases, facts, quotations about

the question Do this on

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steps to Success

Focus your answer Read through your brainstormed notes and select

Information for your answer

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steps to Success

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steps to Success

- Write your essay Remember to look at the clock while you write You need to

Know how much time you have

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steps to Success

- Reread your answer during the testing period Be sure that it is complete If you want to add something, write it in the space above the sentence where you want to add it and use an arrow

One of the main effects of the atomic bomb on

Hiroshima was the ill health of people affected

high amount

by the@ of radiation

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steps to Success

Edit your answer On an in-class writing exam, you will not be able to edit as

carefully as you can when writing an out-of-class essay However, because some mistakes in grammar and even spelling can be confusing, It Is

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Review of Steps

On an essay exam

Read the question carefully

Rephrase the question into a statement

Brainstorm ideas Focus your answer Make a rough outline

Write your essay and look at the time!

Re-read your answer

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Summary

- What Is an essay exam? - Preparing for the Exam

- Taking the Exam: Preview

* Essay Question “Action” Words - What merits In Essay Exam’?

* Writing & Answering

‘ Following Directives for Essays in Exams

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References

* www.vpul.upenn.edu/Irc

* http://www.studygs.net/tsttak4.htm

- http://www.studygs.net/essayterms.htm - PowerPoint Presentation by Ruth Luman: