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.

Lecture 21

The Essay Exam

Recap

‘ 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

What Is an essay exam?

- Atest in which you write an essay or a certain

number of paragraphs in response toa

question

lt helps the teacher check your ability to organize and write paragraphs or an essay.

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:

— What do ! know about this material?

— What do | need to know?

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

—- For example, if you have 4 questions and a 2 hour time period, plan for 30 minutes to organize, write, and review each question.

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

Determine whether the question Is asking you to respond to more than one thing

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

understand tt.

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

Summarize- Cover the major points in_ brief form; use a sentence and paragraph form.

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

Prove- Demonstrate or establish that a concept

or _ theory Is correct, logical, or valid.

In Essay Exam

Organization and

Neatness have merit

Before writing out the exam:

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

— Otherwise these ideas may be blocked (or be unavailable) when the time comes to write the later questions This will reduce "clutching" or panic (anxiety, actually fear which disrupts thoughts).

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

— If questions are "weighted", prioritize that into your time allocation for each question

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

* Six Incomplete answers’ will Usually receive more credit than three, complete ones

Read through the questions once and note If you have any

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

- Answers will come to mind immediately for some questions

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

* Now compare WOEOSrsion with the question

- Do they mean the same thing? If they don't, you've misread the question You'll

be surprised how often they don't agree

Think before you write:

- Make a brief outline for each question

- Number the items in the order you will discuss them

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

- Back up your points’ with’ specific Information, examples, or quotations from your readings and notes

Teachers are influenced by

compactness

- completeness and clarity of an organized

answer

Writing in the hope

- that the right answer will somehow turn up

Is time-consuming and usually useless

To know a little and to present

that little well is,

* by and large, superior to knowing much

and presenting It poorly when judged by the grade received

Writing & Answering

- Begin with a strong first sentence

— that states the main idea of your essay

- Continue this first paragraph by presenting key points

Writing & Answering

Develop your argument

- Begin each paragraph

- with a key point from the introduction

- Develop each point

- In acomplete paragraph

—- Use transitions

- Or specify, to connect your points

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

— It is better to say "toward the end of the 19th century" than to say "In 1894" when you can't remember, whether it's 1884 or 1894 In many cases, the approximate time Is all that is wanted;

Summarize in your last

paragraph

- Restate your central idea and indicate why

It iS important

Review

Complete questions left incomplete,

— but allow time to review all questions

Review, edit, correct

— misspellings, incomplete words and sentences, miswritten dates and numbers.

Following Directives for Essays in Exams

Directives for Essays

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

* Review these, and most of all note that there are different ways of answering a question or writing a paper!

Compare:

* Examine qualities, or characteristics, to discover resemblances "Compare" Is usually stated as "compare with": you are

to emphasize — similarities, although differences may be mentioned

Contrast:

- Stress dissimilarities, differences, or unlikeness of things, qualities, events, or problems

Criticize:

- Express your judgment or correctness or merit Discuss the limitations and good points or contributions of the plan or work

In question

- You must keep in mind the class to which

differentiates the particular object from all others In the class

Describe:

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

narrative form.

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

contributions and limitations.

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 examining.

SO

Are you Prepared to take Essay Exam?

Don’t be Nervous!

It’s difficult to relax during an exam, but there are steps you can take to be more successful during an essay exam

steps to Success

- Read the essay question carefully

Underline key words in the question that will help you decide what kind of Information to include in your answer

arents do not allow their children to

of a person who has died Do

steps to Success

Rephrase the question into a statement

This can serve as the thesis statement for your essay answer or the topic sentence for a one-paragraph answer.

steps to Success

- Brainstorm on paper Write down notes, words,

phrases, facts, quotations about the question Do this on

another piece of paper Get down as much information as you can.

steps to Success

Focus your answer Read through your

brainstormed notes and select Information for your answer

Cross out irrelevant ideas In your notes; add any ideas that you think are Important.

steps to Success

Make a rough plan of your answer Decide on the order that you would like to follow when presenting your ideas Prepare a rough outline with your brainstormed notes

Subpoint A Subpoint B Subpoint C

Conclusion

steps to Success

- Write your essay Remember to look at the clock

while you write You need to Know how much time you have

left!

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

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

important that you edit.

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

Edit

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

* Steps to success