Writing On-Demand Essays

A writing assessment gives you a short time to write a paragraph or an essay. To do so, you should use a shortened form of the writing process.

Prewriting (5 Minutes)

Start by reading the writing prompt and analyzing it using the PAST questions.

Sample Writing Prompt

Answer the PAST questions.

Purpose? Explain Jamal’s choice

Audience? Tester

Subject? “Finding Your Instrument”

Type? Essay

Write a focus statement.

Jamal realizes he’s better off choosing his own way.

List supporting details.

--Denny is pressuring everyone to play saxophone.

--Denny makes fun of Jamal.

--Jamal tries trombone.

Writing (Most Time)

Write a beginning that leads to the focus statement.

Sometimes it’s worse to fit in than not to fit in. That’s especially true when you have to fit in by not being yourself. That’s what Jamal learns in “Finding Your Own Instrument” by Tom Diesel. Despite pressure from the group’s leader, Jamal chooses his own way.

Write middle paragraphs to develop each supporting point.

Denny has decided right away what instrument everybody is going to learn. He imagines they’ll all play together in a saxophone quartet. . . .

Write an ending to wrap up the essay.

By choosing trombone, Jamal shows that he is his own person. He figures real friends will accept him as he is, not try to change him. . . .

Revising and Editing (5 Minutes)

Add, cut, rewrite, and rearrange to fix errors.

• Paragraph Before Edits

  

• Paragraph Edits

  

• Paragraph After Edits