Analyzing Writing Prompts

Often tests contain writing prompts that you must respond to. Your first step is to understand the writing prompt. You can use the PAST questions:

• Purpose? Why am I writing? (To explain? To demonstrate?)
• Audience? Who will read my writing? (Tester? Classmates?)
• Subject? What subject should I write about? (Games? Pizza?)
• Type? What type of writing should I create? (Essay? Letter?)

Sample Writing Prompt

Answers to PAST Questions

• Purpose?

  To explain the meaning of the sayings and give examples

• Audience?

  A person who is learning English

• Subject?

  Animal sayings

• Type?

  Essay

Editing for the Future Tense

When you write about something that hasn’t happened yet, you should add will before the base form of the verb. This will change the sentence to the future tense, expressing action that will happen later. In a problem-solution essay, use the future tense to predict what will result if a solution goes into action.

In this example, the helping verb will shows that the verbs clean and beautify happen in the future.

1. I caught a butterfly.

   I will catch a butterfly.

2. I walk home from my neighbor’s house.
3. We clean the kitchen.
4. Workers painted the walls white.
5. My family goes to vacation in Florida.
6. My classmates and I perform in a play at the end of the year.
7. The rain cools down the pool water.
8. What happens next?

Revising Problem-Solution Essays

After you write a first draft, you'll be ready to start reviewing and revising. When you revise, you think about the "big picture," including the overall structure of your writing (beginning, middle, and ending) and the focus, main ideas, and supporting details you use. These activities will help you revise.

Revising to Choose Strong Support

In your problem-solution essay, strong reasons and supporting details will help you convince readers to care about the problem and agree with your solution. The best reasons and details are specific and tell something important about your subject.

Strong

A service project will make the park safer for play.

Weak

Cleaning will make the park better.

1. ___ Canceling gym class will be bad for kids.
   ___ Canceling gym class will make it harder for kids to stay in shape.   X  Canceling gym class will make it harder for kids to stay in shape.
2. ___ Kids will lose a safe place to play if the rec center closes.
     X  Kids will lose a safe place to play if the rec center closes.
   ___ Kids will lose out if the rec center closes.
3. ___ Reading books introduces you to new people and ideas.
     X  Reading books introduces you to new people and ideas.
   ___ You should learn about new people and ideas.
4. ___ Swimming lessons make your life better and help you a lot.
   ___ Swimming lessons help you stay afloat if you fall into water.   X  Swimming lessons help you stay afloat if you fall into water.
5. ___ The playground equipment is no good.
   ___ The playground equipment is rusty and unsteady.   X  The playground equipment is rusty and unsteady.
6. ___ Learning a second language teaches you about another culture.
     X  Learning a second language teaches you about another culture.
   ___ Learning a second language helps you learn about another language.

Writing the Beginning Paragraph

The first sentence is called the lead. This sentence is meant to capture your reader’s attention. In a problem-solution essay, the lead introduces the topic or problem in an interesting way.

1. Ask a question about the topic.

   Have you noticed all the trash at Rosemont Park?

2. Start with a surprising fact or detail about the topic.

   Last week, my brother cut his hand on a piece of broken glass at Rosemont Park. There’s glass everywhere.

3. Tell a little story about the topic.

   My family used to go to Rosemont Park every Sunday. . . .

Prewriting for Problem-Solution Essays

Before you start writing your essay, you need to think about some problems in your community and ways you could help solve them. These prewriting activities will help you examine a problem, come up with a solution, and gather and organize details before you begin a first draft.

Prewriting to Explore Problems

Editing Commas with Intro Words

Place a comma after introductory words, phrases, and clauses in sentences. The comma after introductory material signals that the main part of the sentence will follow.

Here is an example where the comma comes after a word.

In this example, the comma comes after a phrase.

The comma comes after a clause in this last example.

Revising to Make Concessions

It is important that you remain fair in an opinion essay. This means that you must consider all the issues and other opinions related to your topic. If you concede some of the issues on “the other side,” you can actually strengthen your own opinion.

The second paragraph in “Car Problems” fairly concedes that cars are important in modern life. But the writer also says that they are still a problem. Sometimes, a concession will begin with a transition such as these: it is true that, admittedly, even though, or I agree that . . .

Writing the Beginning Paragraph

The beginning paragraph of an opinion essay is very important. It should introduce the topic, get the reader’s attention, and state your opinion. To get the reader’s attention, you can ask questions, make a dramatic statement or two, or share important information.

Prewriting to Select a Topic

For your own opinion essay, you need to select a topic that is debatable and that you feel strongly about. A debatable topic is one that people have differing opinions about. There is no debate that young people need to exercise, but there is debate about extending the school year.

School Classes

Warm-Up for Opinion Essays

An opinion essay makes a case for a personal feeling you have about an important topic. This lesson will help you think about your opinions on different topics and your reasons for feeling the way you do.

What Is an Opinion?

(c) Thoughtful Learning 2016

An opinion essay explains a writer’s view about an important topic. Stating an opinion is easy: “I love that movie!” you might say, even though your friend might feel differently, or “I can’t wait for gym,” even though a classmate dreads it. Giving reasons for your opinion is not as easy. It requires you to think about why you feel the way you do.

Writing an opinion essay is all about careful thinking. Your opinion statement must be well thought out, and it must be supported by reliable reasons. As a result, opinion essays usually require some research. Once you have gathered your reasons, you can arrange them from most important to least important, or the other way around. In the end, your goal is to produce an essay that convinces your reader to agree with you.

Thinking About Opinions

For an opinion to be strong, it must be believable and worthy of arguing for. It must also be based on a foundation of solid thinking. Here is a strong opinion statement.

• Lincoln School should consider starting a chess club.

  (A phrase like should consider signals that an opinion is probably reasonable.)