Timed Writings

Many instructors give you experience in writing on demand by assigning impromptu in-class essays. Their purpose is to test writing skills, not recall. Although time is limited, the setting controlled, and the subject assigned, your usual methods of writing can still serve you well.

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Budget Your Time. For an in-class essay with forty-five minutes to write, try to spend ten minutes preparing, thirty minutes writing, and five minutes rereading and making last-minute changes. Plan quickly to leave time to get ideas on paper in an essay—the part you will be graded on.

For common types of exam questions, see Learning from Another Writer: Essay Exam in Ch. 16.

Consider Types of Topics. Often you can expect the same types of questions for in-class writings as for essay exams. Do what the key words say.

What were the causes of World War I?

Compare and contrast theories of capitalism and socialism.

Define civil rights.

Add your personal twist to a general subject, but note the key words.

Analyze a problem in education that is difficult to solve.

Discuss ways to cope with stress.

Standardized tests often ask you to respond to a short passage, testing not only your writing ability but also your reading comprehension.

Thomas Jefferson stated, “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.” How is his comment relevant to education today?

Choose Your Topic Wisely. For on-the-spot writing, the trick is to make the topic your own. If you have a choice, pick the one you know about, not one to impress your readers. They’ll be most impressed by logical argument and solid evidence. Bring a broad subject down to something you have experienced. Have you seen traffic jams, power outages, or condos ruining beaches? Then write about increased population, using these examples.

Think before You Write. Despite your limited time, read the instructions or questions carefully, restrict your topic to something you know about, focus on a main idea, and jot down main points for development. If a good hook to open or conclude occurs to you, use it, too.

Don’t Try to Be Perfect. No one expects in-class essays to read as smoothly as reports written over several weeks. You can’t polish every sentence or remember the exact word for every spot. And never waste time recopying.

Save Time to Proofread. Your best-spent minutes may be the last few when you read over your work. Cross out errors and make neat corrections using asterisks (*), arrows, and carets (^). Watch for the following:

Learning by Doing Thinking Fast

Learning by Doingimage Thinking Fast

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Practice planning quickly for timed writing or tests as a class. Brainstorm to explore approaches to sample topics provided in this chapter. Select one class member (or three, in turn) to record ideas on the board. Devote exactly ten minutes of discussion per topic. Focus on these key parts of a successful response:

  • possible thesis sentences

  • possible patterns of organization

  • possible kinds and sources of evidence

Expect a wide range of ideas. Spend the last part of class evaluating them.