Lesson: Analytic Writing Asessment - 10

Analysis Of An Argument: Next Steps

Excellent Exam essays do not require an eloquent vocabulary or advanced writing skills. Successful essays are well-organized, concise creations that communicate clearly and persuasively. By following a structured writing approach, you can master this portion of your exam testing requirement.

And remember — the Argument Essay is only half of the Test Writing Assessment. The "Analysis of an Issue" essay is reviewed in a separate Module. If you have not yet completed the Issue Module, be sure to do so once you have mastered the steps for the Argument Essay. Although the steps for the two essay tasks are similar, the tasks themselves are quite different, so it is well worth your effort to complete both workshops.

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A good rule of thumb is that your reader should be able to get the gist of your entire argument just by skimming the first sentence of each paragraph. Remember, your reader is probably going to devote no more than 3 to 5 minutes to your essay. Take a few minutes at the beginning of your AWA to outline the five sentences that will begin your paragraphs; this strategy can make your reader’s job far easier, and a happy reader is probably more apt to make those tricky 4/5 line calls in your favor. Similarly, the e-reader is programmed to assess organization, and well-written topic sentences that use transition words and clearly state the point of each paragraph are a big help in creating the kind of organizational structure that earns you points on test day.