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Sample Essay Communication document sample
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ESSAY MINI-LESSON
Content Standards:
Communication G4S1.a.1,
G4S1.b.1-2
ESSAY MINI-LESSON
Students will learn what is required of them to
pass the GED essay. They will learn how to plan
and organize an essay and look over a sample
essay. They will discuss different types of essays,
and learn transitional words to use when writing
an essay. They will also view the scoring guide
that is used by the essay graders.
FACTS ABOUT THE GED ESSAY:
1. THE GED ESSAY IS PART OF THE LANGUAGE
ARTS WRITING TEST. PART 1 IS 50 MULTIPLE
CHOICE QUESTIONS (75 MINUTES). PART 2 IS
THE ESSAY (45 MINUTES).
2. If you complete the essay in less than 45 minutes, you
will have extra time to complete the multiple choice
section.
3. The essay is about an issue or a subject of general
interest. The essay topic will require you to present
your opinion or explain your views about the assigned
topic.
4. You have 45 minutes to plan, write, and revise your
essay. You will be given scratch paper on which you
may jot notes, outline, and first draft. The answer
booklet has 2 pages of lined paper on which you will
write your final essay.
FACTS ABOUT THE GED ESSAY: (CONT’D)
5. Two trained readers will score your essay on the
basis of the following features: well-focused main
points, clear organization, specific development of
your ideas, and control of sentence structure,
punctuation, grammar, word choice, and spelling.
6. Each reader will score your essay on a 4-point scale,
and the scores will be averaged to find your final
score. If you earn a final score of less than 2 on the
essay, you must retake both parts I and II of the
Language Arts, Writing Test. Also, you must
write only on the assigned topic; if you don’t, your
essay will not receive a score. Remember, all
writers make mistakes. But good writers take the
time to go over what they have written and correct
mistakes. Your writing will show your best skills if
you take the time to plan what you want to say and
review it to make any needed corrections.
STEPS TO TAKE WHEN WRITING A
GED ESSAY
1. Read the question carefully until you are sure
that you know what the question asks.
2. Decide what your answer will be.
3. Use your scratch paper to jot down notes, ideas,
a basic outline, or any other tools that might
help you plan and organization and content of
your essay.
4. Check your notes/ideas. Scratch out anything
that is off topic. To be on topic, everything must
answer, explain, or support your answer to the
essay
5. Now organize your notes and ideas. Your essay
should state your response and then explain
why you answered the way you did. If you can,
organize your writing into a five-paragraph
plan.
STEPS CONT’D.
6. Once you like the look of your plan, expand it
into an actual essay. Expand it by using
complete sentences and by adding complete
explanations that include specific details and
examples. Be sure that all the details and
examples you provide in your essay are directly
relevant to your response to the essay topic. In
other words, stay on topic!
7. Once you have finished your essay, check for
errors and make corrections by crossing out
with a single line and writing the correction
above the line.
CHECK FOR THE FOLLOWING:
Is the entire essay on topic?
Did you write in complete sentences? Every
sentence should have a subject and verb.
Make sure your essay is about a page to two
pages in length. Although there is not a
mandatory length, too short or way to long is not
a good thing.
Check for errors in spelling, punctuation,
capitalization, and everything else you have
studied in class.
THE FIVE PARAGRAPH ESSAY
1. First paragraph (Introduction): This
introductory paragraph must include your
ANSWER to the question. It’s a great idea to
include the essay topic/question in your answer.
For example, if the essay question asks you if
you prefer to live in the city or the country, you
could start your essay by writing the following:
If I had to choose between living in the city or
the country, I would choose the
country………..Now add three supporting ideas.
Again, just list them briefly. This paragraph
does not have to be too lengthy. Three to four
sentences would be fine.
2. Second paragraph (body): This paragraph is all
about the first supporting detail that you
mentioned in paragraph one. It should be, at
least 4-5 sentences in length.
THE FIVE PARAGRAPH ESSAY (CONT’D)
1. Third paragraph (body): This paragraph is all
about the second supporting detail that you
mentioned in paragraph one. Again, it should
be, at least, 4-5 sentences in length.
2. Fourth paragraph (body): This paragraph is all
about the third supporting detail that you
mentioned in paragraph one. Try to write 4-5
sentences.
3. Fifth paragraph (conclusion): Your concluding
paragraph will be very similar to your
introductory paragraph. Include your answer
to the question and your 3 supporting ideas.
This paragraph can be very short.
ESSAY EXAMPLE
Looking for an easy way to figure out the structure
of an effective essay? Take a look at this.
Essay Topic: Tell about a hobby that you have and
why it is important to you. Use your personal
observations, experience, and knowledge to
support your essay.
I started collecting teddy bears when I was a
Blue = topic
little girl. My grandfather bought my first
sentence
bear for me. Each one reminds me of a
Pink = 1st
different part of my life. I have passed my
subtopic
collection on to my daughter. Collecting
Green = 2nd
teddy bears has really brought out a lot of
subtopic
joy to my life.
Purple = 3rd
subtopic My grandfather started my teddy bear
Orange = collection. He had just returned from Italy
conclusion with a big red box for me. Inside was a
Black = beautiful Mohair bear with a pink bow
supporting around its neck. Since that day, I've added
details many bears to my collection.
Each time I look at one, it reminds me of different times in
Blue = topic my life. I remember a time that my dad spent forty dollars
sentence
at the fair trying to win me a bear worth about two dollars.
Pink = 1st
subtopic Every Christmas there was always a teddy bear sitting
Green = 2nd
under the tree. Collecting bears has also helped to collect
subtopic
Purple = 3rd memories.
subtopic
Orange = I have passed my teddy bear collection on to my daughter.
conclusion
I've also added a few since she was born. I hope they bring
Black =
supporting her the same happiness they've brought me. When she gets
details
older, collecting could be something we can share.
My grandfather had no idea what he started when he
brought that first bear home. Anytime I'm feeling down, I
can just pick up a bear and I can be reminded of a happier
time. I hope that someday my daughter will pass them on
to her own daughter as I have passed them to her.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF ESSAY
QUESTIONS AND HOW TO ANSWER
THEM
1. WHY: explain with 3 reasons
2. HOW: explain 3 ways how something can be
done
3. WHY and HOW: Make sure you include both
reasons why and ways it can be done. You may
want to just include 2 longer paragraphs in the
body of this essay. That would make this one a
4 paragraph essay (introduction, why
paragraph, how paragraph, conclusion).
4. COMPARE AND CONTRAST: You are
comparing and contrasting two things. Again,
this is better to answer in 4 paragraphs
(introduction, paragraph explaining the
similarities, paragraph explaining the
differences, conclusion).
5. CAUSES: Explain three things that might
cause something to happen.
6. EFFECT: Explain three results of something
that has happened.
7. LIST AND GIVE EXAMPLES: Provide three
items in your explanation. Then in the body of
the essay list again the three items, and give
several examples of each of these items.
TRANSITIONS
Transitions are signals that help readers follow the
direction of the writer’s thoughts. They are like
signposts on the road that guide travelers. Here are
examples of some common transitional words or
phrases, grouped according to the kid of signal they
give to the readers.
ADDITION SIGNALS: first of all, for one thing,
second, the third reason, also, next, another, and, in
addition, moreover, furthermore, finally, last of all
TIME SIGNALS: first, then, next, after, as before,
while, meanwhile, now, during, finally
SPACE SIGNALS: next to, across, on the opposite
side, to the left, to the right, in front, in back, above,
below, behind, nearby
TRANSITIONS (CONT’D)
CHANGE OF DIRECTION SIGNALS: but,
however, yet, in contrast, otherwise, still, on the
contrary, on the other hand
ILLUSTRATION SIGNALS: for example, for
instance, specifically, as an illustration, once,
such as
CONCLUSION SIGNALS: therefore,
consequently, thus, then, as a result, in
summary, to conclude, last of all, finally
SCORING GUIDE
1 2 3 4
Inadequate Marginal Adequate Effective
Reader has Reader
Reader
difficulty understands
occasionally has
identifying or Reader and easily
difficulty
following the understands the follows the
understanding or
writer’s writer's ideas writer's
following the
ideas. expression of
writer's ideas
ideas
Attempts to
address the Presents a clearly
Addresses the
question but Uses the question focused main
Response to the question, though the
with little or to establish a main idea that
Question focus of the essay
no success in idea addresses the
may shift
establishing a question
focus
1 2 3 4
Inadequate Marginal Adequate Effective
Uses an
Fails to Shows some Establishes a
identifiable
Organization organize evidence of an clear and logical
organizational
ideas organizational plan organization
plan
Demonstrates
little or no Has some Achieves
Has focused but
development; development but coherent
occasionally
usually lacks lacks specific development
Development and uneven
details or details; may be with specific
Details development;
examples or limited to a listing, and relevant
incorporates some
presents repetitions, or details and
specific detail
irrelevant generalizations examples
information
1 2 3 4
Inadequate Marginal Adequate Effective
Exhibits
minimal or no
control of
Demonstrates Consistently
sentence Generally controls
inconsistent control controls sentence
Conventions of structure and sentence structure
of sentence structure and the
EAE the and the conventions
structure and the conventions of
conventions of of EAE
conventions of EAE EAE
Edited
American
English (EAE)
Exhibits a narrow
Exhibits weak range of word
Exhibits Exhibits varied
and/or choice, often
Word Choice appropriate word and precise word
inappropriate including
choice choice
words inappropriate
selections
ADDITIONAL ESSAY TOPICS IN
CLASSROOM BOOKS
G-6: pages 305-306, H-1 pages 363-364, H-2 page
123
