hunter writing

Introduction

Hunter takes pride in its students being well-rounded; it boasts a strong humanities component in its curriculum. Therefore, unlike other specialized high schools such as Stuyvesant which put greater emphasis on math and science, Hunter has an admissions test which contains an essay section. This section tests the writing abilities of prospective students, expecting them to demonstrate basic essay writing principles.

The topic of the essay could be about anything, but the elements of a successful essay should remain the same. The essay should be in paragraph form. It should have an introduction, two or three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. It should have a main point, or thesis. The essay should focus around this main point, and answer the question completely. Therefore, the essay needs to have proper organization. Make sure to use a few minutes to create a brief outline. Use clear transitioning statements to move from paragraph to paragraph. Start each paragraph with a topic sentence that gives the reader an idea of what’s coming next. The essay also needs to have examples or evidence to illustrate or support the main point. It does not have to contain complex vocabulary – it is sufficient to demonstrate correct grammar and spelling. An essay following these general principles will without a doubt meet the requirements of the Hunter exam.

How to Take an Essay Test

Pre-Writing

Before you begin to write your essay, read the question several times so that you are familiar with the material. You might wish to underline key words or phrases. Do not spend too much time-only two or three minutes-on this planning. What you hope to accomplish during this pre-writing stage is:

To gain familiarity with the essay question

To develop a point of view, deciding, for instance, whether you are in agreement or disagreement with the statement given

To develop a thesis statement that is the essential idea of your essay

Developing a Thesis

The first step in planning an essay is to decide on a thesis, the point you intend to make in your essay. It is often of great value to try to state the thesis of your composition in a single sentence during the pre-writing time. When developing a thesis, keep in mind the following ideas.

The thesis must be neither too broad nor too narrow.

The thesis must be clear to you and to the reader of your essay.

Everything in the essay must support the thesis. To introduce material that “drifts away” might well result in a confusing essay and a low score.

Use specific details rather than vague generalizations to support your thesis.

Limiting the Subject

A youngster once wanted to learn a little bit about penguins. A librarian suggested a book of well over 500 pages called penguins. When he returned the book, the librarian asked him if he had enjoyed reading the volume. “Well,” he replied, “I really didn’t need to know so much about penguins.”

Most essay tests require compositions of 250 to 500 words. Therefore, you cannot write five hundred pages on a given topic; you must learn to limit your topic in order to discuss it fully in the time allowed. In fact, the more you limit your topic, the more successful your essay is likely to be, since you will be better able to supply the specific details that give an essay interest and life.

Organizing the Essay

Decide how many paragraphs you are going to write. Unless specifically indicated, there is no set rule concerning length. We are often told that “length is not a valid substitute for strength.” Therefore, do not write furiously to fill up several pages, so that it will appear that you have many ideas. Actually, this can result in needless repetition, rambling, lack of organization, and muddled thinking. By the same token, you don’t want your essay to appear to be skimpy. Obviously, if you write only four or five sentences, the examiner may not be able to get an adequate picture of your writing ability and may penalize you as a result.

Many high school teachers and college instructors indicate that a three or four paragraph development is usually desirable for a 20-minute essay test. This is not to say that some students may not wish to attempt an additional paragraph in the designated time. Here is where practice before the examination can be of great help to you. But remember to time yourself during the practice sessions. If you can only write one paragraph in 20 minutes, then you must continue to write-and perhaps a bit more rapidly-to develop the three-paragraph organization.

The Introduction

There are students who get bogged down before they begin to write. They stare at the blank paper and “choke up,” unable to get going. The secret to beginning to write is to write!

Start right in. You have analyzed the question in your pre-planning. Now, in your introduction, you want to set down in clear sentences the topic you are going to write about, indicating to the reader perhaps why the topic has value or in cause for concern, giving if you can some background to the situation, and pointing the reader in the general direction that your essay is going to move.

Since you have only four or five minutes for this introduction, it is often sufficient to accomplish one or two of these tasks in three to six sentences.

Five Items to Bear in Mind

In writing your introduction, keep in mind the key words of the question.

Avoid being “cute” or funny, ironic or satiric, overly emotional or too dramatic. Set the tone or attitude in your first sentence. You may well wish to appear sincere, clear, and straightforward.

Don’t bother repeating the question word for word. A paraphrase in your own words is far better than just copying the words of the exam question.

Try in your first paragraph to let the reader know what your essay is going to deal with and what your controlling idea is. This can be accomplished in a clear topic sentence.

Each sentence should advance your topic and be interesting to your reader.

Test Yourself: Here are four sentences. Which one do you feel is the best topic sentence for an opening paragraph?

I have an aunt who is quite old, past eighty, and she lives alone in a very run-down neighborhood.

Old age can be a real problem.

I am going to do my best in the next twenty minutes to try to let you know what I really and truly believe about this problem that was stated in the essay question assigned to us.

Since people are living to a more advanced age, we might do well to examine how we can utilize the wisdom and experience that our senior citizens have to offer instead of just disregarding them.

Answer:

Sentence four is the best opening sentence since it states the topic clearly, limits the scope of the essay, and even presents the attitude of the writer.

Recognizing Effective Introductions

An effective introduction often refers to the subject of the essay, explains the value of the topic, or attracts the attention of the reader by giving a pertinent illustration. Ineffective beginnings often contain unrelated material, ramble, and lack clarity.

Test Yourself: Examine the following five introductory paragraphs and decide whether each is effective or ineffective. Be able to defend your decision.

I agree that older people have many problems just as young people do Adolescents often say that it’s tough being young and I guess I agree.

Today more than ever before child abuse is coming under careful scrutiny. Although it is true that children have been abused in the past, the focus has never been clearer and that is all for the better.

It’s really very important to think about and discuss such things. I know many people are very concerned about it.

Corruption in government must be everyone’s concern. We can no longer hide behind the old saying, “You can’t fight City Hall.” Actually we can and we must.

I’m tired of hearing about dirty politics. It was always there just like sickness and other problems only now we read more about it. Sometimes I get disgusted because with all my schoolwork I can’t pay attention to taking care of other matters. And then I’m criticized.

Answers:

Ineffective. The conclusion is not clear. The writer confuses the reader by discussing young people, older people, and adolescents.

Effective. The writer presents a strong statement on the need for writing the essay and addressing the topic.

Ineffective. The paragraph is not clear. The use of the phrase “such things” and the pronoun “it” without an appropriate antecedent tend to confuse the reader.

Effective. The initial sentence contains a strong and valid thesis. The use of a quotation tends to reinforce the subject under discussion. The paragraph is clear and the tone is strong.

Ineffective. The paragraph is rambling and muddled. The writer never presents a clear thesis statement.

The Development

The heart of the essay is the development, or the middle paragraph or paragraphs. Here the writer must attempt, in one or two paragraphs, to support the main idea of the essay through illustrations, details, and examples. The developmental paragraphs must serve as a link in the chain of ideas and contribute directly to the essay’s central thought. All the sentences of the development must explain the essential truth of the thesis or topic sentence without digression.

PROMPT

Think of a person who is now important to you or has made a lasting impression on you. Write a story about how you came to know that person and what that person did that impressed you.

CHECKLIST FOR WRITERS

· I planned my paper before writing it.

· I revised my paper to be sure that the introduction captures the reader’s attention;

· The central idea is supported with specific information and examples that will be interesting to the reader;

· The content relates to my central idea; ideas are organized in a logical manner; my sentences are varied in length; my sentences are varied in the way that they begin; the conclusion brings my ideas together.

· I edited my paper to be sure that correct grammar is used; words are capitalized when appropriate; sentences are punctuated correctly; words are spelled correctly; and paragraphs are clearly