Williston's Essay Tips

Essay Tips

Continue on page 157 of you Steck-Vaughn Complete GED book.

                                        Lesson One                        Planning
                                        Lesson Two                       Organizing
                                        Lesson Three                      Writing
                                        Lesson Four                       Evaluating
                                        Lesson Five                        Revising
                                        Unit Review                        Essay

Email Addresses:

               Minot area email: j.kraft@sendit.nodak.edu
               Grafton area email: bonny.norton@sendit.nodak.edu
               Williston or anywhere else in North Dakota email: adultlearningcenter@hotmail.com

Lesson One: Assignment
Read page 158. Email the answers to the following questions.
    1. What is a writing assignment?
    2. This requires you to state your view on a ________ and ________ that view.
    3. Look at the chart. These give you key words that clue you in to what is expected in the
         writing part. If the instructions say:
           Explain why or State the Reasons......you should____________________
           Explain the Effects or Discuss the Advantages and Disadvantages...you should _________
           Describe.....you should__________________
           State Your Position or Present Your View or Give Your Opinion...you should__________
           Discuss the Similarities and Differences or Compare and Contrast...you should__________
    4. There is a TIP on the lower left. What does the TIP say?

Read page 159. Email the answers to the following questions.
    1. Complete the exercises on page 159. Write those answers down.
            Topic 1: Kind of Information:____________________________
            Topic 2: Kind of Information: ____________________________
            Topic 3: Kind of Information: ____________________________
            Topic 4: Kind of Information: ____________________________
            Topic 5: Kind of Information: ____________________________

Read page 160. Email the answers to the following questions.
    1. What is gathering ideas?
    2. When you gather ideas you use your own __________, _____________, and __________.
    3. Spend about ____ minutes thinking about the topic and writing down the ideas that come to
         mind.
    4. What are the 2 ways to write down or record your ideas?
    5. What is a list?
    6. What is an idea map?
    7. Which way do you prefer to write down your ideas?

Email Addresses:

Read page 161. Email the answers to the following questions. Williston Grafton , Minot, anywhere else in ND
    1. Complete this page and email your answers. Write a list for each topic.
         Topic 1: How watching television affects people
                        1.
                        2.
                        3.
                        4.
                        5.
    2. Topic 2: How being a sports fan affects your life
                        1.
                        2.
                        3.
                        4.
                        5.
    3. Topic 3: The importance of having a GED or high-school diploma
                        1.
                        2.
                        3.
                        4.
                        5.
    4. Topic 4: The influence of popular music on young people
                        1.
                        2.
                        3.
                        4.
                        5.

Read page 162. Email the answers to the following questions.
    1. What is the main idea?
    2. There is a TIP on the left side. What does the TIP say?
    3. Complete the exercises on page 162.

Read page 163. Email the answers to the following questions.
    1. Complete part A and Part C in your book. Complete part B and email your answers.
         Part B:
            Topic 1: Main Idea Statement:____________________________________
            Topic 2: Main Idea Statement:____________________________________
            Topic 3: Main Idea Statement:____________________________________
            Topic 4: Main Idea Statement:____________________________________

Read page 164.Email the answers to the following questions.
    1. Complete page 164 and email your answers.
         1.What are the key words in the instructions?
         2. Now that you know the key words what information should you include in your essay?
         3. Which method do you prefer to gather your ideas together about the topic. List some
              ideas on the topic at the top of the page.
         4. What do your gathered ideas have in common?

Email Addresses:

Lesson Two: Assignment
Read page 165. Email the answers to the following questions.
    1. What is the 2nd step in the writing process?
    2. The writer should _________ ideas and _________ the groups.
    3. Each group of _________ becomes a paragraph.
    4. How do you group ideas?
    5. There is a TIP on the left side. What does the TIP say?

Read page 166. Email the answers to the following questions.
    1. How many groups of related ideas do you need to write a "well-developed" essay?
    2. The 3 groups will be in the beginning, middle or end of your essay?
    3. There is a TIP on the left side. What does the TIP say?

Read page 167. Email the answers to the following questions.
1. There is a TIP on the left side. What does the TIP say?
2. Complete the exercises on this page.

Read page 168. Email the answers to the following questions.
    1. What is order of importance?
    2. You should build your paragraphs from weakest to strongest ideas because__________.
    3. There is a TIP on the left side. What does the TIP say?
    4. Complete the exercises on page 168.

Email Addresses:

Read page 169. Email the answers to the following questions.
    1. When you compare things you show how they are ____________.
    2. When you contrast things you show how they are _____________.
    3. Compare and contrast is a method of...._______________________.
    4. Contrast is to __________________________________.
    5. There is a TIP on the left side. What does the TIP say?
    6. Complete the exercises on page 169.

Read page 170. Email the answers to the following questions.
    1. Complete the questions on page 170. You may want to look back at the chart on page 158           to refresh what the instructions say and what you should do.
            1. Topic 1 does what from the chart on page 158?
            2. Topic 2 does what from the chart on page 158?
            3. What is your main idea statement for Topic 2?
            4. Topic 3 does what from the chart on page 158?
            5. What is your main idea statement for Topic 3?

Read page 171. Email the answers to the following questions.
1. Complete the four questions on page 171 and email your answers.

Email Addresses:

Lesson Three: Assignment
Read page 172. Email the answers to the following questions.
    1. What are the 3 parts of an essay?
    2. What is an introduction?
Instructor Hint: Take the essay question or statement that you will be given. Turn it around and make it your introduction. Look at the sample question on page 172. "Is regular exercise important in maintaining good health"? Rewrite the question to make the opening introduction statement: "Regular exercise is important in maintaining good health. Regular exercise helps keep your muscles fit, your skin fit, and your mind fit."
    3. On page 173: What is the body? 1________, 2 _________, 3__________.
    4. On page 173: What is the conclusion?

More Instructor Ideas for The Writing Process

1. Tell them what you are going to tell them. (Introduction)

2. Tell them. (Body of the writing)

3. Tell them what you told them. (Summary)

Email Addresses:

Read page 174. Email the answers to the following questions.
    1. Each paragraph will have a _________ sentence.
    2. What is a topic sentence?
    3. A topic sentence can be found at the ___________, ___________, or ________ of a
         paragraph.
    4. What are supporting details?
    5. Complete the exercises on this page.

Read page 175. Email the answers to the following questions.
1. Answer the questions (1-3) on page 175 and email your answers.

Read page 176. Email the answers to the following questions.
    1. What does a good introductory paragraph do?
    2. What is a thesis statement?
    3. What is a preview statement?
    4. There is a TIP on the left side. What does the TIP say?

Read page 177. Email the answers to the following questions.
1. Pick Topic 2 or 3. Follow the directions written at the top of the page and complete the
topic you chose. Save it because you will continue working on it in the next section.

Email Addresses:

Read page 178. Email the answers to the following questions.
    1. What does the body paragraph do?
    2. There is a TIP on the left side. What does the TIP say?
    3. There is a TIP on the left side on page 179. What does the TIP say?
    4. Take the topic you were working on in the previous question. Follow the directions under
         the GED Practice on page 179, answer 2 of the 3 questions and continue working on this topic. Save this because you will need to work on it one more time and then email it to me.

Read page 180. Email the answers to the following questions.
    1. What do you need to develop in order to write an effective essay?
    2. What do you need to explain with for your ideas?
    3. There is a TIP on the left side. What does the TIP say?

Read page 181. Email the answers to the following questions.
    1. What should the last paragraph in your essay be?
    2. What does a concluding paragraph do?
    3. There is a TIP on the left side. What does the TIP say?

Page 182. Email the answers to the following questions.
1. Take the essay you were writing on page 177 and 179. Chose the one that goes with your
essay and conclude it. Send the essay to me.

Email Addresses:

Read page 183. Email the answers to the following questions.
1. Complete this page and email it to me.

Lesson Four: Assignment
Read page 184. Email the answers to the following questions.
    1. What is "holistic scoring"?
    2. What is a passing essay score?
    3. There is a TIP on the left side. What does the TIP say?
    4. There is a TIP on the bottom. What does the TIP say?

Review page 185 to see how the essay is scored.

Read page 186. Email the answers to the following questions.
1. Why does this essay receive the score of 2? What could have been better written?

Read page 187. Email the answers to the following questions.
    1. Review the checklist and evaluate the essay you just wrote from page 177 and continued.
    2. There is a TIP on the upper left side. What does the TIP say?
    3. There is a TIP on the lower left side. What does the TIP say?

Email Addresses:

Read page 188 -189. Evaluate the 2 essays using the form on page 190.
1. What score did you give essay 1?
2. What score did you give essay 2?

Page 191. Complete and Email the answers to

Lesson Five: Assignment
    1. What do you do when you revise your essay?
    2. There are 9 questions written under 3 different headings. Write down the 9 questions.
    3. There is a TIP on the lower left. What does the TIP say?
    4. There is a TIP on page 194. What does the TIP say?

Read page 193-194 and complete the question on the bottom of 194.

Read page 195. Email the answers to the following questions.
1. List the questions that you should ask yourself when you edit for the conventions of English.
2. There is a TIP on page 196. What does the TIP say?

Read the essay on page 195-196.

Read page 197. Email the answers to the following questions.
1. Make corrections and redo the essay on page 197.

Read page 198. Email the answers to the following questions.
1. Answer the questions on page 198 and email to me.
2. Review and use pages 883-899 for your own use.

Email Addresses:

Unit Review
Page 199. Email the answers to the following questions.
1. Pick 2 topics. Write an essay on each of the 2 topics you chose and email them.

Deluxe Hamburger

When writing your essay think of it as a deluxe hamburger!

The top and bottom part of the bun (your introduction and conclusion) are what hold the meat (your topic) and the extra lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, cheese, pickles, mustard, and catsup (your descriptors of your topic) together!

Note: Both the top and the bottom are "bun". Made of the same stuff!! So in writing, introduce your topic and conclude your topic with the similar ideas.

Now, go build your hamburger deluxe and happy writing!!!!!

Next Step:
    1. After you have completed the Unit Review you are ready to try the simulated test found on
         page 632. Follow the Simulated Test link.
    2. You may also email us for the second Official Practice Test.
    3. Please contact us so we can help you fill out the demographics sheet.
    4.   If you score 450 or higher on your Official Practice Test, you are ready to schedule the GED
         test. Call the GED Testing Center for an appointment.

Another Idea

1. Brain Drain (prewriting)

2. Sloppy Copy (rough draft)

3. Neat Sheet (revising)

4. Goof Proof (proofreading)

5. Final Fame (publishing & distributing)

When you have finished Part II of the Language Arts: Writing email so you receive a number for the next GED subject.

Simulated Test

The posttest is found on page 632-648. The Answer Sheet is found on page 916. You have 120 minutes to answer 50 questions and write an essay. Do not spend too much time on any one question. Make sure you fill in all the answers. If you are running out of time and have some questions unanswered fill in the unanswered questions. If you do not fill them in, they will be counted wrong. You may just guess a right answer.

The answers and explanations are found on page 861-864.

The Performance Analysis Chart for Science is found on page 646. Please email the results of your analysis chart or email and request that the form be emailed to you to fill in and send back.

Official Half Test for Science

If you would like to take the PB Version of the Official Practice Test for Writing email us at

Email Addresses:

and we will send it to you. Please mail the test and answer key back and your results will be emailed to you. If you score at least 450 you are ready to schedule your GED Language Arts: Writing test.

GED Testing Center

Please call Diane at 774-4228 or Jan at 774-4594 to schedule your test. If this is your first test you need to bring a photo ID, $12.00, and your demographics sheet. Any questions about the demographics, please call the Williston Adult Learning Center at 572-5886.

If you are from Pembina or Walsh counties you will need to bring $15.00, photo ID, and your demographics sheet. Call the Grafton Adult Learning Center at 352-3705 ext. 424 for more information.

If you are from Minot or Ward county please call 857-4488 for more information.

WEB Sites

Websites for GED Language Arts:Writing and sample tests :
http://www.gedpractice.com/ Great site. Will need to register the first time.
http://www.4tests.com/exams/examdetail.asp?eid=38 Has many pop-ups, but good GED practice.

For the next subject area link please contact:

Email Addresses:

Language Arts, Writing Part 1	Science
Language Arts, Writing Part 2	Language Arts, Reading
Social Studies	Math

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