Even professional writers fear the blank page. This fear is probably felt nowhere more acutely than during an essay exam. When time is short, words often fail to materialize. However, there is some good news. Your professor has provided help, and that help is located in your essay question.
On the previous page, reading your essay question, we discussed how to spot keywords and sort them based on their centrality to your answer.
Once you have sorted the words, the next stage is to use them as a guide for organizing your thoughts. Remember, if your professor has instructed you to “compare and contrast,” this is no arbitrary choice of words. Your professor is guiding you to perform that very activity.
Below, you can find listed examples of essay questions that appear on examinations or in course assignments. Notice that these assignments suggest certain strategies for developing your essay.
Strategy: Cause and Effect Analysis
Strategy: Persuasion
Strategy: Comparative Analysis
Strategy: Evaluation
Strategy: Cause and Effect Analysis
Strategy: Synthesis (and to a lesser degree, Comparative Analysis)
Strategy: Persuasion (and possibly Cause and Effect Analysis)
Locating the type of essay you are to write will give you purpose as you organize the rest of your answer. Use the central analytic activity of your prompt to organize the assessment-related activities also required.