WRITING SKILL BUILDING

In addition to having a command of English grammar, your essay should demonstrate excellent writing skills by having the following four elements:

1)      A clear thesis

2)      Good progression of ideas.

3)      Variety in wording and sentence structure.

4)      Precise communication with well-chosen words.

1 Thesis

The thesis of your essay is a clear statement of your central claim that previews your argument. Read the following examples to see what poor and good thesis in response to questions would like.

QUESTION: Should the penny coin be eliminated?

GOOD THESIS: “Since it costs more to manufacture a penny than a penny itself is worth, it is the time that to abandon this antiquated relic, making the nickel the smallest unit of hard currency”. This gives a clear idea of where the author is going to take the argument.

QUESTION: Should textbooks be replaced with tablet computers?

GOOD THESIS: “Because of long-term cost savings, ease of transport, and opportunities for more interactive learning, tablet computers should replace textbooks in schools”. Using virtually the same number of words as the persuasive thesis, this statement is far clearer as to how tablet computers will make education better.

QUESTION: Should students not be permitted to use cell phones in school?

GOOD THESIS: “While cellular phones provide a possible vehicle for independent research and dynamic learning, their potential to distract students from instruction is too great; as a result, students should be prohibited from using cellular phones in school”. This statement provides a strong idea of the author’ s position and the major points that the author will make.

2 Progression

Your essay must be organized in logical, sequential manner. A reader should be able to outline your argument easily. The following mini-essays give you an idea of what not to do and what to do in order to demonstrate a progression of thoughts.

Good Progression

Try to follow the writer’ s argument. How does it advance?

Student should be given the opportunity to leave school for lunch for three major reasons. First, when students become adults, they will have such freedom. In order to prepare students for the world of work, they should begin learning responsibility at a young age. Second, students will benefit from having a break from the monotony of school. Having the opportunity to get off school grounds and recharge will build school morale and empower students to be more focused when they return from their meal. Finally, giving students the chance to leave school for lunch will likely encourage more physical activity, as many students will walk home or to a nearby restaurant. With obesity in increasingly menacing issue for young people, students should be encouraged to have a dedicated time each day when they have the chance to walk around. Many people are rightly concerned that some students cannot be trusted to act appropriately with this freedom; rather than letting a few bad apples spoil the barrel, schools should prohibit troublemakers from leaving the school grounds, while allowing responsible students the freedom to make their own choices.

Did you notice how the writer uses transition words like “First” and “Finally” to alert the reader of the progression?

3 Variety

On the new SAT Writing, you will likely find it most challenging to avoid repeating yourself in two major areas: transition words (both in the general structure of your essay and in your analysis of the given prompt), and argumentative words. These tables give you more variety in how you can express these idea.

Examples of Transitional Words

First Then Next In summary Overall Undeniably More so Lastly Finally Additionally Hence Thus From here on out As a result of

Generally speaking Of course Initially Since In turn Therefore However Perhaps From this point forward At times For example Again Nonetheless Throughout

Going forward Now In fact At last By allowing Furthermore Meanwhile Simultaneously Subsequently Specifically On the contrary Accordingly That is to say Suddenly

Examples of Argumentative Words

Argue Argument Prove Show Illustrate Appeal Depict Builds Present Employ Insist

Allows Contemplate Enable Define Consider Complex Cite Reference Provide Questions Display

Rely Acknowledge Connect Concede Enlist Effectively Reason Plea Maintain Persuade Convince

4 Precision

Show your command of the English language by using precise words to express your ideas. Here are some examples of imprecise and precise responses to given questions.

QUESTION: How are you feeling today?

PRECISE RESPONSE: I feel physically rested, intellectually contemplative and socially extroverted.

QUESTION: How was that movie you just watched?

PRECISE RESPONSE: While the movie attempted to fit the drama genre, the acting was so amateurish that the film was more of a comedy.

QUESTION: What are your looking for in a college?

PRECISE RESPONSE: I want to attend a college that is close to a major city, yet is self-contained, has the opportunity for independent research and study abroad, and has a large international student body so I can learn about other cultures outside of the classroom.

Let’s now examine a top-scoring response to the “Books: A Lost Art” passage for examples of the thesis, progression, variety, and precision.

      Books: A Lost Art

It is not solely nostalgia for the good old days when you finished a great book and passed on your copy—Coffee stained and splattered with notes-to a friend who would add her own thoughts and pass it to another that has book lovers resenting the age of the e-book (through certainly this is part of it). Instead, book lovers argue that the severed relationship between reader and print book in the current technologically- inclined generation is more worrying and encompassing than most imagine. It is not just the literary crowd, devotedly attached to their overflowing bookshelves, who have a stake in the disappearance of hard-copies, but also small business owners, editing and publishing firms, and even the general public.

With the e-book’ s conquest over traditional hardcovers and paperbacks, Publishers weekly released a report of a steady decrease in print sales, with 2012 sales down 9% from those in 2011. Meanwhile, after the disastrous closing of borders and plummets of sales suffered by Barnes and Noble, Business Insider suggested that bookstores, large and small, were doomed. The convenience and low cost of e-books have many hesitant to drive out to a store that may or may not have what they are looking for. Yet, it is not just the enthusiastic reader trying to reverse the trend of disappearing book-stores. Are we truly ready to give up the retail experience—shelves upon shelves of your favorites, quiet nooks to cuddle up in, Children’ s reading hour, a latte and a stack of magazines—in its entirety? In February 2015, U. S News and World report directly connected the suspension in the economic recovery to the decline of small businesses. If their research is conclusive, it is not just the unique shopping experience or quirky atmospheres of independent bookstores at risk.

Likewise, dwindling print sales means unpredictability in the publishing and editing industries, where professionals are trying hard to keep up with erratic consumer trends. The rise in e-books, self-publishing, and the Amazon empire has made revenues more unstable than ever. With bookselling drifting more and more to the online marketing, publishing will also turn digital, and the implications for traditional publishing companies are grave. Publishers wonder how quickly it will take for their jobs to follow the tendencies of print books and become gradually obsolete. And how long will it take writers, competing for quick sales, to turn to direct online publishing to boost their own prospects for success?

If the evidence of failing small businesses and unhinged bookselling industries is n’ t enough to favor the printed, in-hand book, then perhaps an account by the Atlantic released in late 2014 will be; data shows that the number of American nonreaders has tripled since the 1980s. With the fading of the hard-copy, reading itself has plummeted, undoubtedly in favor of the savvy digital distractions that make up Our on-the-go-e lifestyles. Certainly, there are many factors contributing to America’ s abandonment of literature, but it stands that e-books are failing to keep the public’ s nose in a book. Perhaps, the e-book age has discouraged having books on hand, visiting the library on the weekends, and telling stories before bedtime. Could it be that once frequent readers have lost the love for, stories that they once had when they could feel them in their hands, turn their pages, and never have to plug them in or interrupt them for an email alert? When asked why she neglected reading after thirty years, one mother of three answered, “I grew up around books—we had hundreds. When I got older, I used to spend Saturday mornings at a coffee shop down the street reading for hours. Somewhere along the way, life got faster and I lost it.”

Possibly, few can relate to Jason Epstein’ s declaration in his 2001 Book Business: “A civilization without retail bookstores is unimaginable. Like shrines and sacred meeting places, bookstores are essential artifacts of human nature. The feel of a book taken from the shelf and held in the hand is a magical experience, linking writer to reader.” But surely, it is not just the Epstein’s of the world who understand the value of a literature, engaged public. What’ s next to go, libraries?

Prompt: Write a response that demonstrates how the author makes an argument to persuade an audience that traditional book publishing is valuable. In your response, analyze how the author uses at least one of the features from the essay directions (or features of your own choosing) to develop a logical and persuasive argument. Be certain that your response cites relevant aspects of the source text. Your response should not give your personal opinion on the merit of the source text, but instead, show how the author crafts an argument to persuade readers.

RESPONSE

In response to the growing issue of “the disappearance of hard-copies” the author of the article, “Books: A Lost Art”, makes the argument that traditional book publishing is valuable. The author effectively persuades the audience by utilizing published research, rhetorical questions, and powerful word choice.

THESIS This sentence clearly states the writer’ s position and previews her argument. It should typically be stated in the first or second paragraph so the reader understands what the writer will argue.

Throughout the article, the author strategically inserts published research to help bring merit to the idea that the diminishing publication of hard-copy books and closing of local bookstores is not only an issue for avaricious book readers, “but also small business owners, publishing and editing firms, and the general public.” The author shares a finding from a February 2015, U.S News and World Report that “directly connected the suspension in the economic recovery to the decline of small businesses.” This powerful statement insinuates that dwindling business of small book retailers is a grave concern because of the current electronic lifestyle we have created. The author continues to influence the audience by examining the research of dwindling book sales by introducing a report from Publishers Weekly that states there is “a steady decrease in print sales, with 2012 sales down 9% from those in 2011.” From this piece of statistical information, the author is better able to explain to the audience the growing issue facing publishers and editors including erratic consumers trends, job loss, and writer instability. By highlighting the major issues small businesses and publishing firms face today the author is able to support the claim that traditional book publishing is valuable beyond making reading felicitous for the avid reader.

VARIETY The highlighted words in this paragraph give five different ways that the writer has referred to argumentative techniques without repeating herself.

To help balance the hard-fact approach of introducing the audience to research, the author mesmerizes the audience by introducing the rhetorical questions to help elicit an emotional pleasure. Awakening an emotional response in the audience persuades the audience to see value in traditional book publishing because it helps connect the individual to the big picture’ problem. For example, the question, “Are we truly ready to give up the retail experience—shelves upon shelves of your favorites, quiet nooks to cuddle up in, children’ s reading hour, a latte and a stack of magazines—in its entirety? “paints a vivid picture in the mind of the readers and help transport them to a moment in time that they enjoyed. Now that the audience is in a positive space, it would seem almost unfathomable to them to give up the bookstore experience, which is the ultimate goal of the author. The author continues to push the audience’ s emotional level when in the final sentence asks, “What’ s next to go, libraries?” Strategically placing this question at the very end of the article delivers a final punch to the audience that really makes them think about the value of traditional book publishing. This is because, for many, libraries are inevitable in the community that have been around for decades and many could not comprehend an end to libraries, but the author makes sure to emphasize the possibility of this if traditional book publishing ceases to exist.

PRECISION The writer uses precise language to communicate her analysis of the source text.

Finally, the author uses powerful word choice throughout the article in order to persuade the audience to see the value in traditional book publishing. It is important for the author to use meaningful words in the article so that the audience quickly grasps the dire situation with decreasing traditional book publishing. An example of this is in the opening sentence of the second paragraph when the author states “with the e-book’ s conquest over traditional hardcovers and paperbacks.” This sentence helps the audience quickly understand—from the use of word “conquest”—that e-books have purposefully taken over traditional books. And as the author continues to explain in the article, the dominance of the e-book has many consequential effects for different types of businesses. If the author chooses a less powerful word or rearranged the sentence, the audience might not fully understand the severity of the situation caused by increasing e-books in the market.

PROGRESSION The writer has used logical transitions to introduce the body paragraphs and each paragraph ties directly to the thesis.

As the digital age continues to grow at rapid rates many traditional businesses, including the book publishing industry, continue to dwindle. Understanding the value of keeping traditional book publishing, the author is able to persuade the audience to the same understanding by using published research, rhetorical questions and powerful word choice throughout the article.