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The TAKS Essay

The TAKS Essay. Common Errors and Tips. ERROR: Not a personal story. YOUR ESSAY SHOULD BE ABOUT YOU Use words like “I,” “me,” “we,” and “us” as you write your essay. TIP: Link the prompt to an experience in your life. USE A STORY FROM YOUR OWN LIFE TO ADDRESS THE PROMPT

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The TAKS Essay

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  1. The TAKS Essay Common Errors and Tips

  2. ERROR: Not a personal story • YOUR ESSAY SHOULD BE ABOUT YOU • Use words like “I,” “me,” “we,” and “us” as you write your essay.

  3. TIP: Link the prompt to an experience in your life • USE A STORY FROM YOUR OWN LIFE TO ADDRESS THE PROMPT • Don’t invent an entire story unless you are absolutely and irrevocably stuck; it’s more difficult write convincingly about an invented story. • You may invent specific details—just remember to keep them REASONABLE and REALISTIC.

  4. ERROR: Focus on too many stories • TELL A STORY ABOUT ONLY ONE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE • Your essay should contain only ONE story about you. • Your essay should NOT have several examples about the topic. You should only have ONE example and elaborate on this example. • Your story can’t be a general “every man’s story”; it needs to be unique.

  5. TIP: Brainstorm before you write • THINK OF A FEW STORIES YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO USE TO ADDRESS THE PROMPT • Choose the story you will use by deciding which one you can elaborate on best. • Brainstorm specific details you can use in your essay.

  6. ERROR: No Introduction or Conclusion • MAKE SURE YOUR NARRATIVE HAS AN INTRODUCTION AND CONCLUSION • You should always start off with a brief introduction. An introduction to a personal narrative can be a quote, a surprising statement, etc.—just be sure to tie it to the topic. • In a personal narrative, your conclusion should consist of stating what you have learned from the situation described in your essay; it might also be a restatement of the main idea of your essay.

  7. TIP: Organize your ideas • ORGANIZE YOUR IDEAS BEFORE YOU BEGIN TO WRITE • Will you tell your story in chronological order, or will you organize it another way? • What will the general beginning, middle, and end for your story be?

  8. ERROR: Story is not detailed • USE SPECIFIC DETAILS • Good writing is not general or vague; make your essay come alive by adding imagery, figurative language, and specific details. For example, don’t just say you rode your bike. Tell the reader where and when you rode your bike, what the weather was like, how hard it was to bike uphill, etc.

  9. TIP: Use similes, metaphors, and other figures of speech • USE FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE • Use phrases or sentences like “She was as beautiful as a summer night.” simile • Use phrases or sentences like “Our friendship was steel.” metaphor • Use phrases or sentences like “The wind whispered in my ear.” personification

  10. ERROR: Essay does not address the topic • STAY ON TOPIC THROUGHOUT YOUR PAPER • Refer to the topic a few times throughout your essay. For example, if the topic is self-esteem, use the phrase “self-esteem” (or a synonym like “self-confidence”) several times in the essay so the reader knows you are writing about the assigned prompt.

  11. TIP: Understand the prompt • UNDERSTAND THE PROMPT BEFORE YOU BEGIN WRITING • Try putting the prompt in your own words so you are confident that you know what you must write about.

  12. TIP: Respond thoughtfully • TIE YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE TO THE “LARGER IDEA” OF THE PROMPT. SUBSTANTIVE REFLECTION ON THE PROMPT IS A MUST!

  13. TIP: Respond thoughtfully (cont.) • Don’t only give examples and details in your essay; your essay must show that you are capable of thinking deeply about the prompt. • You should refer back to the language of the prompt at least a couple of times in your paper; in addition, write a well-developed paragraph that ties your story to the prompt and reflects on your experience as it relates to the prompt. This usually appears at the end of the essay.

  14. TIP: Make an emotional connection to the prompt • OFFER THOUGHTS, FEELINGS, AND IMPRESSIONS • If you are emotionally connected to your subject and you convey this to your reader, your reader will respond emotionally as well. This is what you want!

  15. ERROR: Messy handwriting • WRITE NEATLY • If the readers cannot read your handwriting, they WILL NOT assume you wrote a good essay—in fact, they will assume the opposite and you will receive a low score.

  16. ERROR: Essay is too short • WRITE MORE THAN ONE PAGE • If you have small handwriting, you don’t have to write two complete pages, but you should shoot for at least a page-and-a-half; if you have big, loopy handwriting, you should write two full pages.

  17. Remember… • THE ESSAY IS PART OF THE WRITING TEST • Check your essay CAREFULLY for capitalization, spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. • Check your essay CAREFULLY to make sure you do not have sentence fragments or run-on sentences. • IF YOU DO NOT PASS THE ESSAY, YOU DO NOT PASS THE TEST!

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