Some of the writing questions will be based on the effectiveness of the writer’s expression of ideas. You will be tested on your ability to read, comprehend, and analyze a passage, taking particular notice of how the writer developed and organized the passage, as well as his or her use of language. Basically, idea expression relates to the writer’s purpose, and the test questions will require you to make the purpose clearer, sharper, and more logical. You may have to edit a passage to ensure it has effective language use in the following areas.
Writers can effectively use language by picking the best word choices, making their points concise, and following the same style throughout the piece. Precision is the ability to choose the best word possible within a sentence. Most words have many synonyms and it is a common mistake to think that any synonym will be correct. You, as the editor, should be able to use the context of a sentence to choose the best word choice possible to replace one that may not belong. Remember that some words have certain connotations, which can make them a poor choice in a sentence.
Concision is all about “cutting to the chase.” Strong writing skills include the ability to be direct without losing vital information. If writers can communicate their point in five words instead of ten, then they should do it. You may be asked to revise sentences to eliminate redundancy or unnecessary details.
Style and tone show how the writer feels about his or her work and influence how a reader should interpret a passage. Style and tone choices should remain consistent for the entire passage, and you may be asked to edit words that conflict with these choices. For example, if a passage has been quite formal overall, you would want to eliminate informal words like ain’t.
Writers write with a purpose, or goal, in mind. While an author’s goals may vary, the structure and diction they use help them achieve their purpose. In effective writing, the author will stick to the main idea and provide relevant details or evidence to support that main idea. Organizing the text in a logical way and using appropriate vocabulary and tone help deliver the purpose more successfully to the audience.
When considering the “flow” of a text, you are assessing how easy it is to read and understand. A text that flows well will lead the reader from the beginning to the middle to the end easily. A text that does not flow well may frustrate the reader by requiring them to reread passages, stop and look up unfamiliar vocabulary that is not defined by context clues, or make it difficult to understand the connections between ideas in the text. As the editor, you may need to move part of a passage around, add information, or delete unnecessary text to enhance the flow.
Syntax is a literary device that deals with forming sentences correctly to communicate an idea. Well-formed sentences are extremely important in formal writing and can greatly affect the overall tone of a passage. As the editor, you might need to combine or separate sentences in order to improve their flow, or syntax.
A writer must use organization to make his or her passage logical, cohesive, and effective. When analyzing and editing the organization of a passage, pay close attention to the following elements:
The sequence of a passage is the order in which ideas and topics are presented. The sequence should always be logical, and you may be asked to reorder sentences within a paragraph in order to improve the sequence. A sentence that seems random or irrelevant is most likely out of logical sequence.
Passages with logical sequence should have strong introductions, conclusions, and transitions. When you act as the “editor” of a passage during the test, you may need to revise these elements to make the sequence of the passage stronger. Introductions should introduce the main idea and draw the reader in, while conclusions should quickly summarize and close the topic without repeating everything all over again.
Development is how the writer makes his or her purpose clear throughout a passage. Improving the development of a passage includes revising and updating the content to make the writer’s purpose more clear. The act of development will include the following and you may be required to add, revise, or leave these elements unchanged:
Proposition deals with the important “proposing” elements within a passage, such as thesis statements, topic sentences, and claims made by the writer. All of these elements add up to create the main idea within a passage. The main idea needs to be strikingly clear and can be drawn from the previously mentioned statements and sentences.
Support includes the material used to support or bolster the writer’s ideas and claims. Support can mean examples, data graphs, quotes, and more. Within a passage, there must be strong support for any point and you may be required to revise a passage so that claims are better supported.
A passage or paragraph has focus when all the material and support are relevant to the author’s purpose. A passage loses focus when unnecessary or irrelevant sentences are included. You may be asked, for example, if a portion of a paragraph should be kept or deleted. Remember to only keep material that keeps the writer’s purpose focused.
Quantitative information includes graphic data, such as tables, graphs, and charts, that adds more detailed support to claims within the passage. Not every passage will include a graph but expect to see at least one on your test. You must understand how to read and interpret the quantitative information because you may be asked to change elements in a passage to better reflect the data.
Transitions are a great way to lead the reader to each new point and signal what kind of information they are about to receive. For example, the transitional phrase “for example” makes it quite obvious what is coming next, and the transitional words first, second, and finally give the information chronological order.