our agenda general writing tips & resources cbest tips
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OUR AGENDA
General writing tips &
resources
CBEST tips
FOLLOW THE WRITING PROCESS
Prewriting-Brainstorming, Listing,
Clustering, Freewrite
Drafting-actually writing your paper
Revision/Proofreading-looking for
higher order and lower order concerns
PROFESSOR’S RUBRIC
Show you how much emphasis your
instructor places on• Use of sources• Grammar and mechanics• Formatting• Development• Reasoning• Response to the task
WHAT IS YOU PROFESSOR ASKING?
What is the prompt asking?
Did you address that in your
thesis statement?
STRATEGIES ON YOUR OWN
Relax-create a comfortable environment
Take time away from your draft
Proofread- read from beginning to end, read
for one error at a time, read for each of the
items on the rubric or something that you
struggle with
WRITING RESOURCES
See a writing tutor at the Writing Resource Center• Admin East 105, • 654-6411, wrc@csub.edu, or www.csub.edu/wrc
Utilize office hours
Through the My Writing Lab program, you can submit up to
four papers to an online tutor with a Masters or Ph.D in a
subject area and receive a response within 48 hours. For
more info, visit the My Writing Lab Plus Headquarters in
Classroom Building 100.
TIPS TO TACKLE THE CBEST WRITING PORTION
Adapted from Espain
THE TEST
The test is four hours.
There are three components: 50 Math Questions,
50 Reading Comprehension Questions, and 2 Essay
Questions
There are methods to prepare for the reading and
math.
Online tests, free math reviews online.
BEFORE THE TEST
Get a good night’s rest.
Wake up early the day of the test.
Eat a good breakfast.
Drink coffee, juice, whatever gets you going. (NO
REDBULL)
REMAIN POSITIVE.
Take a stance for or against.
Use concrete evidence
and/or details.
Try to avoid using personal
examples.
Speak in the 3rd person.
(Avoid I, you, me, my, etc.)
Mostly personal.
Remembered experience.
Reflection or expression of
a memory or experience
1st person is acceptable.
Sensory details: Don’t tell
WHAT happened. Tell HOW!!
THE TWO TYPES OF PROMPTS
Argumentative/Analysis Reflective/Expressive
Remember to devote at
least 30-45 minutes for
EACH essay.
Read and Reread the
Prompt.
Underline key words.
Brainstorm.
PLANNING THE ESSAY
Make an outline.
Develop your ideas
with evidence.
Create your Thesis
Statement.
Create your Topic
Sentences.
A CRASH COURSE
What is a Thesis Statement?
A thesis statement clearly states your position and provides a
broad idea of why you hold that position.
For Example: Global warming is bad. Is this a good thesis
statement?
No. Here’s a better one: Global Warming should be further
investigated because greenhouse emissions and an increasing
carbon footprint will cause further irreversible damage to the
planet.
A CRASH COURSE
What is a Topic Sentence?
A topic sentence expresses the main idea of the
paragraph in which it occurs and refers back to the thesis
statement.
For example:
1. Global warming was not entirely caused by humans.
2. With the invention of the automobile, emissions have
increased exponentially in recent decades.
COMMON MISTAKES
Fragments: Working late into the night to finish the project.
*A fragment is missing a subject, a verb, or a complete thought.
Run-ons: I went to the store I forgot my wallet.
Subject-Verb Agreement: The members of the team is
around my age.
Pronoun-antecedent agreement: If a person drives a big
truck, they should be required to have a special license.
JUNK WORDS
It
Thing
Stuff
Nowadays
Due to the fact that
In today’s society
Says
A lot
Really
Very good
Basically, Obviously If you use these in
conversation, avoid using them in your essay
CLICHÉS: AVOID THEM LIKE THE PLAGUE
In the long run
Down the road
Nip it in the bud
At the end of my rope
All that and a bag of
chips
Between a rock and a
hard place
Knock it out of the park
Chip off the old block
Twist of fate
Try to stick to your
outline.
Remember your thesis.
Stay on topic.
Keep an eye on the clock.
Elevate your vocabulary
Avoid clichés and
ambiguous terms
WRITING THE ESSAY
Stay Calm.
Don’t Stress
BREATHE.
Stressing is counter-
productive, and it can
cloud your thinking.
FINISHING THE ESSAY
Just because you’ve finished the essay doesn’t
mean it’s done.
Use whatever time you have to read, revise, and
edit.
Check for clarity. Does it make sense?
CBEST RUBRIC
I. Rhetorical Force: the clarity with which
the central idea or point of view is stated and
maintained; the coherence of the discussion
and the quality of the writer's reasoning
II. Organization: the clarity of the writing
and the logical sequence of the writer's ideas
MORE CRITERIA
III. Support and Development: the relevance, depth, and specificity of
supporting information
IV. Usage: the extent to which the writing shows care and precision in
word choice
V. Structure and Conventions: the extent to which the writing is free
of errors in syntax, paragraph structure, sentence structure, and
mechanics (e.g., spelling, punctuation, and capitalization)
VI. Appropriateness: the extent to which the writer addresses the topic
and uses language and style appropriate to the given audience and
purpose
Oscar Wilde once wrote, “We live
in an age when unnecessary things
are our only necessities.” In an
essay to be read by an audience of
educated adults, state whether you
agree or disagree with Wilde’s
observation. Support your position
with logical arguments and specific
examples.
In teaching and in life, people sometimes face
difficult situations about whether to intervene in
a conflict between people, such as students or
other teachers. Concerns about how one will be
perceived, fear of personal danger, or whether it
is better to let the parties resolve the conflict
themselves can make the decision about whether
to intervene a challenging one. In an essay to be
read by an audience of educated adults, describe
a situation in which you faced such a decision
about whether to intervene, and explain how you
handled the situation.
SAMPLE PROMPT #1
Topic 1 Topic 2
Television has changed the world and how we view it.
With just the point and click of a button, the viewing
possibilities are endless. There are literally hundreds of
channels to choose from. Cartoons, sitcoms, news, cooking
shows, and music videos fill the airwaves. With so many
viewing options, determining what we should be watching
has become a great concern, especially when it comes to
children. It is no wonder that cable and satellite providers
have built in parental controls. Therefore, should parents
be responsible for what content may be too offensive for
their children, or should content providers be more
accountable of what their programming contains? In an
essay to be read by an audience of educated adults, state
whether you agree or disagree with parental controls, and
support your position with logical arguments and specific
examples.
Recall an instance when someone
did something unexpectedly nice
for you that he or she did not have
to do. In an essay to be read by an
audience of educated adults,
describe a situation in which
someone’s thoughtfulness
surprised you and how the act
made you feel.
SAMPLE PROMPT #2
Topic 1 Topic 2
Though parents are ultimately responsible for what their
children watch, they cannot always be present; therefore,
the flexibility of technological controls combined with
parental responsibility provides the optimal measure of
control over what children watch.
Here, I’m arguing a mix of both sides.
You don’t necessarily have to believe your position, you
just have to argue a position.
THESIS: TOPIC ONE
Parents can’t
realistically control
everything their children
watch, so cable
providers should allow
parents control over T.V.
When parents are
present to watch T.V.
with their children, they
can make decision about
what their children
watch and model
appropriate T.V.
watching.
POINT ONE POINT TWO
ONLINE RESOURCES
http://www.teacherstestprep.com/
http://www.testprepreview.com/cbest_practice.htm
Good Luck!!!
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