About the ged writing exam10 docx

the same paragraph, revised to show variety in sentence
structure:
She is a teacher and lives on a ranch in Montana
with her cat and dog. Because she has family in
California, she travels there frequently.
Notice how much more interesting this paragraph is
now. The seven sentences have been combined into two,
and only one sentence starts with she. Many of the short
sentences have been turned into modifiers that make for
more varied sentence patterns.
Sentence structure and punctuation can also be used
to manipulate emphasis. The best place to put sentence
elements that you want to emphasize is at the end (the
“save the best for last” approach). What comes last is
what lingers longest in the readers’ ears.
He is tall, dark, and handsome. [The emphasis is
on handsome. If tall is the most important char-
acteristic, then that should come last.]
She is smart, reliable, and experienced. [The
emphasis is on experienced;ifsmart is the most
important characteristic, then that should be
last in the list.]
You can also use an em dash to set off part of a sen-
tence for emphasis:
He is tall, dark, handsome—and married.
Here, the stress on the last element is heightened by
the dash, which emphasizes the sense of disappointment
in the sentence.
Don’t Repeat
Repeat Yourself
On the sentence level, in general, less is more.

The fewer words you use to get your point
across, the better. Redundancy is the unneces-
sary repetition of ideas. Wordiness is the use of
several words when a few can express the
same idea more clearly and concisely. Avoid
both of these as you write your essay.
Wordiness and redundancy typically result
from three causes:
➧ The use of unnecessary words or phrases
Redundant: Turn left at the green-color
ed
house.
Correct: Turn left at the gr
een house.
➧ Unnecessary repetition of nouns or
pronouns
Redundant: Riva she couldn’t believe her
ears.
Correct: Riva couldn’t believe her ears.
➧ The use of wordy phrases instead of
adverbs
Wordy: She spoke in a very convincing
manner.
Concise: She spoke very convincingly
.
Don’t skimp on details, but try not to waste
words.
Step 6: Proofread Carefully
In the three-step writing process, the third step is to
revise and edit. What exactly is the difference between

revising and editing, anyway?
To revise means to carefully read over your essay and
make changes to improve it. Revising focuses on improv-
ing the content (what you say) and style (how you say it).
In other words, when you revise, you concentrate on the
“big picture”: your ideas and how you organize and pres-
ent them in your essay. Editing, on the other hand, deals
with grammar (correct sentences), mechanics (correct
spelling, capitalization, and punctuation), and usage
(correct use of words and idioms).
Editing is very important; your writing should be as
clear and correct as possible. But as a general rule, it
doesn’t make much sense to carefully proofread each
sentence, only to realize that you need to rewrite several
paragraphs.
However—and this is a big “however”—the guide-
lines are a little different on a timed essay exam, espe-
cially when the time is so short. Because your time is so
limited, revising should actually take place before you
write, while you are outlining your essay. As you outline,
– WRITING AN EFFECTIVE ESSAY–
85
make sure you have a clear thesis that addresses the writ-
ing prompt, sufficient and relevant support, and logical
organization. You probably won’t have time to rewrite
paragraphs or add new ones. That’s why it’s crucial to
outline so carefully. But you will probably have a few
minutes to change word order, adjust word choice, and
correct grammatical and mechanical mistakes. And this
final “polishing” step can help make your ideas come

across much more clearly for your readers.

Sample Essay
You have seen the brainstorming and outline for the
good neighbor prompt. Now, here is a complete essay.
This essay would score a “4” on the GED exam.
No matter where you live, you have neighbors.
The kind of neighbors you have can make a big
difference in how happy you are. I’m lucky to
have wonderful neighbors. The people who live
next to me are friendly, they are helpful, and
they respect boundaries.
Friendly neighbors help make it nice to live
where you do. Grumpy, unpleasant neighbors
don’t usually do you any harm, but they don’t
make you feel good, either. A friendly neighbor
makes you feel welcome. For example, our
neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Ulerio and their chil-
dren, are very friendly. Whenever we see them,
they say a cheerful hello and ask how we’re
doing. Mr. and Mrs. Ulerio often chat with my
parents, and every Christmas, Mrs. Ulerio and
her daughter Jessica bring us homemade cook-
ies. They make us feel like they’re glad to have us
next door.
Good neighbors aren’t just friendly, they’re
also helpful. If we run out of sugar while baking
or need one more egg for a recipe, we know we
can run over to the Ulerios’ or our other neigh-
bors, the Zurowskis’. Mr. Zurowski is particu-

larly helpful to my dad. My dad doesn’t have a
lot of tools, but Mr. Zurowski does, and he’s
always willing to lend them to my dad. He also
helps my dad with projects once in a while, like
fixing the roof on the dog house. There have
also been plenty of times when we stayed with
Mrs. Ulerio while our parents were out.
Perhaps the most important aspect of being a
good neighbor is respecting boundaries. I think
most of us could live with neighbors who are
unfriendly or never offer a helping hand. But
few of us will tolerate neighbors who don’t
respect our property and our privacy. Our old
neighbors, for example, used to come and take
toys and lawn equipment from our shed with-
out asking. Sometimes, we’d have to go to their
house and ask for our things back because they
didn’t return them. Even worse, my Uncle
Andy’s neighbors were extremely nosy and gos-
sipy. They got involved in Uncle Andy’s divorce
and made the experience more complicated and
painful for everyone.
Good neighbors like mine are hard to find. I
hope I will always have neighbors like the Ule-
rios and Zurowskis. They are kind, they know
when to help, and they respect our property and
privacy.
– WRITING AN EFFECTIVE ESSAY–
86
O

ne of the myths about writing is that either you have writing talent, or you don’t. True, some
people have a special gift for effective writing. But good writing is a skill, and like other skills, it
is something that everyone can learn.
Throughout this chapter, you will review the structure of the writing exam and specific tips you can use to
improve your score on the test. Read this chapter carefully, and then review your notes from the whole Language
Arts, Writing section. When you are ready, move on to the practice questions that follow.

The GED Language Arts, Writing Test in a Nutshell
The GED Language Arts, Writing Test consists of two parts. Part I (75 minutes) will ask you 50 questions about
sentence structure, usage, mechanics, and organization. These questions will be drawn from informational pas-
sages, business documents such as memos, and how-to texts. You will be asked the best way to correct or revise
sentences or paragraphs.
Part II (45 minutes) will ask you to write an essay of about 250 words (four to five paragraphs). Your essay
prompts may ask you to write a narrative essay (tell a story), a persuasive essay (argue a point of view), or expos-
itory essay (explain or describe your response to a question). Essays are scored holistically, taking into account
the overall effectiveness of the essay.
CHAPTER
Tips and Strategies
for the GED
Language Arts,
Writing Exam
YOU HAVE reviewed what you need to know for the Language
Arts, Writing Exam. Now you will learn some specific tips and strate-
gies to use on the writing exam.
11
87

Sentence Structure
Sentence structure refers to the way we put words
together in sentences. Chapter 6 reviewed the building

blocks of sentences: subjects, predicates, and objects;
independent and dependent clauses; sentence bound-
aries; parts of speech; and parallel structure.
Approximately one-third of the questions on the GED
writing test will be about sentence structure. Here are
some tips for tackling questions about sentence structure:
■
Look for words that signal relationships and
make connections: subordinating conjunctions,
coordinating conjunctions, and conjunctive
adverbs. These words help describe the relation-
ship between ideas and determine sentence
boundaries and punctuation.
■
Look carefully at word order. Are modifiers close
to the things they modify?
■
Look for grammatical patterns. Is there—or
should there be—parallel structure at work in the
sentence?
■
Could sentences be combined effectively?
■
If you suspect a sentence fragment, isolate that
sentence and see if it makes sense on its own. If
not, it probably needs to be combined with
another sentence or revised to be complete.
■
If you suspect a run-on sentence, look at each
clause. Is it independent? If so, is there strong

enough punctuation or connecting words
between the clauses?

Usage
Another third of the questions on Part I will be about
usage: the rules that govern the form of the words we use
and how we put those words together in sentences.
Chapter 7 reviewed the usage rules you should know for
the exam. Here are some specific tips for questions about
usage.
Verbs
Because verbs are the driving force in every sentence, and
because verbs can take so many different forms, you can
be sure that many usage questions will be about verbs.
Here are five tips to help you prepare for those questions:
1. Memorize irregular and troublesome verb forms.
2. Remember that verbs should be consistent in
tense.
3. Make sure that verbs agree with their subjects.
4. Make sure the correct helping verbs are used to
convey the intended meaning.
5. Use infinitives and gerunds correctly.
Indefinite Pronouns
To remember singular indefinite pronouns, note that
someone, anyone, everyone, and no one all contain the
word one. One, of course, is singular. Indefinite pronouns
beginning with some, any, every and no are all singular.
Agreement
When it comes to agreement, think of sentences as a scale
with subjects on one side and verbs on the other, or with

antecedents on one side and pronouns on the other. The
subjects and verbs need to agree in order for the scale to
be balanced. Likewise, the pronouns need to agree with
their antecedents to balance the scale.
Pronouns
It’s so easy to make a mistake with pronouns and con-
tractions because we show possession of nouns with an
apostrophe (Ralph’s car). With pronouns, however, pos-
session does not require an apostrophe. If you get con-
fused, think of a possessive pronoun that doesn’t get
confused with contractions, like my or our. These do not
have apostrophes; other possessive pronouns shouldn’t,
either.
And here’s one way to remember to use that when
referring to things: both words begin with the letter t.
Prepositional Idioms
If prepositional idioms tend to give you problems, try
writing sentences with the idioms to give yourself extra
practice. Create a worksheet for yourself or someone else
who may also need extra idiom review.

Mechanics
About one-fourth of the questions on Part I will be
about mechanics: the rules that govern punctuation,
capitalization, and spelling. Chapter 8 reviewed punctu-
ation guidelines, rules for correct capitalization, and
– TIPS AND STRATEGIES FOR THE GED LANGUAGE ARTS, WRITING EXAM–
88
spelling for contractions and possessive pronouns as well
as homonyms. Here are some specific tips for handling

questions about mechanics.
Punctuation
Remember that punctuation marks are used to separate
sentences, show the relationships between ideas, reveal
tone, and clarify meaning. Each punctuation mark has a
specific function and should only be used in specific sit-
uations. Take the time to memorize the uses for each
punctuation mark. Here are some tips to help you learn
them:
■
Pay attention to how punctuation is used as you
read. Now that you know the rules, the more you
see them in action, the easier it will be to remem-
ber them.
■
Write your own sentences with each punctuation
mark and each comma rule. Notice how punctua-
tion can change the impact and meaning of
sentences.
■
Teach the punctuation rules to someone else.
Capitalization
When capitalization is the issue, ask yourself whether the
word in question is specific or general. If it is a specific
person, place, or thing, then it probably should be capi-
talized. Remember, in this regard, specific means partic-
ular or individual, not detailed. For example, a poodle is
a specific type of dog, but it is not capitalized because it
doesn’t refer to a specific (individual or particular) dog.
Rover, however, should be capitalized because Rover is a

specific (particular, individual) dog.
Contractions
Whenever you come across a question with a contrac-
tion, read it as two words. If it doesn’t make sense, then
you need a possessive pronoun, not a contraction. Elim-
inate the apostrophe.
Homonyms
Unfortunately, the only thing you can do to prepare for
questions about homonyms is to memorize the correct
meanings and spellings. Try using mnemonic devices to
remember which word is which.
For example:
stationary vs. stationery: Remember that
“stationery” is the one to write on because it’s
spelled with an “er” like the letter you are
writing.
(See page 22 for more about mnemonic devices.)
For a list of over 700 pairs of homonyms, visit
www.cooper.com/alan/homonym_list.html. You can also
find homonym quizzes and worksheets at www.edhelper
.com/language/Homonyms.htm.

Organization
Finally, a smaller portion of the questions on Part I will
be about organization: how writers arrange their ideas.
Chapter 9 reviewed essay structure and organizational
patterns, effective paragraphs, and transitions. When you
encounter a GED question about organization, these
guidelines can help you identify the correct answer.
1. Identify the organizational pattern. How are the

ideas in the passage or paragraph organized?
Then consider: Does any sentence or paragraph
seem to be out of place in the pattern?
2. Identify the main idea of the paragraph or pas-
sage. What thought holds the paragraph or
passage together? Is there a topic sentence
expressing that thought? Then consider: Is there
any sentence (or portion of a sentence) that
doesn’t fit under the controlling idea?
3. Look for transitions in the paragraph or passage.
Are there strong transitions leading you from
one idea to the next? Would the paragraph or
passage be more effective if more (or more
appropriate) transitions were added?

Part II: The Essay
Chapter 10 described the steps you should take to write
well on an essay exam. You learned that when you must
write under pressure, good planning and time manage-
ment are the keys to success.
– TIPS AND STRATEGIES FOR THE GED LANGUAGE ARTS, WRITING EXAM–
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At test time, remember this guideline for using your time
on the exam:
ᎏ
1
4
ᎏ
time (10–15 minutes): planning
ᎏ

1
2
ᎏ
time (20–25 minutes): writing
ᎏ
1
4
ᎏ
time (10–15 minutes): revising and editing
Six Steps for
Essay Exam Writing
When you are writing for an exam, follow these
six steps:
Step 1: Understand the writing prompt.
Step 2: Formulate a clear thesis.
Step 3: Brainstorm support for your thesis.
Step 4: Create a detailed outline.
Step 5: Write the essay.
Step 6: Proofread carefully.
The following 11 tips can help you write a successful
essay for the GED:
1. Make sure you understand the prompt. What
kind of essay are you being asked to write?
2. Make sure you directly answer the prompt.
Remember, you will receive a score of 1 or 0 if
you do not write on the assigned topic.
3. Remember that you only have 45 minutes, so it’s
important not to waste any time. If you are stuck
and can’t seem to get started, try freewriting or
another brainstorming technique. This will help

you get some ideas down on paper and get your
thoughts flowing.
4. Remember that in a brainstorm, there’s no such
thing as a stupid idea; write down anything that
comes to mind. When you’re ready to outline,
you can eliminate ideas that don’t fit.
5. On the GED, it’s important to write for a general
audience. That means two things:
a. You must provide context for your readers.
Don’t assume that your readers know what you
know. For example, if you are writing about
your favorite film, you must provide some
essential information about that film for your
readers, including the basic plot and characters.
b. You must use an appropriate level of formal-
ity. Avoid jargon (technical or specialized lan-
guage) and slang. Don’t try to use big words
just to sound more intelligent. Often, the
more simple words are the most clear and
effective. Besides, you may end up misusing
vocabulary and saying things you don’t
mean.
6. Make sure you have a clear purpose. Know what
you want to accomplish in your essay. What is
your goal? Before you begin to write, draft a the-
sis statement. Remember that a thesis must say
something about the subject.
7. Remember that first impressions count. Get your
reader’s attention and state your thesis clearly in
your introduction.

8. Remember that writing is a process, and effective
planning is perhaps the most important part of
that process. Plan your essay carefully. Use your
outline to organize your ideas and make sure you
have provided strong and sufficient support. If
you don’t have at least two supporting ideas, you
should rethink your essay. If you are making an
argument, use order of importance (least-to-
most important) to organize your ideas.
9. Make sure to provide strong transitions through-
out your essay. Use transitional words and
phrases to connect sentences and ideas.
10. Remember that style is important. When you
revise:
a. Try to make a few word choice changes so
that your writing has more impact. Use pre-
cise, vivid verbs and nouns.
b. Check for wordiness and redundancy. Don’t
repeat yourself or use bulky constructions
such as in this day and age (today is more
concise and appropriate).
c. Be sure you have some variety in sentence
structure. If your essay has a sing-songy or
monotonous rhythm, combine sentences and
add introductory phrases so that your sen-
tence patterns are more diverse.
11. Even if you have only a few minutes left at the
end of the exam, take the time to review what
you have written. If you make only one or two
minor corrections, you have still made an

improvement in your essay.
– TIPS AND STRATEGIES FOR THE GED LANGUAGE ARTS, WRITING EXAM–
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