Minutes a day n e w y o r k

General Guidelines
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Use your outline as a guide. Don’t go off on tangents, but adhere to your plan. If you come up with another
strong major point, use it, but don’t freewrite or ramble.
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Separate your major points into paragraphs; this organization will help your readers follow the logic of your
argument.
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Avoid unnecessary words, phrases, and sentences. Don’t repeat yourself or try to fill space with meaningless
sentences such as “This is a very interesting question” or “Different people have different opinions on this
subject.”
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Keep your reader in mind. This person will give you a score based on how well you write and how well you
addressed the topic. Don’t risk alienating or offending this person by using a tone or words that are too for-
mal or too casual.
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Write neatly. Your readers can’t score what they can’t read or understand. In fact, some exam readers may be
unconsciously influenced by your penmanship. If two essays are of equal quality, and one is written neatly
while the other is in a sloppy, rushed hand, the neater essay will probably receive a slightly higher score. Neat
handwriting is more reader friendly, and it suggests that the writer has more control over the writing
process.