| Exemplary Prose: |
| Essential Writing Skills in Context |
Write a clear coherent "how to" or process paragraph
about a concrete operation or activity or process which the learner knows
well.
The HSGQE will ask you to demonstrate your skills regarding the writing of a "how to" paper or paragraph. I like to call this type of paper an "expository" paper. Although the HSGQE may not ask you to write an entire paper, it will, at the very least, ask you to write an expository paragraph.
There are two meanings for the word expository. The first means a setting forth of facts and ideas with detailed explanation. The following writing prompt meets this description:
Inventions are all around us. Think of an invention that has been especially helpful or harmful to people, and write a paper that explains why.
Here the student is asked to decide upon a subject to write about and then inform the reader with facts and supporting detail to support his or her thesis. (A thesis, in this case, is defined as your main reason for writing.)
Read the following expository paper written by a fifth grader:
The Toothbrush and
Toothpaste
The toothbrush is a very helpful invention. Without it nobody would have
teeth. They would rot and fall out.
When you brush your teeth with toothpaste and a toothbrush, your teeth
will look and feel better.
When you brush your teeth, the plaque disappears off your teeth. Plaque
is gross stuff that appears on your teeth. But when you brush you won’t have
plaque.
Another thing that disappears from your teeth when you brush is
gingivitis. Gingivitis is as bad as plaque. You don’t want either one of them
on your teeth.
When you don’t have a toothbrush
your teeth will be all yellow. They will rot and eventually fall out.
The toothbrush is a very helpful invention.
As you can see, this isn't a very long and involved writing attempt but it does the job. The writer has chosen a subject, provided facts, and attempted to strengthen them with detailed explanation. Yes, the detailed explanation in this paper wouldn't cut it for the HSGQE, but this student is on the right track.
The second definition of expository is the more common one that pertains to the explanation of a process. Here the "how to" paper is emphasized. When faced with this type of writing assignment, it is best that you decide upon an issue or topic that you have some interest in; some passion. If it is open-ended, such as:
Explain or describe a situation you found yourself in which you could have benefited from someone else's advice. What words of advice could you share that would help someone in the same situation?
The following writing example is a response to this prompt by an 11th grader:.
How to Survive High School
Of course you’re pleased you are no longer in piddly
junior high. You no longer have to deal with the same old obnoxious students
that you’ve had to deal with for all those years, for you are going to high
school. You feel so warm and bubbly inside because everything is going to be
simply grand. You’ll become (or date) a cheerleader, and you’ll be
valedictorian. You will be the most popular guy/gal in the school, if not in the
history of school itself. You can’t stop singing “Everything Is
Beautiful,” because everything is. Am I right?
However, you should stop all of this daydreaming and
romanticizing about high school life. Trust someone who has been chin deep in it
for three years; it’s rough. There are tons of things to worry about.
At the top of the list is the avoidance of bodily injury.
That problem has a simple solution: Don’t make direct eye contact. It may be
construed as a challenge to someone’s prowess, resulting in several broken
bones.
Second, there are grades to fret over. You may think you
had to worry about grades in junior high, but that was nothing. These marks mean
the difference between graduation, college, a good job, and a happy life, or an
eternity of working at International House of Grits.
Last, there is a social life. Really, who needs popularity?
You do, that’s who. You must carefully choose which organizations you join,
which clothes you wear, and which people to associate with. These decisions must
be made in the first ten minutes of high school, lest you be branded an
anti-social loser.
As you can see, high school is not as rosy as you first thought. If you play your cards right, however, you just might live through it.
The above attempt, much better than the first example, does a fine job explaining what life in High School was like for this student. It serves as a witty warning to eighth graders everywhere and it scored well in all six writing traits.
Last word: When deciding upon which topic you'll write about when faced with an expository assignment, write about something you know about. it is in this area that you are an expert and that will give your writing strength.