Essay questions require a clear and complete answer followed by concise supporting statements. Some students struggle to provide a clear answer, while others fail to provide enough support. To avoid these pitfalls, try these Student Success suggestions.
Understand the Question
First, understand exactly what the teacher wants: read carefully to answer the specific question. It can be helpful to identify and circle the verbs and other key-words (significant, most, etc.) that describe what’s being asked.
Strive for a Complete and Concise Answer
Answer the question completely in the first sentence. It is important to paraphrase the original question to form the beginning of the essay’s introductory statement. For example, if the question is “What important factors lead to the American Revolution” the first sentence could restate the question, “Important factors leading to the American Revolution included…”
Write Strong Supporting Statements
Next, support the answer with the facts remembered from the lecture (especially those the instructor emphasized) and/or textbook.
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Avoid opinions or feelings on the subject. If it can’t be supported, don’t include it as a supporting statement.
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Get to the heart of the matter. Be direct and straight forward in the supporting statements. Don’t include vague or fuzzy ideas. Don’t try to add “fluff” just to have a longer answer.
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Finally, tie the supporting facts together in a logical way, and elaborate on why they make sense. This is especially important if the essay involves a sequence or cause/effect.
End in a Complete Summarizing Sentence
The last sentence of the essay should concisely summarize the answer and how you supported it.
Make Sure Your Essay is Neat and Organized!
Teachers are human, and they can get tired (and bored) while grading a lot of student essays, so being both neat and organized can ensure success.
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Write as neatly as possible. Your teacher won’t spend a lot of time trying to figure out what you’re trying to say because of messy handwriting. If necessary, ask to use a computer to complete essay questions.
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Try putting the supporting sentences in bullet format. This bit of organization can make it much easier for your teacher to attend to your logic and thinking.
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Add transition words such as first, then, next, also, another, etc., to make the answer flow.
Practice, Practice, and Practice These Important Skills!
If the teacher provides possible essay questions, practice these before the test. If not, makeup questions: use items from the study guide that require more than a few words or a sentence to answer (look for items that include the word “why”).
This is an example of what students learn in Student Success and Summer Student Success Groups!
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© 2010 – 2019, Monte W. Davenport, Ph.D.
