WritePlacer common mistakes
WritePlacer · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
The essay summarizes both sides of the prompt issue but never commits to a position, ending with a vague statement that 'both views have merit.'
Candidates often confuse a balanced essay with a neutral one, or they run out of planning time before deciding what they actually argue.
What to do instead
Before drafting, write a single thesis sentence that answers the prompt directly, then check that every paragraph either supports or deliberately concedes to that thesis.
The essay starts on the prompt topic, then drifts into a detailed personal story that no longer addresses the question being asked.
Associative writing under time pressure pulls candidates toward whatever memory is easiest to narrate, and no outline exists to pull them back.
What to do instead
Spend three minutes writing a topic sentence for each planned paragraph; after drafting, delete or rewrite any sentence that does not mention or support the thesis.
The response appears as one long block of text, or each paragraph mixes three unrelated ideas with no visible structure.
Candidates may be unfamiliar with the five-paragraph essay form, or they treat paragraph breaks as cosmetic rather than as signals of logical units.
What to do instead
Plan four or five paragraphs before writing: introduction, two or three body paragraphs with one claim each, and a conclusion; indent clearly and keep each body paragraph to a single idea.
Body paragraphs list reasons in random order and begin with no connective phrase, so the reader cannot tell whether the next point contrasts, extends, or repeats the previous one.
Transitions are often treated as decorative words to sprinkle in rather than as markers of the argument's logical path.
What to do instead
Order reasons from strongest to weakest or from simplest to most complex, and start each paragraph with a sentence that names the relationship, such as 'A second, more serious objection is...' or 'Even so, this benefit has a limit.'
The essay repeats a general claim such as 'technology is beneficial' in several paraphrases without offering any specific example, scenario, or observed case.
Candidates run out of concrete ideas quickly, or they assume that restating a broad principle counts as evidence.
What to do instead
For each body paragraph, include one specific example, hypothetical situation, or widely observed case, then add a sentence explaining exactly how that example supports the paragraph's claim.
A personal anecdote fills an entire body paragraph, and the essay never explains what the story demonstrates or how it connects to the thesis.
Personal experience is fast to generate and feels authentic, so candidates stop writing once the story ends.
What to do instead
After the anecdote, write two sentences: one that states the general principle the story illustrates, and one that links that principle back to the thesis.
Nearly every sentence follows the same subject-verb-object pattern or begins with 'I think' or 'Also,' producing a flat, repetitive rhythm.
Writing quickly tends to reproduce conversational speech patterns, and candidates may believe longer or more formal words are the only way to improve style.
What to do instead
Revise at least three sentences to open with a subordinate clause, a prepositional phrase, or an adverb; combine two short sentences with a semicolon or conjunction, and keep one short sentence for emphasis.
Long sentences run together with commas, producing comma splices and run-ons such as 'The policy was popular, it helped many families.'
Candidates try to sound academic by lengthening sentences and then run out of time to proofread punctuation.
What to do instead
Reserve the final three minutes to read the essay silently; at each comma followed by a new subject and verb, replace the comma with a period, semicolon, or conjunction.
The essay presents only one side of the issue and never acknowledges a reasonable objection or limitation to its own position.
Candidates may believe that admitting any weakness undermines the argument, or they simply lack time to develop a counterpoint.
What to do instead
Add one concession sentence in a body paragraph or before the conclusion: state the strongest opposing point fairly, then explain why the thesis still holds or where its limits lie.
The conclusion merely repeats the introduction's wording and ends with 'so that is why this issue is important,' adding no new implication.
Time pressure pushes candidates to copy the introduction, and they may not know what a conclusion is supposed to accomplish.
What to do instead
End with a 'so what' sentence that names a consequence, recommends a practical step, or explains what readers should reconsider, without introducing a brand-new argument.