Writing and Research
Writing and Research
This domain tests planning, drafting, revising, and editing, plus the research process: narrowing a topic, locating and evaluating sources, taking notes, paraphrasing, quoting, and citing. Grade 7 items may ask you to choose the best thesis, the most relevant evidence, the best transition, or the correct way to avoid plagiarism.
Essay structure
An introduction hooks the reader, gives context, and states a thesis. A strong thesis is specific and arguable-not “School start times are important” but “Later middle school start times improve attendance and alertness.” Body paragraphs open with a topic sentence, present evidence, explain how the evidence supports the claim, and link to the next point. A conclusion restates the thesis in fresh language and synthesizes; it does not introduce new evidence.
Elaboration and transitions
Evidence must be relevant, sufficient, and credible. Commentary does the work of explanation: it tells the reader what the evidence shows. Transitions show relationships-however for contrast, therefore for result, for example for illustration, in addition for accumulation.
Research process
- Narrow the topic into a research question.
- Locate sources: library databases, reference works, reputable news and government sites.
- Evaluate sources for currency, authority, accuracy, and purpose/bias.
- Take notes and record source information.
- Paraphrase or quote, always crediting the source.
Paraphrasing means restating an idea in your own words and sentence structure-not just swapping synonyms-and it still requires a citation. Direct quotations need quotation marks and a citation. Plagiarism is using someone's words or ideas without credit; common knowledge, such as widely known dates, does not need citation.
Worked example
Two sources on a school garden: an anonymous blog post says gardens “prove” students learn better; a 2023 university study reports improved science scores after a garden program. Reasoning: the study has identifiable authority, recent currency, and data. The blog lacks an author and makes an unsupported claim. Choose the study, and explain what its data show rather than overstating.
Traps
- A thesis that is too broad or merely factual.
- Quoting evidence without commentary.
- Citing direct quotes but not paraphrases.
- Using a biased or outdated source because it is first in the search results.
- Copying sentence structure while calling it a paraphrase.