Writing Process and Composition
Writing Process and Composition tests the decisions writers make before, during, and after drafting: analyzing a prompt, stating a thesis, organizing evidence, revising for coherence, editing for correctness, and adapting style to audience and purpose. The exam rewards visible control of structure, not formulaic five-paragraph filler.
Core rules
- Decode the prompt’s task verb: “analyze” asks for parts and relationships; “evaluate” asks for criteria and judgment; “explain” asks for causes or process.
- Place a debatable, specific thesis early; each paragraph should advance one reason, not summarize the source.
- Revise globally before editing locally: check thesis, order, evidence, and transitions first; then fix grammar.
- Use cohesive devices-pronouns, repeated key terms, transitional sentences-without overloading “however” and “therefore.”
- Match register to audience: academic prose favors precise nouns and active verbs over inflated phrasing.
Worked example
Draft: “Technology has changed education a lot.” Revision: “Online discussion boards give quiet students a written space to test ideas before class, which can widen participation.” The revision names a specific technology, a mechanism, and a qualified effect. The reasoning: replace vague evaluation with a claim that can be supported and contested.
Traps
Starting to edit before the argument is coherent; a thesis that merely announces a topic; paragraphs organized by source rather than by reason; concluding with repetition instead of implication.