Writing On-Demand Essays

A writing assessment gives you a short time to write a response to a prompt.

To do so, you should use a shortened form of the writing process:

Prewriting (5 Minutes)

Answer the PAST questions.

Purpose? Explain how it’s made

Audience? New person

Subject? A favorite food

Type? Essay

Write a focus statement.

Most Americans like tacos, but they haven’t had Mexican tacos.

List supporting details.

—Using cilantro, goat cheese, homemade white corn tortilla

—Making tortillas

—Cooking meat, cutting cilantro

—Putting taco together

Writing (Most Time)

Write a beginning that leads to the focus statement.

Tacos are probably the perfect food. Just fill a hard shell with seasoned ground beef, shredded cheddar, tomatoes, and lettuce. Wait! That’s an American taco. Most Americans like tacos, but they’ve never had Mexican tacos.

Write a middle paragraph to develop each supporting point.

A Mexican taco starts with different ingredients. First of all, instead of lettuce, Mexican tacos have spicy cilantro. . . .

Write an ending paragraph to wrap up the essay.

So, if you want a real taste of Old Mexico, try Mexican tacos. They’re spicier and better for you than tacos the American way . . .

Revising and Editing (5 Minutes)

Add, cut, rewrite, and rearrange to fix errors.

Read the writing prompt.

Purpose?

Name the pet, describe it, explain why its your best choice

Audience?

Classmates

Subject?

A pet I’d like

Type?

Essay

Write a focus statement.

If dogs are people’s best friends, then I want a dog that is all dog, which means a mutt.

List supporting details.

—Mutts need to be adopted more than purebred dogs do.

—Mutts are healthier than pure breeds.

—I am a mutt and want a dog like me.

Draft your essay.

Some people are cat people and some people are dog people. I love dogs! Some dog people love German shepherds, others love collies, and some love those little hot-dog dogs. All those people can keep their pure breeds. If dogs are supposed to be people’s best friends, then I want a dog that is all dog, which means a mutt.

First of all, mutts need to be adopted more than purebred dogs do. A dog that has papers has people lining up at pet shops or online to buy it. People want a dog from a kennel club, maybe one related to the toy poodle that an actress carries around in her purse. Meanwhile, all these great dogs are sitting in the shelters just waiting and hoping somebody will come along and give them a home. I understand how that feels. That’s like gym class when people are picking teams. I want to see the mutt’s face when I say, “I choose you.”

Besides, mutts are a lot healthier than purebreds. The PBS show NOVA talked about “puppy mills,” where many dogs are bred for sale. In many puppy mills, puppies are neglected and treated cruelly, which scars them for life. Also, a lot of purebred dogs have health problems from interbreeding. Big dogs often have weak hips. Some breeds have blood disorders. Some bulldogs have such crunched up noses that they can’t breathe. Mutts aren’t as likely to have these problems. They have the best traits of different breeds.

The main reason that a mutt would be the best dog for me is that I am a mutt myself. Some people can say they are from Germany or China or Kenya. I don’t know where I am from. My family has some European blood but also some Indian and some Asian. We don’t think of ourselves as anything but just Americans. I want my pet to be just like me.

So, what would my perfect mutt look like? Well, I’d want her to be medium sized—not a little yappy ankle biter nor a big dog that yanks my arm off when I take her for a walk. I want her to have a medium coat—not so long that she always has to be brushed or so short that she’s always cold in the winter. I want her to be smart, so she’ll probably have some collie or poodle in her, and I want her to be pretty. And I want my dog to be a girl dog so she’ll be like me. I’ll make sure that she is fixed so that we don’t have lots of puppies. Mom says one dog is plenty. Yes, one great mutt is all I need.