• You will take the College Composition
CLEP.
– NOT…
• English Composition
• College Composition Modular
• Part I, 50 minutes: Approx. 50 multiple-choice questions
• Section covers
– Conventions of Standard Written English (10%)
• Improving sentences
– Revision Skills (40%)
• Recognizing and rewriting poor work
– Ability to Use Source Materials (25%)
• MLA, APA, and Chicago style formatting
– Rhetorical Analysis (25%)
• Analyzing writing
• Part II, 70 minutes: 2 essays “which measure a candidate's
ability to write clearly and effectively” (CLEP).
– Essay #1: persuasive essay based on writer’s own reading and
experience: 30 minutes time limit
– Essay #2: persuasive essay synthesizing and citing two sources that
are provided: 40 minutes time limit
– Essential skills: thinking, organizing thoughts, presenting them
effectively
• Successful Completion: 6 Credits
• Write essays: lots of essays.
– Write more essays according to the grader’s comments.
– Write in Notepad, not Word Perfect or Word, as the test provides
no spell-check.
– The test also does not have copy and paste. It does have a cut and
paste feature but only cut, not copy.
– Practice writing essays in the time limits.
• Writing in first person (“I”): You may write in first person
ONLY for the 30-minute essay, when you write from your
personal perspective.
• Pay close attention to the corrections and comments that
your essay grader makes in each essay.
• Blindly writing lots of essays without heeding the tailored
guidance that your grader gave the previous essays is not
effective practice.
• Put in red font any words that you were not able to
write in the time limit.
• This will help your grader gauge how you are
managing your time for each essay.
• Of course, the goal is to eventually not have any words
in red font.
• Read
– CLEP Core Exams book (see pp. 9-11 in study guide)
– Verity Study Guide
• Take (and learn from) quizzes and practice tests
– CLEP Core Exams book
– Verity Study Guide
– Instantcert
– 2017 CLEP Official Study Guide (Take this a few days before you
test.)
• Student: Course assignments become easier, faster, better.
– Better education quality
– Higher grades
– More free time
• Employee
– Increased value = better salary
– Greater influence
– Higher respect
• Person
– Power in communication and organized thoughts
– Lasting legacy
• Grammar
– Know what to do in a tricky situation
– Leverage your writing for best effect
– Avoid ambiguities
– Give proper emphasis to key ideas
• Punctuation
– Avoid distracting irregularities and reader confusion
• Spelling
– Avoid looking like an idiot
• Handwriting
• Less spelling errors
– Greater use of vocabulary
• Descriptive Essay: describes an object,
person, place, situation, experience,
emotion etc. More artistic freedom is
allowed in this essay format.
• Narrative Essay: often covers a story or
experience. A book report is one
example.
• (The above essay forms are NOT covered
by this CLEP test.)
• Expository (or persuasive) Essay:
presents reasons and supporting
evidences as to why the thesis of the
essay is correct
– Expository essay format is used for this CLEP
test.
• Argumentative Essay: investigates a
topic, collects evidence, and establishes
a position. State your position and
evidence. This is similar to an expository
essay except that is requires more
research and a bit different presentation
of the information.
• Time management
• Brainstorming
– Just writing out whatever comes to mind
• Outline
– Thesis, supporting points, examples
– Ensures correct essay format (5 paragraphs)
• Writing
– Persuasive
– Structure
• 5 minutes for minimal outlining
– Put your outline on scratch paper: thesis,
main points, support for each main point.
– Make sure the outline sticks to the essay
topic.
• 20 minutes for writing
– Write the whole essay. Stay focused, but keep
track of the time at the top of the screen.
• 5 minutes for reviewing
– Check for poor sentences, spelling, and
grammar.
– Really, you should briefly review your writing as you are
going along.
• Essays you will be writing
– Essay I: Expository or persuasive essay
– Essay II: Expository or persuasive essay with
added sources
• You will be given an essay topic to write
about.
• You will have 30 minutes to pick a
position on the topic and write a 5paragraph persuasive essay as to why
your thesis is correct.
• What it is not:
– Dividing your text into five approximately
equal sections
• What it is:
– Following a predetermined organizational
pattern to ensure that your writing is clear,
logical, and memorable
• The graders for the CLEP are looking for
well-formatted, logical essays.
• Just like a body
needs a skeleton to
hold up its muscles,
so an essay needs
to follow the format
to hold up the
writer’s thoughts.
• The format gives an
essay shape.
• To make sure that
your essay has
correct formatting,
write a brief outline.
• Thesis: Position (Agree/Disagree)
– Attention-grabber
– Preview of three main points
• II. Reason 1
– Explain
– Give example/s to back up your reason
• III. Reason 2
– Explain
– Give example/s to back up your reason
• IV. Reason 3
– Explain
– Give example/s to back up your reason
• V. Counterargument and its refutation
– Review of three main points
• Essay Topic I: Agree or disagree: The
problems of modern society have led
many people to complain: “We live in
terrible times.” Yet, given the choice, no
one today would prefer to live in any
other time.
• (See p. 51 in Verity Study Guide.)
• Do you agree or disagree? This will be
your thesis.
• Agree: The present time period is by far
the best time in all of history for people
to live in.
• The thesis in your paper should be a little
more polished, but just get down the idea
for the outline.
• Thesis MUST stick to the assigned topic.
• Now ask yourself, “Why do I agree?”
These reasons will be the basis for your
body paragraph.
• This is where brainstorming is essential.
• Sometimes you may not even know which
side you will argue until you start
brainstorming.
• Brainstorm
– Write out any reasons why your thesis is
correct as fast as you can. These are your
opinions.
– Do not worry about order or type of
relationship.
– Cross out any unnecessary or unrelated
reasons.
– Pick the three strongest reasons.
• We still need examples to illustrate/prove
that our reasons are correct.
• Your SPECIFIC examples should come from
history, medical research, current events,
personal experience, observation, literature,
statistics, and science. These are your “whys.”
• Reason: Why is it better to live today than in
any other time period? People have more
leisure time.
• Brainstorm again. Write out any examples
that would support your reasons
• Example: My uncle owns his own driving range.
• Example: The popularity and expense of
entertainment (movies, video games, music)
• I. Agree: Thesis—Best time to live is now.
• II. (Reason 1) Longer life span
– Fewer casualties in war
• III. (Reason 2) More leisure time
– Hobbies/driving range
• IV. (Reason 3) Variety of food choices available
– Chefs: Julia Child etc.
• V. Counterargument and its refutation
• Interesting introduction
• Clearly defined thesis statement
• Your three persuasive reasons why it is
correct
• Your thesis statement answers the “What”
question.
• Your main points answer the “Why” question
of the thesis.
• Your support for each main point answers the
“How” question for each main point.
• BE INTERESTING! You have five seconds to
capture the readers’ attention.
• If you are not interesting, they will not listen.
• If they do not listen, it does not matter what
you write.
• You want to introduce the paragraph in such a
way that you draw the reader into the rest of
your essay.
“No one can write decently who is distrustful
of the reader’s intelligence, or whose attitude
is patronizing. Consider this: You don’t start a
conversation by saying, ‘Today we’re going to
talk about how our studying is going.’ You
don’t introduce a joke by saying, ‘Now I’m
going to tell you a joke about a chicken and a
road.’ ”
-E. B White
• It is best to not start out your essay with your
thesis statement.
– (e.g. Given the choice, I would rather live today than in
any other time period.)
• Start the essay with a quote or interesting fact
that would draw the reader in; then move to
the thesis statement.
– (e.g. Henry David Thoreau is best remembered for
encouraging people to simplify their lives…)
• Introduction paragraph and thesis should be
strong and should state the topic clearly.
• WEAK: There have been issues lately about
censorship in schools.
• STRONGER: Many parents are concerned with
what content and morals that their children are
exposed to and influenced by. Should censorship
be practiced in elementary schools? While many
educators have debated this issue over the years,
there are several reasons why schools should
have the right to practice censorship and ban
certain books from their curriculum. (This is the
intro and the thesis.)
• Your essay must have a clear thesis (essay
subject). If you do not have a clear thesis, you
do not have an essay, and your essay will
receive a failing grade.
“In college, you will be expected to state your
main idea succinctly. The thesis statement
contains a single idea, clearly focused and
specifically stated, that grows out of your
exploration of the subject. A thesis statement
can be thought of as a central idea phrased in
the form of an assertion; that is, it indicates
what you claim to be true, interesting, or
valuable about your subject.”
-Harbrace on the Thesis
•
•
•
•
•
•
Is your thesis clear?
Could it be more specific?
Is it likely to interest your audience?
Does it accurately reflect what you think?
Can you support it?
Your goal should be a claim that is neither
self-evident nor too broad.
• After you have your introduction and thesis,
make sure to end your introductory paragraph
with your three reasons why your thesis is
correct.
• This is the place to be bold in your opinion.
• Do not write tentatively or insecurely when
you think someone else might disagree with
you.
– “This is what I think, but if you think something else,
that is okay, too.” (WRONG)
• Do not be abrasive.
– “This is the way it is, and anybody who thinks
otherwise is an idiot.” (WRONG)
• Instead, unashamedly support one side with
logical reasoning and relevant facts,
examples, and ideas.
– “Research and experience in this area leads one to
conclude that…”
• When you pick a side, there will almost always
be supporting “evidence” for the opposite side.
• Do not argue both sides.
• Do not call attention to strengths of the other
position.
• Instead, argue for only your position.
• The only brief attention you will bring to the
other side (the counterargument) is in your
conclusion (discussed later).
(Introduction to thesis) Henry David Thoreau is
best remembered for encouraging people to
simplify their lives. What he advocated, though,
was a complete return to primitive living. It
sounds fun, but the lives of ancient people were
anything but easy. (Thesis) Today’s society has
problems, but it still is the best time era to live
in. (Three reasons)For one thing, people in this
age have longer to live. Also, instead of
spending their lives as subsistence farmers,
people have leisure time to pursue more
recreational activities. Finally, people today
can choose from an incredible range of foods
to spice up their lives.
• Body paragraphs support the thesis by
fleshing out the argument—one subject per
paragraph.
• Each body paragraph will start with one of
your main points for the topic sentence.
• The topic sentence is the first sentence (or at
least somewhere up close to the top) of a
paragraph and says what the paragraph is
about.
• For following paragraphs, you may need a
transition sentence to connect the two
paragraphs together.
• Each topic sentence (reason) is then followed
by an example to prove that the reason is
legitimate.
• Examples can come from:
–
–
–
–
History
– Medical research
Current events – Personal experience
Literature
– Statistics
Science
• Reason: Variety of food choices available
– Example 1: Chefs: Julia Child, etc. This example
would pull from history and current events.
– Example 2: more options for people with food
allergies. This example would pull from personal
experience and fellow-sufferers
• Do not use broad generalizations for your
examples. Be specific!
– Broad: “People can cook lots of food.”
– Specific: “Chefs like Julia Child and Rachel Ray…”
• Do not use personal opinions for your
examples.
– “Chicken will give you cancer. I think that eating
chicken is disgusting, and I think that eating
disgusting food causes cancer.” (This proves
nothing.)
• The personal opinions are used for your thesis and your
three supporting points.
• Conclude each paragraph with a clincher
sentence.
– Ties everything together, helps transition between
paragraphs
• Some people prefer to not add a clincher
sentence but instead add a transition
sentence at the beginning of the next
paragraph.
– Clincher sentence: “The variety of today’s meal choices
far surpasses the choices of past generations.”
• “A transition is a word, a phrase, or a sentence
that helps your reader understand your
thought process and maintains your reader’s
interest from point to point in your essay.”
• “Transitions create a bridge from one
paragraph to the next. In addition, effective
use of transitions adds continuity to your
writing and cohesion to your essay as a whole”
(“Note About Transitions”).
• See page 54 in the CLEP Core Exams book for
examples of helpful transition words.
(Transition sentence between reasons) “Since
people now have more free time, they have more
opportunity to enjoy the pleasures of life. (Topic
sentence: reason #3). A significant pleasure for most
people is food. (Example of the pleasures of modern
life) People today are able to experience food styles
from all over the world. The sort of foods that people
can make, even in their own homes, is much better
than the fare of most common people throughout
history. Such famous chefs as Julia Child, Martha
Stewart, and Rachel Ray show how even ordinary
people today can cook and enjoy high quality food.
Each of these chefs has (or has had) her own
television cooking show teaching people how to
prepare sumptuous meals. (Clincher sentence) The
variety of today’s meal choices far surpasses the
culinary options of past generations.”
• Your goal should be 3 body paragraphs,
making a total of 5 paragraphs (1 intro
paragraph, 1 conclusion paragraph).
• However, should you run out of time, it is
possible to pass the written portion of the test
with only 2 body paragraphs…
– …SO LONG AS EACH BODY PARAGRAPH IS WELLSUPPORTED WITH SPECIFIC DETAILS.
• It is better to have a strong 4-paragraph essay
(2 strong main points) than a weak 5paragraph essay (3 weak main points).
• The final paragraph is the conclusion; it should
contain a counter argument and its
refutation.
• The final paragraph, even the final sentence, is
what the reader will remember most clearly.
Be sure it is strong and on-topic.
• Do not make any claims that are not
supported by the rest of the essay.
Most assuredly, the world today has many problems (brief
addressing of the counterargument), but so it has in every other
age (refutation). Many people see themselves as E.A. Robinsons’
“Miniver Cheevy, born too late…” and constantly looking back at
the romanticism of the past ages. The people who wish they
could have lived in earlier times usually envision themselves in
whatever station of life they find most attractive from that period.
People rarely imagine themselves as slaves, servants, or
peasants; however, the majority of people in history have not
been more affluent than those social statuses. If someone from
the past could see what long, luxurious lives people live today,
with excellent food and a great deal of leisure time, he would be
very willing to trade lifestyles (review of the three main points).
Life might have been simpler in earlier times, but it was much
harder and more dangerous. Truly, we live in the best, most
exciting time (restatement of thesis).
• You can always incorporate Biblical themes
into your writing without referencing
Scripture.
• Do not write “the Bible says.”
• If you do want to use a Biblical illustration,
then you should use a proverb or parable, and
reference it as, “A wise man [Solomon] once
said,” or “In an old parable…”
Thesis
The subject of your paper
Organization of ideas in paragraph or essay
essay structure, unity, and coherence
Relevance of evidence, sufficiency of detail,
levels of specificity
• Audience and purpose (effect on style, tone,
language, or argument)
• Proper punctuation, spelling, voice, and tense
•
•
•
•
•
• Wrote on the assigned topic and argued one side
• Thesis of the essay clearly stated
• Thesis logically supported by well-chosen
reasons and examples
• Essay well-organized and on-topic
• Transitions between reason paragraphs
• Correct language usage, appropriate vocabulary
(no clichés or informal lingo)
• Smooth, well-balanced sentences
• Grammatically correct sentences
• Correct spelling, punctuation, and capitalization
used with only minor mechanical errors
• See “Day One” on p. 10 in the Verity study
guide.
• Write the numerical title of each essay so
that I know right away what topic you
chose to write on.
• Example: A 30-minute essay from the third
topic of the “Topic I” topics would be titled
“Essay I: Topic 3.”
• Once you have written your essay in
Notepad (or some other primitive word
processor), copy-paste everything into the
usual Word processor that you use for
submitting Moodle assignments. This will
ensure that your grader will be able to
open the file.
• After you copy-paste, double-check your
paragraph indentations, as sometimes
indentations get “lost in translation.”
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