The Second WELL of the Excellent Essay: Well-Supported

The Importance of Support

Test Makers and Test Graders are looking for the strong, solid support of ideas in student essays.
An idea without strong, solid support is like a roof without a strong, solid foundation – it is going to collapse.
Many students will offer a strong, solid idea but not follow it up — as a result, they do not earn excellent scores for their efforts.

How to Support: Know (and Use) The Umbrella Theory

Think of the four main points of your outline as if each of them were an umbrella.

Items properly placed under the umbrella are shielded from a storm of point subtraction.
Items not placed properly under the umbrella are at risk of being rained on by a storm of point subtraction.
Supporting ideas that are sensible and properly placed will fit nicely underneath the umbrellas of your outline.
Rambling statements that shoot off in all sorts of nutty directions will not fit under your umbrella.

What to support: Paragraph 1 – THE MAIN IDEA/THESIS STATEMENT

Each Well-Written Essay has a Thesis Statement that needs to be supported.

What is a Thesis Statement?
- A Thesis statement expresses the MAIN IDEA OF THE ENTIRE ESSAY.
Why do you need a Thesis Statement?
- You need a thesis statement because it controls the direction, focus and purpose of the essay.
How do you create a Thesis Statement?
- A great way to create a thesis statement that will ensure you address the question you have been asked is to CONVERT THE QUESTION PROMPT INTO A THESIS STATEMENT.

How do you support a Thesis Statement?

The well-written thesis statement will be like an umbrella for your entire essay – everything will fit underneath its scope.
The TOPIC SENTENCES of Paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 will be the specific tent poles of support for your thesis by the time you are finished. (More on that in a bit.)
Remember, support for the thesis statement will be found throughout the entire essay. In one sense, the purpose of the entire essay is to support the thesis.

Don’t forget… THE THESIS STATEMENT GUIDES YOUR ESSAY

HOW TO CONVERT A QUESTION PROMPT INTO A THESIS STATEMENT

1. Read the Question Prompt.
2. Change the Prompt from a question into a firm statement.

Example:

Question Prompt: Why do you like vanilla ice cream?
Thesis: Many reasons exist for me to like vanilla ice cream.

Question Prompt: Do you agree that the United States should avoid raising taxes?
Thesis: I completely disagree with the idea that the United States should avoid raising taxes.

3. Use this converted statement as the basis for your thesis.

More examples:

Question: Considering that most teenage driving fatalities occur after dark, do you believe that teenage drivers should be banned from driving at night?
Converted to Thesis Statement: Because most teenage driving fatalities occur after dark, I believe teenagers should not be allowed to drive their cars after the sun sets.

Question: If at the age of eighteen a person can join the military and die for their country, do you feel that they should then also be allowed to go into a bar and be served an alcoholic beverage?
Converted to Thesis Statement: If a person can join the military and die for their country, they should definitely be able to enter a bar and be served an alcoholic beverage.

Tips to Remember about Thesis Statements:

They need to be direct and focused.
They need to serve as an umbrella which can be used for the entire essay.
They must address a specific topic and put forth a clear main idea.

What to support: Paragraph 2 – THE TOPIC SENTENCE

Paragraph 2 will begin with a TOPIC SENTENCE.
This topic sentence will have been generated from your outline.
This topic sentence will need to be supported by the paragraph that follows.

What is a Topic Sentence?

The topic sentence will directly state the focus, direction and purpose of the paragraph.

Why do you need a Topic Sentence?

A Topic Sentence is needed for two distinct reasons:

So that the point of the paragraph is clear and precise.
So that the thesis statement is provide with solid support.

How do you create a Topic Sentence?

Since you will know what the focus and purpose of Paragraph 2 needs to be (because you did an outline that sketched out the main idea of this paragraph before you started writing this essay… remember section 1, Well-Structured?) you will know what you are going to be writing about and why. Take your topic sentence from your outline.

How do you support a Topic Sentence?

There are 3 Major Types of Support in the Excellent Essay:

Logical reasoning.
EX: If THIS happens, then THAT will be the result.
Personal Examples.
EX: Once, when I was younger, I learned THIS the hard way.
Specific, vivid details.
EX: Green slime oozed from the nostril of the dead gazelle.

Remember, topic sentences are also like an umbrella.
Use logical reasoning, personal examples and specific, vivid details to support your topic sentences.

Students will want to include all three types of support for their topic sentences in order to score well on the SAT Essay Writing Section.

What to support: Paragraph 3 – THE DIFFERENT/OPPOSITE PERSPECTIVE

Paragraph 3 will begin with a TOPIC SENTENCE.
This topic sentence will have been generated from your outline.
This topic sentence will need to be supported by the paragraph that follows.

NOTE: For an effective, excellent essay the topic sentence of Paragraph 3 will address A DIFFERENT/OPPOSITE PERSPECTIVE from the one addressed by Paragraph 2.

ESSAY GRADERS ARE LOOKING FOR A MULTIPLE OF PERSPECTIVES ON THE SAME ISSUE IN THE HIGH-SCORING SAT ESSAY.

MAKE SURE THE PERSPECTIVE OF PARAGRAPH 3 IS DIFFERENT/OPPOSITE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF PARAGRAPH 2.

Students encounter problems when they do not address a different/opposite perspective in Paragraph 3:

Students who only look at the question from one perspective do not demonstrate the sophisticated thought process test graders like to see.
Students who only look at the question from one perspective tend to be repetitive in their thoughts and ideas.
Students who only look at the question from only one angle tend to not score as high as those who view the question from a different/opposite perspective.

How to Create a Different/Opposite Perspective for Paragraph 3:

Think in terms of, “The Other Side of the Coin.”

Take the other side of the argument.
Play “Devil’s Advocate.”
Change sides for a minute to consider all angles.

For example…

If paragraph 2 is discussing the need for teenage drivers to stay off the road at night, paragraph 3 can address why teenage drivers might argue that they deserve to be able to drive on the road at night.
If paragraph 2 is arguing that being able to fight and die as a soldier in the military has nothing to do with being able to responsibly handle being served an alcoholic beverage in a bar, then paragraph 3 can talk about how silly it is that being served alcohol requires more maturity than being asked to handle a weapon in the army.

ADDRESSING A DIFFERENT/OPPOSITE PERSPECTIVE IN PARAGRAPH 3 ADDS DEPTH, SOPHISTICATION AND COMPLEXITY TO YOUR ESSAY IN AN EASY-TO-IMPLEMENT MANNER.

Good phrases to incorporate in Paragraph 3:

However…
On the other hand…
Another way of looking at this is…
Opponents might say…
While most may agree, there are others who feel…

What to support: THE CONCLUSION

Each Well-Written SAT Essay has a Concrete Conclusion!

Paragraph 1 + Paragraph 2 + Paragraph 3 add up to Paragraph 4 (The Conclusion)

What is a Conclusion?

A conclusion is a definite ending whereby the reader of the essay will feel that the ideas are tied together and that the essay has been completed.

Why do you need a Conclusion?

Essays need endings. Including a conclusion shows the reader you understand the proper structure for the SAT essay and have implemented it successfully.

How do you create a conclusion?

Think of your essay as if it were a circle. You started at one point and now (in the conclusion) you need to bring everything back around again to complete the loop.

Techniques a student can use to craft a strong conclusion.

Restate and re-affirm your position.
Offer a solution to a problem.
Make a recommendation for a course of action.
Summarize your major points.
Restate your thesis.

Conclusion examples:

In conclusion, teenage drivers are dangerous after dark and should be prohibited from taking the wheel at night. Too many pieces of evidence demonstrate that their general recklessness presents real peril after the sun has set. Stopping them from taking the road doesn’t just protect them, it protects all of us.
Of all the crazy laws in our country, the one that says an eighteen year old can die for the American flag but not have a beer in a bar before doing so is the dumbest. Sure, people can argue about how the drinking age being set at twenty-one has some advantages but all in all, if I were thinking about serving my country, I’d find it ridiculous that Uncle Sam will permit me to shoot a man before sharing a glass of wine with him.

Keep in mind…

The conclusion is the final say.
The purpose of the conclusion is to hammer home an idea and make a point.
This is no time for wishy-washy language nor unclear positions. Take a side and assert your belief. Strength counts.

DO’s for the conclusion…

Tie up the major points of the essay.
Use strong, forceful language that MAKES A POINT.
Give the reader a sense that the essay is completely finished.
Hammer home an idea and let the reader know precisely the position the author of the essay has taken on the subject matter being discussed.
Draw a direct line to the thesis statement.

DON’T’s for the conclusion…

Start talking about new points and side issues that haven’t been mentioned in the essay prior to this paragraph.
Give the reader a sense that the essay might go on and may not be finished with yet.
Use weak, soft language that doesn’t really make a point about anything in particular.
Doesn’t leave an impression that the author of the essay has any particular belief about the subject matter being discussed.
Draws no connection to the thesis statement.

Remember…

Conclusions can be short (after all, this is a timed test and it might just come down to the last few nitty-gritty moments) but short conclusions can be effective.
Not writing a conclusion, however, is ineffective and will lower your score.

ALWAYS WRITE A CONCLUSION!!!

Two more Principles of the Well-Supported Essay you MUST use to Earn Higher Scores:

1. Use an example from your Personal Experience.

Test Graders are looking for you to support your essay with personal experience.

Your own life.
A friend’s life.
A family member’s life.

Test Graders want to see the generalities of the ideas you write about exemplified through concrete, real-life examples taken from your own personal experience.

If I were writing an essay about the need to keep teenagers off the road at night, I might want to tell the story about the neighborhood teenager who crashed his mother’s new car and ended up in a wheelchair three days after he first got his license. Why?

It’s got relevance.
It’s got juicy details.
It is unique. (Out of all the people taking the SAT in the entire country, I am probably the only one who can tell such a story because it really happened in my life.)

ALWAYS USE A PERSONAL EXAMPLE IN YOUR ESSAY!!

2. Be Specific, Use Details

Why be specific and use details?

Test graders read lots and lots of papers. Lots of them are dull papers, too. Exciting language will stand out and capture their attention.

Bland language lays flat on the page.
Descriptive language leaps off the page.
General thoughts put readers to sleep.
Specific details make readers pay attention.

* In other words, VIVID LANGUAGE BRINGS WRITING TO LIFE.

Students MUST use descriptive language in order to achieve high scores!!

Never use the word GOOD!
Use fantastic, amazing, incredible, tremendous, spectacular, extraordinary, unbelievable, phenomenal, stupendous, remarkable, astonishing, etc…

Never use the word BAD!
Use horrible, disgusting, terrible, appalling, dreadful, horrifying, detestable, hideous, abominable, offensive, despicable, etc…

Enhance Your Descriptions by Tapping the Five Senses

Write about how the sunshine’s sizzle sounded like a Sunday morning omelet.
Write about how the old car smelled like a bad tuna fish sandwich.
Write about how the baby’s skin felt like the petal of an orchid.
Write about how the fresh rain tasted like an angel kissing your tongue.
Write about how the broken computer looked like a fallen soldier.

ALWAYS USE SPECIFIC DETAIL AND VIVID LANGUAGE IN YOUR ESSAY!!

PITFALLS: Watch out!

Not following your outline.
Making generalized statements that lack support.
Not including personal experience.
Using dull, non-descriptive language.