I: Have a Thesis Statement: The thesis must
state the argument and everything in your
essay must support your argument.
 II: Get to the Point: Make your case and do it
quickly. You do not have time to waste on
fluff and BS.
 III: Use Factual Evidence: Your thesis is only
valid if the evidence supports it.
 IV: Take Contrary Evidence Into Account:
Showing that there is at least another side to
the story is not only necessary, it helps
strengthen your argument, not weaken it.
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V: End the Essay Simply and Cleanly: Do not
make moral judgments or introduce new
information. Finish quickly and neatly.
 VI: Do NOT use Personal Pronouns or
Contractions: Speak as an authority, do not
use I, you, we, us, my, don’t, isn’t, can’t. You
do not need them.
 VII: Do not use Poor Grammar and Avoid
Misspelled words: Graders understand time
constraints in regards to spelling but there is a
limit to what will be accepted. Grammatical
errors detract from a well – written essay, no
matter the content.
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VIII: Do NOT Ask Rhetorical Questions:
Answer the prompt and stick to the
subject.
Thesis Formula: X. However, A, B, and C.
Therefore, Y.
 ‘X’ represents the strongest point against
your argument.
 ‘A, B, and C’ represent the three
strongest points for your argument.
 ‘Y’ represents the position you will be
taking – in other words, your stand on the
prompt.
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If the prompt does not provide categories,
think of PERSIA.
P – Political
E – Economic
R – Religious
S – Social
I – Intellectual
A – Artistic
Political, Economic and Social are the most
often used.
If categories are given in the prompt, use
them.

A
B
C
Essays that ask you to take a position on
the topic, use a T diagram:
Pro’s
Con’s

For questions that ask you to compare
and contrast, use a Venn Diagram
Topic 1
Topic 2

A
B
C
Topic 1
Topic 2
Prompt: Assess the validity of the
following statement
 “Teaching is the most important
profession in the world and everyone
should consider it as a possible career
choice.”

Pro’s
Con’s
Emotionally satisfying
Make a difference in the
world
Summers off
Work during the summer
for more pay
Only need a bachelors
degree to start
Tenure – Job security
(Perhaps)
Ability to further
education
Physically demanding
Long work hours
Low pay
Not much respect in our
society
Requires certification
Have to do additional
work ie. Coach / sponsor
Spend more time with
other people’s kids than
your own
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Use one short example per letter.
Do not use generalities!!!
BAD: George Washington was a great
leader.
GOOD. His courage in battle made
George Washington an effective leader.
Thesis Scoring
1: Too vague
2: Good
3: Too detailed

Teaching is an emotionally satisfying
profession. However, compared to
those of equal education, teachers rank
consistently at the bottom of the pay
scale, often work at home without
additional compensation, and receive a
lack of respect in our society. Therefore,
teaching is clearly not the most
important profession and would not be a
wise career choice.

Teaching is consistently one of the lowest
paying professions. However, teaching
offers summer off from the classroom, is
emotionally satisfying and offers the
chance to make a difference in the
world that most professions do not.
Therefore, teaching is the most important
profession and would be a wise career
choice.

Prompt: Compare and contrast the
Presidencies of Abraham Lincoln and
President X. Pay special attention to
factors such as political beliefs,
economic policies and social impact
during their time in office.