Guidelines for Essay Writing
English 9 - Mr. Castellano
For your first test, you will be writing one paragraph for each question – for a total of two (2) paragraphs.
So, in fact, you will not be writing an essay this time. But the same kinds of guidelines hold true for
writing an essay as for writing a paragraph. My comments are written with the idea of writing about a
piece of literature in mind. But if you change the subject of the question, these guidelines should help in
all your classes. Do your best.
 Always answer the question. Take a few moments to be sure you understand the question. Don’t
tell everything you know about the topic: specifically address the question.
 With in-class essays, you will not have time to write multiple drafts (as you should do with an
assignment written at home). But do take a few minutes to outline your answer.
 It is always safe to re-state the question as part of your answer. In this class, everything you write
needs to make a point. That point in a paragraph is called the topic sentence; in an essay, it is
called a thesis statement.
 Keep in mind you are making an argument: you are setting out to prove a point. You are not restating facts or re-telling the story. Be sure your argument is clear. Then use specific references
to the text to support and illustrate your ideas.
 Always name the title and author in the first sentence (or first paragraph).
 It is a mantra in this class which I will repeat incessantly: It is always better to say a lot about a
few things than to try to say a little bit about everything (Frank Brady). Keep this in mind.
 In this class, I am not looking for a particular correct answer. Neither do I want you to re-tell me
everything in your notes. Rather, I want you to use your notes and our class discussions as a
starting point for addressing the question I give you.
 I really mean it when I say I am interested in your thoughts and how you have come to
understand the story or poem we are discussing. I am not looking for a repetition of the notes.
 Always write in your best prose. Good writing is good thinking is good writing (George Orwell).
Be clear and thoughtful and articulate.
 Use specific details from the text to support your ideas. Be sure to comment on and explain the
insights you gain from the details you use. Better to comment fully on a few good examples than
to have many poorly-used examples.
 The more familiar you are with the text, the better you will do. You can best prepare for a test by
reading your notes and recalling details of each text.
 Talk about the stories (or novel or whatever) with your friends and family: I mean that.
 Think like a teacher: think of what we spent time discussing in class, and then try to imagine what
I might ask about.
 No matter what: DO YOUR BEST.
Here are the instructions for this test:
INSTRUCTIONS: Choose any TWO (2) of the following questions (out of 4). For each question, write
about the story indicated. You will write a paragraph for this assignment. You will write about a total of
TWO (2) different stories. Make sure that you develop a clear, focused, and specific topic sentence: the
point you will make. Use a few relevant details to support and illustrate your ideas. Be sure to comment
on the references you make and to explain your ideas fully. You may use the text, but do not get too
caught up in looking for references. Do not re-tell the plot. Remember: you are trying to convince your
reader (me) of the strength of your point: you are arguing a point. There is NOT a definite right answer I
am looking for; I am looking for good thinking and evidence of that thinking in good writing. Plan out
your paragraph, but reserve enough time for your writing. You should spend about 20 minutes on each
paragraph. Each question is worth 50 points, so make sure you give enough time to each one. The test is
worth 100 points. Do your best.
HOW TO STUDY
 Read your notes several times.
 Make sure you understand your notes and the stories.
 Start studying many days in advance, not just the night before.
 Be sure you know the details of the stories. Re-read if necessary. Know enough details
of the plot so you can use them to support your good ideas.
 Think about the main ideas and themes of each story.
 Think of the “big questions” I wrote for each story.
 Think about what we talked about for each story.
 Look at your journal entries.
 Talk about the stories with your friends who have read the stories.
 Tell your family about the stories, even if they haven’t read them.
 Think like a teacher: ask yourself, “What kinds of questions might he ask?”
 Ask me questions; ask for extra help.
 Get a good night’s sleep. Eat a good breakfast. (always)
 Stay calm; breathe deeply; say a prayer.
 Think positively.
 Do your best.
Sample Paragraph
QUESTION: Discuss how Elie’s experience of both horrors and goodness affects his character
and actions in Night.
Throughout his memoir Night, Elie Wiesel recounts horrific events and moments of
compassion that influence and affect his young personality. Because he comes into Auschwitz
as a young and impressionable young boy, each experience he has powerfully affects him. Of
course, the events of horror far outweigh all other events. Upon first entering the concentration
camp, Elie is quickly and coldly separated from his Mother and sisters. This abrupt separation
brings him to cling that much more anxiously to his Father. For the rest of the memoir, Elie’s
main goal is to stay by his Father and take care of him. During the numerous “selections,” Elie
lies and creates havoc to make sure he and his Father stay together. Another horror Elie
experiences is the hangings of prisoners accused of secret plots. At one particular hanging, he
hears a voice say to him, “There is God, hanging there.” This event marks one of the greatest
and most horrible outcomes of his time in the camps: his loss of faith. At the same time, Elie
witnesses and participates in many acts of courage and compassion. Early in his experience in
Auschwitz, Elie is beaten savagely by one of the kapos. A woman who had been pretending to
be French comes to minister to him and speaks to him in German, risking being exposed as a
Jew. This event so moves Elie that he remembers the woman vividly; years later, he encounters
and thanks her in Paris. To the very end of his experience, Elie sacrifices himself and his safety
in order to care for his Father. At several points, he could have easily abandoned his Father;
instead, he stays with him and even gives up his meager ration of food for his Father. Even
when other friendly adults tell Elie to look out for himself because his Father is clearly on his
deathbed, Elie refuses to give up on his Father. Certainly, Elie Wiesel’s experience in Auschwitz
and other concentration camps is a horrific experience of evil: Night is a testament to the evil in
the human Soul. At the same time, Elie and many of the other prisoners fight eagerly to hold
onto their humanity and compassion. His book is a testimony to his desire to remain human in
the face of evil.