OUR AGENDA
General writing tips & resources
CBEST tips
FOLLOW THE WRITING
PROCESS
Prewriting-Brainstorming, Listing, Clustering,
Freewrite
Drafting-actually writing your paper
Revision/Proofreading-looking for higher order
and lower order concerns
PROFESSOR’S RUBRIC
 Show you how much emphasis your instructor places on
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Use of sources
Grammar and mechanics
Formatting
Development
Reasoning
Response to the task
WHAT IS YOU PROFESSOR
ASKING?
What is the prompt asking?
Did you address that in your thesis
statement?
STRATEGIES ON YOUR
OWN
Relax-create a comfortable environment
Take time away from your draft
Proofread- read from beginning to end, read for
one error at a time, read for each of the items on
the rubric or something that you struggle with
WRITING RESOURCES
 See a writing tutor at the Writing Resource Center
• Admin East 105,
• 654-6411, wrc@csub.edu, or www.csub.edu/wrc
 Utilize office hours
 Through the My Writing Lab program, you can submit up to four
papers to an online tutor with a Masters or Ph.D in a subject area and
receive a response within 48 hours. For more info, visit the My
Writing Lab Plus Headquarters in Classroom Building 100.
TIPS TO TACKLE THE
CBEST WRITING PORTION
Adapted from Espain
THE TEST
 The test is four hours.
 There are three components: 50 Math Questions, 50 Reading
Comprehension Questions, and 2 Essay Questions
 There are methods to prepare for the reading and math.
 Online tests, free math reviews online.
BEFORE THE TEST
 Get a good night’s rest.
 Wake up early the day of the test.
 Eat a good breakfast.
 Drink coffee, juice, whatever gets you going. (NO REDBULL)
 REMAIN POSITIVE.
THE TWO TYPES OF
PROMPTS
Argumentative/Analysis
Reflective/Expressive
 Take a stance for or against.
 Mostly personal.
 Use concrete evidence and/or
 Remembered experience.
details.
 Reflection or expression of a
 Try to avoid using personal
memory or experience
examples.
 1st person is acceptable.
 Speak in the 3rd person.
 Sensory details: Don’t tell
(Avoid I, you, me, my, etc.)
WHAT happened. Tell HOW!!
PLANNING THE ESSAY
 Remember to devote at least
 Make an outline.
30-45 minutes for EACH essay.
 Develop your ideas with
 Read and Reread the Prompt.
evidence.
 Underline key words.
 Create your Thesis Statement.
 Brainstorm.
 Create your Topic Sentences.
A CRASH COURSE
What is a Thesis Statement?
 A thesis statement clearly states your position and provides a broad
idea of why you hold that position.
 For Example: Global warming is bad. Is this a good thesis statement?
 No. Here’s a better one: Global Warming should be further
investigated because greenhouse emissions and an increasing carbon
footprint will cause further irreversible damage to the planet.
A CRASH COURSE
What is a Topic Sentence?
 A topic sentence expresses the main idea of the paragraph in
which it occurs and refers back to the thesis statement.
For example:
 1. Global warming was not entirely caused by humans.
 2. With the invention of the automobile, emissions have increased
exponentially in recent decades.
COMMON MISTAKES
 Fragments: Working late into the night to finish the project.
*A fragment is missing a subject, a verb, or a complete thought.
 Run-ons: I went to the store I forgot my wallet.
 Subject-Verb Agreement: The members of the team is around
my age.
 Pronoun-antecedent agreement: If a person drives a big truck,
they should be required to have a special license.
JUNK WORDS
 It
 Says
 Thing
 A lot
 Stuff
 Really
 Nowadays
 Due to the fact that
 In today’s society
 Very good
 Basically, Obviously
 If you use these in conversation,
avoid using them in your essay
CLICHÉS: AVOID THEM
LIKE THE PLAGUE
 In the long run
 Down the road
 Nip it in the bud
 At the end of my rope
 Knock it out of the park
 Chip off the old block
 Twist of fate
 All that and a bag of chips
 Between a rock and a hard place
WRITING THE ESSAY
 Try to stick to your outline.
 Stay Calm.
 Remember your thesis.
 Don’t Stress
 Stay on topic.
 BREATHE.
 Keep an eye on the clock.
 Stressing is counter-
 Elevate your vocabulary
productive, and it can cloud your
 Avoid clichés and ambiguous
thinking.
terms
FINISHING THE ESSAY
 Just because you’ve finished the essay doesn’t mean it’s done.
 Use whatever time you have to read, revise, and edit.
 Check for clarity. Does it make sense?
CBEST RUBRIC
I. Rhetorical Force: the clarity with which the central
idea or point of view is stated and maintained; the
coherence of the discussion and the quality of the
writer's reasoning
II. Organization: the clarity of the writing and the
logical sequence of the writer's ideas
MORE CRITERIA
 III. Support and Development: the relevance, depth, and specificity of
supporting information
 IV. Usage: the extent to which the writing shows care and precision in word
choice
 V. Structure and Conventions: the extent to which the writing is free of errors
in syntax, paragraph structure, sentence structure, and mechanics (e.g., spelling,
punctuation, and capitalization)
 VI. Appropriateness: the extent to which the writer addresses the topic and
uses language and style appropriate to the given audience and purpose
SAMPLE PROMPT #1
Topic 1
 Oscar Wilde once wrote, “We live
in an age when unnecessary things are
our only necessities.” In an essay to be
Topic 2
 In teaching and in life, people sometimes face
difficult situations about whether to intervene in a
conflict between people, such as students or other
teachers. Concerns about how one will be perceived,
read by an audience of educated adults,
fear of personal danger, or whether it is better to let
state whether you agree or disagree
the parties resolve the conflict themselves can make
with Wilde’s observation. Support your
the decision about whether to intervene a challenging
position with logical arguments and
specific examples.
one. In an essay to be read by an audience of
educated adults, describe a situation in which you
faced such a decision about whether to intervene, and
explain how you handled the situation.
SAMPLE PROMPT #2
Topic 2
Topic 1

Television has changed the world and how we view it. With
just the point and click of a button, the viewing possibilities are
endless. There are literally hundreds of channels to choose from.
Cartoons, sitcoms, news, cooking shows, and music videos fill the
airwaves. With so many viewing options, determining what we
should be watching has become a great concern, especially when it
comes to children. It is no wonder that cable and satellite providers
have built in parental controls. Therefore, should parents be
responsible for what content may be too offensive for their children,
or should content providers be more accountable of what their
programming contains? In an essay to be read by an audience of
educated adults, state whether you agree or disagree with parental
controls, and support your position with logical arguments and
specific examples.
 Recall an instance when someone
did something unexpectedly nice for
you that he or she did not have to do.
In an essay to be read by an audience
of educated adults, describe a situation
in which someone’s thoughtfulness
surprised you and how the act made
you feel.
THESIS: TOPIC ONE
 Though parents are ultimately responsible for what their children
watch, they cannot always be present; therefore, the flexibility of
technological controls combined with parental responsibility provides
the optimal measure of control over what children watch.
 Here, I’m arguing a mix of both sides.
 You don’t necessarily have to believe your position, you just have
to argue a position.
POINT ONE
POINT TWO
 Parents can’t realistically
 When parents are present to
control everything their children
watch T.V. with their children,
watch, so cable providers should
they can make decision about
allow parents control over T.V.
what their children watch and
model appropriate T.V. watching.
ONLINE RESOURCES
 http://www.teacherstestprep.com/
 http://www.testprepreview.com/cbest_practice.htm
Good Luck!!!