The Writing OGT'''

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The Writing OGT...

• Writing Test Tips and Reminders

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OGT Writing Test Structure

• 2 extended response / essay
• 15 Multiple Choice questions
• 2 point responses 2 or more items
• Timed test approx. 2 ½ hours

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Extended response / essays...

• Test prompts may be...
• Narrative writing that tells a story
• Persuasive writing intended to make reader agree
  with a point or take action
• Expository writing that is used to explain a
  process or inform
• Response to literature writing that offers an
  opinion or defends a thesis about the given piece
  using quotes from the selection to support the
  thesis.

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Extended Response / Essay tips...

• Complete these first! They total 36 out of a
  total of 45 points.
• READ the prompts multiple times before beginning.

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DECODE the writing prompts.

• Underline for directions on . . .
• Audience (who you are writing for)
• Content (what you are to write about)
• Purpose (type of writing to explain, persuade,
• narrate as a story)
• Form (how to structure...letter, essay, story,
• speech)
• Other specifics how many reasons/details to
  provide, or paper length for example.

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Extended Response / Essay tips...

• Prewrite! Spend some time organizing your
  thoughts.
• Support with details and examples.
• Write fully developed paragraphs.
• PROOFREAD and REVISE! Make corrections directly
  on the composition.
• Edit the writing with the idea that you are
  looking for only mechanical mistakes, such as
  misspellings, hard to read sentences, and
  confusing word choices. Misspellings are key,
  especially basic words that are misspelled.
  These hurt your score considerably.

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Extended Response / Essay tips...

• Focus on beginning, middle, and end.
• WRITE IN MULTIPLE PARAGRAPHS! Multiple, in this
  case, means at least 3.
• Write neatly. The writing must be legible in
  order for it to be scored.

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Multiple Choice section...

• 15 items
• 10 questions will be scored
• 5 items are field test questions
• Test material may include spelling,
  punctuation, grammar, or organizational / content
  questions

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Multiple Choice section tips...

• Answer all questions to the best of your ability.
  Even though five questions are field test
  questions, you will not know which are which.
• Do not skip any of the questions. You may guess
  correctly.
• Read all of the questions first before reading
  the passage then read the passage through once
  before attempting to answer.

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2 Point questions...

• Short answer questions could focus on any of the
  following arguments, revision, ordering
  information, or organizational planning.

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2 Point question tips...

• Make sure you do exactly what is asked.
• If the question asks for two reasons
• listing the two reasons is okay.
• Bulleting the items is acceptable as well.
• If you are asked for a pre write, just do a pre
  write.
• It is not necessary to construct a whole written
  piece for the short answer questions. Focus on
  what is being asked because that is the only
  portion that will earn credit. Avoid spending
  unnecessary time and energy with short response
  questions.

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Writing Form Essays, Letters, and such...

• Be aware of FORM in the writing.
• If you are asked for an essay or narrative, be
  sure to include an intro, body, and conclusion.
• If you are asked for a letter, be sure to write
  your response as a letter. Think about the
  format for a letter and apply this structure to
  your response.

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Writing a letter on the OGT

• Avoid disorganization, slang, and funny
  expressions, these will earn a low score.
• Avoid , b/c, 4 (for) or 2 (to) or other
  such entities in the writing as these will
  contribute to low scores.
• Think audience! Not just recipient, but scorer!
• Prewrite!
• Be sure to include date, a salutation, a body,
  a closing, and a signature.
• If you are asked to write a business letter, be
  sure to use block style (align to left margin),
  skip spaces between sections of the letter,
  follow formatting of a business letter (your
  address, the address of the recipient, greeting,
  bodymultiple paragraphs, a closing, and your
  signature), and be mindful of toneattitude you
  take toward your subject. You should write a
  business letter in a mature, organized, and
  polite manner.

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Personal Narrative

• A narrative tells a story
• Personal narrative relate something that
  happened to you
• Response may be true or it may be fiction

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Narrative Tips for success...

• Write story in chronological order.
• Limit number of characters.
• Provide details describe setting and characters
• Use dialogue.
• Story does not have to be true.
• Use good sentence variety (think brushstrokes
  here), and consider vocabulary.
• Use at least THREE paragraphs.
• Be mindful of time.

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Responding to Literature...

• Prompts of this nature might ask you to draw on a
  conclusion based on your reading, make a
  prediction based on information given in the
  passage, or identify traits that an author uses
  to bring a character to life. You could also be
  asked to relate a passage to your own life. If
  so, write about specific similarities and
  differences between your life and the events in
  the text.

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Responding to Literature tips...

• Prompts of this nature on the writing portion of
  the test will not ask for a direct response to
  literature, but you may wish to include a
  literary reference in your answer.
• If the response asks about ideas dealing with
  freedom, a reference to Huck Finn or The Diary of
  Anne Frank would help your response.
• You may wish to use quotes in the response.
  Follow three steps if you do so 1) introduce
  the quote tell where it came from, 2) present
  the quote put the quotation in your essay
  accurately, 3) explain the quote tell the
  reader why it is important and why it supports
  what you have said about the literature.

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Persuasion in writing...

• You may be asked to write a persuasive piece.
  Keep in mind that the purpose of persuasion is to
  convince the reader of your point and get him or
  her to take action.
• Some persuasive techniques
• State the facts Present evidence that will
  convince the reader.
• State the benefits to the reader Consider the
  audience and state the benefits to the reader.
  Focus on the needs of the reader, not your own
  needs.
• State your expertise as author If you are an
  expert on your subject, let your reader know. If
  not, link your ideas to authority by quoting
  experts on your subject.
• Connect emotionally with the reader Establish
  an emotional connection with your reader.