When you have a time limit, you do not have much time to review your work and make changes. However, even just 2-5 minutes at the end can make a big difference. Don't be tempted to submit an essay before the time ends when those remaining minutes could help you catch some easy to fix mistakes.
Writing Revisions
Before you take a test with a timed writing question, look at feedback your writing teacher has given you on your writing.
- Has your teacher given you feedback on an organization mistake more than once?
- Have you been given comments about problems with developing and supporting ideas?
- Is there feedback that shows you that your ideas are not clear on the first draft?
- Does your teacher comment frequently about sentences being unconnected to the rest of the paragraph?
Use the feedback you have received in the past to focus the few minutes at the end of your time to look for the mistakes you have made in other first drafts. Timed writing is a first draft experience, so the feedback on first drafts is a good place to start. Meet with your teacher during office hours before a test to get tips for how to notice and fix those errors during the test.
Grammar Revisions
In addition to the writing feedback you have been given, take some time to review the feedback you get from your grammar teacher about your grammar accuracy in writing.
- Are there patterns of errors with specific grammar structures that you can look for?
Meet with your grammar teacher during office hours before to get tips for how to notice and fix those errors during a timed test. It might be as simple as checking that all of your sentences start with a capital letter or looking for subject-verb agreement. Knowing your common mistakes can help you to make quick changes.
Exercises
Exercise 1: Review Feedback
For this exercise, you will need to have access to recent feedback on your writing and/or grammar assignments.
- What do the comments say about your organization, development, clarity, and unity?
- What types of grammar corrections do you frequently receive?
Exercise 2: Timed Writing Practice
You have 30 minutes to respond to this prompt. Your answer should be around 300 words long. Remember to save the last 5 minutes to check your writing.
Prompt: Many companies now have the option to work in the office building or to work from home. Would you prefer to work in an office or from your home? Why do you think that option would be best for you?
