Writing Activities & Free Resources to Teach Writing
Free Resources for Standardized Testing
Writing on Standardized Tests
While most students are familiar with weekly quizzes and tests, at some point, many students take a standardized test. Standardized tests are given to large groups and are kept consistent in the administration of the test, the questions on the test, and the scoring procedures. It’s important for students to prepare for these tests by becoming familiar with the way the test is set up, the kinds of questions they’ll be asked, and by practicing the best ways to answer those questions.
Time4Writing.com provides many resources to prepare students for standardized tests like the SAT. Free writing resources are available on related topics like essay writing for the SAT and SAT writing prompts as well as writing mechanics and writing paragraphs. You’ll find articles on each topic including printable worksheets and quizzes, standardized test prep materials, interactive games, and video lessons. For more in-depth practice, there is an eight-week course available to help students prepare for the essay portion of the SAT.
Free Writing Resources: Printables, Videos, Presentations, and Games
Identifying Sentence Errors
An important writing skill is the ability to identify mistakes when making revisions. When reading over a sentence, can you pinpoint any improper grammar, usage, or word choice? The Identify Sentence Errors section on a standardized test examines your aptitude in this area. The advantage is that you do not have to explain how you would correct the error. The sentence either has a single error or no error at all. Your job is to recognize which part, if any, must be corrected. This task becomes much easier if you know which kinds of errors are frequently used. One example of a common mistake is improper location or tense of a participial phrase. Be aware of dangling participles; these can reduce a sentence's clarity. ... Read More »
Choosing The Better Sentence
Choosing a better sentence can be a challenging task if neither of the sentences have any grammatical or mechanical errors. Sometimes, there is a less obvious problem with one of the sentence's structure or effectiveness. You can recognize these more obscure flaws when you are prepared and know what to look for. For example, writing that lacks clarity and precision tends to have missing subjects, weak passive verbs, improper diction, or wordiness. Inconsistency in a sentence can be detected if you are familiar with concepts such as parallelism, sequence of tenses, and noun-number agreement. There are also common errors that involve inappropriate use of conventions and illogical comparisons or word order. ... Read More »
Editing & Revising Paragraphs
The Improving Paragraphs section of a standardized test presents a draft of a short essay, which you must read and answer questions about. Many questions require you to understand the essay as a whole. For example, a question might ask about a particular sentence in the context of the paragraph it is from. The questions might provide a variety of editing options and ask which revision is most needed. When there are a few choices that would work, how do you know which one to choose? The tips and practice questions here will armor you with the expertise to tackle this section. ... Read More »
Improving Sentences
The essay writing part of a standardized test assesses students' abilities to develop ideas and express them effectively. The time limit creates pressure to manage time wisely. For the SAT, there are 25 minutes in which one should aim to write five paragraphs. The best way to improve essay writing skills is to evaluate sample essays and to practice writing essays for various prompts. It is also important to know what the graders are looking for and how you can provide it. Graders spend about 45 seconds on each essay, quickly detecting keywords, a coherent idea, and a few "million dollar words" carefully placed, before moving on. If you grab them in the beginning, hold on to them in the body, and provide a strong sense of closure, you might keep the grader interested for longer, maybe for even a whole minute! ... Read More »
Writing The SAT Essay
The essay writing part of a standardized test assesses students' abilities to develop ideas and express them effectively. The time limit creates pressure to manage time wisely. For the SAT, there are 25 minutes in which one should aim to write five paragraphs. The best way to improve essay writing skills is to evaluate sample essays and to practice writing essays for various prompts. It is also important to know what the graders are looking for and how you can provide it. Graders spend about 45 seconds on each essay, quickly detecting keywords, a coherent idea, and a few "million dollar words" carefully placed, before moving on. If you grab them in the beginning, hold on to them in the body, and provide a strong sense of closure, you might keep the grader interested for longer, maybe for even a whole minute! ... Read More »
