Hey, you smart-making types know how to write, right?

[JDTAY]

My sister says she'll buy me a PS3 if I get my GED in six weeks. I can't write essays though. Tips?
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Prohibit nothing. Disclose everything.

[Chuck]

Practice writing essays.

[Jack_Ian]

It helps to know what the examiners are looking for.

I had never heard of the GED, so I looked it up.

[Dread Pirate Westley]

Without reading the info in Jack_Ian's links, a brief outline could take the place of his spider diagram. For an assignment like this one where you get the subject and have less than an hour to write it, you'll have to keep it simple.

I Introduction
II Main idea 1
A Subpoint 1
B Subpoint 2
III Main idea 2
A Subpoint 1
B Subpoint 2
IV Conclusion

Add main ideas and subpoints as necessary (but given the time alotted, you'll be hard pressed to do too much more). Include a thesis statement in the introduction that clearly states Main idea 1, Main idea 2, etc., and a corresponding statement in the conclusion.

Put simply: Tell them what you're going to tell them, Tell them, then Tell them what you told them.

[MatthewV]

Also-- don't ever let your personal beliefs get in the way for a formulaic essay on standardized tests.

If the prompt was "burning coal is actually good for the environment" just agree with it and come up with two/three main points that agree with it. Nobody will ever connect you to the BS that goes on that page except through the passing score you get!

Side note: I got a crappy score on the writing portion of the GRE because I didn't like the prompt. Don't let that happen to you.

[JDTAY]

[Lepton*]

I work with students to prepare them for other tests with similar essay sections. Some thoughts:

1. I'm not too sure about the GED, but most prompts accept equally arguments for, and against, the position. The key is to pick a side and argue for it vigorously and convincingly.

2. The best way to improve essay writing is (almost always) to write essays. Write one every night, if you can find the time. The best way to improve your language skills generally is to read good books. One of my students attributed a 100 point boost on his SAT score to reading The Scarlet Letter.

3. Carefully work through examples of graded essays. Why did each essay get the grade it did? What level of vocabulary and grammar is associated with each? What is the level of complexity of thought involved in each?

4. Since you have a few weeks, it might be a good idea to review your grammar, particularly where it overlaps with "good writing". There are lots of websites for this.

5. Use the broad format that DPW describes, but don't be wedded to the specifics. All of the following are better than the standard 3-idea format, in the correct context: 2 well-developed main ideas, 1 strong idea and 3 illustrative examples, and 1 strong idea split into three pieces and 1 example. The introduction and conclusion are essential, but writing them after you've written the rest of the essay is probably best, since you won't really be sure your ideas until you've written them on the page.

[Zag]

Go here: http://www.unm.edu/~tinan/writing/ged_essay_directions.htm

Set your timer to 45 minutes, then pick one of the topics and write about it.

Paste your result in a note here in this thread, and you'll get great feedback, I guarantee. I, at least, and I'm sure others here, will be happy to help you.

And congrats and good luck! (And good for your sister for motivating you. In the end, you'll be glad you did it, and not just for the new electronics.)

[Poisonium]

[Jack_Ian]

[Jack_Ian]