Essay Writing on the SAT
Employing these techniques in your essay will help boost your score!
Alright! You’ve annotated, you’ve SOAPS’ed, you’ve made connections, and now you actually have to write the essay! In this chapter, we’ll go through the basic parts of an effective essay and provide essay writing tips, a bunch of sample essays, and some feedback from our SAT experts.
The previous chapter covered the first two tasks required to develop your essay: Reading and Analysis. Now we turn to the third and final task: writing the essay. According to ETS and the College Board, your Writing score will be based on whether you
make use of a central claim
use effective organization and progression of ideas
use varied sentence structures
employ precise word choice
maintain consistent, appropriate style and tone
show command of the conventions of standard written English
This is also where you show your grader that you have read, understood, and analyzed the text.
Your introduction needs to do three things:
1. Describe the text. This is where you’ll bring in the SOAPS points. This can be done in one sentence.
2. Paraphrase the argument. This is where you’ll show your grader that you understand the text by concisely summing up the main points and the overall message of the text. The Reading score comes from your demonstration of comprehension of the text.
3. Introduce the examples you will be discussing in the body paragraphs. You will establish a framework in your introduction that you should then follow for the rest of the essay.
The body paragraphs will focus on different appeals or style elements the author uses to effectively communicate the argument. Each body paragraph will need to do the following:
Name and explain the rhetorical device or appeal.
Where is it in the text?
Use short, relevant quotes to show you understand the text and the rhetorical device, but do not rely on long excerpts from the passage. In order to get a high score, you need to use your words to explain what’s going on.
Identify the effects of the author’s rhetorical choices.
Explain the connection between the rhetorical device/appeal and the text, and your argument in general. Do not simply quote chunks of text and then briefly paraphrase. Your goal is to answer the question, “How does this contribute to the author’s argument?”
For example, do not simply say, “This is an example of imagery.” Explain why the imagery is effective. Perhaps the author’s descriptions of the beautiful sunset effectively draw in the reader, creating an emotional connection between the author and her audience. This connection may make the audience more sympathetic to the author’s subsequent points because there is an emotional connection now.
Explaining how the device or appeal works is how you show your grader your ability to analyze the text.
1. Restate the goal of the text and briefly paraphrase the elements you discussed in your essay.
2. Be concise and accurate.
SAT Essay Writing Tips
Maintain formal style and objective tone. Avoid “I” and “you.” Do not use slang.
Use varied sentence structure.
Write neatly.
Use clear transitions.
Use short, relevant quotes from the text.
Don’t worry about official terms for things. “Appeal to emotions” is fine instead of specifically referencing “pathos,” and “comparison of two things” can be used instead of referring to a metaphor. If you do know the official terms, though, feel free to use them!
Let’s take a look at a few final products for the prompt introduced in the previous chapter. (See this page.) Be sure to notice what scores they received and why.
In his eloquent speech at Rice Stadium, former-President Kennedy wields a vast array of oratory tools and constructs a case for investment in space exploration. Throughout his address, Kennedy makes use of evidence, reasoning, and stylistic elements that together form his argument for the decision that the United States should become a dominant force in the new field of space exploration, and attempt to reach the moon.
Kennedy begins his address with an analogy of space exploration as a “new sea,” which he effectively continues by referring to the possible future of space as “whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace,” and revisits in his final plea for divine blessing “as we set sail.” The ocean is not the only natural analogy utilized by Kennedy in his speech, for he also makes use of references to mountaineering through the rhetorical question “why climb the highest mountain,” as well as quoting George Mallory’s stated reason for the expedition up Mount Everest: “Because it is there,” and stating that “space is there, and we’re going to climb it.” Beyond natural analogies, Kennedy paints with colorful language, such as speaking of “the fires of war,” “reap the harvest,” the “infancy” of space exploration, and old Houston as “the furthest outpost on the old frontier.” Kennedy also appeals to the locality in which he speaks by asking “Why does Rice play Texas?” and referencing “your City of Houston.”
Kennedy’s address makes use not only of creative language, but also of pieces of evidence. The primary evidence with which he appeals is a list of beneficial economic results of space exploration. He specifies that the area of Houston will see “double the number of scientists and engineers,” bear an increase in “salaries and expenses to $60 million a year,” receive investments of “some $200 million in plant and laboratory facilities,” and be the source of funds “for new space efforts [of] over $1 billion.” In addition to economic gains, Kennedy mentions a long list of educational boons such as “new knowledge of our universe and environment,” “new techniques of learning and mapping and observation,” and “new tools and computers for industry, medicine, the home as well as the school.”
Mixed among the evidential and rhetorical components of Kennedy’s address are threads of reasoning, which display the thought process by which Kennedy supports his appeal for national movement towards the exploration of space. Kennedy provides many reasons for the decision, including the universal appeal of “new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won.” Some of the other explanations Kennedy provides for the decision include that “space science…has no conscience of its own,” that the “opportunity for peaceful cooperation may never come again,” and that space exploration is worth doing “because [it is] hard,” which—while apparently paradoxical— Kennedy explains as well-reasoned since “that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills.” He incorporates additional thoughtful elements as he discusses that while “we are behind,…we do not intend to stay behind, and in this decade we shall make up and move ahead.”
Through these variable forms of evocative language, supportive evidence, and sound logic, former President Kennedy forges an appeal to his audience that is well-rounded and subtly sculpted into an address that exemplifies the oratory skill for which he was well known.
SAT Experts Say: This essay contains a very impressive summary of the argument, but very little analysis. It is clear that this student can identify the stylistic elements, but he or she does not discuss their impact on the reader or why the author uses them.
The powerful impact of President Kennedy’s speech at Rice Stadium on the controversial decision to direct money of the United States towards building a preeminent space program lies in the eloquence and universality with which he weaves his appeal. Through analogies as well as acknowledging and addressing the concerns of those dubious towards the idea of space exploration, Kennedy crafts a persuasive argument, solidified by references to prior explorations and details of economic incentives.
Perhaps the most necessary element which distinguishes a well-formulated argument from a mere exercise of rhetoric is the proper use of supportive evidence, of which President Kennedy’s address incorporates several examples. The first example he utilizes is subtle, but powerful. The United States had invested significantly in the development of nuclear technology, and part of the argument for that investment had been that nuclear technology could be used by the United States for its own benefit and protection, or against the United States by foreign nations who may intend harm. That argument translates clearly to space as well in Kennedy’s words that “Whether [space science becomes] a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of pre-eminence can we help decide [the future of space].” A further piece of evidence Kennedy uses to support his argument is the example of flight across the Atlantic. President Kennedy reminds his audience of this event in order to reference a previous accomplishment that had also once been seen as prohibitively difficult, much as practical exploration of space was seen by many in 1962. In his address, Kennedy also utilizes another evidentiary category, filling the second half of his speech with a lot of specific economic benefits for the area surrounding Houston from the newly bolstered space program as it develops, designed to overwhelm the listener with this positive side of investment.
Kennedy’s mastery of persuasive rhetoric plays out not only in the evidence to which he refers, but also in the analogies woven through his address, which serve to evoke emotional responses in his listeners. The initial words of Kennedy’s address provide the first of these analogies. Rooted in the history of exploration, Kennedy states that “We set sail on this new sea.” A form of evidence in itself, this analogy serves to recall the listener’s mind to a frontier that was once seen as unfathomably expansive and beyond human mastery. Kennedy continues the sea analogy by saying that space may become “a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war,” calling to the listener’s mind the unpredictable nature of the sea itself to be calm or horrifyingly volatile, as he suggests that the position of the United States in space exploration may decide the nature of this new frontier. Kennedy also reaches further back into the historical commonality of his listeners as he analogously describes Houston as “once the furthest outpost on the old frontier of the West” in order to call the listener’s mind to the nature of change over time. The Houston in which Kennedy gave this speech looked essentially nothing like the Houston of the old West, and this analogy provokes the listener’s imagination to project the possibilities for a new Houston, built on a strong space program. A third analogy with which Kennedy appeals to his listeners’ emotions is the reference to their local sports team. As Kennedy asks “Why does Rice play Texas?” he seeks to raise the ubiquitous sense of pride many feel for their sports teams of preference, which he hopes may translate to a sense of national pride for the space program.
As most any well-crafted argument will do, Kennedy also acknowledges the arguments of those who may hold a counter perspective. By asking “But why, some say, the moon?” Kennedy introduces a potential counterargument that the goal of reaching the moon may be arbitrarily lofty. Rather than dismissing this point as irrelevant, Kennedy seeks to disarm it by embracing the lofty nature of reaching the moon and calling attention to other lofty goals deemed worthwhile, such as to “climb the highest mountain” and “fly the Atlantic.” He continues to acknowledge the nature of this potential objection by saying that the goal has been chosen “because [it is] hard,” and therefore will “serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills.” Another possible counterargument Kennedy addresses is that “we are behind…in manned flight.” Again, Kennedy could have easily attempted to dismiss this argument by protesting that the gap is small, but he instead chose again to affirm the objection by stating “we…will be behind for some time.” Having fully acknowledged the strength of this potential problem, Kennedy then proceeds to describe the precise means by which the United States “shall make up and move ahead” through “new knowledge,” “new techniques,” and “new tools,” which Kennedy seamlessly segues into economic benefits, as described above.
The difficulty of dissecting an address like that of President Kennedy at Rice Stadium is itself a final example of the persuasiveness of Kennedy’s rhetoric. The power of Kennedy’s address can be seen most clearly in the interwoven nature of all its elements. Through the marriage of these different elements, Kennedy’s speech encourages, calms, and inspires.
SAT Experts Say: This student shows a clear understanding of the text and writes a solid piece analyzing the author’s argument. He or she indicates what Kennedy does (ex: “fill[s] the second half of his speech with a lot of specific economic benefits”) and then tells us why Kennedy did it (“to overwhelm the listener with this positive side of investment.”) This is the analysis that was lacking in Sample Essay 1 which, combined with good comprehension and solid writing skills, earned this essay a perfect score.
Kenedy gave a speech about going to the moon. It’s got a lot of stylistic elements in it. His whole speech is about how dangerous it is and how we should do it because it’s dangerous. He says it’s like Everest and that’s hard and it killed a guy who tried to do it but we oughta do it anyway. At the beginning he said it was like going to sea and it would be dangerous because of hostile pirates or something. And that it’s like Rice playing Texas. So maybe he could of meant we should do hard stuff even though you’ll probably lose or die. Also he said it’s like the Old West. I think maybe we like people trying do things that are dangerous, so maybe that’s why people like this speech so much.
SAT Experts Say: This student demonstrates practically no comprehension of the passage. The essay does not present an argument, but rather makes general statements about the essay that do not have any relevance to the prompt. In addition, the essay is sloppily written, including several spelling and grammatical errors—“Kenedy,” “oughta,” “could of,” and so on. The tone is too informal (“because of hostile pirates or something,” “we oughta do it anyway”), and the writing is disorganized; there is no logical progression of ideas. This essay would receive a low score.
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy delivered a stirring, poetic speech at Rice Stadium. He structured his address using complex rhetorical devices that make it an exemplar for the ages. In particular, he spoke in a direct, simple manner that was very accessible to his audience, but layered that simple speech with complex rhetorical flourishes such as alliteration, anaphora, and epistrophe throughout. As a result, the address created a pleasing auditory effect that kept the audience engaged throughout the speech.
Beginning with his first words, and continuing throughout the address, President Kennedy used alliteration to capture the attention and the mood of his audience. In the first paragraph alone, Kennedy references setting sail on the new sea, feeding the fires of war, and the mistakes that man has made. Like a newspaper headline or song lyric, these phrases have a rhythm that make them catchy and memorable and demands the attention of the audience. At key lines the speech even settles into an iambic rhythm before returning to a blank prose style.
The pleasing rhythm of Kennedy’s address is also significantly enhanced by his use of anaphora and epistrophe (also referred to as anadiplosis). Kennedy frequently employs anaphora—the repetition of beginning words in parallel phrases—at key points throughout his speech, and practically in every paragraph. In the first paragraph he repeats the phrase “I do”; in the second, rhetorical questions beginning with a repeated “why”; in the third, “we choose” repeated, followed by “because” repeated, followed by “one” repeated; and so on. And as he closes the speech, Kennedy uses epistrophe, the complementary device in which a word or phrase is repeated at the end of successive parallel clauses, noting that various things “are there.” This repetition of phrases has a very powerful effect on the listener, because the phrases are so memorable when repeated, subconsciously leading the listener to conclude that the point being argued must be very important.
Through his use of evocative language, President Kennedy devised a speech that has a powerful effect on his audience. The combination of plain language with rhythm, repetition, and rhetoric evinces Kennedy’s mastery of oratory and makes his address live on through the ages.
SAT Experts Say: The main problem with this essay, as reflected in the scores above, is that the student fails to show whether he or she actually understood the speech and its central ideas. The essay lacks interpretation of the content of the speech itself, focusing only on its rhetorical devices. Although the essay does a good job of identifying these devices, the discussion does not point to the purpose of the essay; in other words, the student does not sufficiently explain how those devices are used to support Kennedy’s specific claims. However, the essay demonstrates solid writing skills and offers a decent analysis of the stylistic devices and other technical elements.
In 1962, John F. Kennedy gave an inspiring speech at Rice Stadium designed to convince his audience that space exploration was worth the risk, expense, and commitment that would be required. He employed a variety of rhetorical devices in composing a complex and powerful message.
One prominent feature of President Kennedy’s speech was its use of simile and metaphor. In the first paragraph, Kennedy begins by comparing the mission to the moon to an ocean voyage, implicitly comparing space exploration to the discovery of America. He begins by stating that we “set sail on this new sea,” and elaborates by emphasizing that the United States can use its power to help determine whether that “new ocean” will be a “sea of peace” or rather a dangerous mistake. He continues to make metaphorical comparisons by posing rhetorical questions about climbing a mountain and making a trans-Atlantic flight—past examples of once-impossible tasks that were under-taken and achieved through hard work and perseverance.
Another important feature of Kennedy’s speech is his use of facts and supporting evidence to bolster his argument. Kennedy acknowledges that we “will be behind for some time in manned flight,” but avers that we “shall make up and move ahead.” He follows this claim with specific supporting evidence. He begins by discussing scientific advancements in knowledge and technology that he believes will allow the United States to achieve this goal. He then goes into detail about the positive economic effects that will be brought about by the investment in the space program, and ties these facts to the overall theme of the essay by analogizing space exploration to the settlement of the western United States: he describes Houston as “once the furthest outpost on the old frontier of the West” and imagines it as the heart of a new technological center.
A third device used by Kennedy is reference to local events, history, and pride as he speaks in Houston. By asking “Why does Rice play Texas?”, Kennedy humorously plays on the long-time football rivalry between the football teams by putting it in the same category as the first trans-Atlantic flight. Later, he specifically describes plans to invest in advanced technology at Rice, as well as the city of Houston (“your City of Houston”), the region, and the state of Texas as a whole.
By using these techniques of analogy, supporting evidence, and reference to local facts and history, Kennedy created a very complex and interesting speech. While many of his other speeches may be better known, this speech is an excellent example of the depth of his rhetorical skill.
SAT Experts Say: This is a solid essay that demonstrates sufficient comprehension of the speech, its central ideas, and important details, and that uses evidence from the speech to support its argument. In addition, the essay follows a clear, logical progression of ideas and shows effective use of language in writing. There is also a clear introduction and conclusion. However, this essay would lose points in the Analysis category, as the student doesn’t go far enough in explaining the importance of the speech’s features.
This speech is about how we should go to the moon. He starts by talking about how it’s like an ocean and it could be a hostile theater of war, so we should protect ourselves when we set sail in space.
In the next paragraph he says that space is like climbing a mountain or like Rice playing Texas. I guess he’s trying to make a joke with the audience, because Rice always loses to Texas, but that’s not a very smart thing to compare going to space to.
Next he’s all like it will be so hard it will be to go to space. And we’ll be behind for a long time and then ahead. Mr. Negative, right? That doesn’t make me want to do it.
Then spends a lot of time talking about business industries and money stuff. Boring.
Finally, he says we should go to the moon because it’s like trying climb a mountain. This makes no sense because he said earlier it was like sailing, and also because why would we want to be like the guy who died trying to climb a mountain? I guess it’s a cool idea though so we should try to do it, but he should have just said that instead.
SAT Experts Say: This is very weak essay. Though the essay shows a very basic understanding of the speech, it does not present a case, contain analysis, or respond to the prompt in any way. While the tone is very informal and even flippant, the writing (technically speaking) is mostly error-free, which might earn the essay a few Writing points. Overall, though, the essay is sloppy, lacks focus, and does not make any point.
Writing, the third and final task of the SAT Essay, is about putting all your ideas together in a coherent, well-written essay.
The essay will not require you to write about a personal experience or give your opinion on a certain topic. This essay is a technical analysis of an argument, not your opinion about that argument.
In order to get a good score for the Writing task, you should make a claim and be able to support it with evidence from the passage. You should also organize your thoughts in a coherent, logical manner, and show command of standard written English by varying your word choice and sentence structure.
Be sure that your essay has the three key parts: introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Your introduction should describe the text and paraphrase the argument being made, as well as introduce the specific elements of the passage and argument that you will discuss in the essay. Your conclusion should restate the goal of the passage/argument and sum up the points you made.
Keep analysis in mind as you write your essay. You should not merely describe a text, but explain how that text is written and structured to accomplish a certain goal. And remember, cite evidence!