REVISING AND EDITINGMAIN IDEA MEMORABLE.THE BATMAN TEXT, AGAIN, PRO...

3. revising and editingmain idea memorable.The Batman text, again, provides a good example.When you are under pressure to write a winning essayin just 45 minutes, you may be tempted to skip theseIn Batman, Kane gave us an image of our ownsteps and just write your essay in one shot. You mayendsuperhero potential.up with a successful essay with this approach. But yourchances of doing well on the GED Writing Test—or, onThis concluding sentence sums up what makes Batmanany writing task—will increase dramatically if you takeso popular, rounding out the passage in a way that makesthe time to work through each step. Even though youreaders think about their own similarities to Batman andonly have 45 minutes, the ten minutes you spend plan-what sort of superheroes they could be.ning and proofreading your essay will be time well spent.In fact, for essay exams, the planning stage is so impor-tant that it has been divided into six separate steps in thefollowing section.Notice, for example, the underlined key words in the

How to Divide Your Time

two prompts below:

on an Essay Exam

The Internet includes many websites withWhen your time is limited, how long should youimages and content that are inappropriate forspend on each step in the writing process? children. Other sites on the Internet promoteOn an essay exam, use this general rule forviolence or intolerance against certain groups ofdividing your time:people. Should websites like these be censored?In your essay, state your position on this issue

1

and explain why you take that position. Use

4

of the time: planningyour personal observations, experiences, and2

of the time: writingknowledge to support your essay.4

of the time: revising and editingSometimes, events take an unexpected turn andYour 45 minutes on the GED can be divided asthings turn out differently than we imagined.follows:Tell about a time when something unexpectedhappened to you. In your essay, describe what10 minutes planningwas supposed to happen and how things actu-25 minutes writingally turned out. Use supporting details through-10 minutes revising and editingout your essay.You are on your way to a successful essay if:

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