Do note and mark the key words and specific features you are asked to deal with.
Do read the passage through once to orient yourself.
Do re-read the passage looking for evidence and support for the specific features you are asked to deal with.
Do plan your essay in at least thumbnail form.
Don't begin to write until you plan.
Do write a stunning beginning.
Don't necessarily start at the beginning; if the beginning is intimidating, start in the middle returning to the beginning later. (Leave room).
Don't write before seven minutes have elapsed.
Do start to write before fifteen minutes have elapsed.
Do take risks and think big.
Don't argue the prompt.
Do take two minutes to proofread your essay.
Do stretch your language. Look for the right words.
Sample prompt: In the following passages, two Native American writers describe
similar landscapes. Read the passages carefully. Then, in a well-organized
essay, explain how the passages reveal the differences in the author's purposes.
Consider such features as diction, syntax, imagery, and tone.
Annotated prompt: In the following passages, two Native American writers describe similar [this tells you something!] landscapes. Read the passages carefully. Then, in a well-organized essay, explain [the paper is an essay of EXPLANATION] how the passages reveal the differences [the obverse] in the author's purposes [You must discover the purposes of the authors]. Consider such features as diction, syntax, imagery, and tone [These are key concepts for you to discuss].
