Impromptu Essay Assignment

As noted on the syllabus, a passing portfolio in English 111 must contain one passing impromptu essay.
You will have three opportunities this semester to write a passing impromptu. The goal of the impromptu
essay is to prepare you for various timed writing situations, including:
In-class tests and exams
On-line activities, quizzes, tests, and exams with a time limit
Lab reports
Journalism, communication, or speech assignments
Any time a professor, colleague, or employer requires you to consider an issue and report back in
writing quickly and articulately, which will happen in any field of study or area of employment.
On the days you write an impromptu essay in English 111, you will come to class, sit down, and receive a
prompt right away: a specific question or statement to which you will respond. You will have about 45
minutes to write a coherent, focused essay that contains an introduction with a thesis, a body, and a
conclusion.
Guidelines for Writing an Impromptu Essay
When you receive the prompt, take a minute or two to think about it. Be sure you understand
precisely what is being asked of you.
Take another minute or two to jot down a few notes and/or a rough outline containing your
thesis, the main points you will make, and how you will organize those points as coherently as
possible.
Do NOT begin writing immediately. This is the surest way to a confused, disorganized essay.
Spend a few minutes outlining your essay, jotting down notes, etc. In other words, think about
your writing strategy before you begin writing.
On the other hand, do not use up too much time with planning. Four or five minutes should
suffice.
As with any type of essay, write as clearly as you can with sufficient development and support,
such as explanations, details, and examples.
Reread the prompt once or twice as you write to make sure you are staying focused.
Leave a couple of minutes at the end for proofreading.
Expectations and Evaluation
Professors evaluate impromptu essays a bit differently than out-of-class essays on which you can spend
more time. For instance, you will not be marked down for the occasional spelling error, and we know that
you do not have enough time to revise the entire essay and make it exactly how you might wish it to be.
However, you are expected to:
establish a thesis
construct clear and coherent sentences
properly punctuate your sentences
write developed paragraphs
transition smoothly from paragraph to paragraph
stay focused and on-topic
support your thesis throughout the essay
write a conclusion
We will practice this in class. Students also find it extremely helpful to practice timed writing on their own.
Give yourself a prompt/topic, set an alarm for 45 minutes, and see how you do:
Did you spend too much time on the introduction at the expense of development later on?
Did you establish a thesis?
Did it take you a long time to get started? If so, consider ways to alleviate writers block in a
pressure situation.

Did you stay on-topic?

Did you run out of things to say before writing a full, developed, complete essay?
Did you repeat yourself because you ran out of things to say?