ISEE Writing & Essay Skills 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: On the ISEE essay, students are given a prompt and how much time to write?
- 10 minutes
- 30 minutes (Correct answer)
- 60 minutes
- 5 minutes
Correct answer: 30 minutes
The ISEE essay section allows 30 minutes to plan and write a response.
Question 2: Which sentence has correct subject-verb agreement?
- The group of students were ready.
- The group of students was ready. (Correct answer)
- The group of students are ready.
- The group of students be ready.
Correct answer: The group of students was ready.
The subject 'group' is singular, so it takes the singular verb 'was'.
Question 3: What is the best way to start the planning stage of an ISEE essay?
- Write the conclusion first
- Brainstorm and outline your main points (Correct answer)
- Copy the prompt word for word
- Start with the final sentence
Correct answer: Brainstorm and outline your main points
Brainstorming and outlining helps organize ideas before writing.
Question 4: Which word best completes the sentence: 'The hikers were ___ after the long climb'?
- exhausted (Correct answer)
- exhaust
- exhausting
- exhausts
Correct answer: exhausted
'Exhausted' is the adjective describing how the hikers felt.
Question 5: A strong thesis statement in an ISEE essay should be:
- Vague and open-ended
- A clear, specific main idea (Correct answer)
- A list of unrelated facts
- A question with no answer
Correct answer: A clear, specific main idea
A thesis states a clear, specific main idea that the essay supports.
Question 6: Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
- After dinner we walked the dog.
- After dinner, we walked the dog. (Correct answer)
- After, dinner we walked the dog.
- After dinner we, walked the dog.
Correct answer: After dinner, we walked the dog.
An introductory phrase is followed by a comma.
Question 7: Why is it important to support your essay points with examples?
- Examples make the essay longer only
- Examples make your ideas clear and convincing (Correct answer)
- Examples are not needed
- Examples replace the thesis
Correct answer: Examples make your ideas clear and convincing
Specific examples make arguments clearer and more persuasive.
ISEE Writing & Essay Skills 2
On the ISEE essay, students are given a prompt and how much time to write?