Need help Staying on TOPIC in a Final Writing test for Diploma.?

Question

One of my teachers told me the reason i'm failing the Nevada writing proficiency is because i keep going off topic. Dose anyone have any tips for tomorrow, when i take the test?

[Test includes of two topics.

EXAMPLE: Tell a time you we're told to have patience's and tell what happened.]

Answer 1

Have you learned outlining? Can you write a three-to-five-sentence paragraph that stays on topic? If so, combine the two skills. Write yourself an outline, with enough subpoints so as to have the length you need; then write one paragraph for each subpoint. Unless your mind goes off-course within a single paragraph (you may need to ask yourself "Does this sentence fit my paragraph topic?" for each one), you should stay on topic for the essay.

Answer 2

With the test tomorrow this may be a little late to learn this skill, but one way to write a 5 paragraph essay is to use the Banana, Bing, Bang, Bongo, Barrel technique.  Bing, Bang and Bongo are monkeys.   The banana is the introduction.  You come up with a sentence that will attract the reader to your topic.  Then you think of three subtopics that go with your idea, and write them in general terms.  For example in your topic:

        " Patience is supposed to be a virtue, but sometimes it is a little hard to achieve.  Christmas Eve was a good test of my patience one year.  I showed all the symptoms of impatience, made a plan for sneaking a look at my presents, and experienced the wrath of my parents when I was caught."

     Then you write one short paragraph about each of your subtopics.  Your second paragraph in this example would be all about the symptoms of impatience (physical symptoms, behavior, etc.).  This is your first monkey, Bing.

     Your next paragraph would be detailing your plan for sneaking a look at your presents. (Bang monkey), and your fourth paragraph would be telling about what happened when you got caught (Bongo monkey).

     Finally, you throw all of your ideas into a barrel, and sum up your story by basically telling what was in the first paragraph in slightly different words.

     I hope this helps.