Ma. Angela G. Reyes-27

Essay Questions

• Essay items, like short-answer, are constructed-response questions. However, essay answers are typically much longer than those of short-answer, ranging from a few paragraphs to several pages.

• The essay question type is intended for short answers of a paragraph or two, that one often finds on exams.

• Essay is not only reflection of the person’s ideas which are organized in a certain way. Role of an custom essay is much more significant. We describe our beliefs and thoughts in essays, write about our observation of everyday life, provide supportive arguments-in other words we reflect our personality and experience through essays.

Advantages

• Essay questions are the only question type that can effectively assess all six levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. They allow students to express their thoughts and opinions in writing, granting a clearer picture of the level of student understanding. Finally, as open-ended questions, they assess recall over recognition.

disadvantages

• There are two main disadvantages to essay questions: time requirements and grading consistency. Essays are time-consuming for students to complete, and require careful instructions on the part of the test writer. Scoring can be difficult because of the variety of answers, as well as the “halo effect” (students rewarded for strong writing skills as opposed to demonstrated mastery of the content).

Most appropriate for

• Assessment that cannot be accomplished with other question types. Because essays are the only question types that can effectively assess the highest levels of student mastery, they are the only option if the goal of testing is the assessment of synthesis and evaluation levels.

Bloom’s Levels

Knowledge
Comprehension
Application
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation

Sample Essay Questions

Writing an effective essay examination requires two important abilities: recalling information and organizing the information in order to draw relevant conclusions from it. While this process sounds simple, writing an effective essay examination under pressure in limited time can be a daunting task.

Common strategy terms for Essay writing are as follows:

1. Analyze: Divide an event, idea, or theory into its component elements, and examine each one in turn: Analyze Milton Friedman's theory of permanent income.
2. Compare and/or Contrast: Demonstrate similarities or dissimilarities between two or more events or topics: Compare the portrayal of women in Beloved with that in Their Eyes Were Watching God.
3. Define: Identify and state the essential traits or characteristics of something, differentiating it clearly from other things: Define Hegelian dialectic.
4. Describe: Tell about an event, person, or process in detail, creating a clear and vivid image of it: Describe the dress of a knight.
5. Evaluate: Assess the value or significance of the topic: Evaluate the contribution of black musicians to the development of an American musical tradition.
6. Explain: Make a topic as clear and understandable as possible by offering reasons, examples, and so on: Explain the functioning of the circulatory system.
7. Summarize: State the major points concisely and comprehensively: Summarize the major arguments against using animals in laboratory research

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Shakespeare Essay Questions

. Question: "who is the more evil, Macbeth or Lady Macbeth?'

. Question: ‘Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is about passion, about violence as much as love.’ Discuss this statement with close reference the text.

. Question: Consider the idea that Shakespeare’s Henry V embodies the idea of Shakespeare’s ideal king

. Question: ‘Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is as much about Elizabethan politics as it is about those of ancient Rome.’ Consider this statement by focusing on close analysis of the speeches of Brutus and Antony following Caesar’s assassination.

. Question: Choose ONE soliloquy from Shakespeare’s Hamlet and say how it reflects the major themes of the play

. Question: ‘When Malvolio falls, he invites pity not laughter.’ How far do you consider this to be applicable to the nature of the comedy in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.

. Question: Consider the gender specific emphasis in Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing

. Question: Do you consider Richard of Gloucester to be wholly evil as presented in Shakespeare’s Richard III?

. Question: ‘Othello is the agent of his own downfall.’ How far do you agree with this statement?

. Question: Choose TWO of Shakespeare’s sonnets and consider how the idea of love is presented in each.

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