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00:00:00 – 00:18:55
The video, presented by Parker from Test Prep Champions, outlines a comprehensive strategy for excelling in the GED Language Arts essay section, known as the extended response. Parker introduces a step-by-step approach, emphasizing the critical phases of reading, planning, and writing, while suggesting various time management strategies to maximize the 45-minute essay period. The video stresses the importance of a structured five-paragraph essay format, including an effective introduction that states the topic and positions of the authors, supported by body paragraphs with strong evidence and logical arguments.
Key elements include distinguishing between strong and weak arguments, using credible sources like surveys and expert opinions versus personal opinions without substantial data. The video provides a detailed comparison of two arguments about the appropriate age for children to receive cell phones, highlighting the superiority of arguments backed by data.
Parker highlights the necessity of thorough preparation, evidence integration, clear sentence structures, and meticulous proofreading to optimize essay quality. Finally, the video encourages consistent practice and plans to cover more detailed writing tips in future content.
00:00:00
In this part of the video, Parker from Test Prep Champions introduces strategies to ace the GED Language Arts essay, also known as the extended response portion. He addresses viewers who might be new to writing or unsure where to start. Parker outlines a step-by-step approach to maximize essay scores, covering the essay’s expected length, word count, and content. He mentions the essay often causes stress but notes that doing well on the multiple-choice questions is more critical to passing the test. Parker cites advice from a GED teacher, who states that many students pass without scoring on the essay. He emphasizes still preparing thoroughly to avoid leaving points on the table and offers an overview of the essay’s structure, including the recommended number of paragraphs, sentences, and words.
00:03:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker outlines a phase approach for writing an essay based on two passages. The process involves three main phases: reading, planning, and writing. The planning step is emphasized as crucial for a smooth writing experience. The speaker discusses different strategies for budgeting time within the 45-minute essay period: a balanced plan (10 minutes reading/planning, 25 minutes writing, 10 minutes editing), a reading-focused plan (15 minutes reading/planning, 25 minutes writing, 5 minutes editing), and a writing-focused plan (10 minutes reading/planning, 30 minutes writing, 5 minutes editing). The importance of not panicking and maintaining a strategy during the essay writing process is highlighted. The speaker also describes the typical prompt for the GED test, which involves analyzing arguments from two different sources and determining which argument is stronger using specific examples and evidence.
00:06:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses the characteristics of strong versus weak arguments. Strong arguments are supported by surveys, recent data, expert opinions, research studies, and experiments. In contrast, weak arguments often rely on personal opinions, lack of named experts, unnamed or unreliable sources, outdated information, and bandwagon rhetoric. The video then transitions to analyzing specific examples, focusing on two speeches debating the proper age for children to get a cellphone. The speaker highlights the importance of identifying the author’s position to craft a well-supported argument, using a snippet from one of the speeches as an example.
00:09:00
In this segment of the video, the presenter contrasts two different arguments regarding the appropriate age for giving a child a cellphone. One argument suggests that age ten is ideal, supported by a 2012 survey from the National Consumer League and a quote from Carolyn Noor, citing the importance of fostering independence in children. The other argument posits that age sixteen is more suitable, correlating it with the age kids learn to drive, though the presenter notes this argument lacks supporting evidence, relying heavily on personal opinion without statistical or authoritative substantiation. The presenter concludes that the latter argument is weaker due to its lack of factual support. The segment then transitions into outlining a structured approach to essay writing, specifically the five-paragraph essay format, detailing the introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
00:12:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses how to structure an essay introduction effectively. They recommend starting with a topic sentence to introduce the topic without indicating a preference. Next, the speaker suggests stating the positions of two authors on the topic. Finally, the speaker advises concluding the introduction with a sentence stating which author’s position is better supported by the evidence. An example related to the appropriate age for children to have cell phones is provided to illustrate this approach. Following the introduction, the speaker outlines how to construct body paragraphs. Each body paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that explains one reason supporting the chosen author’s position, followed by evidence and arguments backing up that reason. The methodology aims to simplify essay writing by following a clear, formulaic approach.
00:15:00
In this part of the video, the speaker explains how to use evidence effectively in an essay, specifically referencing a 2012 survey by the National Consumers League, which shows that most children aged 8 to 12 own cell phones. This serves to support the argument that age 10 is appropriate for children to get cell phones. The speaker emphasizes the importance of using credible data to strengthen arguments and contrasts it with less credible arguments that lack supportive data. The conclusion restates the main idea, reinforcing that age 10 is appropriate based on evidence, unlike the weaker argument favoring age 16. The speaker outlines the strategy of planning, organizing thoughts, and ensuring structure in a five-paragraph essay. They also advise on checking for grammar and punctuation errors during the final review.
00:18:00
In this part of the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of condensing long sentences into shorter ones and using colons or semicolons correctly. Although some aspects like transitional phrases and grammar rules are mentioned as crucial, they are not covered in detail in this video. Instead, the focus is on a step-by-step approach to writing an essay. The speaker encourages viewers to practice extensively and understand the discussed concepts, suggesting future videos will address other writing tips. The video concludes with a request for feedback, likes, and subscriptions, and offers best wishes for test success.