P. A. T. DOWN THE PROMPT!

NAME:

DATE:

When you first get any writing prompt, you MUST break down the prompt to understand fully what you are writing
about. There have been many instances where students do not have their essay scored because they wrote about the
wrong topic! This is because they did not breakdown the prompt. After reading the prompt MULTIPLE times, use P. A. T.
to help you understand what to write.

Purpose: What is your purpose for writing? Is it to inform or to argue?

Audience: What audience are you writing for? Is it for the student body, a group of politicians, etc.? Understanding who
your audience is sets the tone for your writing. Think of it this wayyou would speak differently to President Obama
than you would to a group of your peers.

Task: What is your task? If you have determined that you are writing an argumentative piece, what are you arguing for
or against? If it is informative, what exactly are you informing your audience about? Does your writing have to fit a
specific structure? (Essay, proposal, blog, article, etc.)

Example

Prompt: What are qualities you deem important in a good teacher? What do
you believe about students? Your answers to these questions form the basis
of your teaching philosophy is an articulation of your attitudes and beliefs
about teaching and learning. Write an essay in which you describe your
teaching philosophy, being sure to support your ideas with specific examples.

Purpose: Writing to describe

Audience: A particular audience is not specified, so I am going to assume it is

a general, academic audience.

Task: I have to describe my teaching philosophy. (I have to think about my

attitudes/beliefs about teaching and learning.)
 Prompt P.A.T.
The notion that our public schools are Purpose:
becoming increasingly culturally diverse
has become self-evident in many of
nations communities. Evaluate the Audience:
advantages of a culturally diverse student
population and include some of the
required precautions that educators Task:
should recognize when teaching
culturally diverse learners.

The sentiment has been expressed that it Purpose:

has become appallingly obvious that our
technology has exceeded our humanity.
Evaluate whether or not our technology Audience:
has exceeded our humanity.

Task:

The sentiment has been expressed that Purpose:

online learning has begun to replace
face-to-face instruction. Evaluate
whether or not online learning has Audience:
earned a rightful place as a substitute for
face-to-face instruction.
Task:

Human beings need time to be Purpose:

themselves. They need time to relax,
unwind, and just let their mind wander.
What do you do to unwind? What Audience:
hobbies do you pursue? Write an essay in
which you identify your favorite hobbies
and why you enjoy them. Task:

It is often said that historical figures Purpose:

change the world. Write an essay about a
historical figure who changed the world
and explain what significant changes he Audience:
or she made in the course of world
events.
Task:
 THESIS STATEMENTS: YOUR ESSAYS GOLDEN TICKET

What is a thesis statement? Write down ANYTHING you know about a thesis statement in the space below:

A thesis statement is the _________________________________ of your entire essay. A reader should be

able to read your thesis statement and already know what your entire essay is going to be about. They
should also be able to work backwards and from your thesis, determine P. A. T.!
Lets give it a try with this example

All in all, online schooling has many advantages, including fostering

independence and tech-savviness, while also having the disadvantages of little
socialization to encourage peer and instructor relationships.
Purpose:
Audience:
Task:

Formula for writing a thesis statement:

__________________ the prompt + two main ________________ or ________________
(Depending on the purpose).
Online schooling has expanded to include even the primary and secondary level, while some still believe that it
cannot provide everything that traditional instruction can. Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of online
schooling.

All in all, online schooling has many advantages, including fostering independence and
tech-savviness, while also having the disadvantages of little socialization to encourage
peer and instructor relationships.

I have chosen a prompt, I

P.A.T.ted it down, and I
have my thesis
statementnow what?
 VISUALIZING ORGANIZATION:
We have to envision our essay before we write it.

Based on the type of essay that you have to write, the setup of your essay will look different.

Below is an example of how I envisioned the essay for the example prompt:

Prompt: Online schooling has expanded to include even the primary and secondary level, while some still
believe that it cannot provide everything that traditional instruction can. Analyze the advantages and
disadvantages of online schooling.
Thesis: All in all, online schooling has many advantages, including fostering independence and tech-savviness,
while also having the disadvantages of little socialization to encourage peer and instructor relationships

Paragraph 1: Introduction (including my thesis

statement)

Paragraph 2: Advantages (fostering independence

and tech-savviness)

Paragraph 3: Disadvantages (little socialization

to encourage peer and instructor relationships)

Paragraph 4: Conclusion (restate my thesis)

Prompt: Teaching has become a profession Paragraph 1:

that is considered to be fundamental to the
health of our nation. Some people contend
teaching certification should be granted only Paragraph 2:
after completion of a university teacher-
education program. Others maintain teaching
certification via an alternative route through Paragraph 3:
non-university entities such as school districts,
education service centers, and private agencies
is appropriate. Analyze the advantages and Paragraph 4:
disadvantages of each of these paths to
teacher certification.