How can you help students write concisely and clearly under time pressure?

1 Understand the task

Before you start writing, you need to understand the task and what it requires from you. Read the instructions carefully and identify the purpose, audience, format, and criteria of the writing task. If possible, ask questions or clarify any doubts with the instructor or the examiner. You should also plan your time and allocate enough time for each stage of the writing process, such as brainstorming, outlining, drafting, revising, and editing.

2 Use an outline

An outline is a tool that can help you organize your ideas and structure your writing. It can also help you write concisely and clearly by eliminating unnecessary or irrelevant information and focusing on the main points and supporting details. You can use different types of outlines, such as bullet points, mind maps, or diagrams, depending on your preference and the type of writing task. However, you should keep your outline simple and flexible, so that you can adjust it as you write.

4 Use active verbs

Another way to write concisely and clearly under time pressure is to use active verbs. Active verbs are verbs that show who or what is performing the action, and they make your writing more direct and dynamic. For example, instead of writing "The results were analyzed by the researchers", you can write "The researchers analyzed the results". Using active verbs can also help you avoid wordiness and redundancy, as you can omit words that do not add any meaning or value to your writing.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?