On-Demand Writing

The Process of Writing Whole Pieces

on the CATS Test

Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools

In each prompt, Look for SPAM.
SPAM

Situation—The event that causes you to need to write. (On

the test, you have to pretend.)
Purpose—The reason you’re writing: to persuade, to
narrate an event, to respond to a text/graphic/chart
Audience—The person (or people) you’re pretending to
write to
Mode—The type of writing you are to do: letter, feature
article, editorial, speech

Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools

 Situation
• The situation is labeled for you.
• It’s always the first part of the prompt.
• It’s a make-believe situation that hasn’t
really happened to you. You have to
pretend.
• It creates a need to write.

Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools

Purpose
Look for one of these in the writing task:
• Respond to a text/graphic/or chart (Organize information by using
main ideas and supporting details.)
• Persuade (Consider the needs/feelings of the audience as you
solve problems and/or convince them. Use main ideas and
supporting details.)
• Narrate an event (Share what you saw, heard, smelled, tasted,
touched, said, thought, did… to make a point.)

Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools

 Audience
• Look in the writing task for the audience.
• It might be an individual or a group.
• You write to this pretend audience for
reasons stated in the prompt.
• Consider what they need to know, want to
know, already know…
• Imagine what questions they would have
for you. Answer them.
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools
 Mode: What Kind of Writing
You’re to Do
• Look in the writing task for the mode:
letter, feature article, editorial, speech.
• Follow the format.
• Letters have the date, a greeting, a body, a
closing, a signature.
• Feature articles and editorials have titles,
headings, columns, leads, closings.
• Speeches have titles, leads, bodies, closings.
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools
 On-Demand Writing Gives you
Less of the Following:
• Time (90 minutes +)

• Feedback (none—you’re on your own)

• Ownership (two choices)

Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools
 Prewrite: Draw and Fill In Your
Own Graphic Organizers
• Train Cars
• Tabletops and Supporting Legs
• Picture Frames
• Goggle Guy pages
• Once you’ve drawn your graphic organizers, fill them
in with the supporting details you’ll use in your draft.
• Organize them by numbering or lettering each detail.

Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools

 Planning your Elaboration
• State your main idea(s).
• Details for responding and persuading tell
why and how, give examples, answer
anticipated questions, etc.
• Details for narrating an event are sensory
(see, hear, smell, taste, touch). They show,
not tell about the event by including
dialogue, thoughts, and actions.

Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools

 Lead
• Get the reader’s attention.
• Get the reader on the right track by
indicating the focus. Put important words
from the situation in your lead.
• Use a question, quote, comparison,
command, list… Use onomatopoeia,
dialogue, action…
• Write more than one and choose your best.
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools
 Drafting the Body
• Follow your prewriting.
• Revise as you go.
• Revise when you think you’re finished.
• For persuading and responding, keep telling why and
how. Tell stories. Give examples. Answer questions
the audience might have.
• For narrative writing, show what happened by sharing
sensory details, dialogue, thoughts, and action.
• Connect your ideas with transitions.

Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools

 Drafting the Closing
• Make the piece feel finished.
• Give the reader something to think about, laugh
at, remember.
• You might tie back to something you said in
your title or lead.
• Be brief. Closings are short.

Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools

 Edit for Correctness: Check the
following:
• Capitalization
• Usage (We was)
• Punctuation
• Spelling
• Complete Sentences
• Letters or Words Left Out
• Repetition
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools
 Final Copy
• Use your best handwriting.
• Make it LOOK like a letter, a feature article (or an
editorial).
• Watch your margins and indent for paragraphs.
• Revise as you go, when needed.
• Be correct and neat. If they can’t read it, they can’t
score it.
• Don’t give up. Keep working hard. It won’t last
forever.

Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools