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RHETORICAL SKILLSIII. A well-written paper that presents one distinctidea.IV, A paper free of writing errors.These standards are quite difficult to meet if you are writingan in-class, timed essay; fortunately, you can be surethat the professors who grade the papers know that. Theydo expect you to have a rough structure, however, abeginning, a middle, and an end. They expect yourpaper to have unity, meaning a distinct idea to whicheverything logically relates, as well as coherence, a logicaland understandable flow of ideas. In other words,they expect a straightforward, sharp, detailed statementfrom you. In many ways, the on-the-spot essay that youare expected to write is more like a speech than the formalat-home essay, and it is unlikely your professors willgrade you down if you are somewhat informal and conversationalin writing it.24A Where do I begin?Many students who take timed writing tests tend to be alittle nervous, and begin writing without first planningtheir essay. Once you are given your subject, you need toplan and think a little, and should not consider it wastedtime. In fact, anticipate five to eight minutes of preparationtime before you write, during which you will bewriting a pregnant sentence and its supporting points.24B Pregnant sentencesThe main idea of your essay must be expressed in onesentence. It must be a sentence, because only a sentenceis able to express an idea, and it is the idea that you willbe developing in your essay. Once you write your pregnantsentence, everything you write must flow derivativelyfrom it, and from it alone.Take the following assignment;"The best things in life are free." In a busy worldlike ours, people tend to overlook the value ofcommonplace objects, relationships, pets,possessions, or other aspects of life. Write a wellorganizedessay about something that youconsider very valuable though it is usually takenfor granted. Be sure to explain in detail why youbelieve your subject is valuable.One of my students, Lisa, likes dogs and knows a littleabout them. When she read the question, she decided totry dogs as a subject. First, she had to transform the topicinto a pregnant sentence so that her essay would have anunderlying idea. She thought for awhile, and then scribbledon a scrap of paper:Dogs...what value?What do they do for us?-police dogs-guide dogs-sniffers-protect our homes-companions and pets-save livesAt this point, Lisa was ready to write her pregnant sentence.Dogs are a valuable asset to our society.She then performed the "content" test by asking, "howor in what way" are dogs a valuable asset to our society?Here is what she came up with.1. They can be taught to perform jobs,2. They protect you and your property.3. They give pleasure and companionship.There seems a good deal to say about the pregnant sentenceDogs are a valuable asset to our society. Noticethat each sentence directly answers the test question.There are no sentences that are vaguely and aimlesslyrelated to the pregnant sentence like, "I had a miniaturecollie once," or "Dogs differ from cats in their attenrivenessto their owners."Lisa also thought of the following sentences:4. They are employed in extensive medicalresearch.5. Breeding and showing dogs is a significantbusiness.These two sentences do meet the test. They answer mequestion, "How or in what way are dogs a valuableasset to our society?"However, she decided that they were a trifle off topic,because they differ from the others in the impersonal waythe dogs are treated in research and breeding. She keptthem in mind, anyway, in case she ran a little short lateron. The next step for Lisa was to write three or so sentencesthat are directly derived from each of the second-levelsentences. Again, it is very important that youwrite sentences so that you remain in the realm of ideas,not topics. And again, it is very important that each ofthese second-level sentences do not wander away fromthe idea being developed.Dogs are a valuable asset to our society.1. They can be taught to perform jobs.A. Dogs are trained to be police dogsand professional watch dogs.B. Dogs are used to assist thehandicapped.C. Dogs are used to detect drugs andexplosives.2. They protect you and your property.A. Barking dogs will usually deter anintruder from entering your home.B. Dogs will alert you of a presencenear their home,C. !f a stranger enters a person'shome, many dogs will actaggressively toward the intruder.3. Dogs are loyal companions,A. Dogs have given their lives toprotect police officers.38