<p>I am wondering if it is safe to use personal experience rather than using quotes... It is a pain for my D. to try to come up with these quotes.. I am afraid it might have the opposite effect. Please let me know what you think. Thanks.</p>
<p>First, personal experience is fine, provided it's relevant to the topic. But she shouldn't rely <em>only</em> on personal experience examples.</p>
<p>Also, she doesn't need to quote anything...she just needs to understand the book or history she's using as an example... My recommendation is to review a book or two that 1) she enjoyed, and 2) have lots of themes, and to review a major historical event or time period. Often, she'll be able to use at least one example from a book or history...but she shouldn't try to force a book or bit of history to fit into an essay in which it doesn't belong.</p>
<p>Just remember...explain fully. Assume that the reader has not read the book being used as an example...</p>
<p>Hope that helps...</p>
<p>actually, i have a stronger position on using personal examples. I believe that in a great majority of cases, it is easier to write (with the given time limit) on a personal example b/c you know simply everything about that example and you can really elaborate on it, providing the necessary details (and even more!). Basically, its a personal preference- but whatever you are most comfortable writing about and can provide the most detail on should be what you use!</p>
<p>I agree with kurplunk, and I think the sample high-score essays provided by the CB show that you can score well with either academic or personal examples. I'll even go further--I think, to a limited degree, you can make things up :) My 12 essay from the first test date included two examples (one personal and one from current events) that were both totally fabricated but plausible. The way I see it, if the test requires accurate academic examples, it puts too big a burden on the graders (who would then have to become fact-checkers) to be practical, and it would also be charged with discriminating against students who hadn't studied much history or literature, which is something the CB is very sensitive to where the SAT I is concerned.</p>
<p>Having said that--I do realize that the vast majority of people think you need academic examples. But I think that an analysis of perfect-scoring essays released by the CB contradicts that opinion to some degree. And, of course, if you CAN use academic examples well, then go for it.</p>
<p>Also, I agree that there's no need for quotes. I don't think I've seen a single 12-scoring essay with a quotation in it. Though I might be wrong--I don't have the CB's published sample essays with me at the moment, but I don't remember any quotes.</p>
<p>Mike</p>
<p>Thank you all!</p>
<p>Actually, I think Mike's suggestion about making up personal experiences is not a bad one at all, as long as it's reasonable. I often recommend that to my students. The essay is, after all, a test of your writing ability, not your knowledge of literature or history. But variety is nice, and if you have some lit or history references handy, you've got a variety of tools at your side...</p>
<p>Another thing to keep in mind...most of the essay graders are English teachers. A nice lit reference might sway them in your favor...but you'd better be right!</p>