CATW Essay Outline
A CUNY Assessment Test in Writing (CATW) essay is a standardized writing test used to measure a student’s ability to do college-level writing in English. This essay is written by first-year students who are entering college to determine their placement in English composition and other developmental courses. The CATW essay is in response to a reading passage to show competency in five categories. These five categories include:
- Critical response.
- Development.
- Structure.
- Language use: Sentence and choice of words.
- Language use: grammar and mechanics usage.
CATW Essay Outline
The following is a CATW essay outline:
1. Introduction
Your introduction should be made up of a summary of what will be included in the rest of your essay.
The introduction should include:
- Hook. The hook should be the first sentence of your introduction paragraph. It should be interesting and catchy to grab your reader’s attention. You can share a brief anecdote or come up with something catchy from what you have read.
- Summary. Present the title of the passage, the author’s name, the author’s thesis, and three or four main points that the author has used to explain their thesis statement. Ensure that you do not include your personal examples in the summary.
- Thesis statement. Present your thesis statement at the end of your introduction paragraph.
2. Body paragraphs.
Your body paragraphs should each be composed of:
- A topic sentence
- Supporting details
- Concluding sentence
For your CATW essay you are required to write two or three body paragraphs. The main idea of the paragraph should be determined by your response to the author’s ideas. State whether you agree or disagree with the author’s point, why or why not. Your supporting details should include your own examples and explanations, as well as an explanation on how your ideas relate to the passage. In addition, provide a concluding sentence that gives your reader a sense that the paragraph has come to a close. Make sure to write at least six to eight sentences for each of your body paragraphs to make them stronger which will in turn translate to high scores.
3. Conclusion
Your conclusion should be the final paragraph in your CATW essay. You can use any of the following approaches to write your conclusion:
- Restate the author’s thesis statement and main points.
- Provide an explanation about what you have learned from the passage.
- State how the information in the passage might influence you.
- State the potential solutions to the concerns that have been brought up in the passage.
- Discuss the long-term effects of what the author has discussed.