Proposition: “Schools should teach students how to think, not what to think.”
Sample · 01-TARA Writing Task Book · Deep Explanation, Best Examples and What to Avoid
Chapter 1 Overview
TARA Writing Task Book · Deep Explanation, Best Examples and What to Avoid
This book prepares students for the TARA Writing Task. The task is not a knowledge essay and not a creative writing task. It is a timed reasoning task: the candidate chooses one proposition, considers different aspects of it, and writes a clear, balanced, well-structured response within the word limit. The strongest responses show judgement, fairness, structure and concise academic style.
TARA Writing Task rewards organised reasoning, not memorised opinion.
Core principle
A high-quality TARA Writing Task response should show that the student can think clearly under time pressure. It should not sound like a memorised speech, a social media opinion, or a list of disconnected points. The ideal answer is balanced but not vague: it considers more than one side and then reaches a justified judgement.
Most wanted vs not wanted
| Most wanted | Not wanted | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Clear interpretation of the proposition | Ignoring key words in the prompt | The whole essay must answer the exact proposition. |
| Balanced reasoning with a final judgement | One-sided rant or neutral summary with no position | The task asks for considered reasoning, not just information. |
| Concrete examples used briefly | Long stories, invented statistics, or irrelevant examples | Examples should support reasoning, not replace it. |
| Concise, controlled academic style | Overly emotional, casual, or repetitive language | Clarity matters more than impressive vocabulary. |
| Counterargument and response | Pretending the other side has no value | Good judgement recognises complexity. |
Book Structure
Book Structure
Topics covered
- 1 Understanding Propositions
- 2 Planning a Balanced Essay
- 3 Building an Argument
- 4 Counterarguments
- 5 Clear Paragraph Structure
- 6 Concise Academic Style
- 7 750-word Response Practice
- 8 Timed Writing Practice
1 Understanding Propositions
1 Understanding Propositions
A strong TARA response does not just agree or disagree; it interprets the proposition and makes a reasoned judgement.
Deep explanation
A proposition is the statement or issue you are invited to discuss. Understanding it means identifying the central tension, the key terms, and the scope. Students often fail because they answer a related topic rather than the exact proposition. For example, if the proposition is “Universities should prioritise potential over past achievement,” the essay should not simply be about whether exams are good or bad. It must compare potential and past achievement as selection principles.
Most wanted article example: interprets the proposition exactly
Continue reading — 1 chapters, worked examples and practice.
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