ESL Lab Writing Diagnostic
Choose one of the prompts below that is closest to your English level. On the back
of this page, write a response to the prompt. TRY TO WRITE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.
Submit this paper to an ESL teacher or lab tutor for feedback and a program.
Prompt #1. Basic (ESOL 800, or very little English):
Describe your family.
Prompt #2. High-Beginning (ESOL 810, or equivalent):
Talk about something that you know how to do well. How did you learn it? Who
taught you? Give description and examples of what you can do.
Prompt #3. Pre-Intermediate (ESOL 820, or equivalent):
Tell about a difficult vacation or travel experience you had. Describe it in detail.
Prompt #4. Intermediate (ESOL 830 or equivalent):
Read the following quotation:
“To a child, one of the most obvious facts about grownups is that they
have forgotten what it is like to be a child.” - Randall Jarrell
Do you agree? Do you think it’s a problem to forget what it is like to be a child?
Write a few paragraphs in which you explain your points with details.
Prompt #5. High-Intermediate/Advanced (ESOL 840, 400, or beyond):
Read the following quotations:
“Lack of money is the root of all evil.”
- George Bernard Shaw
“A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of.”
- Jane Austen
Do the two authors agree on money? Describe their viewpoints. Which one do you
agree with and why?
