We reviewed and discussed strategies for strengthening the test essays on Winesberg, Ohio that Marcel completed before the winter break. Initially, we examined the questions and focused on those areas that were very thoroughly addressed as well as some questions which were not answered or which lacked amplification. We discussed ideas for more fully addressing all of the questions subsumed within the essay. Thereafter, we examined grammar and style with a specific emphasis on maintaining a consistent tense throughout the essay. I distributed the relevant portion of Strunk's "Elements of Style" which we read, after which I elaborated on how to maintain a consistent tense . We then focused on one of Marcel's essays and together noted the shifting tenses and reviewed how to address this issue. Marcel then rewrote his third essay accordingly. We further examined word usage and grammar issues in the first two essays. For homework, I assigned rewriting the first two essays to incorporate today's lesson i.e. fully answering all of the questions, maintaining a consistent tense, and paying attention to proper grammar and diction .