AP Timed-Writing Pre-Writing Questions & Rubric
What aspects of “form” does the prompt call for you to examine? Open-ended or specific? If open-ended, what aspects of form will you discuss? For fiction, consider: point of view/narrator, character, setting, structure, storytelling technique, symbolism/metaphor, theme.
What aspects of “content” does the prompt call for you to examine? Open-ended or specific? In most cases the prompt will require you to include in your analysis the “overall meaning of the work.” You should articulate this in the thesis. What’s the overall meaning of the work?
Your thesis should incorporate the above points into one clear assertion that points toward the rest of your essay, ideally indicating what the sub-topics will be in your three (two? four?) body paragraphs. What will your three topic paragraphs discuss?
Your body paragraphs should begin with a topic sentence that articulates how, or at least that, the sub-topic relates to the thesis and/or the “overall meaning of the work.”
Best Essays demonstrate:
Valid thesis, developed astutely and convincingly; clear organization: 10 points
Focused analysis, with insightful perceptions: 10 points
Relevant, specific references to the text to illustrate: 10 points
Clear, well-crafted and composed expression, in appropriate critical language: 10 points
40 points total