Name ______________________________ Per ___
PERSUASIVE ESSAY
TEK 7.18: Students write persuasive texts to influence the attitudes or actions of a specific audience on specific issues. Students are expected
to write a persuasive essay to the appropriate audience that:
Development of Ideas: TEK 7.18(A) establishes a clear thesis or position; (B) considers and responds to the views of others and anticipates and answers
reader concerns and counter-arguments.
4 – Excellent
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3 – Good
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Writer establishes a clear thesis or
position about an important
controversial issue.
Details and evidence are specific,
well-chosen, and provide the reader
with a clear understanding of the
writer’s position.
Writer effectively considers reader
concerns and uses precise evidence
to answer counter-arguments.
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2 – Needs Work
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Writer states a thesis or position
about an issue, but the topic may not
be complex enough for much debate.
Details and evidence help to provide
the reader with more insight into the
writer’s position.
Reader concerns are addressed, and
counter-arguments are answered
with appropriate detail.
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1 – Unsatisfactory
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Thesis or position is not strongly
stated, and the chosen topic would
invite little disagreement.
Vague details and evidence offer only
limited insights into the writer’s
position.
Little attention is given to a reader
concerns, and counter-arguments are
answered with insufficient detail.
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Thesis or position is missing or
unclear, and the chosen topic is so
simple that no one would disagree.
Details are inappropriate or
insufficient, and they do not help
the reader understand the writer’s
position.
No attention is given to reader
concerns or possible counterarguments.
SCORE:
Organization/Progression: TEK 7.18(C) includes evidence that is logically organized to support the author’s viewpoint and that differentiates between
fact and opinion.
4 – Excellent
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Essay is well organized with clear
topic sentences and an introduction
and conclusion that effectively
support the writer’s position.
Evidence clearly differentiates
between fact and opinion to
strengthen the essay’s argument.
3 – Good
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2 – Needs Work
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Organization helps to support the
writer’s position with appropriate
topic sentences, introduction, and
conclusion.
Writer distinguishes between facts and
opinions to adequately support the
essay’s argument.
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1 – Unsatisfactory
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Organization is loose, topic
sentences are vague, and the
introduction and conclusion need
more substance.
Some attempt is made to address
facts and opinions, but it does
little to strengthen the argument.
This is not an effective essay because
the organization is disjointed and topic
sentences, introduction, and
conclusion are confusing or missing.
There is no distinction between fact
and opinion, which results in a poorly
constructed argument.
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SCORE:
Use of Language: TEK 7.17(A) Write a multi-paragraph essay to convey information about a topic that (v) uses a variety of sentence structures,
rhetorical devices, and transitions to link paragraphs.
4 – Excellent
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Clear, appropriate transitions and
rhetorical devices show an
exemplary command of purpose
and audience.
Effective sentence variety and vivid
word choice create a distinctive
style and voice, contributing to a
masterful finished product.
3 – Good
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2 – Needs Work
Transitions and rhetorical devices
are present and targeted to the
essay’s intended purpose and
audience.
Attention has been given to
sentence variety and word choice to
create an effective finished product.
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1 – Unsatisfactory
Transitions and rhetorical devices are
weak, leading to vague links between
ideas and an essay that is not clearly
targeted to a specific purpose and
audience.
Sentence variety is present but limited,
and word choice is general and/or
imprecise.
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Transitions and rhetorical devices
are inappropriate or missing,
making it very difficult to determine
the intended purpose and audience.
Lack of sentence variety and simple,
repetitive word choice lead to an
ineffective finished product.
SCORE:
Grammar and Conventions: TEK 7.14(D) Edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling. Focus TEK(s)_____________________________________
4 – Excellent
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Writer shows consistent command
of proper sentence structure and
verb tenses with an effective variety
of simple, compound, and complex
sentences. (TEK 7.19)
Writer shows consistent command
of proper capitalization with no
errors. (TEK 7.20A)
Writer shows consistent command
of proper punctuation with few, if
any, minor errors. (TEK 7.20B)
Writer shows consistent command
of spelling with no errors. (TEK 7.21)
3 – Good
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Sentence variety is present, but
there are some verb tense and
structural errors that create
minor effects on meaning.
Writer shows understanding of
proper capitalization, but a few
minor errors are present.
Writer shows some command
of proper punctuation, but
several errors are present.
Writer shows understanding of
proper spelling, but a few
minor errors are present.
2 – Needs Work
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There is little variation in sentence
structure, and verb tense and
structural errors begin to interfere
with meaning.
Writer shows limited understanding of
proper capitalization with several
errors present.
Writer shows limited understanding of
proper punctuation, and errors detract
from the work.
Writer shows limited understanding of
proper spelling; errors begin to
interfere with meaning.
1 – Unsatisfactory
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Writer tends to create only simple
sentences, and there are many
fragments, comma splices, run-ons, and
verb tense errors that greatly interfere
with meaning.
Writer shows no mastery of proper
capitalization with many errors present.
Writer shows no mastery of proper
punctuation; errors greatly interfere with
meaning.
Writer shows no mastery of proper
spelling; errors greatly interfere with
meaning.
SCORE: