2013 Scoring Guide: Timed Writing #2 – Freakonomics or The Glass Castle
7-6
These essays offer a masterful analysis of the author’s purpose(s) in writing the book. They are
thorough and precise in their discussion of the author’s appeals to logos, ethos, and/or pathos
to achieve this purpose. These essays demonstrate the writer’s ability to express ideas clearly,
making references to the text through both examples and quotes that are masterfully selected
and integrated to enhance the analysis. The writer makes definitive statements and ties the
proof/examples to the statements through flawless commentary. The essay’s ideas flow
together with transitions both within and between paragraphs; sentences show a high degree of
craftsmanship as well as strong and varied structure. Essays scored a 7 present better developed
analysis and more consistent command of the elements of effective composition than do the
essays scored a 6.
5-
These essays offer an effective analysis of the author’s purpose(s) in writing the book but tend
to be superficial in their discussion of the author’s appeals to logos, ethos, and/or pathos to
achieve this purpose. These essays demonstrate the writer’s ability to express ideas in an
organized manner, and quotes are chosen appropriately to support the analysis. They often rely
on paraphrase, which may contain some analysis, implicit or explicit. The writer makes
statements, but the statement or the commentary may be vague, formulaic, or minimally
supported by references to the text. There may be minor misinterpretations of the text. The
essay contains transitions within or between paragraphs but lacks the flow of a 6-7 essay. These
writers demonstrate some control of language, but their essays may be marred by surface errors
or repetitive sentence structure. These essays are not as well conceived, organized, or
developed as 7-6 essays.
4-3
These lower-half essays fail to offer an adequate analysis of the author’s purpose in writing the
book or fail to address the author’s appeals to logos, pathos, and/or ethos to achieve this
purpose. The analysis may be partial, unconvincing, or irrelevant, or may the author’s purpose
or appeals. Some statements are underdeveloped or undeveloped by substantive proof or
commentary. Evidence from the text may be slight or misconstrued, or the essays may rely on
paraphrase only. The writing often demonstrates a lack of control over the conventions of
composition: inadequate development of ideas, accumulation of errors, or a focus that is
unclear, inconsistent, or repetitive. Essays scored a 3 may contain significant misreading and/or
demonstrate undeveloped writing skills.
2-1
These essays compound the weaknesses in the 4-3 range. Although some attempt has been
made to respond to the prompt, the writer’s assertions are presented with little clarity,
organization, or support from the poem. These essays may contain serious errors in grammar
and mechanics. They may offer a complete misreading or be unacceptable brief. Essays scored a
1 contain little coherent discussion of the poem.
0- These essays give a response that is completely off topic; there may be some mark or a drawing
or a brief reference to the task.