English
2013 Persuasive Scoring Guide
Not all student essays will fit the scoring guide exactly. Your score should reflect your judgment of the essay’s quality as a whole. Remember
that students had only fifty minutes to write their essay, and assess the papers as drafts. Reward the students for what they do well.
6:
These papers demonstrate clear and consistent competence although they may have occasional errors. Such papers
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5:
Develop a clear and persuasive position concerning a universal idea in Romeo and Juliet
Demonstrate insightful reasoning and provide relevant examples
Are distinguished by varied sentence structure, sophisticated word choice, effective organization, and a sense of voice
Demonstrate consistent and effective control of standard written English grammar and mechanics although they may
not be completely without errors
These papers demonstrate reasonably consistent competence although they will have occasional errors or lapses in
quality. Such papers
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Develop a reasonable position concerning a universal idea in Romeo and Juliet
Demonstrate sound reasoning and provide relevant examples
Contain some examples of varied sentence structure, adequate organization, and effective word choice
Demonstrate effective control of standard written English grammar and mechanics although they will not be
completely without errors
4: These papers demonstrate adequate competence with occasional errors and lapses in quality. Such papers
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3:
Display limited variety in sentence structure, some organization, and appropriate word choice
Demonstrate adequate control of standard written English grammar and mechanics although they may have several
errors
Poorly developed position concerning a universal idea in Romeo and Juliet
Superficial reasoning and/or minimal examples
Almost no examples of varied sentence structure, weak organization, and/or ineffective word choice
Recurrent errors in grammar, mechanics, and/or usage
These papers demonstrate some incompetence. Such papers are flawed by one or more of the following weaknesses:
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1:
Demonstrate adequate reasoning and provide examples
These papers demonstrate developing competence. Such papers may contain one or more of the following
weaknesses:
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2:
Develop an adequate position concerning a universal idea in Romeo and Juliet
Ambiguous or no stated position concerning a universal idea in Romeo and Juliet
Disjointed reasoning, vague generalizations, and/or inappropriate examples
No variety in sentence structure, poor organization, or inappropriate word choice
Frequent errors in grammar and mechanics that interfere with the reader’s understanding
These papers demonstrate incompetence. Such papers are seriously flawed by one or more of the following
weaknesses:
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Only a passing reference t o a universal idea in Romeo and Juliet
No attempt to supply examples
Poor sentence structure, no organization, or incorrect word choice
Serious errors in grammar, mechanics, and/or usage that interfere with the reader’s understanding
0:
These papers may contain a few words or phrases without commentary, or may just copy the assignment or text.
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These papers are completely off-topic or are blank.
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