4 This response demonstrates advanced success with the text-based writing task. The essay:

• offers a clear thesis, with consistent focus on the assigned task
• shows effective organization throughout, with smooth transitions
• offers thoughtful, creative ideas and an insightful, comprehensive grasp of the assigned text
• develops ideas thoroughly, using relevant, well-elaborated information, examples, and details from the assigned text
• exhibits mature control of written language

3 This response demonstrates competent success with the text-based writing task. For the most part, the essay:

• offers a clear thesis and focuses on the assigned task, with minor distractions
• shows effective organization, with minor lapses
• offers mostly thoughtful ideas and a general grasp of the assigned text
• develops ideas adequately, with mostly relevant information, examples, and details from the assigned text
• exhibits general control of written language

2 This response demonstrates limited success with the text-based writing task. The essay may:

• include some loosely related ideas that distract from the writer’s text-based focus
• show some organization, with noticeable gaps in the logical flow of ideas
• offer routine, predictable ideas and a limited grasp of the assigned text
• develop ideas with uneven use of information, examples, and details from the assigned text
• exhibit limited control of written language

1 This response demonstrates emerging effort with text-based writing. For the most part, the essay:

• shows little awareness of the topic and purpose for writing
• lacks organization
• offers unclear, confusing ideas and little or no grasp of the assigned text
• develops ideas in only a minimal way, if at all—with little or no material from the assigned text
• exhibits major problems with control of written language

Unscorable This response is unscorable for one or more of the following reasons. The paper may be:

• so unusual that it cannot be scored by the computer
• off-topic
• a paraphrase of the prompt
• written in a foreign language
• incomprehensible
• too brief to determine whether the student has responded to the task
• a written refusal to write

Because your essay cannot be scored by our system, it is not possible to provide more detailed feedback. For ideas that can help you improve your writing, click below on Writing Activities.