SAT Essay: It’s About the Real World



SAT Essay: It’s About the Real World(All information obtained from: )The SAT Essay is a lot like a typical college writing assignment in which you’re asked to analyze a text. Take the SAT with Essay and show colleges that you’re ready to come to campus and write.What You’ll DoRead a passage.Explain how the author builds an argument to persuade an audience.Support your explanation with evidence from the passage.IntroductionEssay:IntroductionThe directions below are representative of what students will encounter on test day.The essay gives you an opportunity to show how effectively you can read and comprehend a passage and write an essay analyzing the passage. In your essay, you should demonstrate that you have read the passage carefully, present a clear and logical analysis, and use language precisely.Your essay must be written on the lines provided in your answer booklet; except for the planning page of the answer booklet, you will receive no other paper on which to write. You will have enough space if you write on every line, avoid wide margins, and keep your handwriting to a reasonable size. Remember that people who are not familiar with your handwriting will read what you write. Try to write or print so that what you are writing is legible to those readers.You have 50 minutes to read the passage and write an essay in response to the prompt provided inside this booklet.Do not write your essay in this booklet. Only what you write on the lined pages of your answer booklet will be evaluated.An off-topic essay will not be evaluated.The Essay PromptThe prompt (question) shown below, or a nearly identical one, is used every time the new SAT is given.Important: As you read the passage below, consider how [the author] uses:evidence, such as facts or examples, to support claims.reasoning to develop ideas and to connect claims and evidence.stylistic or persuasive elements, such as word choice or appeals to emotion, to add power to the ideas expressed.Write an essay in which you explain how [the author] builds an argument to persuade [his/her] audience that [author’s claim]. In your essay, analyze how [the author] uses one or more of the features?listed above (or features of your own choice) to strengthen the logic and persuasiveness of [his/her] argument. Be sure that your analysis focuses on the most relevant features of the passage. Your essay should not explain whether you agree with [the author’s] claims, but rather explain how the author builds an argument to persuade [his/her] audience.The TopicYou can count on seeing the same prompt no matter when you take the new SAT with Essay, but the passage will be different every time.All passages have these things in common:Written for a broad audienceArgue a pointExpress subtle views on complex subjectsUse logical reasoning and evidence to support claimsExamine ideas, debates, or trends in the arts and sciences, or civic, cultural, or political lifeAlways taken from published worksAll the information you need to write your essay will be included in the passage or in notes about it.What the SAT Essay MeasuresThe SAT Essay shows how well you understand the passage and use it as the basis for a well-written thought-out discussion. The two people who score your essay will each award between 1 and 4 points in each of these three categories:Reading: A successful essay shows that you understood the passage, including the interplay of central ideas and important details. It also shows an effective use of textual evidence.Analysis: A successful essay shows your understanding of how the author builds an argument by:Examining the author’s use of evidence, reasoning, and other stylistic and persuasive techniquesSupporting and developing claims with well-chosen evidence from the passageWriting: A successful essay is focused, organized, and precise, with an appropriate style and tone that varies sentence structure and follows the conventions of standard written English.Take a look at the SAT Essay rubric,?or guidelines, scorers use to evaluate every essay.SAT Essay ScoringSAT Essay responses are scored using a carefully designed process:Two different people will read and score your essay.Each scorer awards 1–4 points for each dimension: reading, analysis, and writing.The two scores for each dimension are added.You’ll receive three scores for the SAT Essay — one for each dimension — ranging from 2–8 points.To See Sample Student Essays and Scores go to: MLA FORMATScore PointReadingAnalysisWriting4Advanced: The response demonstrates thorough comprehension of the source text.The response shows an understanding of the text’s central idea(s) and of most important details and how they interrelate, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the text.The response is free of errors of fact or interpretation with regard to the text.The response makes skillful use of textual evidence (quotations, paraphrases, or both), demonstrating a complete understanding of the source text.Advanced: The response offers an insightful analysis of the source text and demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of the analytical task.The response offers a thorough, well-considered evaluation of the author’s use of evidence, reasoning, and/or stylistic and persuasive elements, and/or feature(s) of the student’s own choosing.The response contains relevant, sufficient, and strategically chosen support for claim(s) or point(s) made.The response focuses consistently on those features of the text that are most relevant to addressing the task.Advanced: The response is cohesive and demonstrates a highly effective use and command of language.The response includes a precise central claim.The response includes a skillful introduction and conclusion. The response demonstrates a deliberate and highly effective progression of ideas both within paragraphs and throughout the essay.The response has a wide variety in sentence structures. The response demonstrates a consistent use of precise word choice. The response maintains a formal style and objective tone.The response shows a strong command of the conventions of standard written English and is free or virtually free of errors.3Proficient: The response demonstrates effective comprehension of the source text.The response shows an understanding of the text’s central idea(s) and important details.The response is free of substantive errors of fact and interpretation with regard to the text.The response makes appropriate use of textual evidence (quotations, paraphrases, or both), demonstrating an understanding of the source text.Proficient: The response offers an effective analysis of the source text and demonstrates an understanding of the analytical task.The response competently evaluates the author’s use of evidence, reasoning, and/or stylistic and persuasive elements, and/or feature(s) of the?student’s own choosing.The response contains relevant and sufficient support for claim(s) or point(s) made.The response focuses primarily on those features of the text that are most relevant to addressing the task.Proficient: The response is mostly cohesive and demonstrates effective use and control of language.The response includes a central claim or implicit controlling idea.The response includes an effective introduction and conclusion.?The response demonstrates a clear progression of ideas both within paragraphs and throughout the essay.The response has variety in sentence structures. The response demonstrates some precise word choice. The response maintains a formal style and objective tone.The response shows a good control of the conventions of standard written English and is free of significant errors that detract from the quality of writing.2Partial: The response demonstrates some comprehension of the source text.The response shows an understanding of the text’s central idea(s) but not of important details.The response may contain errors of fact and/or interpretation with regard to the text.??The response makes limited and/or haphazard use of textual evidence (quotations, paraphrases, or both), demonstrating some understanding of the source text.Partial: The response offers limited analysis of the source text and demonstrates only partial understanding of the analytical task.The response identifies and attempts to describe the author’s use of evidence, reasoning, and/or stylistic and persuasive elements, and/or feature(s) of the student’s own choosing, but merely asserts rather than explains their importance, or one or more aspects of the response’s analysis are unwarranted based on the text.The response contains little or no support for claim(s) or point(s) made.The response may lack a clear focus on those features of the text that are most relevant to addressing the task.Partial: The response demonstrates little or no cohesion and limited skill in the use and control of language.The response may lack a clear central claim or controlling idea or may deviate from the claim or idea over the course of the response.The response may include an ineffective introduction and/or conclusion. The response may demonstrate some progression of ideas within paragraphs but not throughout the response.The response has limited variety in sentence structures; sentence structures may be repetitive.The response demonstrates general or vague word choice; word choice may be repetitive. The response may deviate noticeably from a formal style and objective tone.The response shows a limited control of the conventions of standard written English and contains errors that detract from the quality of writing and may impede understanding.1Inadequate: The response demonstrates little or no comprehension of the source text.The response fails to show an understanding of the text’s central idea(s), and may include only details without reference to central idea(s).The response may contain numerous errors of fact and/or interpretation with regard to the text.The response makes little or no use of textual evidence (quotations, paraphrases, or both), demonstrating little or no understanding of the source text.Inadequate: The response offers little or no analysis or ineffective analysis of the source text and demonstrates little or no understanding of the analytic task.The response identifies without explanation some aspects of the author’s use of evidence, reasoning, and/or stylistic and persuasive elements, and/or feature(s) of the student’s choosing,Or numerous aspects of the response’s analysis are unwarranted based on the text,The response contains little or no support for claim(s) or point(s) made, or support is largely irrelevant.The response may not focus on features of the text that are relevant to addressing the task.Or the response offers no discernible analysis (e.g., is largely or exclusively summary).Inadequate: The response demonstrates little or no cohesion and inadequate skill in the use and control of language. The response may lack a clear central claim or controlling idea.The response lacks a recognizable introduction and conclusion. The response does not have a discernible progression of ideas.The response lacks variety in sentence structures; sentence structures may be repetitive. The response demonstrates general and vague word choice; word choice may be poor or inaccurate. The response may lack a formal style and objective tone.The response shows a weak control of the conventions of standard written English and may contain numerous errors that undermine the quality of writing.SAT SCORE: ______/12 Practice Essay (Rubric Score x6): ______/24 Semester Essay (Rubric Score x4): ______/48Practice EssayThese essays will not be worth as many points and will typically be graded on one focus area on the rubric. You will be required to write the entire five paragraph essay. It may be typed or NEATLY handwritten. If you chose to handwrite you must skip every other line. The focus area will be almost 2/3 of your grade. Area of Focus: ________/24 (rubric score doubled) MLA format/Complete essay (apx. 4-6 paragraphs)/Followed Directions/On-time, etc.: ________/6Outline: ________/10TOTAL: ________/40Semester EssayAt the end of the semester, you will write a culminating essay that will be worth more points. This essay will be scored on all areas of the rubric. Rubric Score (x4): ________/48 MLA format/ Complete essay (apx. 4-6 paragraphs)/ Followed Directions/On-time, etc.: ________/7Outline: ________/15TOTAL: ________/70SAT Rhetorical Essay OutlineIntroduction: Introduce your topic or subject of analysis. Make evident your purpose. What is the issue? What's the context? Who is making the argument? What are their credentials? Who seems to be their targeted audience? What is their MAIN point or thesis? Engage your reader. Remember this is primarily an objective analysis.A:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________B:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Credibility: ETHOS, how does the author establish their credibility? Confidence in delivery? Credible sources? Credentials? Area of expertise?A:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________B:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Evidence: LOGOS (facts/examples used to support claim, how are those claims being supported? What KINDS of evidence is presented? Empirical data (facts, statistics, studies); general principles; personal experience; primary sources (interviews, letters, diaries, memos, field work); secondary sources (documents such as newspapers, magazines, books); common sense; etc. In some cases, HUMOR may be an appeal or type of "evidence" or strategy. A:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________B:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Stylistic or persuasive elements: PATHOS, such as word choice or elements that appeal to emotion, or those that add power to the ideas expressed. What SPECIFIC emotions does the argument evoke? What is it the writer mostly wants you to feel? Pity? Horror? Fear? Sadness? Joy? Anxiety? Awe? Sympathy? How does the author evoke those emotions? Poetic language? Stark facts? Visual effects? Interviews with victims? What specific appeals tend to arouse emotion in the piece?A:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________B:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Conclusion: Review the author’s purpose and briefly summarize again how he/she asserts his/her claim.A:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________NOTE: Throughout the paper be sure to address the reasoning they used to develop ideas and to connect claims and evidence, as well as thoroughly discuss the evidence and persuasive elements. There is no ONE way to set up your paper. This is just a guide! The Roman Numerals do not necessarily suggest paragraphs. For example, you may use one paragraph to discuss evidence, but two paragraphs to discuss stylistic/persuasive elements. Or vice versa. It will depend on what the selection calls for and what you as the writer determine to do. Just ensure you are giving concrete evidence of how the author presents his/her argument and what affect it has on the reader. ................
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