Integrated Reading and Writing SOL Test Review

What does an essay with a strong central idea need to have?

• Clear, consistent focus on a central idea. Addresses intended audience and purpose.

• A consistent focus on central idea. Attempts to address intended audience and purpose.

• Inconsistent focus on central idea. Limited awareness of audience and purpose.

• Little or no focus on a central idea. No awareness of audience and purpose.

What does an essay with strong organization and unity need to do?

• Fully develops an introduction, body, and conclusion that are consistently connected to a central idea or theme. Each paragraph has a topic sentence that develops the main idea. Effectively uses transitional words and/or phrases to connect ideas across paragraphs and sometimes within paragraphs.

• Develops an introduction, body, and conclusion that are connected to a central idea or theme. Each paragraph has a topic sentence focused on the main idea. Uses transitional words and/or phrases to connect ideas across paragraphs.

• Limited development of an introduction, body, and/or conclusion, with inconsistent connection to a central idea or theme. Some paragraphs include an unclear or weak topic sentence. Inconsistent use of transitional words and/or phrases to connect ideas across paragraphs.

• Development of an introduction, body, and/or conclusion are absent or disconnected from a central idea or theme. Paragraphs do not have a topic sentence. Little or no evidence of transitional words and/or phrases to connect ideas.

What does an essay with strong elaboration and details need to do?

• Fully elaborates using a range of highly relevant facts, definitions, opinions, details, and/or other examples to support the central idea OR fully elaborates using descriptive details to develop the plot, setting, or characters.

• Elaborates using relevant facts, definitions, opinions, details, and/or other examples to support the central idea OR somewhat elaborates with details to develop plot, setting, or characters.

• Includes limited range of mostly relevant facts, definitions, opinions, details, and/or other examples to support the central idea OR limited elaboration and use of details to develop the plot, setting, or characters.

• Includes little or no elaboration, details, and/or examples, which may have unclear relevance to the central idea OR little or no evidence of elaboration or details to develop the plot, setting, or characters.

What does an essay with strong style need to have?

• Author’s style includes consistent use of variety in sentence structure, transitions, and prepositional phrases.

• Author’s style includes some use of variety in sentences, transitions, and prepositional phrases.

• Author’s style includes limited use of variety in sentence, transitions, and prepositional phrases.

• Author’s style includes repetitive or unvaried use of sentence structure, transitions, and prepositional phrases.

What does an essay with strong word choice need to have?

• Contains highly specific word choice, descriptive language, and selected information. Appropriate tone. Evidence of writer’s voice.

• Contains specific word choice, descriptive language, and selected information. Evidence of tone. Some evidence of writer’s voice.

• Limited word choice, descriptive language, and selected information. Inconsistent tone. Limited evidence of writer’s voice.

• Little or no specific word choice, descriptive language, and selected information. Little or no tone. No evidence of writer’s voice.

What does an essay with strong sentence formation need to do?

• Exhibits consistent control of sentence formation, avoiding fragments and run-ons.

• Exhibits reasonable control of sentence formation, avoiding fragments and run-ons.

• Exhibits inconsistent control of sentence formation, including fragments and run-ons.

• Exhibits little or no control of sentence formation, including fragments and run-ons.

What does an essay with strong usage and mechanics need to have?

• Consistently correct use of capitalization and punctuation. Consistently correct spelling in commonly used and grade-level appropriate words. Multiple paragraphs are properly formatted.

• Occasional errors in capitalization and punctuation. Correctly spells most commonly used and grade-level appropriate words. Some paragraphs are formatted.

• Inconsistent use of capitalization and punctuation. Some spelling errors of commonly used and grade-level appropriate words. Limited use of paragraph formation.

• Errors in capitalization and punctuation. Numerous spelling errors interfere with the readability of the writing. No evidence of paragraph formation.

What is the first step in the writing process?

• Planning

• Drafting

• Editing

• Publishing

What is the second step in the writing process?

• Planning

• Drafting

• Editing

• Publishing

What is the third step in the writing process?

• Planning

• Drafting

• Editing

• Publishing