Composition through DAMAGES+ | An Overview of Effective Writing D A M A G E S + By Mr. Eure Introduction: Using Rubrics The word rubric originally referred to a heading in a book or manuscript, whether it was the work’s title, the title of a chapter, or an introductory caption. The heading served as a guide to the text, and was offest in red ink. In fact, the word itself comes from the Latin rubrica, or “red earth,” a reference to the ink used. (Ruber, Latin for “red,” gives us rubrica and rubric, as well as the more common word ruby.) I start with the etymology so I can stretch the idea of rubrics as a kind of foundation (something of the earth) to fit our current educational definition1: A rubric is a scoring tool for subjective assessments. It is a set of criteria and standards linked to learning objectives that is used to assess a student's performance on papers, projects, essays, and other assignments. Rubrics allow for standardised evaluation according to specified criteria, making grading simpler and more transparent. The rubric is an attempt to delineate consistent assessment criteria. It allows teachers and students alike to assess criteria which are complex and subjective and also provide ground for self­evaluation, reflection and peer review. It is aimed at accurate and fair assessment, fostering understanding and indicating the way to proceed with subsequent learning/teaching. This guide aims to expand on that definition—and to correct one key element. Rubrics are no more subjective than any assessment tool2. It is the erroneous belief of many students (and some teachers, unfortunately) that writing can only be graded subjectively, or at least that a grade is subjective after a certain point. While it is tempting to ascribe a kind of ineffable magic to good writing, it is foolish, because all of it can be broken down, assessed, and reassembled. Writing, like any art, has discrete elements that are manipulated to produce a complicated whole. It is perhaps difficult to grade objectively, but there is a quantifiable difference between two pieces of writing that earn, let’s say, a B+ and an A‐. To assume otherwise is to rob effective writing of its human agency. Types of Writing We might start with the obvious question, “What kind of writing do we mean when we say ‘effective writing’?” There are dozens of types of academic essays alone. In fact, if we were to try simply to delineate the types of non­fiction essays that students can write, we might make this list: •
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Argumentative Literary Analysis Definition Process Analysis Cause and Effect Comparison and Contrast Classification and Division And that would cover only some of them. This is one reason that there are often as many distinct rubrics as there are distinct writing prompts. One goal of this guide is to eliminate that confusion by supplying a rubric that can be applied to every kind of essay on that list—as well as to any other writing responses we find. With the right application, DAMAGES+ can serve as an assessment tool for academic essays, short stories, poetry, speeches, and anything else students produce. First Order: Prompts Whether you write in a diary or on an AP exam, all writing has a prompt, and all writing is therefore created in response to a prompt. To return to Latin for a moment, prompt is derived from promptus, meaning “brought forth,” “at hand,” or “ready.” To prompt is to encourage, to question, to provoke — actions that do not require a classroom. Poets may be prompted by the natural world around them; song‐writers may be inspired by the pain of a break‐up; newspaper columnists may be driven by simple curiosity; yet they are only different in a cursory way from the student who is given an assignment in class, or the teacher driven to explicate his rubric. We are all prompted to write. This means that we write for a reason, with a goal in front of us. And that means that our effectiveness in meeting that goal can be assessed. Taken from Wikipedia verbatim for two reasons: first, I like this definition and its obviously non‐American author (note the spelling of “standardized”); second, as a kind of exposure therapy for me. 2 Do you think the SAT is unbiased? Do a quick Google search (more exposure therapy) for “cultural bias and the SAT” and read up. 1
Composition through DAMAGES+ | An Overview of Effective Writing The Seven Elements of a Response: DAMAGES+
To study writing, we will use the DAMAGES rubric. (When the presentation of a response, e.g., the comportment of a speaker or the formatting of an essay, is considered, DAMAGES becomes DAMAGES+.) It encapsulates an eight‐element structure that addresses the primary components of writing and allows for flexibility in applying them to different kinds of responses. Rendered as one sentence, it looks like this: The effectiveness of any response rests on the meaningful arrangement of detail, especially the approach and ending, in answer to the prompt. Poor grammar mars effectiveness, while purposive style improves it. DAMAGES breaks down into Detail, Arrangement, Meaning, Approach, Grammar, Ending, and Style. As previously stated, presentation is part of the assessment of some responses, and is considered last. Arranged visually, it looks like this: These three elements initially determine whether a response will be effective, ineffective, or somewhere in between. DETAILS ARRANGEMENT MEANING The approach and ending can help or hinder the response’s overall effectiveness. APPROACH GRAMMAR ENDING STYLE Unintentional errors in grammar can mar effectiveness; purposive and apt stylistic elements can boost it. When considered, poor presentation can lower effectiveness. PRESENTATION The following chart provides a quick study of the above delineations of the DAMAGES+ rubric. Quantity and clarity; incorporation of specifics, including quotations D Quality and efficacy; effective development of ideas and meaning Holistic shape of response; separation of ideas; inter¶ movement A Intra¶ logic and transitioning; syntactical variety and effectiveness Central understanding and insight; effectiveness in answering prompt M Analysis of and insight into ideas and details in each ¶ A Artfulness and effectiveness of opening ¶; thesis/crux of response G Type, frequency, and severity of grammatical errors (È only) E Artfulness and effectiveness of ending ¶ S Effectiveness and appropriateness of voice, style, and general rhetoric + Impact of typos, formatting errors, lateness, etc. (È only) These elements are more or less responsible for an initial score for effectiveness — whether an essay is an upper­half or lower­half response, for instance. These elements, on the other hand, move the score of a response up or down, sometimes significantly. Composition through DAMAGES+ | An Overview of Effective Writing DAMAGES+: Further Division Each element of the mnemonic3 DAMAGES+ can be further divided into two sub‐categories that contribute to the effectiveness of a response. The explanations below offer clarifying examples from several fields of writing. Detail: Quantity and Quality Regardless of the prompt, all writing relies on an appropriate amount of carefully chosen detail. An imagist’s poem (think Ezra Pound or William Carlos Williams4) requires few details, but each image must carry extraordinary weight; an expository article for a newspaper, on the other hand, chooses the most important details for the opening of the writing, sticking as many other superfluous details as possible toward the end. Many academic assignments dictate the detail you must use, either through preparatory texts (such as novels read in class before a test) or passages provided with the prompt (such as the non‐fiction arguments on the AP English Language exam). Regardless, your focus should be on using enough detail, and on making that detail work effectively toward your goal. Arrangement: Paragraphing and Sentencing Arrangement, most often notated with the symbol ¶5, refers to the overall arrangement of the writing from start to finish: the division of ideas into stanzas, paragraphs, acts, and so on; the movement between those sections, with special attention to the transitional tools of the medium; and the cohesion of the work when considered holistically. The newspaper article hypothesized under Detail would follow a structure, beginning with a lede or lead and funneling information from there; similarly, all poetry contains implicit or explicit formality (even post‐modernist poetry; the deliberate refusal of form is also a kind of conscious arrangement); most plays have three acts; and in essay‐writing, a student might choose to emulate any number of models, from the traditional five‐paragraph essay to the classical model of rhetoric. The second half of Arrangement refers to the order and coherence of the sentences within each paragraph. It isn’t just that the sentences must make sense, or that variation in sentence structure improves effectiveness (that falls partially under the heading of Style); this is also a measure of the order of individual ideas. Sentence comes from the same Latin root that yields sense — sententia, meaning “thought, judgment, meaning, opinion,” by way of sentire, “to have opinion,” also “to feel or perceive” — and so sentences are the building blocks of opinion and perception in all writing. Even experimental poetry uses sentences, chopping them down into fragments and phrases, using enjambment to split meaning across lines, and so on. As long as the prompt’s requirements are clear, the structure can be evaluated. Meaning: Ideas and Analysis In general terms, the meaning of a piece refers to its central idea or ideas. How well does it respond to the prompt? What unique ideas are raised, and how insightfully are they explored? A novel like The Catcher in the Rye, for instance, explores timeless ideas of authenticity, isolation, and empathy, but it is usually celebrated for the insight it brings to bear on how a teenager experiences those central themes. Analysis does not always refer to the deconstructive writing you are used to doing in school; all effective poems, plays, and novels analyze something important6. Of course, the academic writing you are often asked to do has clearly defined expectations when it comes to meaning: provide insight into a text or topic, analyze it, and defend your analysis. To return to novels for another example, we might consider the debate over the terms science­fiction and sci­fi7. Harlan Ellison has argued that sci­fi refers to texts (novels, short stories, TV shows, films, etc.) that lack deeper meaning, that are full of detail but lack insight into the human condition. He cites the movie Independence Day as an example of this. Science­fiction, however, is to Ellison a meaningful genre that tackles the deeper issues of humanity, such as what it means to be alive and how we interact with one another. He cites the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep as an example. It isn’t a semantic debate. Applied to what you might write as a student, the suggestion here is that a solid paper might earn its B by connecting the dots, filling the page with detail and perfectly serviceable, if cursory, insight; an A paper, however, would offer deeper insight into the same prompt, demonstrating maturity and nuance. 3 From the Greek mnemonikos, or “pertaining to memory.” Mnemonic devices help us remember complicated ideas. To remember the lines of the treble clef stave, many students are taught that “every good boy does fine” (E‐G‐B‐D‐F); to remember the colors of the spectrum, many students are taught the name Roy G. Biv (Red‐Orange‐Yellow‐Green‐Blue‐Indigo‐Violet); and I have no idea what students are taught for the planets, as the last two years have seen astronomers recognize anywhere from eleven planets (“My Very Exciting Magic Carpet Just Sailed Under Nine Palace Elephants” — the three dwarf planets are Pluto, Ceres, and Eris) to eight (“My Very Easy Method Just Seems Useless Now”). 4 so much depends / upon / a red wheel / barrow / glazed with rain / water / beside the white / chickens (The Red Wheel Barrow, 1923) 5 This symbol is called a pilcrow, a typographical marking still used by most word‐processing programs to designate paragraph breaks. It may have originated with the Latin capitulum, used to offset the beginning of new chapters in a text. Here is the possible evolution of the symbol: Analysis come from the Greek word for “a breaking up,” and that in turns derives from analyein, “to release or set free.” Good writing loosens our thoughts and frees us—which sounds hokey, yes, but is nevertheless true. Think of the lyrics to the songs that move you, or the pacing in a movie scene that thrilled you viscerally. 7 I’m not sure where the newly rebranded SyFy network falls here. My best guess: a crass, financially driven attempt to create a trademarked, copyrighted name. (One can’t trademark “Sci‐Fi,” after all, anymore than one can trademark “Romance” or “Action‐Adventure.”) 6
Composition through DAMAGES+ | An Overview of Effective Writing Approach: Opening and Thesis The first kind of approach is (simply enough) the first thing written. In most academic essays, this is an introductory paragraph. Students are often taught to begin in a particular way when writing about literature, for instance; they open with a generality, tie it to the texts being analyzed, and then segue into a thesis statement. In a journalist’s opinion piece, the approach might be an anecdote, told over several paragraphs, that ultimately suggests the direction of the argument. More expository newspaper articles begin with a lead that establishes as many pertinent details as possible in one or two sentences. The first few lines of a poem set the tone and style. Whatever the form of the response, the introduction is one of the most critical elements, because it is the first thing a reader sees. The second kind of approach is a clarification of the overall meaning of a piece mentioned above. In most academic pieces, this is the thesis; it is the central claim that the piece sets forth and defends, whether it is a general argument of policy or an analytical deconstruction. How it appears in a text varies widely; thesis, after all, comes from the Greek for “a setting down or placement,” and in writing refers not just to a proposition (as in hypothesis) but to any framing perspective. In fiction, this kind of Approach might also be called the central theme. In playwriting, it is sometimes called the central spine of the play. Regardless, the thesis is judged for its clarity, inventiveness, and centrality (i.e., the way it drives the entire response toward its conclusion). Ending: Aptness and Artfulness The ending of any piece is, as you might expect, how it ends. In poetry, it might be the couplet that turns a Shakespearean sonnet; it might be the final stanza in a ballad; it might be the last few letters and symbols that end one of ee cumings’ concrete poems. In a novel, it might be the last paragraph, or it might be the last chapter. In academic writing, the ending is often the concluding paragraph, but it might just as easily be the final few paragraphs. Effective conclusions are, after all, more than arbitrary restatements of earlier ideas. Endings are assessed according to their aptness and artfulness, that is, according to how well they fit the rest of the piece and how necessary they are. An ending should never be superfluous. If it simply restates earlier ideas, as suggested above, it may be serviceable, but it will never be effective. It should follow the preceding sections, draw from them, and present key insight into the overall meaning of the writing. The turning couplet of a sonnet is a good example of this. The turn takes the preceding elements of the poem and twists them (hence the “turn” designation), providing a new perspective not present until those final lines. While an academic essay shouldn’t invert its argument in the conclusion, it should be indispensable; otherwise, the writer may as well draw a line under a body paragraph and write “the end” beneath it8. Grammar: Quantity and Quality (of Errors) In writing, grammar refers to mechanical, typographical, syntactical and all other compositional components. As a term, it means “the rules of language,” and comes from a series of Greek and Latin roots related to learning, drawing, and the art of letters9. In a broader sense, grammar can be used to refer to the rules for any kind of response, as Susan Sontag used it when writing about the “grammar of seeing” in her collection of essays, On Photography. When assessing a response’s quality, Grammar is a measure of precision with regard to the rules. Mistakes can bring down effectiveness, depending on the quantity and severity of the errors. Remember that this is relative; an absurdist poem has different rules from an academic paper, and an academic paper’s grammar is judged differently if it is written by hand and under time constraints (see the note on timed and untimed writing below). A flawless response is also a near impossibility, which contributes to the shifting standards in grammatical penalties. For instance, even a typed term paper would survive a misused semicolon with all its points intact (even careful writers make mistakes with complicated sentence structures10); it wouldn’t, however, survive more serious or elementary errors. Style: Control and Authenticity Style, often called voice on other rubrics, is built on a few sub‐elements of writing, especially diction, syntax, and tone, and is assessed usually for effect and authenticity. (Classical rhetoric defines style as one of its canons, but for the purposes of this mnemonic, we can consider rhetorical devices and rhetoric in general to fall under this section.) The great difficulty of writing stylistically is that a writer’s voice evolves over time and is the product of reading, absorbing, and selectively emulating scores of other writers. In fact, what many writers in your position want to do — to avoid copying other writers — is precisely the wrong approach to take; without trying on bits of the style of those other writers, you will never discover your voice. There is no spontaneous generation of style, just its careful inculcation. Writing “The End” is also an ending, of course, but not one that would score particularly high in any course, even creative writing. One of the most interesting words derived from these roots is grammaticaster, or a “mean verbal pedant.” When someone corrects your split infinitive or dangling modifier and makes you feel stupid about it, he or she might be a grammaticaster. And if that sounds a bit like a wizard, you aren’t far off. From the Online Etymology Dictionary: M.E. gramarye also came to mean "learning in general, knowledge peculiar to the learned classes" (early 14c.), which included astrology and magic; hence the secondary meaning of "occult knowledge" (late 15c.), which evolved in Scottish into glamor. 10 And in this way, I have covered myself in the inevitable event of my own mistakes. 8
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Composition through DAMAGES+ | An Overview of Effective Writing In brief, the assessment of style is the assessment of a writer’s command of style’s components (diction, syntax, and so on) in service to a higher purpose. A poem’s use of imagery, pacing, and rhythm is only effective in connection to a deeper meaning; similarly, a rhetorically effective essay’s style depends on context and purpose. Flourishes and ornamentation only help in small doses. One final note on style: While it usually serves only to increase a response’s effectiveness, clumsy or distracting stylistic efforts can harm a paper. Swearing in literary analysis, for instance, will only hurt you (no matter what you think of The Scarlet Letter), and slang in general should be carefully considered in academic writing; above all, though, you should avoid what Leslie Fine deems “right‐click syndrome,” which is when a student searching for stylistic points highlights a word, right‐clicks it in Word, and selects a random and erudite‐sounding synonym11. +Presentation: Pride and Propriety Presentation depends on propriety above all else (I threw pride into the subheading for the alliterative effect as much as its obvious correlation). For any response, there is an expectation about what it will look like and how it will be delivered, and a failure to meet those expectations can hurt the overall effectiveness. This element is sometimes assessed separately, since (for instance) shoddy work with MLA formatting does not necessarily hurt an argument paper’s overall meaning, detail, or arrangement; in a documented research paper, however, formatting is part of the prompt’s requirements, and is therefore assessed with the rest of the paper. A few more examples: •
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If a paper is required to be typed and is instead handwritten, the points lost would fall under this category. If a paper is due by a certain date, failure to meet the deadline falls under this category. Other formatting requirements, such as centering poems or arranging portfolios in a particular order, fall under this category. Timed vs. Untimed Responses Simply put, timed responses are held to different (and in many ways less rigorous) standards than untimed responses. In essay writing, for instance, a timed essay isn’t held to the same standards as one for which you are given weeks; if they have the same misspellings and dropped words, the timed work might escape unscathed. Timed work of any kind is almost always assessed as a draft, not a polished product. Too many mistakes, however, will reveal either carelessness or ineptness, and that can drag your response’s effectiveness down. Regardless of the time you are allotted, you must strive to avoid serious errors, especially with homophones (“their,” “they’re,” and “there,” for instance) and the infamous Autocorrect (“defiantly” instead of “definitely”). Here are other self‐inflicted injuries, from flesh wounds to mortal blows: •
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Comma splices Sentence fragments Dropped words Misspelling words from the prompt Homophone errors Of course, to keep things in perspective, you should realize that your readers will not linger over minutiae like missing pagination and split infinitives. We look first for the meaningful arrangement of detail, and then we consider the remaining elements. This means that even effective untimed responses may have errors of various kinds. Just remember that when your work is ostensibly edited and revised, the standards will obviously be higher. Grammatical mistakes are more costly, presentation errors are more glaring, and the expectations for effectiveness are more strenuous. Style plays a larger role, too, as writers with time have the luxury of experimentation. A Note on Speed and Internalization It is important to note here that I do not sit down with this guide and spend hours deliberating over every essay you write12. Instead, I have internalized the DAMAGES structure; or, to be more accurate, the DAMAGES rubric is an articulation of what I have already internalized. You are fortunate in that you do not need to memorize this guide or its particulars. You must simply refer back to it, use it, incorporate it into the processes of reflection and revision – essentially, your goal is the incremental internalization of the lessons of this guide. Often to unintentionally humorous effect. Run through Fine’s RCS, the single‐sentence articulation of DAMAGES becomes this: The efficiency of whichever retort rests on the momentous display of detail, above all the loom and finish, in counter to the prompt. Underprivileged grammar blights helpfulness, while purposive fashion advances it. That took far too long to do, by the way. 12 It’s the unfortunate side of most high‐stakes assessments: You spend considerable time and effort to produce something—an application, an essay, a speech, a song—and it is judged in moments by its audience. 11
Composition through DAMAGES+ | An Overview of Effective Writing Quality as a Measure of Effectiveness At the outset, we expressed DAMAGES+ as a single sentence: The effectiveness of any response rests on the meaningful arrangement of detail, especially the approach and ending, in answer to the prompt. Poor grammar mars effectiveness, while purposive style improves it. The key term in that phrasing is effectiveness. The quality of a writing response is classified by many institutions (including the College Board, the monolithic entity from which these particular terms are adapted) as either effective, adequate, limited, inadequate, or ineffective. The actual words are unimportant, though; we might use distinguished, proficient, uneven, unsatisfactory, and unacceptable to refer to the same five divisions. We might use letters – A, B, C, D, F – and we will, of course; we might also use numbers, checks and check‐pluses (which should be checks­plus), emoticons, and so on. (We will never use emoticons.) The important thing is that all of these scales are equivalent and can be lined up, as they have been here: SCALES OF EFFECTIVENESS Upper Half Lower Half Effective Adequate Limited Inadequate Ineffective A B C D F 9 8 6 7 5 6 5 4 4 3.5 3 3 2 2 Heading Letter Grade 1 AP Score 1 Regents Score 200‐180 179‐160 159‐140 139‐120 110‐80 200 Pt Score 100‐90 89‐80 79‐70 69‐60 59‐40 100 Pt Score 50‐45 44‐40 39‐35 34‐30 29‐20 50 Pt Score 25‐23 22‐20 19‐17 16‐14 13‐10 25 Pt Score 3+
3 3− − 2 \ (^_^) /
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(>_<) (x_x) If the point values seem strange, realize that they are arbitrary; at least, they could just as easily be out of 75 points, or 42, or some other number. The relative scale and what it indicates about effectiveness are all that matters. Further Explanations and Appendices Before the appendices archiving the rubrics that were used to develop DAMAGES, you will find a series of critical documents: 1.
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a printable matrix with general commentary by DAMAGES component score; a printable scoring scale built on the DAMAGES matrix; a breakdown of holistic scoring through DAMAGES; and a breakdown of component scoring through DAMAGES. Review these critical documents carefully. Should I be proud or deeply embarrassed that I researched emoticons in order to put a row of them into this chart? 13
M. Eure | BHS Checks Emoticons13 Composition through DAMAGES+ | An Overview of Effective Writing Appendix I: AP Free Response Rubric (College Board)
The score you receive out of nine points reflects the paper’s quality as a whole. Remember that you only have 40 minutes to read and to write; therefore, the essay is not a finished product and is not judged by standards appropriate for an out‐of‐class assignment. Your paper is a draft, and you are rewarded for what you do well. Also keep in mind that, while even those papers that score 8 or 9 may contain occasional flaws in analysis, prose style, or mechanics, distracting errors in grammar and mechanics set the ceiling of your paper at 2. Misinterpretations of the prompt set that ceiling at 4. 9 Papers earning a score of 9 meet the criteria for 8 papers and, in addition, are especially sophisticated in their argument, explanation, or analysis or demonstrate particularly impressive control of language. 8 (Effective) Papers earning a score of 8 effectively develop a position. The prose demonstrates an ability to control a wide range of the elements of effective writing but is not necessarily flawless. 7 Papers earning a score of 7 fit the description of 6 papers but provide a more complete explanation or demonstrate a more mature prose style. 6 (Adequate) Papers earning a score of 6 adequately develop a position. The writing may contain lapses in diction or syntax, but generally the prose is clear. 5 Papers earning a score of 5 develop a position. These papers may, however, provide uneven, inconsistent, or limited focus or evidence for that position. The writing may contain lapses in diction or syntax, but it usually conveys the writer’s ideas. 4 (Inadequate) Papers earning a score of 4 inadequately develop a position. The prose generally conveys the writer’s ideas but may suggest immature control of writing. 3 Papers earning a score of 3 meet the criteria for a score of 4 but demonstrate less success in developing a position. The papers may show less control of writing. 2 (Little Success) Papers earning a score of 2 demonstrate little success in developing a position. These papers may misunderstand the prompt; fail to develop a position; or substitute a simpler task by responding to the prompt tangentially with unrelated, inaccurate, or inappropriate information. The prose often demonstrates consistent weakness in writing. 1 Papers earning a score of 1 meet the criteria for a score of 2 but are underdeveloped, especially simplistic in their explanation and/or weak in their control of language. 0 Indicates an on‐topic responses that receives no credit, such as one that merely repeats the prompt. – Indicates a blank response or one that is complete off‐topic. M. Eure | BHS Composition through DAMAGES+ | An Overview of Effective Writing Appendix II: An Old AP Rubric Explanation of tiers: There are several ways to group papers as they are scored. The first split is between upper half and lower half papers, which correspond to scores of 6‐9 and 0‐4, respectively. (Papers earning a score of 5 fluctuate between effective and ineffective.) Your goal is to write consistently in the upper half. The second split occurs along the level of success in answering the prompt demonstrated by the paper. The adapted AP rubric you have indents certain scores to show that they are secondary; they augment another score. Below is a brief description of each tier, followed by a general grading guide. 9­8 Well‐written; answers task clearly and accurately; specific and appropriate details and references as supporting evidence; contains clear analysis or a clear position in regard to the task; demonstrates mature command of effective prose. 7­6 Answers task less fully or less convincingly; uses less specific or less appropriate supporting evidence than the very best papers; written clearly and effectively, but less maturely than 9‐8 papers. 5 Attempts to address the task, but does so merely adequately; simple or obvious points may be made, lacking specificity or depth; often summarizes more than analyzes supporting evidence; writing is less clear and well‐organized than upper‐halves and thinking is often simplistic. 4­3 Fails to understand task and/or fails to answer part or parts of the question; vague or inaccurate use of supporting evidence; handling of task may be perfunctory or unclear; may demonstrate weak composition skills; may contain errors in reading and writing. 2­1 Has serious errors in comprehension of task or text; fails to develop a position; sometimes unacceptably short; poor writing; lacks clarity, organization or supporting evidence. 0 A blank paper or an essay that makes no attempt to deal with the question. Keep in mind that 9 papers are rare. Consistently writing 6, 7 or 8 papers should be your goal, as should avoiding papers of lower‐half quality. You are rewarded for successful writing first and foremost, so keep in mind what is most important: answer all parts of the question fully and accurately, support each point with specific evidence, and write well. M. Eure | BHS Composition through DAMAGES+ | An Overview of Effective Writing Appendix III: Another Old AP Rubric More on grades: This is another generalized guide to how AP scores are holistically determined. The language is borrowed primarily from an AP Literature and Composition rubric used by Leslie Fine. 9 = A+ Excellent thesis; excellent use of supporting details; effective and imaginative in seeing and making connections; carefully reasoned; impressive stylistic control; mature and effective voice; sense of holistic paper; smooth and engaging transitions. 8 = A/A­ Good thesis; discusses task clearly and accurately; makes specific and appropriate references in supporting details; contains clear analysis and incorporation of any text; demonstrates mature command of effective prose; contains infrequent or minor errors. 7 = B+ Intelligent but less effective thesis; effective use of supporting details; soundly organized; deals with the task less well or less convincingly than the very best papers; written clearly and effectively, but lacks mature voice and style of 9‐8 papers. 6 = B A “safe” paper, carefully done; adequate thesis; some supporting details, but less imagination shown in analysis and incorporation; some lapses in diction or syntax, but for the most part the prose conveys the writer’s ideas clearly; some significant intellectual leaps required in reading. 5 = C Attempts to address task, but does so merely adequately; simple or obvious points may be made; lacks specificity or depth; simple thesis; often summarizes more than analyzes; writing is less clear and less organized than upper‐halves; thinking is generally more simplistic. 4­3 May fail to understand prompt; may fail to answer part or parts of question; vague or inaccurate handling of supporting details; perfunctory or unclear handling of task; may demonstrate weak composition skills; confused or misleading thesis; may contain errors in reading and writing; sometimes uses too few supporting details. 2­1 Has serious errors in understanding the task; omits portions of the prompt in answering; sometimes unacceptably short; no evident thesis; lacks clarity, organization or supporting evidence; thinking is generally poor. 0 A blank paper or an essay that makes no attempt to deal with the question. M. Eure | BHS Composition through DAMAGES+ | An Overview of Effective Writing Appendix IV: Essential Questions (QOEGV) Note: This is the original inspiration for the DAMAGES rubric. It is the brainchild of Steve Olson, another AP English Language teacher. These are my notes adapting his ideas. Essential questions in writing: What begins to emerge from these rubrics is a five‐part approach to understanding an AP English paper. This approach can be adapted for the rhetorical analysis essay, which focuses more on reading a text and deciphering its effectiveness, as well as for the synthesis essay, which focuses more on incorporating evidence intelligently and effectively. For a general argument, your own argument is central, and to assess its effectiveness, I look at your focus, structure, evidence, and style. This essentially breaks down into five parts: 1. How well did you answer the question? 2. How effective is the organization? 3. How effective is your use of evidence? 4. Are there significant problems with grammar? 5. And, finally, is there voice? These essential questions can be remembered as Q O E G V, which is one type of commentary you will find on graded papers. Q This is an assessment of how well you responded to the prompt and its task. Did you understand the prompt? Did you misinterpret portions of the question or even ignore them? Did you provide a clear and effective thesis to guide your paper? Overall, how effectively did you build and defend a position (for the general argument), analyze the rhetorical strategies employed by another author (for the rhetorical analysis), or synthesize material in creating your own argument (for the synthesis)? O This is an assessment of your paper’s structure. Do you have a thesis? Do you maintain focus on it? Is your introduction effective and appropriate? Do you move seamlessly between paragraphs and ideas, or do you jump awkwardly between them? Do you conclude in a satisfying way? Are your sentences varied in length and construction in order to be more rhetorically effective? Overall, how does the paper read: Is it smooth and engaging? E This is an assessment of your use of evidence as support for your paper. How do you introduce and incorporate these details? Do you vary the kind of evidence used? Are there errors in usage or understanding? Is anything out of place, unnecessary or incorrect? Overall, how effective is each detail in proving your points? G Grammar and syntax, in this context, also includes spelling and other mechanical aspects of writing. Basically, your score can only go down here. If you make many mistakes, to the point of detracting from your paper’s strengths, you lose ground. If you make constant mistakes, you can receive no higher than a 2 overall. V This is your ability to transcend the rudimentary aspects of a prompt to convey originality, depth, maturity – basically to engage the reader as an active part of your argument. This is your style as a writer. Your score can only go up here. Effective control of voice raises 6 papers to 7, but it is most obvious when it raises an 8 paper to 9. M. Eure | BHS