General AP Language and Composition Rubric Rhetorical Analysis

Essays earning a 9 meet the criteria for an 8 essay but are especially sophisticated or demonstrate
particularly impressive control of language (style and voice).

EFFECTIVE
Essays earning a score of 8 effectively analyze significant rhetorical strategies. These essays are logically
organized with a focus on significant strategies in mind. An 8 essay provides specific examples from the
passage and consistently makes realistic connections between the strategies and the authors intent or
purpose. The prose demonstrates an ability to control a wide range of the elements of effective writing.

Essays earning a score of 7 fit the description of a 6 essay but provide more complete
analysis or demonstrate a more mature prose style.

ADEQUATE
Essays earning a score of 6 adequately analyze rhetorical strategies. These essays are organized with a
focus on significant strategies in mind. This essay provides specific examples from the passage and
makes connections between the strategies and the authors intent or purpose. The prose is generally clear.

Essays earning a score of 5 analyze rhetorical strategies but the analysis

may be uneven or inconsistent.

EMERGING Success
Essays earning a score of 4 have attempted to analyze rhetorical strategies.
This essay may be unfocused, unorganized, or may appear to be more of a list of all rhetorical strategies
rather than an organized analysis of the most significant rhetorical strategies in the passage. They may
misinterpret the writers position or offer little discussion of how strategies convey the authors purpose.

Essays earning a 3 fit the description of a 4 but are less perceptive

or less consistent in their control of the elements of writing.

Little Success
Essays earning a score of 2 demonstrate little success in analyzing how [Author] uses rhetorical strategies
to [present message to audience]. These essays may misunderstand the prompt, misread the passage, fail
to analyze the strategies [Author] uses, or substitute a simple task by responding to the prompt
tangentially with unrelated, inaccurate or inappropriate explanation. The prose often demonstrates
consistent weaknesses in writing, such as grammatical problems, a lack of development or organization,
or a lack of control.

These essays meet the criteria for a 2 but are particularly undeveloped, especially simplistic in their
explanation or weak in their control of language.