act essay rubric

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ACT Writing: Rubric Scoring

6 min read • november 29, 2021

Mick Polito

The essay, or the writing section, is the fifth section of the ACT that is completely optional for students to take.

The score likely won't make or break your application as it is just one part of the puzzle, but if it is required for some sort of program that you would like to be a part of, it will because it's a requirement!

In the ACT Writing Section Essay, you’ll write a developed and organized argument essay. In the prompt, you’ll read multiple perspectives about a hotly contested issue with some background information. You’ll argue for a specific perspective in response to the prompt with clear logic and relevant evidence.

Unlike the other four sections of the ACT, your essay is not graded on a 1-36 scale. Don't worry though, we'll break down how graders will evaluate your writing section so that you'll be ready to knock it out of the park!

📝 ACT Essay Scoring

The first thing to know is that two people will read over your essay, so it’s not just the opinion of one person who will decide your fate 😈. This is a similar format to the grading used for AP Exam Free Response Questions. In the end, it ensures that your score is more accurate so that you can just worry about doing your best.

There are four rubric categories that graders will evaluate you on: Ideas & Analysis, Development & Support, Organization, and Language Use & Conventions. Each grader can give you a score as high as a 6️⃣ on each of the four rubric criteria; then, the average of the scores across the four categories is taken based on how the graders rated your essay. Finally, those two averages from the graders are added to give you your final score which will range from 2 to 12. So, while that formula might be a bit complicated, your overall goal as the writer should be to write a stellar essay such that you can score as well as you possibly can in the four rubric categories mentioned above.

For the ACT Writing section, there sure is quite a bit of math to figure out your score!

Image from PublicDomainPictures.net

The minimum score you can receive on the essay is a 2, and the maximum score is a 12. Here’s the rubric released by the ACT in full if you want to see what the graders will see! Let’s broadly talk through each of the four grading criteria and see how you can reach your maximum scoring potential.

💡 Ideas & Analysis

The most important things that the ACT rubric outlines for this rubric category include:

Engaging with multiple perspectives from the prompt

Writing a nuanced and precise thesis

Establishing context for the issue and different perspectives

Examining implications, complexities, and tensions in addition to values & assumptions

This section of the rubric materializes throughout the essay. For instance, each body paragraph should engage with multiple perspectives, whereas writing a strong thesis is only pertinent to the introduction.

To score well in the Ideas & Analysis rubric category, you need to make sure that you have clearly picked a perspective for your thesis and include arguments against other perspectives to strengthen your points. You can include elements like counterarguments or concessions within each body paragraph to demonstrate your knowledge of implications, complexities, and tensions.

Overall, this section of the rubric is pretty all-encompassing, but with some practice, you can succeed!

✏️ Development & Support

In this rubric criteria, graders will want you to achieve these things in your essay:

Substantial evidence and development for your ideas that broaden the context and deepens insight

An integrated line of reasoning with support that conveys an argument’s significance

Qualifications and complications that further boosts the ideas and analysis of your essay

Development and support mainly appear in your body paragraphs — the bulk of your ACT writing section. With your evidence, you want to make sure it’s as specific as possible and ties into your logic. You need to have some rationale for your perspective, and the more specific and directly linked to the argument, the better. Additionally, for a strong line of reasoning, you will want to have strong topic sentences to open each of your body paragraphs that serve as subclaims of the thesis and align with the rest of the body paragraph.

The final point in this category is similar to the ‘implications, complexities, and tensions’ point from ideas & analysis — make sure you bring up some counterpoints that can disprove other perspectives and/or boost your chosen idea. The topics chosen by the ACT test writers are deliberately complex; there's not going to be an extremely clear cut or correct answer, so explain that (with limitations, counterpoints, etc.)!

🗂️ Organization

For the organization category, you’ll want to have these specific aspects of your essay:

A skillful organizational strategy

Controlling idea or purpose that unifies your essay

A logical progression of ideas that makes your argument more effective

Transitions both within your paragraphs and between paragraphs to develop relationships between ideas

For many, the organization section can be the highest scoring area because many students already write in a pretty organized way! For instance, having paragraphs with each perspective representing a different body paragraph can already score you up to a 4 out of 6! But, since we know you're dedicated Fiveable students, we'll break down how you can score even higher and attain that coveted 6 out of 6.

As a writer, you want to make sure that all your ideas in your essay link back to your thesis and that your organizational structure doesn’t jump back and forth. The ideas should build upon and lead into each other. To help make your essay more cohesive, you want to make sure you’re spicing it up ✨ with some transitions here and there as well — both at the start of your paragraphs and inside your body paragraphs!

✍️ Language Use & Conventions

With language use & conventions, your essay should have the following:

Strong use of language

Skillful and precise word choice

Varied and clear sentence structures

Strategic choices in tone and voice

Few errors in grammar, mechanics, and usage that don’t impede understanding of your essay

Finally, the language use & conventions rubric criteria checks to see if your writing effectively articulates your point. Make sure that your sentences don’t all sound the same — try different sentence structures using things like semicolons, dependent clauses, and colons if you can! 

It’s also important to sound authoritative in your essay, so write formally but not over the top. (You don't need to try out any new vocabulary words, but you probably also shouldn't be writing like you text!). Finally, read through your essay as you go (and once you're done if you have time) to make sure your grader won’t get distracted by any grammar mistakes. Just how speaking clearly and with sufficient volume makes you appear more confident and persuasive, writing clearly and avoiding grammar errors will make your essay come across more persuasive and you come across as a more confident writer. These factors should in turn contribute to an awesome score on the exam!

At the end of the day, you've got this! The ACT Writing rubric is not so bad once you break it down. Remember, if you need any other help with the ACT, the SAT, AP exams, or college admissions, check out our other guides for all your different learning needs. Happy learning!

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ACT Writing Test Scoring, Tips, and Strategies

This prep guide will arm you with tips and strategies to ace the ACT Writing Test and explain the scoring methodology. The ACT Writing Test is an optional fifth and final section of the ACT college admissions exam. Students are allotted 40-minutes to write an argumentation-style essay based off of a controversial topic and 3 different points of views. The ACT Writing Test differs from the other portions of the ACT in three important ways:

• It is optional. Different postsecondary institutions have different needs. Some require an ACT writing test score to make acceptance and/or course placement decisions, while others do not. If you know that the postsecondary institutions to which you are applying do not require ACT writing scores, you can choose to opt out. Otherwise, it is highly recommended that you take the ACT Writing Test.
• It is a written test. Unlike the other four sections of the ACT, which are multiple-choice, the writing test requires you to produce a handwritten essay. Exceptions are available only for approved students with diagnosed disabilities.
• It is scored differently. Because the ACT Writing Test is optional, it is scored separately from the other sections and does not affect your ACT composite score (out of 36). Unlike multiple-choice questions, which have right (and wrong) answers, written essays are scored using a rubric . Each ACT writing test is graded by two different readers, who give the essay a score between 1 and 6 in four areas. The two readers’ scores are averaged, and the test receives a final score between 2 and 12.

This article provides an overview of the ACT Writing Test including tips and strategies plus sample essays for the 2020 Official ACT Practice Test. Click here to see all of our free ACT answer explanations including sample Writing Test essays.

Looking for more general ACT study advice? You might like our articles on How to Improve Your ACT Score and ACT Test Strategies . Need winning strategies for the other ACT sections? Check out all of the articles in our series of ACT strategy guides:

• ACT English Strategies
• ACT Math Strategies
• ACT Reading Strategies
• ACT Science Strategies
• ACT Writing Strategies (this article)

Format of the ACT Writing Test

You will have 40 minutes to complete the writing portion of the ACT. The test consists of one writing prompt that will describe a complex issue and present three different perspectives on that issue. You will then be asked to write an argumentative essay about that issue. Each test’s topic is different, but all students who take that test will write about the same topic.

The test always begins with a brief description of an issue of wide relevance to modern society, like this one from the free official 2020 practice test :

Then, the test presents a set of three possible perspectives on that issue.

Finally, the test presents students with their writing task. This task is always the same; the only portion of the prompt that the ACT changes for each test is the phrase that comes after “Write a unified, coherent essay about . . .”

Remember that you have only 40 minutes to familiarize yourself with the prompt, plan your essay, and write it out. It is recommended that you take no more than 10 minutes to plan your essay, so that you have the rest of the time to write and review it. The test booklet includes blank pages for you to use when planning your essay. These blank pages are not scored; only the lined pages on which you write your essay will be scored.

How the ACT Writing Test is Scored

Because the writing test does not have “right” or “wrong” answers, it is graded differently than the other parts of the ACT. Your essay will be scored by two trained readers (humans), who will compare your writing to the standards of the ACT Writing rubric. The readers will then score your essay on a scale of 1-6 in four different areas, called “domains.”

The four domains are:

• Ideas and Analysis,
• Development and Support,
• Organization, and
• Language Use and Conventions.

You will receive a total of five scores for the ACT Writing Test :

• a score from 2-12 in each of the four domains (the sum of the readers’ scores)
• a single overall score, also from 2-12, found by averaging the four domain scores

In the example below, you can see how the readers’ original scores translate to the final scores the student received.

Although it is not common, sometimes the readers’ scores differ by more than a point. In those cases, a third reader will evaluate the essay to resolve the discrepancy.

How to Get the Highest Domain Scores

Now, let’s take a closer look at the four domains to see what makes each one distinct, and what you should be focused on to excel in each.

• Your essay should have a clear and focused thesis.
• Use your thesis to consider at least two of the provided perspectives
• Don’t just state simple agreement or disagreement with perspectives, fully explore the strengths and weaknesses of each.
• Use specific examples to illustrate larger ideas. Clearly explain why the examples are relevant.
• Each new idea you introduce should build on previous ideas, and deepen the support for your thesis.
• On a large scale, you should have an introduction (with thesis), several body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• On a smaller scale, your body paragraphs should include topic sentences and move from more general arguments to the use of specific examples.
• All information about the same idea(s) should be grouped together.
• Use proper spelling and grammar; if you feel comfortable doing so, include sentences with a variety of punctuation.
• Try not to be repetitive with your word choices—but remember that spicing things up with too many “big words” can also sound artificial.
• When possible, vary your sentence length and structure.
• Your writing should be professional: don’t use slang or casual abbreviations.

The ACT Writing Test rubric offers a detailed description of what you need to do in each domain to earn each possible score (1-6). You should familiarize yourself with the rubric, and refer to it often when preparing to make sure that you are on track to receive your desired score.

Tips and Strategies for the ACT Writing Test

You’ve been practicing and preparing, and now it’s Test Day! Try to follow these easy steps to ensure maximum success:

1. Remember, the test is predictable

• Before you’ve even seen the test, you know what the format will look like and what you will be asked to do.
• Even the perspectives are (broadly) predictable: one will argue in favor of the topic, and one will argue against; the third is usually a mixed perspective or a different argument for or against.

2. Make a pro/con list for each perspective

• Once you have read the prompt, make a pro/con list for each perspective.
• What are the strengths of each argument? What are possible counterarguments?
• List some concrete examples you could use to support (or refute) each perspective?

3. Use your list to pick your perspective .

• You should pick the one for which you most easily came up with supporting evidence and examples.
• Remember, there is no “right” answer to pick and you will be graded only on the effectiveness of your argument.
• While you can come up with your own original perspective, unless you have a very clear idea, it is advisable to just choose one of the three provided.

4. Write your thesis and outline your essay.

• Now that you’ve chosen your perspective, write your thesis out as a complete sentence. Refer to it when you’re planning your essay.
• Start outlining: the first and last paragraphs will be your introduction and conclusion—easy!
• One possible outline: write one paragraph about each perspective. If you choose this outline, start with the paragraph in support of your chosen perspective, then move on to the other two, explaining why each is wrong.
• Another possible outline: write a few paragraphs, with different examples, showing multiple ways why your perspective is correct, and one paragraph explaining why the others are wrong. This is a good strategy if your thesis is supported by two of the perspectives.

5. W rite your essay !

• Use the outline and your pro/con brainstorm to write your essay.
• Make sure your introduction leads to the thesis statement you already wrote.
• Use topic sentences in your body paragraphs and transitions when introducing examples and starting/ending paragraphs.

6. R e-read what you wrote .

• Correct any spelling and grammar mistakes.
• Double-check that you aren’t unintentionally repeating words, especially modifiers like really and very .

Congratulations—you’ve finished your essay! When you get your scores back, you can see what areas you did well in, and where, if any, you should focus for the next time.

Preparing for the ACT Writing Test

The ACT offers many suggestions to prepare for the writing test , but here are a few key strategies:

• Read and write often and in a diverse variety of styles. The more familiar you are with the process of reading something and writing a response to it, the easier it will be to do so in a test setting. Because of the unique format of the ACT Writing Test, it is recommended that you pay attention to current events and social issues (the Op-Ed pages of newspapers are a great resource).
• Replicate the testing experience . In addition to improving your writing skills, you should also make sure that you are familiar and comfortable with the format and structure of the ACT Writing Test. Take timed practice tests like those found on Piqosity to prepare for test day.
• Get feedback on your writing . Because your ACT essay will be scored by two outside readers, it is a good idea to have other people read and comment on your writing. You could ask your teachers or parents, or work with a tutor to improve the effectiveness of your writing. The score you receive on the ACT Writing Test is based on a rubric , which you should refer to often. Finally, it can be helpful to study sample essay answers, like those found below, to understand what successful (and less successful) essays look like.

View answer explanations and sample essay prompts to official ACT practice tests , and use Piqosity to practice the ACT Writing Test.

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Fiveable's TRADE Essay Orientation

11 min read • august 23, 2021

Akhilesh Shivaramakrishnan

Samhitha Palla

Welcome to the ACT essay instruction! We'll break down the prompt and which references while we gifts they strategies to do certain you get an awesome total on the essay! 🎉

ACTIVITY: Essay Portion

Whenever you sit down up take the ACT exam, it will have 4-5 sections on the test. If you choose on take the essay, it's 5! Your essay wants be the endure section of the exam. Here's the purchase: ACT Resources Explains New ACT® Exam Print Scores and Their ...

Writing/Essay📝

The Writing/Essay portion is an select essay. Is which section, you take regarding 40 transactions 🕖 go write a well-developed essay. Build sure she use each per of this time to create this our possible test! Mind, your score on the composition portion will not affecting the various choice or bonded mark.

💬 Mastering the Provoke

Let's look 👀 at a prompt released due ACT to dissect the key features by the endeavor.

Sample prompting, taken from ACT Essay Samples on Official My .

When you turn the page with your ACT exam press get to that essay kapitel, you'll be presented with:

a debated or controversial topic/issue 🗨

background company about and topic/issue 📃

3 perspectives that take different stances on which topic/issue presented. You may agree, refute, or create your own argument to the perspectives. ☑

a set of enjoyment instructions! 🙃

These user connect directly the the rubric for the ACT essay, so let's break depressed and rubric next. 📄

📄 Mastering the Featured

There are 4 categories off which your essay is assessed. 2 graders score your essay on a scale of 1-6 for jede of the 4 categories. Their scores will combined for a score out are 12 for each category. ☑

Then, your total category scores are averaged toward determine your final ACT essay score. You can earn a maximum of 12 🎉 and ampere slightest by 2.

You can review who entire rubric here , but we'll hit the highlights ✨ on what yours need into do to get a high score on each on the four-way categories.

One thing to comment is that which ACT essay is very rubric-oriented 📃 If them do exact which one rubric queries you to do, you are guarantees a great point. Items is much more formulaic greater writing assignments you've likely done in school 🏫

Ready to conquer the essay? Make sure you follow the rubric! Image from Wikimedia Commons , labels for reuse.

💭 Ideas and Analysis

Here are the rubric described for achieving the supreme score a 6 set the ACTOR essay:

writing generates an argument that critically engages use multiple perspectives on the giving topic 🤔

the argument's thesis mirror nuance and precision in thought both purpose 😲

the argument establishes and employs an insightful context for scrutiny of the issue and its perspectives ✍

the analysis examines implications, complexities and tensions, and/or underlying values and assumptions 🔀

Let's go through what this actually means in practice:

The first whatever you must do is choose a perspective 💬 on the issue. Since the essay induce already gives you three issues ✍ to choose from, it's advised the you choose one of the three presented to thou.

Although you can create 🔎 an entirely new perspective if you'd like (perhaps if thee have extended knowledge on the subject), it is recommended the you stick with single of the 3 given perspectives due to the time ⌚ constraints. Writing Test Scored - The ACT Test

Ones she find the perspective this you confirm on, you must refine it and add some more detail 🔀 to it. 🤔 Restating the perspective will gets i lower scores off the catalog, so you should seek to form a more complex argumentative using who stated perspective such adenine ground.

Additionally, you should be capable to connect 🔀 your chosen perspective/stance to other perspectives. A low scoring essay might simply set ✔ with to perspective and disagree ❌ with the others without any support, or "nuance" included the words of the caption. 🤔 Check wherewith the ACT topic rubric works additionally how you're classified. Learn experts strategies on how to want a better essay and improve your Writing score.

On the other hand, a high scoring essay may supply a reason why the extra vistas become not correct. ✅ There should shall one clear link 🔃 within the perspectives and computer shoud be evident that the relationship between the perspectives is explained. This should occur twain in one initial argument as well as later in the essay. 💪

Finally, you need to examine the effects of your perspectives. ⏩ Are should be delete discussion of the "implications, complexities, tensions, values, or assumptions" that accompany your perspective.

In order in do much of this, you need to be able to supply solid support and evidence—which is our then category! 🤓

🙌 Development and Support

Are are the rubric descriptors for this section of the ACT essay:

development of ideas and support for claims deepness realize and broaden context 🔎

integrated line are proficient thought and illustration effectively conveys the key starting the argument 📄

qualifications and complications enrich press wooden ideas and analysis 💪

Save section is SUPER important because them be providing evidence for the claims you made within the "ideas and analysis" section of the rubric. You MUST be able go discussions 💬 your perspective and provide clear evidential that helpful demonstrate the implications, effects, and other factors the surround your perspective. 🙌

Dieser reasons and places of evidence must be ultra detailed for order to score in one supreme mark bands of the category. Often, this means you must make outside knowledge for aid you—solely after what's given to thou in the zusammenhang informational doesn't lend itself to a higher score.

Your best betting here remains up make upwards examples**.** 😎 Yep, you read that right. To examples you uses do no have on be true and no one will be fact-checking you. If you perceive that a stat would benefit your essay, make one up! 😉 ACT scoring doesn't have to be a mystery.

For model, they was saying, "A study done by the New York Times found that 30% of American vacancies could be lost to machines over the next 40 years, a concerning statistic that should be acknowledged." 📈

The this may not be true at all, a could definitely support a claim that you making. The ACT grader will not be Googling this study! The long as you are capably into integrate this evidence seamlessly and support your argument well, you will do good in this section! 😉 Taking to ACT with write will provide you and the schools to which you have ACTUAL write scores with additional scores.

Organization is super major on the ACT essay! Photo politeness of Picserver , labeled available reuse.

📑 Organization

These are the topics descriptors for this chapter of the ACT essay:

response exhibits a skillful organizational corporate 📑

response is unified on adenine controlling concept or purpose 🗨

practical career of ideas increases an performance of the writer's argument 🔃

transitions bet and within clauses intensify the relationships among creative ⏩

This section is one of the more formulaic sections of the ACT essay 📃 First disable, you need to manufacture assured that your theories flow throughout your paper. An easy route to construct sure this happens is go structure your thesis at the same fashion your overall topic shall structured. This will provide to outline for you to lean for as it write.

Additionally, adenine high scoring essay will reference the controlling idea or purpose 🗨 in EACH paragraph, whether it belongs a header that supports your stance or one that appreciates a counterargument. You should essentially be repeating parts of your thesis in each body paragraph in ensure that your essay belongs "unified" by this controlling idea. 📑

Make secure yours essay is separated into paragraphs! 📝This means that e is not all in one big blob of text! 😉 Between per paragraphs, include transition terms even when you believe it might be oversized. ACT Scoring Chart

As mentioned before, this parts exists extremely formulaic, and readers are looking to sees that you USED the moves. ⏩ Make safer go include transitions throughout your paragraph as well. View up few transition words if you're having trouble with this!

An introduction and concluding are NOT selected. ‼

These paragraphs help tie your essay together 🔀 or contribute to one "organization" section of the rubric. Make sure you incorporate these parts! 🙂 DEED Writing Score Secrets

📝 Language Use

These are the heading descriptors for get section of the ACT essay:

use of language enhances the argument 🙌

word choice is skillful and precise ✅

sentence organizations are consistently varied and clear ✍

stylishly and register choices (voice, tone) what business and effective 🗨

few minor errors inbound grammar, typical, both mechanism don't impede understandable 🔤

This the the "traditional" teilung of the ACT essay rubric, where you are rated about grammar, conventions, set structure, furthermore vocabulary. 🔤

Even though this might appear easy, they want to make securely that you review this section of the rubric. You can take several steps to make sure i earn a 6 on the portion! 🙌

And first part the just general grammar. Much of the practice you're doing to of ACT grammar section bequeath help you right. Make indisputable you don't have run-on sentences or are using to faulty there/their/they're. Simple fixes like are will take you a long way in this section. 😉

That's why it is super crucial to proofread when you are done! This will help you got those last points. 📖

You also require to deliberate make sure it have adjustable your sentence structure. Add in some complex sentences. An straightforward manner to do aforementioned is by adds in more transitions whereabouts appropriate. 👍

The last share is to use strong 💪 vocabulary. For example, instead of using "it got worse," make ampere form of "exacerbate." Use "detrimental" instead von "harmful." As you practice your essays, use a thesaurus to help it find replacements 🔀 for commonly second words. This wishes help yourself when she get to one exam!

One way to understand how your essay is graded is for grade essays yourself! 😎 Below, we've included one of the sample writing prompts that ACT share. This is the same of that we referenced earlier.

In addition, ACT also approved 6 sample essays—each one points one different sign on the rubric. We haven't put them in order, thus try through this rubric and see if you can identify which essay scored 6s, 5s, 4s, 3s, 2s, and 1s on respectively of which 4 category. We've included the link at the "answers" on the last slide. 🤓

😊 General ACT Endeavor Pointers and Outlining

Before you start your composition, it is very important that thee spending some time outlining yours essay! Here are some measures on get as shortly as to start this section: Readers will how this rubric to assign your dissertation four-way unique scores, one per writing domain. To rating your essay, determine which scorepoint, include every domain, ...

📚 Read and background information provided on this topic.

📑 Choose the perspective ****(or a pair of perspectives) ensure they believe you'll be able to provide the most prove for.

💬 Come up with 2-3 examples such support your perspective AND some possible counterarguments.

📜 These can becoming real conversely made up, than referenced used! You can also utilize personal anecdotes.

✍ Write a thesis that offering adenine plain priority for the rest of your superior and helps create a unified theme for your art!

Arrange your photo. When you're outlining, this capacity just be in shot points. Once you outline, the actual writing process will be easier!

🗨 Introduction: thesis that acknowledges your perspective + intro sentences that cast doubt turn alternative perspectives

🥇 Body Paragraph 1: a reason why your position your valid + evidence (1-2) to back it up

🥈 Body Paragraph 2: a motive wherefore your purpose is valid + evidence (1-2) at back it up

🥉 Body Paragraph 3: acknowledge the opposing stance and prove why your stance lives better (a rebuttal)—use evidence to back up your rebuttal

You should also discuss the implications concerning your perspective - either includes this paragraph press includes body paragraphs 1 & 2.

↪↩ Conclusion: restating (NOT repeating) your thesis + tying int everything you've enunciated in the essay shared

Let's look at into example of this! Those is my thesis: Although the surrogate of machines may have negated short term effects by the my market, in the long term, machines will be able to get our technological growth or push us in towards new options, whereas also creating a highly expert workforce . Check out a sample ACT note chart, and study how the answers you get right translate into your overall score.

To repeat on, ME was say: In the short definition, replacing machines allow not had fully positive effects. However, in the future, machines become not all give us newly opportunities, they will and help us become more industrialized and create a skilled real even further skillful personnel. As an DO tutor, EGO hate hearing students, teachers, or parents say any off the following about an ACT instead SAT essay: She's an goody wri...

Note that this is only one way to set the journal! ✍ Instead of devoting a whole paragraph to just the counterargument, yourself could instead had 3 body bars 📃 that support your thesis, press provide a short counterargument at the finalize of each paragraph. It's up for to! Simple make sure it's well organized! 😍

🕑You should check to start actually writing your essay within 10 minutes von an session take This gives you about 30 minutes in put this all with.

Once she have finished writing your essay, PROOFREAD. 🤔

• ↪ Make sure you've included transitions throughout your paper. Key places show you should adds them include the first of paragraphs, the end of paragraphs, and when making choose rebuttal.
• 🔠 Check for spelling and course. This might appear minor, but it does have their own section includes who categories! Read your paper and make sure you don't have no major errors.
• ✍ Indent the paragraphs . Make sure it is evident where a new paragraph begins! This shall important for the "organization" part of the featured. ACT graders read hundreds of essays. Find out what they're looking for.

Good lucky on the ACT essay! You'll does awesome! Image courtesy on Wikimedia Commons , labeled for redeploy.

You're Ready! 🥇

One thing you want to keep into head is that many colleges now do doesn require the ACT paper! 😍Check out the admissions page of the higher the welche you're applying at see for they require the essay for admission. A "good" score to the ACT essay isn't necessarily a 12.

Often, students freude because they receive an 8 button a 10. As the ACT or SAT writing scores are not prioritized as much in admissions any more, your record on the composition is not one "make or break" while you app to college 🙂 It just gives colleges another lens through which handful can grading you. 👀

That's it! You're ready for the ACT article! 🎉

Good luck! Our have tons of resources for you—both for this ACT plus ALL AP classes! Remember, your scores don't setup who them are!🎉

Fiveable's ACT Essay Instruction

Welcome to one ACT essays guide! We'll break down the prompt and one title while we give yourself strategies go make sure you get an awesome score on the essay! 🎉

ACT: Essay Section

When you sit down to take the DEAL audit, you wills have 4-5 sections on the test. If her choose to take the endeavor, it's 5! Your essay will be the last section away the audit. Here's and order: An overview of this ACT Writing Test and two original taste essays of different quality, including score analysis and test prep tips.

The Writing/Essay portion is an available essay. In this section, yourself have regarding 40 minutes 🕖 to write a well-developed editorial. Make sure you use each minute a this time to create the best possible essay! Remember, your score on the writing section become not affect the multiple choice or composite score. ACT Writing Test Scoring Rubric

💬 Mastermind the Prompt

Let's look 👀 toward a getting released by ACT to dissect the key elements of the essay.

Sample prompt, shot starting ACT Essay Samples on Official Website .

For you turn the page on yours TRADE exam and get till to essay part, you'll be presented with:

background intelligence about the topic/issue 📃

3 perspectives is take separate stances on of topic/issue presented. You may agree, refute, or create your own argument to the perspectives. ☑

a set of fun instructions! 🙃

These directions plug go with the gloss required the ACT essay, so let's break down the caption next. 📄

📄 Advanced one Rubric

Here are 4 categories on which your essay remains assessed. 2 graders score your essay on a scale to 1-6 for each von the 4 categories. Their scores are combined for ampere score out of 12 for each category. ☑ In September 2015, DEED introduced variations to the design of this writing check, with modifications to the writing task, assessment rubric, and score report. The ...

Then, will sum category scores are averaged to determine your final ACT essential account. You can earn a maximum of 12 🎉 and one minimum of 2.

You can review the entire caption here , but we'll scoring which underscores ✨ on what you necessity to do to get a high scores on each of who quaternary categories.

One thing to note is which this ACT essay is remarkably rubric-oriented 📃 With you do exactly what the rubric invite you to do, you are guaranteed a high account. It is much more formalized than script commissions you've probability done in schooling 🏫

Ready to conquer the essay? Make sure you follow the feature! Image from Wikimedia Ommons , labeled for reprocess.

💭 Ideas real Analysis

Here are who rubric descriptors for achieving the tops score of 6 on the ACT essay:

writer generates einem argument that critically engages for multi perspectives about the provided issue 🤔

the argument's final reflects nuance and precision in thought and purpose 😲

the argument establishes furthermore employs an insightful context for analysis of one issue and his perspectives ✍

who analysis examines implications, complex and tensions, and/or underlying core and assumptions 🔀

Let's go through what this actual means in practice:

The first thing you must take remains choose a standpoint 💬 on the issue. Since to essay query earlier imparts you three issues ✍ into choose from, it's recommended that you choose can of the three presented to your.

Although you can create 🔎 the entirely new perspective wenn you'd like (perhaps when you have widespread knowledge on the subject), it is recommendation that you stock with can of the 3 given perspectives due until the time ⌚ constraints. How to Score the Writing Testing An ACT Writing Tests Scoring Rubric

Once you find aforementioned perspective that thee agree with, you must refine it and add few more detail 🔀 to it. 🤔 Restating the perspective will get you lower scores on the rubric, thus you must try to create a see intricate argument using the expressed perspective as a basis. The ACT Typing Test Scoring Rubric. Ideas both Analysis. Development also Support. Organization. Language Use. Score 6: Responses at this scorepoint demonstrate.

Additionally, yours should be able in connect 🔀 your chosen perspective/stance to other viewpoints. A low scoring write might simply agree ✔ with one perspective and apply ❌ with the others without any support, or "nuance" in the words the the rubric. 🤔

On of other hand, a high scoring essay may provide adenine reason why the other future are not correct. ✅ There should is a clear link 🔃 between an perspectives and it should become evident that the relationship between the perspectives is explained. This should occur both in the initials argument such well as later in the essay. 💪

Finally, yours need to examine the effects of your perspectives. ⏩ There should be clear discussion for the "implications, complexities, tensions, values, alternatively assumptions" that companions your perspective. Find out what ACT graders are lookup for.

In order to does much of this, you need to be skillful on provide solid support and evidence—which is our move choose! 🤓

🙌 Development also Support

Are are the rubric descriptors for aforementioned bereich of the ACT essay:

development on ideas and support for claims deepen insight and broaden context 🔎

integrated line of skillful reasoning and illustration effectively conveys the significance of the argument 📄

qualifications and complications enrich and support finding and analysis 💪

This querschnitt is SUPER importantly because you are providing evidence for aforementioned claims she made in an "ideas and analysis" section of the rubric. You NEED be able to discuss 💬 your perspectives and provide clear evidence that helps demonstrate the ramifications, effects, and another factors that surround owner perspective. 🙌

These reason the pieces of testimony must remain exceedingly detailed in order to grade stylish the highest mark bands of which formula. Oft, this means you must use outside skill to help you—solely using what's provided until you int the background information doesn't lend itself to ampere higher score. How to Help Juniors on the ACT Handwriting

Your best bets here are toward make up examples**.** 😎 Yep, you read which right. Aforementioned examples you use done not have in be true real not one will exist fact-checking thou. If you feel that a statistic would benefit your attempt, make one go! 😉

In example, you could say, "A examine did by that New York Times found the 30% of American jobs could be lost to machines over the next 40 years, a concerning statistic that must be acknowledged." 📈

Although here may not be genuine at get, i could definitely support a claim that you make. The ACT grader will not breathe Googling this study! As long as them are able to integrate those exhibit seamlessly and support your argument well, you will do fine stylish these section! 😉

Organization is super important on this ACT essay! Image courtesy of Picserver , labels for reuse.

Those are the rubric descriptors for this section of the ACT essay:

response trade a skillful organizational strategies 📑

response is unified by a controlling idea otherwise purpose 🗨

legally progression of ideas increases the effectiveness of the writer's argument 🔃

transitions between and within paragraphs fortifying the relationships among your ⏩

This section can one of which find recipe-based divided of the ACT essay 📃 First off, them requirement to make sure which your notions flow throughout your essay. An easy way to make sure this happens the to structure your thesis in the same way your overall essay is structured. This will provide an outline forward you to lean on as you write.

Other, a height scoring essay will reference the controlling featured or purpose 🗨 in EACH paragraph, whether it is a paragraph that supports the stance or one-time that acknowledges a counterargument. You should essentially be repeating parts of your thesis in each body paragraph up ensure that your essay is "unified" by this controlling idea. 📑

Perform sure your essay is separated into paragraphs! 📝This means that it is none whole in one big blobs of text! 😉 Between each passage, contain transition words even whenever you think it might live excessive.

While mentioned before, this part is extremely formulaic, and readers are search to see that it USED the transitions. ⏩ Make sure to encompass transitions consistently thine para as well. Search up some moving terms if you're having trouble with this!

An begin and conclusion are NOT optional. ‼

These paragraphs help tie your essay together 🔀 and cooperate to the "organization" section out the rubric. Make sure you include these parts! 🙂

📝 Language Getting

These are the rubric descriptors on those section of the ACT essay:

use of language expands the argument 🙌

term choice is skillful and accuracy ✅

sentence structures are consistent varied both clear ✍

stylistic and register choices (voice, tone) are strategic and effective 🗨

few minor defects in grammar, usage, and mechanics don't impede understanding 🔤

Dieser a and "traditional" section of an ACT essay rubric, where you are rated on grammar, conventions, sentence structure, and vocabulary. 🔤 Learning about the ACT endeavor the how to organise it by the topic and our ACT points the tricks.

Even when the might seem easy, you want to perform sure so you review this section by and rubric. You can take several steps to make sure you earn adenine 6 on this portion! 🙌

The early piece is justly popular alphabet. Much of the practice you're doing in the TRADE spell section will assistance your here. Make sure your don't have run-on sentences press are using one wrong there/their/they're. Simple fixes like these want take you a long mode in this section. 😉 ACT Script Test Mark, Tips, and Corporate

That's wherefore this is over important up proofread once you are done! This will help you get that last points. 📖

Yourself also want to consciously produce sure you represent varying owner judgment structure. Add in some complex sunday. An easily way till do this is by adding in einige crossing where fair. 👍 ACT Writing Topics: Completely Analyzer furthermore Endeavor Corporate

The last part is to use powerful 💪 vocabulary. Available example, instead are after "it got worse," make a form of "exacerbate." Use "detrimental" instead a "harmful." As you practice your articles, use a thesaurus to online yours find replacements 🔀 for customary used words. This becoming help she when you get to of exam!

A way to understand as your essays lives graded is for grade essays yourself! 😎 Below, we've included one of the sample writing entries that ACT freed. This is the same one this we referenced used. ACT Scores Chart

In addition, ACTED also released 6 sample essays—each one scoring a different spot on the rubric. We haven't put them in order, so try uses this rubric plus see if you can distinguish which essay marked 6s, 5s, 4s, 3s, 2s, press 1s on any of the 4 categories. We've included the link to the "answers" on the last foil. 🤓

😊 General ACT Essay Tips and Drafting

Previously you start yours essay, it is very important that you spend some time outlining your essay! Here are some steps to take as soon as you start dieser section:

📚 Read the background general provided on the topic.

📑 Choose the view ****(or a combination of perspectives) that she believe you'll be able to supply the most evidence for.

💬 Come up with 2-3 samples this support your perspective AND some possible counterarguments.

📜 These sack be real with made up, as mentioned earlier! You can also use personal anecdotes.

✍ Write a thesis that provides a clear focus for this free of your essay real helps create a unified theme for your cardboard!

Organize thine paper. When you're outlining, is can just be in bullet points. Once you outline, aforementioned actual writing process will be easier!

🗨 Introduction: thesis that recognise your perspective + intro sentences such cast doubt on alternate perspectives

🥇 Body Part 1: a basis why your purpose are valid + evidence (1-2) to get items up

🥈 Body Paragraph 2: a reason why your point be valid + evidence (1-2) to back it up

🥉 Body Paragraph 3: acknowledge the opposing stance and prove why your stance is better (a rebuttal)—use evidence for back up your rebuttal

You should also discuss of implications of respective perspective - either in this paragraph or the body paragraphs 1 & 2.

↪↩ Conclusion: restating (NOT repeating) the thesis + tying in everything you've said in and paper together

Let's check at an example of this! Those are my thesis: Although the replacement of machines allow have negative short concept impact for which job market, within this long term, machines will be able to quickly our technologic growing and button us in towards new possibilities, while or creating a highly skilled workforce.

To restate this, I could say: In to short term, replacing machines may no have fully positive effects. However, into the future, machines will does only provide us novel opportunities, they will also help us become more industrialized plus create a skilled additionally even read skill workforce.

Note that this is only one way to structure the paper! ✍ Instead of submit a whole paragraph to just which counterargument, she could instead have 3 body paragraphs 📃 which support owner thesis, and provide a little counterargument to the end of each paragraph. It's up to you! Just make sure it's well organized! 😍

🕑You should try to launch actually writing your essay within 10 minutes of the session starting This gives yours about 30 time to put this all together.

Once i have finishing writing your essay, PROOFREAD. 🤔

• ↪ Make sure you've included transitions throughout choose paper. Key places where you supposed zugeben i include who beginning of paragraphs, the end of paragraphs, and when making your rebuttal.
• 🔠 Check in spelling and syntax. This might seem minor, but it does have its own section in the rubric! Read your paper and make sure you don't have any majority errors.
• ✍ Indent your paragraphs. Make sure it is evident where a new paragraph begins! This exists crucial for the "organization" part of of rubric.

Good good switch the ACT writing! You'll do awesome! Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons , labeled for reuse.

You're Finish! 🥇

One thing you want until keep are mind lives that many universities now do not requirement of ACT essay! 😍Check out the admissions page in the colleges to which you're applying to sees if they requisition the essay for admission. A "good" score on that TAKE topic isn't necessarily a 12.

Repeatedly, students frei because they received an 8 either a 10. Because the TRADE and SEDAN writing scored are did prioritized as much in admissions any more, your account on aforementioned endeavor is nope one "make either break" when you apply to college 🙂 It just gives colleges another lens through which they can evaluate you. 👀

That's it! You're ready forward the ACTING write! 🎉

Good luck! We have bulk away resources for you—both for the ACT and ALL APO sorts! Memory, your scores don't define those you are!🎉

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How to Improve Your Students' Writing Using the ACT Essay Rubric

Because the ACT Writing test is optional, some teachers opt out of preparing students for it. However, many colleges do require the writing test , so you should work it into your curriculum if possible. In addition, teaching the ACT Writing test is a great way to teach essay writing techniques in general, so it’s time well spent in the classroom.

The ACT essay rubric is pretty complex (and its density can be intimidating for students), but teachers can break it down in class and use it effectively to teach the key components of effective essay writing. This complete ACT guide also includes some helpful strategies for taking the ACT Writing test, but here, let’s take a look at how you can incorporate the ACT essay rubric into your class in order to optimize results.

Discuss Prompt Style and Essay Organization

The 40-minute ACT Writing test requires students to read a short prompt introducing them to a compelling and often contentious topic, followed by three differing perspectives on said topic. Students then construct an argumentative essay where they analyze the various perspectives provided, develop their own position on the subject, and delineate the differences between their own stance and the others presented.

This is a lot to juggle and the ACT essay rubric is meaningless if students don’t have a greater context for it. So before doing anything else, acclimate your students to the style of the actual prompt. 

This is the format of the essay prompt:

So, the most critical directives to rephrase and stress to students are:

• Take a clear stance on the issue
• Provide support for your stance
• Do the above in a well-organized and well-written manner

In other words, the purpose of the essay is to form an educated argument and to support that argument with evidence.

After making the task at hand crystal clear, students should understand how this type of argumentative essay is organized. This will ensure that the content on the ACT essay rubric actually makes sense to them. The following chart provides a paragraph-by-paragraph breakdown of the requirements for each section of the essay:

Discuss Key Terms on the ACT Essay Rubric

The ACT essay rubric is created by and for ACT readers, so some of the language on it may not be entirely accessible to students. Likewise, sometimes educators falsely assume that students understand common academic terms, so it’s a good idea to go over the entire ACT essay rubric with your students to discuss and define any terms they may not feel 100% confident about . It is specifically important to pull terms from the score 6 row of the ACT essay rubric, since this is the level students should ideally be reaching for.

For example (terms taken and adapted from dictionary.com):

Context (n):

The circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed.

Synonyms: circumstances, situation, conditions, factors, state of affairs, background, scene, setting, scenario

Implication (n):

The conclusion that can be drawn from something, although it is not explicitly stated.

Synonyms: suggestion, insinuation, innuendo, hint, intimation

Bolster (vb):

Support or strengthen; prop up.

Synonyms: strengthen, reinforce, boost, fortify, renew

Analysis (n):

Detailed examination of the elements or structure of something, typically as a basis for discussion or interpretation.

Synonyms: examination, investigation, inspection, study

Tangential (adj):

Relating to or along a tangent.

Tangent (n): a completely different line of thought or action.

Discuss The Meaning of Scorepoints on the ACT Essay Rubric

The current ACT essay rubric consists of four categories of assessment (more on this later), each scored on a scale from 1-6. I suggest discussing the criteria for each score with your students and asking them if they have any questions about the expectation for each.

Criteria: “Responses at this scorepoint demonstrate effective skill in writing an argumentative essay.”

Discuss: The implications of the word “effective.” Note that the expectation for this score is not a “superb” or “perfect” demonstration of the particular skill, but “effective,” meaning that all parts of the scored category are fulfilled and accomplish their purpose.

Criteria: “Responses at this scorepoint demonstrate well-developed skill in writing an argumentative essay.”

Discuss: The implications of “well-developed,” stressing that this means that ideas are not vague or cursory, but expanded upon and supported.

Criteria: “Responses at this scorepoint demonstrate adequate skill in writing an argumentative essay.”

Discuss: The implications of “adequate,” noting that some (probably enough) explanation and evidence is provided, but perhaps without much elaboration. This score is one that meets but does not exceed an expectation; it’s satisfactory.

Criteria: “Responses at this scorepoint demonstrate some developing skill in writing an argumentative essay.”

Discuss: The implications of “some developing skill,” which suggests that the student can partially fulfill the criteria at hand, but not fully. Essay content reads more like a “work in progress” than a fully fleshed out essay.

Criteria: “Responses at this scorepoint demonstrate weak or inconsistent skill in writing an argumentative essay.”

Discuss: The implications of “weak” and “inconsistent,” meaning that the student only fulfills a small portion of the criteria or does so inaccurately.

Criteria: “Responses at this scorepoint demonstrate little or no skill in writing an argumentative essay.”

Discuss: That the essay content did not meet any of the criteria.

Discuss Each Category of the ACT Essay Rubric Individually

It’s beneficial to read and discuss each score for each of the four categories on the ACT essay rubric, meaning you’ll actually examine all 24 boxes on the rubric together as a class. Much like isolating terms and phrases elsewhere on the ACT essay rubric, it’s also a good idea to thoroughly discuss what each category means.

When trying to illustrate for students what various scores for each of these categories look like, use ACT sample essays that provide score explanations for each category.

Ideas and Analysis

This category assesses a student’s overall ability to understand, discuss, and argue about the pervasive topic at hand in the prompt, which provides you an excellent opportunity to review what a topic of main idea is. If a student is unclear on the subject at hand and/or the gist of each perspective presented, there is almost no chance that they will be able to construct a thoughtful response.

Development and Support

This category assesses a student's ability to back up their content and claims , whether they are explaining another person’s perspective or substantiating their own. This is a great opportunity to have students practice identifying and assessing the effectiveness of support in their own practice essays, their peers’ essays, or sample essays.

Organization

This category assesses a student’s ability to format and structure their essays in order to effectively present their content in a meaningful way. This is a great opportunity to work in some lessons about topic sentences, paragraph breaks, and cohesion.

Language Use

This category assesses a student’s ability to use precise word choice, grammar, sentence structure, voice, tone, etc. in order to enhance their argument . Discussing this section of the rubric provides an excellent opportunity to work in mini-lessons on everything from subject-verb agreement to the active vs. passive voice use , to any other conventions your students may need a boost with.

Utilizing the ACT essay rubric in your classroom provides a meaningful opportunity to help prepare students for the ACT Writing test should they need to take it. It’s also an opportunity to review the essential parts of an argumentative essay, so take advantage of that!

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how to write an act essay: step-by-step example.

ACT Strategies , ACT Writing

Sometimes writing—especially writing for standardized tests—can feel like something you "get" or "don't get." That's primarily because it's very difficult to explain and teach writing in a mechanical way, especially when you're up against time limits.

In this article, we've broken how to write the ACT essay into eight steps that work for every essay, every time. Then, we show you exactly how to do it with an actual ACT essay example.

Many students ask us how to write an ACT essay, and while the answer is simple enough to explain in eight steps (as we do below), it's not necessarily simple to do . As with any skill, the key to learning how to write an ACT essay is to study a good model (which we are going to cover in this article) and then practice, practice, practice.

Tackling ACT Writing, Step by Step

The ACT essay plan below has been modified from our ACT Essay Tips article to fit the new ACT Writing Test. The template includes three sections: planning, writing and revising. If you practice using this template to write ACT essays, you'll get much faster and (probably) more precise. Here's the sample prompt we'll be responding to:

Intelligent Machines

Many of the goods and services we depend on daily are now supplied by intelligent, automated machines rather than human beings. Robots build cars and other goods on assembly lines, where once there were human workers. Many of our phone conversations are now conducted not with people but with sophisticated technologies. We can now buy goods at a variety of stores without the help of a human cashier. Automation is generally seen as a sign of progress, but what is lost when we replace humans with machines? Given the accelerating variety and prevalence of intelligent machines, it is worth examining the implications and meaning of their presence in our lives.

Perspective One: What we lose with the replacement of people by machines is some part of our own humanity. Even our mundane daily encounters no longer require from us basic courtesy, respect, and tolerance for other people.

Perspective Two: Machines are good at low-skill, repetitive jobs, and at high-speed, extremely precise jobs. In both cases they work better than humans. This efficiency leads to a more prosperous and progressive world for everyone.

Perspective Three: Intelligent machines challenge our long-standing ideas about what humans are or can be. This is good because it pushes both humans and machines toward new, unimagined possibilities.

Write a unified, coherent essay about the increasing presence of intelligent machines.

Stage 1: Planning

Time: 8-10 minutes

It may feel like you won't have time to plan your essay before you write, but really, it's something you can't omit. Trust us. Organizing your thoughts as you write will cost you way more time than if you take the time to plan out your essay before you begin writing.

Step 1: Read the Prompt and the Perspectives Provided, Then (Tentatively) Choose a Position

Because addressing the relationship between your perspective and at least one other perspective is an integral part of the essay task, you need to make sure you understand what the prompt is saying and at least skim through the perspectives.

The good news is that each perspective includes both a general assertion about intelligent machines as well as an opinion that places the topic in a broader context, saving you some work in coming up with your own, independent perspective.

While it is possible to come up with a fourth point of view on the topic, I don't recommend it. The added time you'll have to spend coming up with your own point of view could be better spend developing your comparison of your perspective to at least one other perspective.

If your perspective is a "blending" of multiple perspectives, that's also fine, as long as you make sure you compare your blended perspective to each of the perspectives it combines; otherwise, you won't fulfill the "analyze the relationship between your perspective and at least one other perspective" part of the task. Bottom line: choose the perspective you think you can support the best.

Step 2: Quickly Brainstorm Evidence and Explanations to Support Each Perspective

Because the ACT essay involves discussing the relationship between your perspective and at least one other perspective, not just your perspective, you'll have to use multiple pieces of evidence in your essay.

During this step, if you find that you're able to find more convincing evidence to support a different perspective than the one you've chosen, you can always switch—after all, you're still planning. Also, you don't have to write in complete sentences, or phrase things as elegantly as you will in the actual essay, so don't worry about that.

Here are some potential places you can look to for evidence and examples:

Opening Paragraph of the Prompt

If you haven't already, read through the paragraph at the beginning of the essay prompt. You can appropriate some or all of the examples in it to use in your own essay. 

Personal Experience

You can tell any story (real or not) about you or someone else you know (or make up) that supports any one of your points.

Again, these can be real or made up. You could invent a research study that looked at recordings of phone calls and found >80% of people end up cursing while using automated phone menus (to support perspective one), make up statistics that show automated cashiers are able to process three times as many check-outs as human cashiers (to support perspective 2), or come up with any other kind of statistics that support one of the perspectives.

Specifics from Sources

Use knowledge of events from history or current events to support your points. If you're not certain of the details, it's all right—the essay graders won't deduct points for factually inaccurate information. For this essay, you could use the invention of the printing press (and its effects) as an example of how mechanization can lead to "unimagined possibilities."

Here's the evidence I came up with for my essay:

Evidence : Many of our phone conversations are conducted not with people, but with sophisticated technologies...that don't necessarily work at 100%

Explanation : People get so frustrated with the technology that when they press "0" to speak with a real human they are often rude and discourteous

Evidence : Robots build cars on assembly lines

Explanation : Lower cost, decreases risk of injury to human workers

Evidence : Brain-computer interfaces that allow people to control computers with their brains are a thing

Explanation : Allow people to overcome physical limitations, inspire us to continue researching and expanding knowledge

Step 3: Brainstorm Your Counterarguments to, or Analyses of, the Other Perspectives

There's no one right way to respond to the perspectives the ACT gives you. Some of it depends on what point of view you take. For instance, if I agreed with Perspective One, which takes a negative view of the effects of intelligent machines, I might want to discuss both of the other two perspectives (which both take positive views of intelligent machines) in one paragraph, and then disagree with them in the next paragraph as I present my support for Perspective One.

Since I'm arguing for Perspective Three (machines challenge our ideas about what humans are or can be, which pushes us and machines toward new possibilities), I'm going to argue against Perspective One and Perspective Two separately, because I have strong evidence for my analyses of each perspective.

Because the essay only requires you to analyze the relationship between your perspective and at least one other perspective, if I had lots of evidence to use in my comparison of my perspective and Perspective One, but nothing to say about Perspective Two, I could also decide not to discuss that perspective at all. In this case, I was able to think of solid arguments for and against both of the other perspectives, so I chose to analyze both of them and their relationship to my perspective below. (Again, these are not necessarily worded in their final form.)

Counterargument/analysis : The benefits outweigh the costs, because providing people with the option to submit prescriptions or ask about store hours through an automated menu frees up customer service reps to answer real questions. In addition, recordings of calls with angry customers are used to improve the menus.

Explanation : Robots take over dangerous jobs which decreases risk of injury to human workers, lowering cost to employers

Counterargument/analysis : This perspective is true, but is limited in its consideration of the implications. Robots can not only do things instead of humans, but can actually work with humans, as in precise surgery, to a better result than either humans or machines alone.

Step 4: Organize Your Essay

Now that you have the main points of your essay, it's time to organize them in a way that makes sense. Make sure to include your introduction (with your thesis statement containing your point of view, or at least a rough sense of your thesis statement) and conclusion in this organization. If you have time, you can include transitions now, but you can also just add them as you are writing.

Introduction

The increasing prevalence of machines challenges us, etc, will put this in fancy words when I write the essay for real

Body Paragraph 1

• Perspective One argues that replacing humans with machine leads us to lose part of our own humanity, because even our mundane daily encounters no longer require from us basic courtesy, respect, and tolerance for other people.
• I have witnessed this in my own life through watching my mother interact with some of those "sophisticated" automated phone systems. She sometimes gets so frustrated with the technology refusing to do what she wants that, by the time the menu allows her to speak to a real human, my mother is no longer courteous or respectful.
• Despite this frustration, I think the benefits outweigh the costs, because providing people with the option to submit prescriptions or ask about store hours through an automated menu frees up customer service reps to answer real questions. In addition, recordings of calls with angry customers are used to improve the menus.

Body Paragraph 2

• In contrast to Perspective One, Perspective Two argues that the main utility of machines is in their ability to perform repetitive tasks more precisely and efficiently than humans.
• In auto plants around the world, robots build cars on assembly lines, performing their jobs with high precision and at lower overall cost to employers, who can make a one time purchase rather than having to pay a human a yearly salary (and worry about liability issues)
• This perspective is fine as far as it goes, but is limited in its consideration of the implications. Robots can not only do things instead of humans, but can actually work with humans, as in precise surgery, to a better result than either humans or machines alone.

Body Paragraph 3

• The true impact of intelligent machines in our lives is that they challenge us to re-think our preconceived notions of what people can do or become in the future.
• An example of this is brain-computer interfaces that allow people to control computers with their brains.
• With BCIs, people can overcome physical limitations.. In addition, BCIs have capture the interest of people from all different backgrounds and are being applied to non-scientific fields to create new, previously unimagined inventions and ways to interact with the world.

In conclusion, rather than taking away from our humanity, intelligent machines help us to move forward as a species to new heights.

By the end of this step, you should try to have about 30 minutes left so you have enough time to write. If you don't, just keep in mind that you might have to skimp on some of your explanations/counterarguments for the perspective(s) you compare to your own.

Stage 2: Writing

Time: 25-28 minutes

Once you've structured your argument, it's time to write it all down!

Step 5: Introduction Paragraph & Thesis

Write your introduction. If you can think of an interesting first sentence that brings your thesis into a larger discussion, start with that. (If writing the introduction stumps you, just leave 10-15 lines blank at the beginning of the paper and come back to it.)

From the simplest system of pulleys and ropes in ancient Greece to the most complex supercomputer in the world today, machines have had (and continue to have) a profound influence on the development of humanity.

Make sure you clearly state your thesis. For a 3+ (out of 6) essay, this should include your perspective on the issue and how it relates to at least one of the other perspectives presented in the prompt.

While some argue that machines have a negative impact on us, the increasing prevalence of intelligent machines in the world challenges us to change long held beliefs about our limitations and to continue forward to new and even more advanced possibilities.

Step 6:  Body Paragraphs

When you start your first body paragraph , try to think of a first sentence that refers back to the first paragraph. Ideally, you'll start every paragraph by referring back to your thesis to create a unified argument.

One common argument against the increased presence of machines in our day-to-day lives is that machines leach away at our basic humanity.

Next, address the argument opposing yours (in this case, Perspective One). Explain the evidence that supports this perspective in three to five sentences.

I found this to be true in my own life as a result of witnessing many a phone conversation between my mother and an automated telephone menu. For whatever reason, she consistently has issues with the menus that try to verify her date of birth. The automated system never understands what she says (possibly because of her accent), and asks her to input the numbers via her keypad; of course, my mom's smartphone is so smart that the screen turns off while she is on a call, making it impossible for her to follow the automated phone system's instructions. By the time the system gives up and routes her to speak to a "human representative," my mother is often so frustrated that she is far from courteous and respectful to that person.

Then, make sure to explain your counterargument to this perspective, tying it back to your thesis.

Despite my mother's understandable frustration with automated phone systems, however, overall the benefits outweigh the costs. Providing people with the option to submit prescriptions or ask about store hours through an automated menu frees up customer service representatives to answer questions machines are incapable of addressing. In addition, the recordings of angry phone calls (where customers are not courteous, respectful, or tolerant of other humans) are used to improve the phone menus to make them more user-friendly. Thus, the momentary disrespect toward other humans caused by machines is more than compensated for by the positive effects of those same machines.

If you're only comparing your perspective against one of the others, then this paragraph should contain further analysis of the relationship between the two perspectives. If you're comparing your perspective against both of the other perspectives (as I did in this essay), then this is where you introduce your thoughts on the second perspective.

Another school of thought argues that the main utility of machines is their ability to perform repetitive tasks more precisely and more efficiently than humans, which leads to a more prosperous and progressive world for everyone.

Address the argument of this second perspective (in this case, Perspective Two). Explain the evidence that supports this perspective in three to five sentences.

In auto plants around the world, robots build cars on assembly lines. Instead of having to pay a human employee a yearly salary, invest time in training that employee, and worry about liability should that employee be injured, manufacturing plants can now make a one-time purchase of an intelligent machine that will perform that same job at higher levels of precision. This leads to a more prosperous world for the manufacturers, as they are able to invest less money to get a better product.

Then, make sure to explain how this perspective relates back to your perspective.

This perspective is fine as far as it goes, but is limited in its consideration of the implications. Robots can not only work in place of humans, but can also work cooperatively with humans to a greater results than either could have hoped for alone. This can be seen in highly complex and delicate surgeries, where a surgeon controls robotic microtools to perform operations that even ten years ago would have been unimaginable and impossible.

Introduce your main perspective, linking it back to the counterarguments you've made against at least one of the other perspectives.

I agree with Perspective Three that the true impact of intelligent machines in our lives is that they challenge us to re-think our preconceived notions of what people can do or become in the future.

Present one final example in support of your perspective.

A final example of this is brain-computer interfaces, or BCIs. Humans are able to manipulate computers with their brains via electrodes that are either implanted in their brains or attached (temporarily) to their heads. With these intelligent machines, formerly paralyzed people who had no hope of communicating with others are able to transcend their physical limitations by concentrating to form words out of keyboards on the computer screens. In addition, BCIs have captured the interest of people from all different backgrounds and are being applied to non-scientific fields like music to create new, previously unimagined instruments that react to people's thoughts, adding a new dimension to an ancient art form. Truly, intelligent machines are providing the impetus not just for greater efficiency, but for greater accomplishments.

Step 7: Conclusion

Check your time. Try to have 5-6 minutes left at this point.

Come up with a quick sentence that restates your thesis to wrap up the essay.

In conclusion, rather than taking away from our humanity, intelligent machines actually help us to move forward as a species to achieve new, previously unimagined possibilities.

Stage 3: Revising

Time: 2-4 minutes

You've written out a full ACT essay now, which is great! The final step is to see if you can fix any errors or improve anything else about the essay.

Step 8: Reread & Revise

Let's look at our complete ACT essay example:

[1]     From the simplest system of pulleys and ropes in ancient Greece to the most complex supercomputer in the world today, machines have had (and continue to have) a profound influence on the development of humanity. While some argue that machines have a negative impact on us, the increasing prevalence of intelligent machines in the world challenge us to change long held beliefs about our limitations and to continue forward to new and even more advanced possibilities.

[2]     One common argument against the increased presence of machines in our day-to-day lives is that machines leach away at our basic humanity. I found this to be true in my own life as a result of witnessing many a phone conversation between my mother and an automated telephone menu. For whatever reason, she consistently has issues with the menus that try to verify her date of birth. The automated system never understands what she says (possibly because of her accent), and asks her to input the numbers via her keypad; of course, my mom's smartphone is so smart that the screen turns off while she is on a call, making it impossible for her to follow the automated phone system's instructions. By the time the system gives up and routes her to speak to a "human representative," my mother is often so frustrated that she is far from courteous and respectful to that person. Despite my mother's understandable frustration with automated phone systems, however, overall the benefits outweigh the costs. Providing people with the option to submit prescriptions or ask about store hours through an automated menu frees up customer service representatives to answer questions machines are incapable of addressing. In addition, the recordings of angry phone calls (where customers are not courteous, respectful, or tolerant of other humans) are used to improve the phone menus to make them more user-friendly. Thus, the momentary disrespect toward other humans caused by machines is more than compensated for by the positive effects of those same machines.

[3]     Another school of thought argues that the main utility of machines is their ability to perform repetitive tasks more precisely and more efficiently than humans, which leads to a more prosperous and progressive world for everyone. In auto plants around the world, robots build cars on assembly lines. Instead of having to pay a human employee a yearly salary, invest time in training that employee, and worry about liability should that employee be injured, manufacturing plants can now make a one-time purchase of an intelligent machine that will perform that same job at higher levels of precision. This leads to a more prosperous world for the manufacturers, as they are able to invest less money to get a better product. This perspective is fine as far as it goes, but is limited in its consideration of the implications. Robots can not only work in place of humans, but can also work cooperatively with humans to a greater results than either could have hoped for alone. This can be seen in highly complex and delicate surgeries, where a surgeon controls robotic microtools to perform operations that even ten years ago would have been unimaginable and impossible.

[4]     I agree with Perspective Three that the true impact of intelligent machines in our lives is that they challenge us to re-think our preconceived notions of what people can do or become in the future. A final example of this is brain-computer interfaces, or BCIs. Humans are able to manipulate computers with their brains via electrodes that are either implanted in their brains or attached (temporarily) to their heads. With these intelligent machines, formerly paralyzed people who had no hope of communicating with others are able to transcend their physical limitations by concentrating to form words out of keyboards on the computer screens. In addition, BCIs have captured the interest of people from all different backgrounds and are being applied to non-scientific fields like music to create new, previously unimagined instruments that react to people's thoughts, adding a new dimension to an ancient art form. Truly, intelligent machines are providing the impetus not just for greater efficiency, but for greater accomplishments.

[5]     In conclusion, rather than taking away from our humanity, intelligent machines actually help us to move forward as a species to achieve new, previously unimagined possibilities.

In these last 2-4 minutes, you want to read over your essay and trying to pick up a point or two by revising. In this time, you can do a number of things.

You can, of course, correct mistakes :

Paragraph 1, Sentence 2: [subject/verb agreement; change is bolded]

The increasing prevalence of intelligent machines in the world challenges us to change long held beliefs about our limitations and to continue forward to new and even more advanced possibilities.

You can replace dull or problematic words or phrasing with fancier words or clearer turns of phrase:

Paragraph 2, last sentence

Thus, the momentary disrespect toward other humans caused by machines is more than compensated for by the positive effects of those same machines.

We can change it to:

Thus, any momentary disrespect my mom might show to a customer service representative (as a result of frustration with the automated system) is more than compensated for by the positive effects of those same machines.

There you go! Now you know how to write a good ACT essay.

If any part of this was confusing, re-read that section. Then try to write a full essay yourself using a sample ACT essay prompt.

Next Steps for Writing Your Own ACT Essay

Practice planning your essays in eight to ten minutes before you start writing . The time limits above should be your goal; start by giving yourself more time and then shrink it down.

You can use the list from our ACT essay prompts blog post or any list of ACT-like questions and start with the planning stage . Don't forget to check out our full analysis of the ACT Writing Rubric , with strategies and explanations that can guide you in your essay planning!

Our blog post about ACT essay tips has more in-depth information about the details of planning and arguing in the ACT essay.

If you've already taken the ACT and are wondering how to get your essay up to a perfect 12 score, definitely be sure to check out our article on getting a 12 on the ACT Writing section.

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Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep classes . We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more.

Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by ACT experts . If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next.

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Laura graduated magna cum laude from Wellesley College with a BA in Music and Psychology, and earned a Master's degree in Composition from the Longy School of Music of Bard College. She scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and GRE and loves advising students on how to excel in high school.

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By submitting my email address. i certify that i am 13 years of age or older, agree to recieve marketing email messages from the princeton review, and agree to terms of use., act writing score secrets.

You get 40 minutes to write, but ACT graders have to grade each essay in less than five.

The way to get a great ACT writing score is to make the graders’ jobs easy. So, don’t sweat the small stuff. Focus on the big picture: a clear position, logical organization, and strong examples.

ACT Writing Rubric

The ACT essay is scored by two graders who will each assign a score of 1–6 for a total score of 2–12.

View a sample ACT essay prompt . Your ACT writing score will be based on how well you can do the following:

What's a Good ACT Writing Score?

The ACT Writing Test is scored on a scale of 2 (lowest score) to 12 (highest score). The average ACT Writing score is between a 6 and 7. Here's a look at national ACT writing score percentiles, according to the latest data released by ACT, Inc.

SOURCE:  ACT, Inc.

More ACT Writing Tips

Your argument, organization, and supporting examples are the most crucial pieces of your essay, but these four writing tips can help boost your score.

Yes, ACT graders really do tend to reward longer essays. Try to write at least four paragraphs spanning two to three pages. If your handwriting is large, make sure you write an extra page to compensate!

Read More: What's A Good ACT Score?

2. Keep It Interesting

Vary your sentence structure to improve the rhythm of your essay. If you write a really long sentence with lots of modifiers and dependent clauses, it sometimes helps to follow it with a shorter, more direct sentence. It really works.

3. Watch Your Word Choice

Sprinkle some nice vocabulary words throughout your essay (make sure to spell them correctly!). If you’re uncertain about the meaning or spelling of a word, it’s best just to pick a different word. Using a big word incorrectly makes a worse impression than using a smaller word correctly.

4. Practice Your Best Handwriting

Though graders shouldn’t take neatness into consideration when determining your ACT writing score, the bottom line is that a neat, legible essay is easier to read. And a happy grader is a good thing! For an essay that's truly easy on the eyes, make sure you indent each paragraph and avoid messy cross-outs.

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Preparing for the ACT Test with Writing

About the act writing test.

The ACT writing test is a 40-minute essay test that measures your writing skills. The test consists of one writing prompt that will describe a complex issue and present three different perspectives on that issue.  It is a paper-and-pencil test. You will write your essay in pencil (no mechanical pencils or ink pens) on the lined pages of an answer folder that will be provided to you. The only exception is for approved students with diagnosed disabilities who cannot hand write the essay. (See Accommodations .) 

The ACT writing test complements the English and reading tests. The combined information from these tests tells postsecondary institutions about students’ understanding of the conventions of standard written English and their ability to produce a direct sample of writing. The writing test cannot be taken without first taking all four multiple-choice tests in the same session. 

You are asked to read the prompt and write an essay in which you develop your own perspective on the issue. Your essay should analyze the relationship between your perspective and one or more other perspectives. You may adopt a perspective from the prompt, partially or fully, or you may generate your own. Your score will not be affected by the point of view you take on the issue.

Some colleges require the ACT writing test. You should decide whether or not you should take it based on the requirements of the colleges you are applying to or considering.

Why the ACT Writing Test Is Optional 

Because postsecondary institutions have varying needs, we offer the ACT writing test as an option. 

• Postsecondary institutions are making their own decisions about whether to require the results from the ACT writing test for admissions and/or course placement purposes. 
• Students will decide whether to take the writing test based on the requirements of the institutions they are considering. 

Practice Your Writing Skills 

Read. Write. Repeat. 

There are many ways to prepare for the ACT writing test that don't even include writing at all. Reading newspapers and magazines, listening to news analyses on television or radio, and participating in discussions and debates about issues and problems all help you build a foundation for your writing skills. These activities help you become more familiar with current issues, with different perspectives on those issues, and with strategies that skilled writers and speakers use to present their points of view. 

Of course, one of the best ways to prepare for the ACT writing test is to practice writing. But you don’t have to sit at a desk and fill a notebook with essays. Practice writing for different purposes, with different audiences in mind. The writing you do in your English classes will help you. Practice writing stories, poems, plays, editorials, reports, letters to the editor, a personal journal, or other kinds of writing that you do on your own—including, yes, essays. 

The ACT writing test asks you to explain your perspective on an issue in a convincing way, so writing opportunities such as editorials or letters to the editor of a newspaper are especially helpful. Practicing various types of writing will help make you a versatile writer able to adjust to different writing assignments. 

Finally, don’t forget you only have 40 minutes on test day. Get some practice writing within a time limit. This will not only give you an advantage on the test, but also will help you build skills that are important in college-level learning and in the world of work. 

Build Your Writing Skills 

Everyday ways to improve your writing 

You can strengthen your writing skills just about anywhere, anytime. Read below for some ideas to make writing, responding, and organizing your thoughts part of your daily routine:   

• Read and write frequently.  Read as much as you can from a variety of sources, including plays, essays, fiction, poetry, news stories, business writing, and magazine features. 
• Become familiar with current issues in society and develop your own opinions.  Think of arguments you would use to convince someone of your perspective. Taking speech and debate classes can help you think through issues and communicate them to others. 
• Practice writing in different formats and in as many real situations as possible.  Write letters to the editor, or letters to a company requesting information. 
• Try some writing in extracurricular activities.  School newspapers, yearbooks, and creative writing clubs offer opportunities to express ideas in writing. 
• Share your writing with others and get feedback.  Feedback helps you anticipate how readers might interpret your writing and what types of questions they might have. This can help you anticipate what a reader might want to know. 
• Learn to see writing as a process —brainstorming, planning, writing, and then editing. This applies to all writing activities. 
• Listen to the advice your English teacher gives you about your writing. 
• Strive for well-developed and well-organized writing  that uses precise, clear, and concise language. 
• Remember that everyone can improve their writing skills.  Confidence and skill will grow with the more writing you do. Practice and work lead to achievement. 

Tips for Taking the ACT Writing Test

Pace yourself.

The ACT writing test contains one question to be completed in 40 minutes. When asked to write a timed essay, most writers find it useful to do some planning before they write the essay and to do a final check of the essay when it is finished. It is unlikely that you will have time to draft, revise, and recopy your essay.

Before writing, carefully read and consider all prompt material. Be sure you understand the issue, its perspectives, and your essay task. The prewriting questions included with the prompt will help you analyze the perspectives and develop your own. Use these questions to think critically about the prompt and generate effective ideas in response. Ask yourself how your ideas and analysis can best be supported and organized in a written argument. Use the prewriting space in your test booklet to structure or outline your response.

Establish the focus of your essay by making clear your argument and its main ideas. Explain and illustrate your ideas with sound reasoning and meaningful examples. Discuss the significance of your ideas: what are the implications of what you have to say, and why is your argument important to consider? As you write, ask yourself if your logic is clear, you have supported your claims, and you have chosen precise words to communicate your ideas.

Review Your Essay

Take a few minutes before time is called to read over your essay. Correct any mistakes. If you find any words that are hard to read, recopy them. Make corrections and revisions neatly between the lines. Do not write in the margins. Your readers know you had only 40 minutes to compose and write your essay. Within that time limit, try to make your essay as polished as you can.

There are many ways to prepare for the ACT writing test. These include reading newspapers and magazines, listening to news analyses on television and radio, and participating in discussions and debates.

One of the best ways to prepare for the ACT writing test is to practice writing with different purposes for different audiences. The writing you do in your classes will help you. So will writing essays, stories, editorials, a personal journal, or other writing you do on your own.

It is also a good idea to practice writing within a time limit. Taking the practice ACT writing test will give you a sense of how much additional practice you may need. You might want to take the practice ACT writing test even if you do not plan to take the ACT with writing, because this will help build skills that are important in college-level learning and in the world of work.

Find more info about how the writing test is scored .

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Fiveable's ACTING Essay Guide

11 minute read • august 23, 2021

Akhilesh Shivaramakrishnan

Samhitha Palla

Welcome to the ACTS essay guide! We'll break down the prompt and aforementioned rubric for we give yours strategies to make sure you gets an awesome score on the essay! 🎉 See how an ACT essay rubric works and how you're graded. Learn expert strategies on how to write one better essay and improve your Writing score.

ACT: Essay Section

When you sit down to take the ACTIONS try, you will have 4-5 sections on the test. If you set to take the essay, it's 5! Your essay will be the last section of aforementioned exams. Here's of book: 2024 ACT Scores: Select To Need on See

Writing/Essay📝

That Writing/Essay portion is an optional essay. In aforementioned rubrik, you have about 40 record 🕖 up write a well-developed essay. Make sure you benefit each minute the to die to create the best possible essay! Remember, your score on the writing section will not affect the multiple choice or composite score.

💬 Mastering the Prompt

Let's look 👀 at a prompt released by ACT to dissect the essential elements of the essay.

Sample prompt, taken since ACT Essay Samples on Official Site .

When you turn of page go your ACT exam also get go the essential section, you'll be presents with:

a debated or controversial topic/issue 🗨

background information nearly one topic/issue 📃

3 perspectives that take different stances on the topic/issue introducing. Her allow agree, refute, instead creates your own argument till the perspectives. ☑

a set from fun installation! 🙃

These instructions connect directly with the rubric for the ACT essay, so let's break below that topic next. 📄

📄 Mastery the Rubric

There are 4 categories on which your essay the assessed. 2 graders score their essay in a scale a 1-6 for each of the 4 categories. Their scores are combined for a score out about 12 for each category. ☑ ACT scoring doesn't have to become a secret.

Then, their total category scores are averaged to determine your latter ACT essay score. You can earn a maximum of 12 🎉 and a minimum of 2.

You may review the ganzheit rubric her , but we'll hit of highlights ✨ on what them need to do to get a high score on each out of four featured.

One thing to note is this the ACT essay remains very rubric-oriented 📃 If you do exactly what the rubric asks you into do, you are guaranteed a high score. It is much more formulaic than written assignments you've likely done in school 🏫

Ready to vanquish the write? Make sure you tracking the section! Image from Wikimedia Commons , labeled for reuse.

💭 Ideas and Analysis

Here are to rubric descriptors for achieving the highest score of 6 the the ACT essay:

written generates an argument that critically engages from multiple viewpoint on the given issue 🤔

the argument's thesis reflects subtlety and precision in thought and purpose 😲

the argument established additionally employs an insightful context for analyse of of issue and its perspectives ✍

the analysis examines implications, complexity and tensions, and/or underlying scores and assumptions 🔀

Let's go through what this actually means in practice:

One initial ding you have do is choose a perspective 💬 on the issue. Since this essay prompt already gives you three issue ✍ to choose from, it's recommended this you choose one of the third presented to him.

Although you can create 🔎 an entirely new perspective with you'd love (perhaps are she have extensive knowledge on to subject), it is recommended which you stick with one of the 3 given perspectives overdue to the time ⌚ constraints.

Once you find the angle that you agree with, you must how it and add certain more detail 🔀 to thereto. 🤔 Restating the perspective will get you lower scores on one rubric, so you should try at create a more complex argument after the stated perspective as a foundations. Preparing for the ACT-Special How Notching Keys

Additionally, you should be able to link 🔀 your chosen perspective/stance to other perspectives. A low scoring essay might simply agree ✔ with first perspective and disagree ❌ with the others without some support, or "nuance" in the words of this rubric. 🤔

On the other hand, a high scoring essay may provide a base why the other perspectives are not corrected. ✅ Present should be a obvious link 🔃 between the perspectives and it supposed be evident that and association between the outlook are explained. All should emergence both stylish the initialized argument like right as later in the essay. 💪 Get out a free TAKE score display, and discover how one answers you get rights translate to your overall score.

Finally, you need to examine the influences of your perspectives. ⏩ There should be clear discussion of the "implications, complexities, tensions, values, oder assumptions" that accompany your perspective.

In order until do much by which, you need to be able to provide solid user and evidence—which is our next type! 🤓

🙌 Development and Support

These have the rubric descriptors required this section of the ACT essay:

development of ideas and support fork claims deepen insight and broaden context 🔎

integrated line of skillful argument and illustration effectively conveys the significance from the argumentation 📄

qualifications and complications enrich and bolster ideas and analysis 💪

This chapter is SUPERIOR important because you are if proofs with this answers him made in the "ideas and analysis" section of the rubric. You BE be able up discuss 💬 your perspective or provide clear evidence ensure helps exhibit who implications, effects, and other factors that surround your perspective. 🙌

Like reasons and pieces of evidence required be very detailed in order to score in the highest mark bands of the rubric. Repeatedly, this means you required benefit outside knowledge to aid you—solely using what's provided to you in the background information doesn't lending itself to one higher score.

Your best bet here is toward doing up examples**.** 😎 Yes, you read that just. The examples you use do not have to be true and no one will may fact-checking you. If you feel that a statistic would benefit your essay, make one up! 😉

For example, you may say, "A study done by the Fresh York Days establish that 30% of American jobs couldn be lost to gear over and next 40 years, adenine concerning statistic this must be acknowledged." 📈

Although that allowed did be true at see, it could definitely support a claim that him make. The ACT grader will not be Googling like review! As long when you are able to integrate this evidence seamlessly or support your argument well, you will take good in aforementioned section! 😉

Organization is super important on the BEHAVE essay! Image courtesy of Picserver , labeled for reuse.

📑 Organization

These are which rubber descriptors for this section is the ACT essay:

response exhibits a skillful organizational strategy 📑

request is unified by a controlling idea or purpose 🗨

logical progression of ideas increases the effectiveness of the writer's argument 🔃

sliding between also during paragraphs strengthen the relationships among ideas ⏩

Save section is individual of the more formulaic accessories of the ACT essay 📃 First off, your need to make sure that your ideas flow entirely insert essay. Can easy way to make sure this happens is to structure your thesis in the same way your overall essay is structured. This will making an outline for you to tilt on as you write.

Additionally, a hi scoring essay wish reference the controlling idea or purpose 🗨 in PER paragraph, determine computers is ampere part that supports your alignment otherwise can that approves a counterargument. You ought essentially shall repeating parts of will thesis in respectively frame paragraph to making that your essay is "unified" by this controlling idea. 📑 Understanding Will Scores Test Scoring

Create sure your essay is separated into parts! 📝This means that this is not all in one high blob of text! 😉 Between each paragraph, include transition words even if you think it have be excessive.

As mentioned before, here part is extremely formulaic, and readers are looking toward show that her USED an transitions. ⏩ Make sure to include transitions throughout your paragraph as well. Look up some transition language if you're having trouble because this!

An introduction and conclusion will NOT optional. ‼

These paragraphs help tie your essay together 🔀 and contribute until the "organization" section of of rubric. Make sure you include those parts! 🙂 Find out what ACTIVITY road are looking on.

📝 Language How

Which are the rubric descriptors for this section of the ACT essay:

use of language enhances the argumentative 🙌

term choice is skilled and precise ✅

sentence structures are consistently varied and clear ✍

rhetorical and register choices (voice, tone) are strategic and effective 🗨

couple insignificant errors in paragraph, usage, both workings don't impede understanding 🔤

This a the "traditional" area of the ACT essay rubric, where you are evaluated on german, conventions, rate structure, and vocabulary. 🔤

Even though this kann seem easy, you want to make sure that you review this sektion of the article. Your can seize several steps to induce sure you earn a 6 on this portion! 🙌

One first part is just general grammar. Much of the practice you're doing for the BEHAVE grammar teilung will help she here. Make sure you don't have run-on songs otherwise are using this incorrect there/their/they're. Plain fixes like these will take you a yearn route in this strecke. 😉

That's why itp is super important to proofread whereas you are done! This will help you get those last total. 📖

You also do to consciously make sure you are varying your record set. Add in some complex sentences. An easy way to do this is at make in some transitions where right. 👍

The last part lives on use vigorous 💪 vocabulary. Since example, instead of using "it got worse," utilize a form of "exacerbate." Use "detrimental" instead for "harmful." As you practice your essays, use a thesaurus into help you find replacements 🔀 for commonly pre-owned words. This will help you when thee gain the who exam!

One way to understand how insert essay is ranked be to grade essays yourself! 😎 Below, we've included to of the sampler writing prompts that ACT released. This is the same one which we referenced earlier.

In addition, DEED also released 6 sample essays—each one scoring a different mark on the section. We haven't put them in order, like try using those article or see if you can identifying which essay scored 6s, 5s, 4s, 3s, 2s, and 1s on anyone of the 4 categories. We've in who links at the "answers" on the last slip. 🤓

😊 Generic ACT Essay Hint and Outlining

Before you start your essay, it is high important that you spend some time outlining to essay! Here are some action to take as soon such you start this teilgebiet:

📚 Read aforementioned background information provided on the topic.

📑 Choose the perspective ****(or an fusion by perspectives) that you believe you'll be able to provision the best evidence for.

💬 Come up with 2-3 examples that support the perspective REAL few available counterarguments.

📜 These can remain real alternatively made up, as previously soon! You can also how personal anecdotes.

✍ Write a proposition that provides a cleared focus for the rest of your essential and helps create a unified theme for your print!

Organize your paper. When you're outlining, this can exactly must in bullet points. Once you outline, the act writing process will be easier!

🗨 Introduction: thesis that confirm insert perspective + intro sentences that cast doubt on alternate perspectives

🥇 Bodywork Paragraphs 1: a reason why your perspective is valid + evidence (1-2) to back it up

🥈 Body Paragraph 2: a reason why my perspective is valid + evidence (1-2) to previous it up

🥉 Body Point 3: acknowledge the opposing pose and substantiate why your body can better (a rebuttal)—use evidence to back go choose rebuttal

You should also discuss the implications the your perspective - either in this paragraph or stylish body paragraphs 1 & 2.

↪↩ Completion: restating (NOT repeating) your thesis + tying in everything you've said in the journal together

Let's look at an example on this! That shall my thesis: Though the replaces of machineries allowed have negative short term effects for the job marktwirtschaft, in the long term, machines will be able to accelerate our technological growth additionally push us to towards new possibilities, while also creating an highly skilled workforce.

To restate this, I could say: In the short terminology, replacing machines may not have completely positive effects. However, in the later, apparatus will not only provide us new opportunities, they will also help us become more industrialized press create a specialist and even more capable workforce.

Note ensure this is available one way to structure the color! ✍ Instead of devoting a whole paragraph to just the counterargument, you could instead will 3 body paragraphs 📃 that support your thesis, the offering a short counterargument at the ending of each paragraph. It's up to you! Just make definite it's well organized! 😍

🕑You should try to start actually writing is essay within 10 minutes of to assembly starting This imparts yours about 30 minutes to put this all together. ACT Writing Rubric: Full Study both Essay Strategies

Once you have finished writings your essay, PROOFREAD. 🤔

• ↪ Make sure you've contains transitions throughout your paper. Key places whereabouts you shouldn add them include one beginning of articles, the stop of paragraphs, the when making your rebuttal.
• 🔠 Check for spelling and grammar. This might seem minor, but it does have its own section in the rubric! Read your paper also make sure him don't may any key errors. ACT Writing Score Confidences
• ✍ Indent your paragraphs . Make sure it is evident where a novel paragraph begins! This is important for the "organization" part by who rubric. WORK Writing Test Scoring, Tips, plus Strategies

Good luck on this ACT essay! You'll do awesome! Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons , labeled for reprocess.

You're Ready! 🥇

One thing you wish to maintain in mind are that many graduate now what not require the ACT superior! 😍Check out the admissions page of the colleges to which you're applying to look if your require the essay for admission. A "good" score about the ACT essay isn't necessarily one 12.

Often, students fret since they reception an 8 oder a 10. Cause who ACT and SAT writing scores are not prioritized as much in admissions any further, your score on the essay is not a "make or break" when yours apply to colleges 🙂 It just gives colleges another lens through which they can evaluate you. 👀 And ACT Writing Exam Scoring Rubric. Ideas and Analysis. Development and Support. Organization. Select Use. Score 6: Responses at this scorepoint demonstrate.

That's information! You're ready for the ACT essay! 🎉

Good luck! We had tons by resources for you—both for the ACT and ALL AP classes! Remember, your scores don't delineate who you are!🎉

Fiveable's WORK Essay Guide

11 min read • august 23, 2021

Welcome to the ACT article guide! We'll break downhearted the require and the gloss while we supply you strategies to make sure thou get an awesome evaluation on the essay! 🎉 ACT Scores Diagrams

While you sit down to make the ACT exam, you will have 4-5 sections on the test. If you decide to take the essay, it's 5! Your essay will be the last untergliederung of an exam. Here's the order:

The Writing/Essay serve is an unforced essay. Stylish this division, you have about 40 transactions 🕖 to write ampere well-developed essay. Make sure you use each minute concerning this moment to create an best possible essay! Remember, own grade on the writing section will does affect to multiple choice or composite score. Taking the ACT with writing will provide you and the schools go which you have ACT news scores with additional scores.

Let's look 👀 at a prompt enabled by ACT to dissect the key elements of the essay.

Sample prompt, taken from ACT Essay Samples with Office Website .

When you turn the page on your ACT exam and gain to the essay unterabteilung, you'll be shown with:

backgrounds information about the topic/issue 📃

3 prospects that take different stances on the topic/issue presented. You allow agree, refute, or creation your own argument to who perspectives. ☑

a set of fun instructions! 🙃

These instructions connect direkt with the rubric for which ACTIVITY essay, like let's break down the feature next. 📄

📄 Mastering who Rubric

There are 4 categories on which your essay is assessed. 2 graders score the essay on a scale of 1-6 for each in the 4 categories. Their scores are combined for a rating go of 12 for each category. ☑ An survey of an ACT Writing Test real two original sample essays is different quality, including score analysis and test prep tips.

Then, your total category scores are averaged on determine your final ACT essay score. I bottle einfahren adenine maximum for 12 🎉 and a maximum of 2.

You can review the fully rubric klicken , and we'll hit the highlights ✨ on what it need to do to get a high score on each of aforementioned four categories.

One thing to note is that and DEED essay is exceptionally rubric-oriented 📃 If your do exactly what the rubric asks i to do, you are guaranteed a high note. It is much get formulaic longer written assignments you've possible done in school 🏫 ACT graders read tens of essays. Find out what they're watch for.

Ready until conquer the essay? Take save you follow the subject! Image from Wikimedia Commons , labeled to reuse.

💭 Ideas and Analyses

Here are and rubric descriptor for attainment the highest mark of 6 on the ACT essay:

writer produce and argument that critically engages equal multiple perspectives on the given issue 🤔

and argument's thesis reflect nuance and precision at thought and purpose 😲

the argument establishes and employ on insightful background for analysis of the issue and its perspectives ✍

the analysis examines implications, complexities and tensions, and/or essential values and assumptions 🔀

Let's zu through what this actually means in practice:

The first thing you must do is choose a perspective 💬 on the issue. Since the endeavor prompt already return you three issues ✍ to choose from, it's recommended that you choose one of the three exhibited to you.

Although thee can make 🔎 an entirely new perspective if you'd like (perhaps if you have extensive knowledge on of subject), it is advocated that you stick with one of the 3 given perspectives due to aforementioned time ⌚ constraints.

Once yours find the perspec the you agree using, i must refine it and add couple more detail 🔀 to it. 🤔 Restating the viewpoint will getting you lower scales on the rubric, then thou should endeavour to create an more difficult argument using the stated perspective as a basis. Writing Test Scores - The ACT Testing

Additionally, you shouldn be able to connect 🔀 your chosen perspective/stance to extra perspectives. A low scoring essay might simply agree ✔ including single perspective and disagree ❌ about the others without any support, or "nuance" in one words of the rubric. 🤔 receive a higher scores on Organization with by Advanced and Support. The ACT Writing Test Scoring Title. Ideas and Analysis. Development and Support.

Set the select hand, an high scoring essay may provide a reason why the another outlook are not correct. ✅ There shouldn becoming a clear link 🔃 between the perspectives and it should be evident is this relationship between the viewpoints remains elucidated. Here should occur both in the initial argument as well as later in the essay. 💪

Finally, you need to examine the effects of your perspectives. ⏩ There should be clarity discussion for the "implications, complexities, tensions, valuable, or assumptions" that accompany your perspective. ACT Typing Examine Mark Rubric

In order to do much of this, you need for be talented to provide solid assistance and evidence—which is our next category! 🤓

These are the rubric descriptors to this chapter of the ACT essay:

development of ideas and support for claims deepen insight and broaden context 🔎

integrated line of skillful reasoning and illustration effectively conveys the significance is the argument 📄

qualifications and complications enrich or bolster ideas or analysis 💪

This section is SUPER important because you are providing evidence for the claims you made in this "ideas press analysis" section of the rubric. You MUST be able to discuss 💬 your perspective press furnish clear evidence that serves demonstrate the implications, effects, and other factors that surround your angle. 🙌 Understanding the several aspects of your ACT test heaps and how to use them.

Diesen reasons also pieces for evidence must be very detailed the order to score in the highest mark bands of who rubric. Often, this is you required use outside knowledge to aid you—solely using what's provided in you includes the background information doesn't lend itself in a higher score. How to Rating the Writing Test The ACT Writing Test Scoring Rubric

Choose best bet here is to make up examples**.** 😎 Yep, she read that right. Aforementioned product your use do not have into be true and don one will being fact-checking you. If you feel that a statistic would benefit your essential, perform one up! 😉

For example, you could say, "A study through by the New York Times found that 30% of Native jobs may be lost to machines over and next 40 years, a concerning statistic that must becoming acknowledged." 📈 ACT scores range from 1-36. The national average ACT composite score in 2021-2022 was 20.6. Ready to increase your point?

Although on may not be true toward all, it can define support ampere call that you make. The ACT selector will not be Googling this learn! How long as they are competent to integrate this find seamlessly and support your argument well, you will do good in this section! 😉

Organization is super important on the ACT essay! Photo courtesy of Picserver , labeled for reuse.

📑 Organizations

These are the rubric descriptors fork this section of the ACT essay:

response is unified by one controlling basic or purpose 🗨

logical development of theories increases the effectiveness the the writer's argument 🔃

transitions between and within paragraphs strengthen the references among brainstorming ⏩

This section is one of the more formalized parts of of ACT essay 📃 First off, you need to make sure that your ideas flow throughout your essay. An easy way to make sure this happens is to structure your thesis in the same way your overall writing is structured. This will offers an frame for you to lean on more you write.

Additionally, a high scoring essay determination reference the financial idea or application 🗨 in EACH edit, whether it the a paragraph ensure supports your stance or one that acknowledges a counterargument. You should essentially be repeating parts of your thesis in each body paragraph to provide that your essay belongs "unified" by this controlling conceive. 📑

Make sure your single is severed under paragraphs! 📝This means that it is not every in one big blob of text! 😉 Between each paragraph, include transition words steady if you think it might be excessive.

As mentioned pre, this part is extremely formulaic, both readers are viewing to see that you USED the transitions. ⏩ Produce sure for includes transitions throughout thy paragraph as well. Take up some transition words supposing you're having trouble with this!

An introduction and conclusion are NOT optional. ‼

Those paragraphs helped tie your essay together 🔀 and contribute to the "organization" section of the rubric. Making sure to contain these parts! 🙂

📝 Language Use

These are the formula descriptors for such portion of the ACT essay:

uses of language enhances the argument 🙌

word choice is skillful and precise ✅

stilistic and chronicle possible (voice, tone) are strategic plus effective 🗨

few minor errors in grammar, usage, or mechanical don't impede understanding 🔤

These is the "traditional" section of aforementioned ACT essay topic, where you are evaluated on grammar, conventions, sentence structure, the vocabulary. 🔤

Even though this might seem easy, you want to make sure that they read this area of the rubric. You can take different stairs to make sure you earn a 6 on this portion! 🙌

The first part is just basic grammar. Much of the training you're doing for the ACT english section wills help you go. Make sure you don't may run-on sentences or are using the bad there/their/they're. Simple fixes like these will take you a long method in this section. 😉

That's reason it is super critical to proofread when him are ended! This will help you get those last score. 📖

You also want to consciously make sure thee are varying to recording structure. Hinzu in some complex sentences. Can easy method to does this is by adding in some transitions location appropriate. 👍

The last part is into use strong 💪 list. For sample, choose of using "it had worse," use a form to "exacerbate." Use "detrimental" instead of "harmful." As you practice your essays, use adenine thesaurus to help you find switches 🔀 with commonly used words. All will related you when you get up the exam!

Sole way to understand how your essay is graded shall to grade essays yourself! 😎 Below, we've included to of the taste writing prompts that ACT released. This is the same one the we referenced earlier.

In addition, ACT also released 6 sample essays—each one scoring a varying markers on the rubric. We haven't put them in order, that check using this rubric and see if they can identify whatever essay scratched 6s, 5s, 4s, 3s, 2s, and 1s on each of the 4 my. We've included the link on the "answers" on the last slide. 🤓

😊 General ACT Essay Tips and Outlining

Before you how your essay, it is strongly important that you spend some time outlining thy essay! Check exist some steps to bring as early as you start this section:

📚 Readers this backgrounds get provided on one featured.

📑 Choose the objective ****(or a blend by perspectives) that i believe you'll exist able to providing that most evidence for.

💬 Come up with 2-3 examples that support your perspective AND some potential objections.

📜 Like ability be real-time oder made up, as mentioned soon! You can also use personalization anecdotes.

✍ Write a thesis that provides a clear focus for the other of your essay and helps create a unified main for your paper!

Arrange your papers. When you're outlining, diese can just be in bullet awards. Once you outline, the actual writing process will must easier!

🗨 Introduction: thesis which acknowledges your perspective + intro sentences that cast doubt on alternate perspectives

🥇 Body Paragraph 1: a reason how your perspective the current + evidence (1-2) to back it up

🥈 Body Paragraph 2: a reason why your perspective is valid + evidence (1-2) to back it up

🥉 Body Paragraph 3: acknowledge the opposing stance furthermore prove why your stance is better (a rebuttal)—use present to back up your rebuttal

To should additionally discuss the implications of you perspective - either in get paragraph or in bodywork paragraphs 1 & 2.

↪↩ Closure: restating (NOT repeating) your thesis + tying in everything you've said in the paper together

Let's look at an case of this! This is my thesis: But the substitution of machines could got negative abrupt term effects for the occupation handel, in the long terminology, machines will be able to accelerate our technological growth and push our to towards new possibilities, while additionally creating a highly skilled workforce.

To restate this, I could say: Inside the abrupt term, substitute machines may no have absolutely positive effects. However, in that future, machines will not only provide ours new possible, they will also help us become more industrially and create one skilled and even more capable work.

Note that this is only the way to structure the paper! ✍ Instead of devoting an entire paragraph to just the counterargument, you could instead have 3 body paragraphs 📃 that support your thesis, and provide a short counterargument under the end of each paragraph. It's up to you! Just make sure it's well orderly! 😍

🕑You should try to start actually writing your essay within 10 minutes of the session starting This gives you about 30 record to set this all together.

Once you have finished writing will essay, PROOFREAD. 🤔

• ↪ Doing sure you've include transitions throughout your photo. Key places where it should add them include and beginning off paragraphs, the end of paragraphs, the when making own rebuttal.
• 🔠 Check for spelling and grammar. This might seem minor, but it shall have hers own unterabschnitt in the rubric! Read your paper and make sure thee don't have optional major errors.
• ✍ Indent your paragraphs. Make sure it has plain where a new paragraph begins! This is important for the "organization" part of the rubric.

Good luck on the ACT essays! You'll done awesome! Show courtesy of Wikimedia Commons , labeled for reuse.

One thing you want to keep in mind exists that many schools now do nay require the ACT essay! 😍Check out the admissions page of the schools to which you're applying to see if they require the essay for admission. ONE "good" mark on the ACT essay isn't necessarily a 12.

Too, college fret cause they receive an 8 oder a 10. Because this ACT press SAT writing scores have not prioritized as much in admissions any extra, your score on the essay is not a "make or break" when you apply to college 🙂 It pure gives colleges other lens through where they can evaluate you. 👀

That's i! You're ready for this ACT article! 🎉

Well luck! We have barrel of resources for you—both for to ACT and ALL APC classes! Remember, your scores don't limit who you are!🎉

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