Your essay will be scored based on how well you develop a well-organized multi-paragraph response to the prompt. You should use well-structured sentences, language appropriate for your audience, and correct conventions of standard American English. The following five characteristics of writing will be considered:

Focus and Meaning
The clarity with which you maintain the main idea or point of view.

Content and Development
The extent to which you elaborate on the ideas and present supporting details.

Organization
The clarity with which you structure the response and present a logical sequence of ideas.

Language Use and Style
The appropriateness and complexity of vocabulary and sentence structure.

Mechanics and Conventions
The extent to which your writing is free of errors in usage and mechanics.