Language Arts and the Extended Response
Reading for evidence, the grammar the test checks, and writing the essay to the rubric.
By the end of this lesson you can
- Answer reading questions by pointing to text evidence
- Correct the errors the test most often checks
- Plan and write an extended response in the time available
- Use the rubric to decide what is worth your time
Lesson Notes
Read through the key concepts before you try the challenge.
The essay is scored on a rubric, so write to it
You are facing the extended response.
Two passages argue opposite sides. You are asked which is better supported. You write everything you think about the topic, beautifully, and score poorly — because the question was not what you think. It was which argument the evidence supports.
Your task: Understand what the rubric rewards, and write that.
The extended response is not an opinion essay. You are given source material and asked to analyze it — usually to judge which of two arguments is better supported by evidence. Your own view of the topic is not being assessed and does not earn points. What earns points is a clear position, evidence drawn from the passages, and organized, readable prose.
| Dimension | What scores well |
|---|---|
| Analysis and argument | A clear position, stated early, that answers the actual question |
| Use of evidence | Specific references to the passages, not general assertions |
| Organization | An introduction, body paragraphs each with one point, a conclusion |
| Clarity and conventions | Varied sentences, correct grammar, readable at speed |
Planning the essay in five minutes
You have 45 minutes for the extended response. Spend the first five planning.
- 1
Read the prompt twice and underline exactly what it asks.
Most low scores come from answering a related but different question. 'Which is better supported' is not 'which do you agree with', and the difference is the whole task.
- 2
Skim both passages and mark two or three pieces of evidence from each.
You need specifics to cite. Marking as you read means you are not hunting for a quotation at minute forty with the clock running.
- 3
Decide your position and write it as one sentence.
That sentence becomes your thesis and the spine of the essay. Deciding before you write prevents the essay that argues both sides and concludes neither.
- 4
List your body paragraphs — one point each, with the evidence you will use.
Three lines of planning. It is what turns forty minutes of writing into a structured essay rather than a stream of thoughts.
- 5
Write, and leave three minutes to reread.
Three minutes catches the missing word, the unfinished sentence, and the paragraph that never made its point. It is the highest-value three minutes in the whole task.
Result: A planned essay with a clear position and cited evidence, finished with time to check it.
Five minutes planning, three minutes checking. The forty in between go much better for it.
| Error | Example | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Subject-verb agreement | The list of items are ready | The list … is ready |
| Run-on / comma splice | It was late, we left | It was late, so we left |
| Fragment | Because it was late. | Attach it to a main clause |
| Pronoun agreement | Each student brought their book | Acceptable now; older tests may prefer his or her |
| Confusable words | their / there / they're | Learn the three; they appear constantly |
| Shifting tense | She walked in and sits down | Keep one tense |
The extended response asks which of two arguments is better supported. You strongly disagree with the better-supported one. What should you write?
Challenge
Apply what you've learned in this lesson.
Write at least one full timed essay before test day. Reading about it is not preparation.
- Find the official scoring rubric for your exam's extended response and read it properly.
- Write one full essay under timed conditions, using five minutes to plan and three to check.
- Score your own essay against the rubric, dimension by dimension, and note the weakest one.
- Take ten practice grammar questions and sort your errors by the categories in the table. Study the most frequent one first.
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