Must-Haves
What are purpose and choices?
This row of the rubric contains the most possible points, and therefore should be a top concern.
What is Row B?
The first thing you should look at on your rhetorical analysis prompt.
What is the introductory information?
The three elements of a successful body paragraph.
What are claim, evidence, and analysis?
These are the elements measured by Row B of the rubric.
What are evidence and commentary?
This is something you should start before you get into the main text of the prompt.
What is a S.P.A.C.E. breakdown?
The two things you should identify in each claim sentence.
The speaker's move and supporting choice.
According to the rubric, you cannot score higher than a 2 on Row B without this.
What is line of reasoning?
This is important to do while reading to find a line of reasoning.
What is chunk the text by move?
To score a 4 or better, you must support all claims with the right kind of this.
Specific, relevant evidence.
According to the rubric, this is the difference that moves you from a 3 to a 4 on Row B.
Commentary consistently supports a line of reasoning/explains the evidence instead of sometimes (pretend it's phrased as a question).
This is a step you should take after reading/annotating but before writing your FRQ.
What is outlining?
It's impossible to analyze a prompt without talking about these three elements of the rhetorical situation (at a minimum).
What are speaker, purpose, and audience?
According to the rubric, the sophistication point cannot be earned if the sophistication of thought is "merely":
What is a phrase or reference?
This step, done before finalizing your essay, can make a critical difference in your score.