TDW Types & Traits
Essay Structure
Body Paragraph Power (PEEL)
Revision & Research
Grammar & Conventions
100

This type of essay requires you to take a position, provide your opinion, and acknowledge and refute a counterclaim

What is an Argumentative (or Persuasive) essay?

100

This sentence, which belongs at the end of your introduction, states your main claim and previews your supporting ideas.

What is the thesis statement?

100

In the PEEL method, the letter "P" stands for this, which serves as your supporting idea for that paragraph.

What is Point (or Topic Sentence)?

100

When writing a research report, an article from a career guide is considered more of this than a social media post.

What is credible?

100

This specific grammar error happens when two independent clauses are joined without any punctuation or a coordinating conjunction.

What is a run-on sentence?

200

This is the highest possible score a student can earn for Trait 1 (Structure, Development, and Coherence) on a single TDW

What is 4 points?

200

An effective introduction should include a "hook" to engage the reader, background information on the topic, and this to orient the reader to the task.

What is a thesis statement (or controlling idea)?


200

This "E" in PEEL is used to prove your supporting idea through direct quotes, paraphrasing, or personal experience.

What is Evidence?

200

Standard Indicator R.1.4 requires students to do this with their findings to ensure they are appropriate for the audience and purpose.

What is logically organize?

200

To earn a Score 2 for Trait 2, minor errors in usage are allowed as long as they do not do this to the writer’s overall message.

What is interfere with meaning?

300

In an Informative essay, a writer should provide positives and negatives about a topic while including this many of their own opinions

What is zero (or "No Opinion")?

300

This paragraph should restate the claim in different words, summarize main points, and provide a "bigger picture" of why the topic matters.

What is the conclusion?


300

The second "E" in the PEEL method involves one or two sentences that do this with your evidence.

What is Explain (or Analyze)?

300

This process involves improving writing by planning, editing, and considering feedback from adults or peers.

What is revising (or revision)?

300

According to Standard C.4.1, you should use this specific punctuation mark to introduce a quotation or to expand on information.

What is a colon?

400

This specific trait on the TDW rubric examines a student’s command of language usage, conventions, and mechanics.

What is Trait 2?

400

Transition words like "However," "Although," and "Yet" are commonly used to introduce this specific part of an argumentative body paragraph.

What is a counterclaim?

400

The "L" in PEEL stands for this, which connects your explanation back to the paragraph's initial point and the overall main claim.

What is Link?


400

To make an informative text more effective, a writer might analyze the impact of using headings, images, or maps, which are known as these.

What are text features?


400

To correct a run-on without using a comma and a conjunction, you should use this punctuation mark between two independent clauses.

What is a semicolon?

500

According to the "Steps to Attacking a TDW," you should draft this before reading the passage to ensure you have a focused goal for annotation.

What is your controlling idea (or claim)?

500

To achieve a Score 4 in Structure, a writer must use these to skillfully create cohesion and clarify relationships between claims and evidence.

What are varied transitional words and phrases?

500

According to the PEEL strategy, high-scoring essays should try to include this many pieces of evidence per paragraph.

What is more than one?

500

If a student’s narrative paragraph is confusing because it is "excessively wordy," the student needs to revise it for these two qualities.

What are clarity and precision?

500

This error, such as using "there" for "their" or "site" for "sight," is specifically identified in the Score 1 description for Trait 2.

What is a usage error?