1. Development and Support
ACT Writing!
Development and Support

2. Development and Support: The Rubric
Three separate focuses:
Support for Claims
Clear Reasoning
Qualifications/Complications*

3. Support for Claims The difference between a 3 and a 4:
Ideas and support are mostly relevant, but are overly general or simplistic
Ideas and support for claims clarify meaning and purpose
During your preparations:
Be sure to come up with many different points
Each must both work with your main point and be self explanatory
During the test:
In your body paragraphs, be sure to have multiple pieces of support for each claim related to your main perspective
Make sure that your support is fully explained – Specific, Specific, Specific!

4. Clear Reasoning The difference between a 3 and a 4:
Reasoning and illustration largely clarify the argument…may be repetitious/imprecise
Lines of clear reasoning and illustration adequately convey the significance
During your preparations:
Map your connections
Where do these thoughts and pieces of information connect and how do they interact?
During the test:
If you feel your point is unclear, explain the support’s relation to the claim
Why is the argument important to the reader? …society? …the world?

5. Qualifications/Complications*
The difference between a 3 and a 4:
Non-existent
Qualifications and complications extend ideas and analysis.
During your preparations:
Make sure that you are truly considering the other perspectives
Track the connections and understand that you can use them to
During the test:
Use your qualifications to extend your main argument
Be sure to prove yourself right through the use of these qualifications
Only mentioning the other perspectives is not the same as using them to your advantage

6. Practice Trade your previous practice ACT writing test with a neighbor
Use a black pen to mark 5 different places where the development of ideas and/or support for claims could be strengthened
After getting your paper back:
On a separate sheet of paper, revise and rewrite these portions of your previous practice test