2013 MCAS
Grade 10 English Language Arts Composition
Standard English Conventions - Score Point 2

Serious errors in sentence formation, word usage, and punctuation begin to interfere with communication. The piece opens with a long, flawed sentence that could be improved by correct placement of commas and more precise word choice. Another long run-on sentence starts at the seventh line of writing and ends at the seventeenth, leaving the reader to sort out a sequence of ideas since there is no internal punctuation to clarify meaning. Usage errors are also frequent throughout, such as "the character started to get figured out by the police." The combination of run-on sentences, spelling errors, and usage problems all combine to interfere with the writer's meaning.