Marking a 15-mark composition when SMS spellings, length and drift compete
You are marking the 15-mark composition section of the HSLC pre-final. The topic is 'Mobile phones and Manipuri youth'. The rubric is content 6, organization 4, language 5. Script A is 280 words, gives two local examples of mobile phones helping students access Manipuri songs and notes, but is written as one block paragraph and uses SMS spellings: 'u', 'plz', 'bcz'. Script B is 340 words, has four clear paragraphs and almost no spelling errors, but after the first paragraph it drifts into a general essay on social-media addiction among all teenagers; only two sentences mention Manipuri youth. Script C is 150 words, stays on topic, and has a clear three-part structure but gives no examples. Your head of department wants length to be penalized automatically below 250 words and SMS spellings to be treated as 'language errors' in every case.
1. Award marks out of 15 to Scripts A, B and C with a breakdown under content, organization and language.
Read the worked answer
A: content 5/6 - two relevant local examples and a clear position, but no counterpoint or conclusion; organization 2/4 - one block paragraph makes the structure hard to see; language 3/5 - SMS spellings and some English borrowings lower the register, though meaning is clear. Total 10/15.
B: content 2/6 - only two sentences address Manipuri youth; the rest is a generic essay on teenagers; organization 4/4 - paragraphing is strong; language 4/5 - fluent with minor errors. Total 10/15. B's structure does not rescue the content: the rubric rewards relevance before neatness.
C: content 3/6 - on topic but unsupported; organization 4/4 - clear three-part structure; language 4/5 - controlled. Total 11/15. C is the shortest but the most efficient; without an automatic length penalty, it can outscore A and B.
2. Decide the department policy on automatic length penalties and on SMS spellings. Justify the policy in terms of the rubric.
Read the worked answer
Do not impose an automatic length penalty. The rubric already rewards development under content: a 150-word answer with no examples loses content marks, while a 340-word answer that drifts also loses content marks. An automatic cut would punish concision twice and let length substitute for relevance. For SMS spellings, treat them under language only when they are outside the accepted register or obscure meaning. 'u', 'plz' and 'bcz' are register errors, not content errors; deduct once under language and not again under organization. Announce both policies before the next test so students know the standard.
3. Write the feedback you would give Script B, keeping the tone constructive and specific.
Read the worked answer
Your paragraphing and language are strong, and your first paragraph is well focused. The topic is 'Mobile phones and Manipuri youth', but after paragraph 1 you leave the local focus and write a general essay on teenage social-media addiction. Keep two general sentences if you need them, then return to two Manipuri-specific examples: a student using a Manipuri dictionary app, or a family sharing a Manipuri song. Cut the generic addiction paragraph or link it explicitly to Manipuri youth. Your organization is already at top level; the next gain is relevance.