Row B: Evidence and Commentary (0-4 points)

Row B asks two things at once: did the essay bring in evidence, and did it explain what that evidence does for the argument. At the bottom of the scale, an essay might name a source or drop in a quotation but say nothing about it. That earns almost nothing, because evidence sitting there unexplained is only half the job. The climb through the points tracks how much explaining happens. A couple of points come from using evidence that's relevant and specific. The top of the range asks for something more: a line of reasoning that gets explained across the whole essay, where each piece of evidence is tied back to why it matters for the argument, not just summarized or restated.

This is why quotation count is a trap. An essay can hit three or four sources and still stall low on Row B if every quotation is followed by silence or by a sentence that just repeats what the quotation already said. The fix is always the same move: after the evidence, write a sentence that says what the evidence proves, how it works, or why it matters to the claim just made. That sentence is commentary, and it's what the row is actually paying for. Faulty reasoning caps the score too. Precise, well-chosen evidence built into an argument that doesn't logically hold together keeps the essay out of the top bands, because Row B grades the reasoning, not just the evidence feeding it.

Row B sits between Row A, which only asks for a defensible thesis, and Row C, sophistication, which rewards a line of reasoning so well developed it shows real complexity. Row B is the bridge: it's where the essay has to prove it can use evidence to actually argue, not just assert.