Essay Rubric

RUBRIC FOR EVALUATING ESSAYS

Style/Fluency

4 points
�    Is engaging
�    Uses accurate, precise vocabulary that is appropriate for audience and purpose
�    Uses active and precise verbs
�    May use figurative language, imagery, and or striking language
�    Is fluent, easy to read
�    Uses an effective variety of sentence beginnings, structures, and length
�    Is readable, neat, nearly error-free
3 points
�    Is occasionally engaging
�    Uses accurate but general word choice that is appropriate for the audience and purpose
�    Uses a mix of precise and general verbs
�    Uses familiar vocabulary and phrases with some striking language
�    Is generally fluent with occasional choppiness
�    Uses some variety of sentence beginnings, structures, and length
�    Is mostly readable and neat
2 points
�    Is somewhat bland
�    Uses general word choice that may include occasional errors in word usage
�    Uses a few active verbs but most are imprecise or colorless (i.e.�is, did, go)
�    Uses familiar vocabulary and phrases
�    Uses a variety of sentence beginnings, structure, or length but has many rambling or choppy sentences
1 point
�    Is bland
�    Uses inaccurate or repetitive work choice that is occasionally inappropriate for audience and purpose
�    Uses passive, colorless, or imprecise verbs
�    Uses vague language or frequent clichés
�    Is incomplete or rambling
�    Uses simple, repetitive sentence beginning, structures, and lengths OR many sentences combined needlessly
�    Has some unreadable portions
0 points
�    The writing is illegible

Content/Organization

4 points
�    Meets all the requirements of the prompt
�    Stays fully focused on topic
�    Includes relevant information
�    Provides main ideas and specific, elaborated details that move beyond the obvious
�    Includes an inviting introduction, logical arrangements of ideas, and satisfying conclusion
�    Maintains a clear order with transitions between ideas
3 points
�    Meets most of the prompt�s requirements
�    Stays mostly focused
�    Includes mostly relevant information
�    Provides main ideas but details are general or brief or obvious
�    Includes a recognizable introduction, arrangement of ideas and conclusion; ideas may wander a bit; may be predictable
�    Provides some connections between ideas with few transitions
2 points
�    Meets some of the prompt�s requirements
�    Addresses a broad topic or focuses on a trivial point
�    Provides sketchy information that may be list-like
�    Begins or ends abruptly; arrangement of ideas is stilted or occasionally random
�    Rarely uses transitions
1 point
�    Meets few of the prompt�s requirements
�    Severely digresses from topic
�    Includes much irrelevant information
�    Does not provide main ideas or does not support them; details may be repetitious
�    Begins or ends abruptly with no introductions or conclusion; there is little or no attempt to establish order
�    Does not connect ideas
0 points
�    The writing is off topic

Language Usage

2    Points Language skills successfully support meaning; few, if any, errors in the following:
�    Subject/verb and pronoun/antecedent agreement
�    Modifiers
�    Punctuation; end punctuation, commas, apostrophes, quotation marks, semicolons
�    Abbreviation and paragraphing
1 point Language skills support meaning; several errors in some or all of the following:
�    Subject/verb and pronoun/antecedent agreement
�    Modifiers
�    Punctuation; end punctuation, commas, apostrophes, quotation marks, semicolons
�    Abbreviation and paragraphing
�    Spelling and paragraphing
0 points Language skills impede meaning; response is error-ridden