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 prompts 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 prompts 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 prompts 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