Writing Rubric

score ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT SENTENCE STRUCTURE WORD CHOICE/GRAMMAR USAGE MECHANICS

Effective Organization Effective Development Effective Sentence Structure Effective Word Choice/Grammar Effective Mechanics
Usage
 Logical progression of ideas  Effective focus maintenance  Complete and correct sentences  Specific, clear meaning, connotative  Few errors
 Introductory paragraph,  Appropriate development of the  Sentence variation  Mostly consistent grammar usage  Punctuation
5 supporting paragraphs and
concluding paragraph 
topic
Appropriate thesis statement
 Simple
 Compound
 Subject/verb agreement
 Singular/plural nouns
 Capitalization
 Spelling
 Conveys relationships among  Clear use of examples, evidence or  Complex  Verb (tense and usage)  Needs some editing
ideas and sentences relevant details  Pronoun usage
 Adjective/Adverb
Adequate Organization Adequate Development Adequate Sentence Structure Adequate Word Choice/Grammar Adequate Mechanics
Usage
 Some evidence of a logical  Adequate focus maintenance  Minor errors in sentence structure  Appropriate, specific, somewhat  Some errors
progress of ideas  Adequate development of the topic  Some sentence variation simplistic  Punctuation
 Introductory paragraph,  Adequate thesis statement  Simple  Somewhat consistent grammar usage  Capitalization
4 supporting paragraphs and  Sufficient use of examples, evidence  Compound  Subject/verb agreement  Spelling
concluding paragraph or relevant details  Complex  Singular/plural nouns  Needs editing but doesn’t
 Appropriate use of transition (errors in more complex sentences do  Verb (tense and usage) impede readability
between paragraphs not detract)  Pronoun usage
 Adjective/Adverb
Limited Organization Limited Development Limited Sentence Structure Limited Word Choice/Grammar Usage Limited Mechanics
 Vague, redundant, simplistic
 Limited evidence of a logical  Some evidence of focus  Some errors in sentence structure  Several inconsistencies in grammar  Frequent errors
progression of ideas maintenance  Limited sentence variation usage  Punctuation
3  Introductory paragraph and
concluding paragraph with


Limited development of the topic
Limited thesis statement
 Simple
 Compound
 Subject/verb agreement
 Singular/plural nouns
 Capitalization
 Spelling
limited supporting paragraphs  Some use of examples, evidence or  Complex  Verb (tense and usage)  Begins to impede
 Repetitive use of transition supporting details (errors in more complex sentences  Pronoun usage readability
begin to detract)  Adjective/Adverb
Minimal Organization/Minimal Minimal Development/Minimal Minimal Sentence Structure/Minimal Minimal Word Choice/Grammar Minimal Mechanics/Minimal
Response Response Response Usage/Minimal Response Response

 Lacks evidence of a logical  Lacks focus maintenance  Contains fragments and/or run-ons  Inadequate, imprecise, repetitive  Consistent errors
progression of ideas  Lacks development of the topic  Minimal sentence variation  Frequent inconsistencies in grammar  Punctuation
 Lacks introductory paragraph,   Simple usage  Capitalization
2 supporting paragraphs and/or 
Lacks thesis statement
Lacks sufficient examples, evidence  Compound  Subject/verb agreement  Spelling
concluding paragraph or other supporting details  Complex  Singular/plural nouns  Impedes readability
 Ineffective or overused transition (errors in more complex sentences  Verb (tense and usage)
detract)  Pronoun usage
 Adjective/Adverb

Inadequate Organization Inadequate Development Inadequate Sentence Structure Inadequate Word Choice/Grammar Inadequate Mechanics
Usage
 Little or no progression of ideas;  Unclear or no focus  Contains numerous fragments and/or  Rambling, inappropriate, incorrect  Serious and consistent
difficult to follow  Little or no development of the topic run-ons  Distracting inconsistencies in grammar errors
 Inadequate paragraphing  Few or no examples, evidence or  Inadequate sentence variation usage  Punctuation
1  Little or no transition other supporting details  Simple  Subject/verb agreement  Capitalization
 Compound  Singular/plural nouns  Spelling
 Complex  Verb (tense and usage)  Impedes
(errors in sentence structure detract)  Pronoun usage understanding/communication
 Adjective/Adverb