Words include imagery, metaphor, simile, alliteration, or technical details to create pictures in the reader's mind. Familiar words and phrases communicate, but rarely capture the reader's imagination. Still, the paper may have one or two fine moments. Attempts at colorful language come close to the mark, but sometimes seem overdone. Words include some instances of imagery, metaphor, simile, alliteration, or technical details to create some pictures in the reader's mind.
Persistent redundancy distracts the reader.
Words are used incorrectly, sometimes making the message hard to decipher. Problems with language leave the reader wondering what the writer is trying to say. Sentences are well built, with strong and varied structure that invites expressive oral reading. Sentences are constructed in a way that helps make meaning clear. Purposeful sentence beginnings show how each sentence relates to and builds upon the one before it.