COMPOSING/WRITTEN EXPRESSION 4 3 2 1 CENTRAL IDEA AND POSITION Clear thesis stating position or side Focus on appropriate audience Clear position General focus on audience May focus on a position Inconsistent focus on audience or fails to identify an audience Fails to take a position No focus on audience or inappropriate audience ORGANIZATION AND UNITY Effective introduction Follows a logical organizational plan Evidence and reasons are organized logically Ideas are unified with few digressions Maintains a consistent point of view Uses transitions effectively to connect ideas within and across paragraphs Adequate introduction Evidence of an organizational plan Evidence and reasons are organized logically Few minor digressions Point of view may shift occasionally but does not distract the reader Uses transitions effectively to connect ideas within and across paragraphs Weak introduction Inconsistent organizational plan Lack of unity due to major digressions Shifts in point of view Limited or inconsistent use of transitions within and across paragraphs No introduction Fails to organize ideas Lacks unity due to major digressions Shifts in point of view Absence of transitions connecting ideas COUNTERCLAIMS Effectively addresses counterclaims and counterevidence effectively Introduces claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims Adequately addresses counterclaims and counterevidence May acknowledge or distinguish the claim(s) from counterclaims Attempts to address counterclaims May not distinguish counterclaims from other evidence Fails to address counterclaims EVIDENCE AND DETAILS Contains precise and relevant evidence (examples, illustrations, reasons, events, details) supporting purpose and audience Details clarify and defend the writer’s position; fully and clearly elaborates ideas. Shows how evidence supports each main point of the argument Provides justification of how the evidence supports the claims Contains adequate evidence (examples, illustrations, reasons, events, and/or details) supporting purpose and audience Some details clarify and defend the writer’s position, minor lapses in elaboration Some evidence supports the main argument Limited justification of how the evidence supports the claims Contains limited evidence (examples, illustrations, reasons, events, and/or details) supporting purpose and audience Few details clarify or defend the writer’s position Ideas may be a list of general, underdeveloped statements Contains little or no evidence (examples, illustrations, reasons, events, and/or details) supporting purpose and audience Little or no elaboration List of general unrelated statements
COMPOSING/WRITTEN EXPRESSION 4 3 2 1 CONCLUSION Strong, effective conclusion, which provides a call to action, offers a solution, and/or includes a final appeal Takes a step beyond summary Leaves the reader with a strong impression Good conclusion, which may restate the problem and recommends a strong solution May only provide a summary of main arguments Presents a weak conclusion or merely restates the thesis Reader is not left with an overall impression Fails to draw conclusions Does not include a call to action FLOW Rhythmic flow resulting from purposeful sentence variety Sentences incorporate subordination of ideas, and/or effective embedding of modifiers Some rhythmic flow and sentence variety Some sentences use subordination of ideas, and/or embedding modifiers Uneven rhythmic flow and limited sentence variety Little subordination of ideas No rhythmic flow and no sentence variety No subordination or embedding modifiers WORD CHOICE Contains highly specific word choice, descriptive language, and selected information Appropriate, purposeful tone Evidence of writer’s voice Contains specific word choice, descriptive language, and selected information Evidence of tone Some evidence of writer’s voice Limited word choice, descriptive language and or selected information Inconsistent tone Limited evidence of writer’s voice Lacks tone and voice, little or no specific word choice, descriptive language, and/or selected information No evidence of writer’s voice