Rubric

Persuasive Essay Rubric


 * Criteria || 4 || 3 || 2 || 1 ||
 * The claim || I make a claim and explain why it is controversial. || I make a claim but don't explain why it is controversial. || My claim is buried, confused and/or unclear. || I don't say what my argument or claim is. ||
 * Reasons in support of the claim || I give clear and accurate reasons in support of my claim. || I give reasons in support of my claim but I may overlook important reasons. || I give 1 or 2 weak reasons that don't support my claim and/or irrelevant or confusing reasons. || I do not give convincing reasons in support of my claim. ||
 * Reasons against the claim || I discuss the reasons against my claim and explain why it is valid anyway. || I discuss the reasons against my claim but leave some reasons out and/or don't explain why the claim still stands. || I say that there are reasons against the claim but I don't discuss them. || I do not acknowledge or discuss the reasons against the claim. ||
 * Organization || My writing has a compelling opening, an informative middle and a satisfying conclusion. || My writing has a beginning, middle and end. It marches along but doesn't dance. || My writing is organized but sometimes gets off topic. || My writing is aimless and disorganized. ||
 * Voice and tone || It sounds like I care about my argument. I show how I think and feel about it. || My tone is OK but my paper could have been written by anyone. I need to tell more about how I think and feel. || My writing is bland or pretentious. There is either no hint of a real person in it or it sounds like I'm a fake. || My writing is too formal or too informal. It sounds like I don't like the topic of the essay. ||
 * Word choice || The words I use are striking but natural, varied and vivid. || I make routine word choices. || The words I use are often dull or uninspired or sound like I am trying too hard to impress. || I use the same words over and over and over and over. Some words may be confusing to a reader. ||
 * Sentence fluency || My sentences are clear, complete, and of varying lengths. || I have well-constructed sentences. || My sentences are sometimes awkward, and/or contain run-ons and fragments. || Many run-ons, fragments and awkward phrasings make my essay hard to read. ||
 * Conventions || I use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation. || I generally use correct conventions. I have a couple of errors I should fix. || I have enough errors in my essay to distract a reader. || Numerous errors make my paper hard to read. ||

**Heidi Goodrich Andrade, Project Zero**