EXPOSITORY/ARGUMENTATIVE/PERSUASIVE

Name:
Title:

Conventions
Fluency Sentence

Word Choice

Voice

Organization

Ideas

Exemplary

Strong
understanding
of task
Strong
position taken
Fully
Focus on
writers
position is
clear and
consistent
Clear
Individual and
confident
voice
Appropriate
voice for the
topic and
Uses vivid,
natural
language
including
strong verbs
and precise
Uses a variety
of lengths and
structures to
enhance
meaning
Uses variety
Conventions

carefully
chosen to
enhance

meaning
Wide use of

Teacher/Period:

Date:

Audience:

Purpose:

Strong

Clear
understanding
of task
Clear position
taken
Addresses
Focus on
writers position
is consistent
Clear
organization
Appropriate
Convincing
voice
Appropriate
voice for the
topic and
audience
Uses interesting
words
Uses natural
language with
strong verbs and
nouns
Many sentences
begin differently
and vary in
length
Different
sentence
A few minor errors
that dont affect
meaning
Attempts

sophisticated
conventions, not

Proficient

Basic
understanding
of task
Position taken
Touches on
complexity and
Focus on
writers position
is apparent
through most of
the piece
Organization
Clear voice
Appropriate
voice for the
topic and
audience

Developing

Some
understanding
of task
Position taken
Complexity of
topic not
Focus on
general topic is
consistent
Focus from
writers position
may stray
Inconsistently
clear voice
Usually
appropriate for
the topic and
audience
Uses clear &
Uses words
common
correctly to
language
express meaning
Uses descriptive Relies on
adjectives and
simple, common
adverbs, good
language
Sentences begin Readable, but
in a variety of
often requires
ways
self-correction
Verb tense and
Little variety
subject/verb
Problems with
agreement is
subject/verb
Obvious, but
Obvious,

minor errors that

distracting errors
dont affect
that may affect
meaning
meaning
Simple
Only attempts
conventions are
simple use of

Emerging

Weak
understanding
of task
Position taken
but not
maintained
Focus on
general topic is
inconsistent
Focus from
writers position
may stray
Unclear/changin
g voice
Voice doesnt
match audience

Beginning

Little to no
understanding
of task
Position unclea
Minimal
development or
Focus on
general topic
and/or writers
position is
inconsistent
Little to no
Cannot find a
voice
OR

Voice does not

match the
Words are very
Very simple
simple or used
words
incorrectly
Words used
Words get in the
incorrectly
way of meaning Same words
Same words
used over and
Short, choppy
Short sentences
sentences
start with the
same word
Many

Most sentences
incomplete or
run-on
are incomplete
sentences
or run-on
Many obvious,
Many serious
distracting errors
errors that make
it difficult to
Lots of spelling,
understand
punctuation and

Needs
to be
usage errors
completely
Line-by-line