Name: ________________ Essay Title:________________________________________
Narrative
Elements
Organization
Style
Conventions
Response to
the prompt
Score/Grade: _____/_____
5—Exceptional
4—Strong
3—Capable
2—Developing
1—Weak
● Begins with a compelling opener
● Effective use of description: concrete
sensory details, specific actions,
movements, gestures, and feelings of the
characters
● insightful and effective
use/establishment of one or more of the
following: dialogue and/or interior
monologue to depict the characters'
feelings and attitude, clear and distinct
setting, clear and distinct characters
● Uses effective pacing to highlight and
enhance conflict, moment of realization,
message.
● Clearly communicates a shifting
perspective of attitude through mature
reflection (though what the narrator has
learned may not be directly stated).
● Establishes a controlling impression,
conveys a clear and distinctive
perspective on the subject (story makes a
point) and maintains a consistent tone
and focus throughout the piece of writing
● Uses logical and effective
organizational strategy
● Uses effective paragraphing
● Uses precise language, rich sensory
details, sophisticated figurative language
● Demonstrates a fluent command of
complex sentence structure and proper
English usage
● Diction and syntax establish and
maintain a consistent tone and unique
voice that clearly communicates a
particular attitude about the subject
● Demonstrates accurate spelling and
correct use of the conventions of
punctuation and capitalization
● Reflects appropriate manuscript
requirements (see assignment sheet)
● Begins with an interesting opener
● Describes with sensory details the
sights, sounds, and smells of a scene
and the specific actions, movements,
gestures, and feelings of at least one
character
● Effective use/establishment of one
or more of the following: dialogue
and/or interior monologue to depict
the characters' feelings and attitude,
clear and distinct setting, clear and
distinct characters
● Uses pacing to highlight conflict,
moment of realization or message.
● Communicates a shifting
perspective of attitude through
reflection (what the narrator has
learned).
● Conveys a clear and distinctive
perspective on the subject (story
makes a point) and maintains a
consistent tone and focus throughout
the piece of writing
● Uses a logical organizational
strategy
● Uses effective paragraphing
● Uses clear language, sensory details,
appropriate figurative language,
● Demonstrates command of complex
sentence structure and proper English
usage
● Diction and syntax establish tone
and voice
● Begins with an opener
● Describes with some sensory
details the scene and the actions
and feelings of at least one
character
● Use/establishment of one or more
of the following: dialogue and/or
interior monologue to depict the
characters' feelings and attitude,
clear and distinct setting, clear and
distinct characters
● Attempts to use pacing to
highlight conflict, moment of
realization or message
● Communicates narrator’s attitude
through reflection (what the
narrator has learned).
● Opener may not be effective
● Sensory details used to describe the
scene and the actions and feelings of
characters may be unclear, confusing,
or underdeveloped
● Dialogue, monologue and/or interior
monologue, setting, characters may be
unclear or undeveloped.
● May fail to adjust pacing to
highlight conflict/message/purpose
● Reflection may be superficial,
forced, irrelevant or unclear
● Opener may be missing
● Conveys a clear perspective on
the subject (story makes a point)
and maintains focus throughout the
piece of writing
● Uses an organizational strategy
● Some paragraphing may not be
effective
● May not convey a clear perspective
on the subject (story doesn’t make a
point) and may lose focus in some
parts of the piece of writing
● Uses little organization, story may
be difficult to follow
● Paragraphing may be a problem
● May not convey any point and
may fail to focus the writing on a
sequence of events
● Story may not be organized and
is too difficult to follow
● Paragraphing may be a problem
● Uses clear language, sensory
details, figurative language
● Demonstrates command of
complex sentence structure and
proper English usage
● Uses appropriate diction and
syntax
● No attempt to use description or
figurative language
● Limited vocabulary
● Frequent fragments or run-ons
that obscure the meaning
● Confusing language
● A few errors
● Reflects appropriate manuscript
requirements (see assignment sheet)
● Some significant errors
● Reflects appropriate manuscript
requirements (see assignment
sheet)
● Uses vague language, only basic
description (rather than sensory
details), incorrect, awkward or silly
figurative language
● Sentence structure may be basic and
may contain many errors that interfere
with meaning
● Uses inappropriate and/or incorrect
diction and syntax
● Many significant errors that
interfere with presentation of ideas
● Does not reflect appropriate
manuscript requirements (see
assignment sheet)
Addresses the prompt clearly and
responds effectively to all aspects of the
task.
Addresses the prompt clearly, but may
respond to some aspects of the task
more effectively than others.
Addresses the prompt, but may
slight some aspects of the task.
Distorts or neglects aspects of the
task.
Indicates confusion about the
prompt or neglects important
aspects of the task.
● May fail to describe the scene
and the actions and feelings of
characters
● May fail to use/establish
dialogue, monologue and/or
interior monologue, setting and/or
characters.
● Pacing may not be addressed,
conflict/message/purpose may not
be clear
● Reflection may be missing
● Excessive errors that obscure the
meaning of the argument
● Does not reflect appropriate
manuscript requirements (see
assignment sheet)