ESOL 0351—Advanced Intermediate Composition
Paragraph Composition Scoring Rubric
1
A. CONTENT
1. Generalities /
Details
2. Originality
B. ORGANIZATION
1. Introduction/
Conclusion
2. Paragraph structure
3. Transitional
language
C. GRAMMAR &
VOCABULARY
1. Vocabulary and
word forms
2. Grammar
(Exs: verb tenses &
forms, sing./plural,
gerunds/infs., word
order, negs., question
forms, etc.)
3. Sentence structure
D. MECHANICS
1. Spelling
2. Punctuation/
Capitalization
TOTAL
2
3
4
The paragraph has very
few relevant supporting
details that refer to the
topic
Writer says nothing
original about the topic
The paragraph refers to
the topic, but gives too
few relevant supporting
details.
Writer says little that is
original about the topic
The paragraph gives
enough relevant
supporting details to
support the topic.
Writer presents the
topic in a fairly original
way
Vivid, relevant details
effectively and vividly
communicate the
topic.
Writer makes the topic
original, fresh, very
interesting
Paragraph lacks a topic
sentence and a clearly
expressed conclusion
Paragraph lacks either a
“topic sentence or a
conclusion, or one or
both is/are not effective
Paragraph contains an
identified topic, but is not
well developed
Paragraph has both a
topic sentence and a
conclusion, but one or
both is/are just fair
Paragraph is fairly well
focused and well
constructed, and the
topic is fairly clearly
identified and
developed
There is a fair amount
of appropriate transitional language inside
the paragraph: maybe
not quite enough, or
maybe a bit too much
Paragraph has both an
effective topic
sentence and a clearly
stated conclusion
The paragraph is
clearly focused and
tightly developed, with
a clearly identified
topic.
Vocabulary and/or word
form errors appear occasionally, but meaning
is always clear; vocabulary may be fairly
general
Grammar has some
errors, but meaning is
always clear
Vocabulary and word
forms have few or no
errors; vocabulary is
specific and appropriately used
Paragraph structure is
unfocused with no
clearly identified single
topic, or the paragraph
needs much more development
There is very little
transitional language
inside the paragraph, or
much of the transitional
language is not
appropriately used
There is some transitional language inside the
paragraph, but not
enough, or else too much,
or else often not
appropriately used
Wrong word choices,
word form errors, and/or
non-English words
make the meaning often
hard to understand
Vocabulary and/or word
form errors are sometimes hard to understand;
or vocabulary is very
simple and general
Grammar is so
uncontrolled that
meaning is often hard to
understand
Grammar has enough
errors that meaning may
sometimes be hard to
understand
There is enough
appropriate
transitional language
inside the paragraph to
help to make it
coherent and effective
Score
___ x3 = ___
___ x1 = ___
___ x3= ___
___ x4 = ___
___ x3= ___
___ x2= ___
Grammar has few or
no errors
___ x3 = ___
Sentence structure is so
non-English that meaning is often hard to
understand
Sentence structure is very
simple with few errors, or
has so many errors that it
is sometimes hard to
understand
Sentence structure is
clear and has few
errors, but may be fairly
simple
Sentence structure is
complex and sophisticated, with few
errors; very clearly
expressed
Misspelling makes the
meaning often hard to
understand
Punctuation and/or
capitalization errors are
so non-English that
meaning is often hard to
understand
Numerous spelling errors
are sometimes hard to
understand
Punctuation and/or capitalization errors make the
essay sometimes hard to
understand
Spelling has occasional
errors, but the meaning
is always clear
Punctuation and/or
capitalization have
occasional errors, but
the meaning is always
clear
Spelling shows few or
no errors
___ x3 = ___
___ x1 = ___
Punctuation and
capitalization show
few errors
___ x2 = ___
%