Fall 2014
Paragraph Rubric
Items
Ideas and Content
Organization and
Coherence
Clarity
Sentence Structures
Very Good
a) Ideas are interesting,
fresh, and original
b) Content shows careful
thought and planning
c) Expository Paragraph clearly explains, analyzes,
defines etc. according to
prompt
d) Followed assignment’s
perimeters
Satisfactory
a) Ideas are ordinary
20
19
18
17
a) Main idea and all
sentences are related
b) Clear major and minor
supporting sentences
c) Topic sentence shows
clear topic and
controlling idea and is
very effective
d) Shows clear logical
and required order
16 15 14 13 12 11
a) Main idea and most
sentences are related
20
19
Word Choice:
Singular/plural
Vocabulary choices
Word forms
transitions
9
8
b) Adequate topic
sentence
b) Content shows little
thought or planning
c) Expository paragraph shows little or no attempt
to define, explain,
analyze, etc. according to
prompt
d) Did not follow
directions regarding the
assignment
10 ----------------------- 1
a) Main idea not clear or
many sentences not
related to the main idea
b) Topic sentence is not
effective or not present
c) Shows some elements
of logical and required
order
c) Doesn’t really show
elements of logical and or
required order
16
10 --------------------------1
15
14
13
12 11
a) Most sentences can be
understood
b) Ideas are expressed
clearly
7
6
5
4
a) Some correct complex
or compound sentences –
some mistakes, mostly
correct simple sentences
7
6
5
a) Many sentences can
not be understood
b) Ideas are not expressed
clearly
3
2
1
a) Very few or no correct
compound or complex
sentences
b) problems creating
correct simple sentences
4 3 2 1
0
20 19 18 17 16 15
14 13 12 11 10 9
8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Level 3 Vocabulary
Mostly correct word
forms/ choices
Satisfactory vocabulary,
Word forms/ choices
Below level 3
10
Spelling
Punctuation
Capitals
17
a) All sentences can be
understood
b) Ideas are expressed
very well
10
9
8
a) Many correct complex
and compound and
simple sentences
10
Verb Tenses: 1 point
deduction for each verb
tense (VT), verb form
(VF), or subject-verb
agreement (S-V)
18
b) Content shows some
thought and planning
c) Expository Paragraph has some elements of a
explanation or analysis or
definition according to
prompt
d) Somewhat followed
assignment’s perimeters
Below Standard
a) Ideas are dull or not
developed
9
8
9
6
5
Mostly correct – less than
10 errors
Correct spelling,
punctuation and
capitalization
10
7
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Below level – too many
errors in spelling,
punctuation, and/or
capitalization
4 3 2 1
0
Fall 2014
Paragraph Rubric