What Teachers Value in Writing
Ideas
It’s clear – makes sense
Writer narrows topic to manageable size
Steady focus on one main message – or several key
messages
Information teaches me something, holds my
interest
A fresh, original perspective
Important, telling details that go beyond common
knowledge
Absence of “filler” (unneeded information)
Organization
Seizes my attention with an inviting lead
Starts somewhere and goes somewhere, builds to
something
Provides connections
Section to section
Detail to detail
Beginning to end
Well paced, spending time where it matters
Like a good road map, easy to follow
Doesn’t just stop
Has a sense of resolution or completion
Doesn’t end with:
“Then I woke up, and it was all a dream”
Doesn’t end with a redundant, banal, or preachy
summary:
“Now you know the three reasons why we must all
join the war on drugs”
Voice
Sounds like a person wrote it, not a committee
writer seems engaged, involved with topic
Sounds like this particular writer
Brings topic to life
Speaks to me – shows writer to reader connection
Individual – sounds like this writer and no other
Makes me respond – I laugh, smile, cry, wince, get
the chills, or contemplate
Shows energy, life, spontaneity, confidence
Clark June 2014
Word Choice
Memorable moments – “just right” words
Words and phrases I wish I’d thought of
myself
Creates word pictures
Wording is accurate, precise, and enlightening
Every word or phrase crystal clear
Strong verbs
Simple language used well
Repeats word only as necessary – or for
effect
Uses language to inform or entertain – not to
impress
Sentence Fluency
Easy to read aloud
Inviting, easy-on-the-ear rhythm, cadence
Carefully crafted sentences
Variety in sentence length, structure
Concise, straightforward structure in
business/informational writing
Fragments used only for effect
Authentic dialogue – sounds like real people
speaking
Consistency in tense (present, past, future)
Conventions and Layout
Looks clean, edited, polished – free of distracting
errors
Reader does not need to do any mental editing
Conventions help reader process text
Conventions support meaning and voice
Design and presentation overload of multiple fonts,
hard-to-read graphics
Makes use of graphics, as appropriate, to enhance
text