Diagnostic Writing Analysis Tool
A. Presentation and layout
What to look for
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Use of paragraphing
Letter formation and handwriting
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Use of subject-specific or topic-specific vocabulary
Range of vocabulary used. Is it beyond very basic, simple words?
Appropriate choice of vocabulary for the sentence/the context
Delexical verbs (do, get, put, make) or the verb ‘go’ over used due to lack of precise
vocabulary
Ambitious use of a variety of verbs beyond the most basic ones eg they located the hotel, he
extinguished the fire
Accurate use of collocations (words which occur together or in set phrases) eg high
probability, cliff face, commit an offence
Accurate use of idioms (set expressions such as ‘jump to conclusions’, ‘the last straw’)
Overall impression
gained
Action needed
B.
Vocabulary
What to look for
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Good examples
from this pupil’s
writing
Poor examples from
this pupil’s writing
Overall impression
gained
Action needed
C. Content
What to look for
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Good number and range of ideas
Logical organisation of ideas
Appropriate in length
Development of points made
Displays relevant subject knowledge and/or conceptual understanding
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Correct use of full stops and capital letters
Use of commas to separate parts of a sentence or phrases
Use of question marks, exclamation marks, speech marks
More complex (colon, semi-colon)
Good examples from this
pupil’s writing
Poor examples from this
pupil’s writing
Overall impression
gained
Action needed
D. Punctuation
What to look for
Good examples from this
pupil’s writing
Poor examples from this
pupil’s writing
Overall impression
gained
Action needed
E. Grammar
What to look for
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Good examples from this
pupil’s writing
Poor examples from
this pupil’s writing
Overall impression
gained
Action needed
Correct use of a/the
Verb agreement eg he goes, they were
Accurate use of prepositions eg on Saturday, afraid of, settle down)
Past tenses accurately formed (buy-bought, shake-shook, climb-climbed)
Complex verb forms (verbs with 2 or more parts) used accurately eg he had gone,
we could have tried, I didn’t see)
Verb tenses used appropriately eg if I won the lottery, I would buy a house
Use (or avoidance) of the passive voice ( The liquid was heated in the beaker, the
date has been changed)
Accurate use of modal verbs (would, can, could, must, ought, must have, should)
Accurate formation of comparatives (richer/more/less absorbent than), and
superlatives (the most/least reactive, richest)
Correct use/inclusion of articles (the, a, an).
Pronouns – under-use, over-use leading to ambiguity)
Correct formation of plurals (dogs, buses, monasteries, children, feet)
F. Sentence construction
What to look for
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Use of simple connectives eg and, but, so, then, because
Use of complex connectives eg although, whereas, if, when
Links ideas within and between paragraphs
Varied sentence structure (eg word order, length of sentence, use of different ways to say
the same thing, use of different connectives)
Good examples
from this pupil’s
writing
Poor examples from
this pupil’s writing
Overall impression
gained
Action needed
G. Spelling
What to look for
Good examples
from this pupil’s
writing
Poor examples from
this pupil’s writing
Overall impression
gained
Action needed
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Common words spelt correctly/wrongly/inconsistently
Spelling influenced by the pupil’s pronunciation of the word
Spelling of subject terminology