| 5 | The "5" essay demonstrates superior writing ability although occasional faults may be present. | Has a clear thesis which addresses the topic and responds effectively to all aspects of the task; Is logically organized and divided into well-structured paragraphs; Is fully developed with specific details, examples and arguments that cogently support the author’s thesis; Has an effective, fluent style marked by sentence variety and a clear command of language; Is largely free of errors in grammar, punctuation and mechanics.
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| 4 | The “4” essay demonstrates strong writing ability. | Responds to all or most aspects of the topic with a clear thesis (implied or explicit); Is organized clearly; Is developed with details, evidence, examples and arguments that are relevant to the thesis; Has a readable style with effective word choice and some sentence variety; Is generally free of errors in grammar, punctuation and mechanics.
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| 3 | The “3” essay demonstrates adequate writing ability. | Provides a thesis that responds to all or most of the topic at least implicitly; Is organized in a sequential (if not always logical) manner that is consistent with paragraph conventions; Offers some supporting evidence/reasons and attempts to elaborate with some details; Is written in correct sentences, and word choices are correct, although possibly vague and/or repetitious at times; Demonstrates basic control of grammar, punctuation and mechanics so that sentence level errors, if present, do not confuse the reader.
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| 2 | The “2” essay demonstrates marginal writing ability with one or more weaknesses. | Provides a weak or unclear thesis and/or an inadequate response to the topic; Uses an improper or confused organizational structure; Provides general, superficial, sparse or irrelevant supporting evidence/reasons; Contains confusing sentence structure and vague or imprecise word choice; Demonstrates limited control of grammar, punctuation and mechanics through distracting or confusing errors.
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| 1 | The “1” essay demonstrates weak writing ability with more than one serious weakness. | Responds with a weak or no thesis, or the writer appears to misunderstand the topic; Provides very little organizational structure; Offers little or no supporting evidence or only evidence that is irrelevant to the topic; Is difficult to read or understand due to problems in sentence structure and word choice; Contains numerous errors in grammar, punctuation or mechanics that interfere with meaning and suggests a lack of control of written English conventions.
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| 0 | The “0” essay demonstrates very weak writing ability with severe weaknesses. | Demonstrates little or no understanding of the topic; Has no discernible organization and appears random in thought; Includes no evidence or reasons and may only repeat the central idea; Demonstrates an inability to form sentences or choose correct vocabulary; Contains numerous errors in grammar, punctuation or mechanics that suggests a lack of familiarity with written English conventions.
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