| Criteria | 3 Points | 2 Points | 1 Point | 0 Point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grammar: Punctuation, Capitalization, Spelling | Essay has no errors in punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. It is easy to read and understand. | Essay has a few minor errors in punctuation, capitalization, or spelling, but they do not affect understanding. | Essay has several errors in punctuation, capitalization, or spelling, making it somewhat difficult to read. | Essay has many errors in punctuation, capitalization, or spelling, making it difficult to understand. |
| Topic Sentence | Each paragraph has a clear and engaging topic sentence that introduces the main idea effectively. | Most paragraphs have a clear topic sentence that introduces the main idea. | Some paragraphs have a topic sentence, but they may not clearly introduce the main idea. | Few or no paragraphs have a clear topic sentence, making it hard to identify the main idea. |
| Supporting Details | Each paragraph includes strong and relevant examples from the text that effectively support the main idea. | Most paragraphs include relevant examples from the text that support the main idea. | Some paragraphs include examples from the text, but they may not clearly support the main idea. | Few or no paragraphs include relevant examples from the text, making it hard to see how they support the main idea. |
| 4 Paragraphs | The essay includes a well-written introduction and three supporting paragraphs. | The essay includes an introduction and three supporting paragraphs, but one may be weak. | The essay includes fewer than four paragraphs or some paragraphs are incomplete. | The essay includes fewer than four paragraphs and lacks structure. |