| Criteria | Excellent (5 points) | Good (4 points) | Fair (3 points) | Poor (2 points) | Needs Improvement (1 point) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 350-500 words, meets the word count requirement perfectly. | 340-349 or 501-510 words, slightly outside the word count. | 330-339 or 511-520 words, noticeably outside the word count. | 320-329 or 521-530 words, significantly outside the word count. | Less than 320 or more than 530 words, does not meet the requirement. |
| Clear Point | Has a clear, well-stated topic sentence that guides the narrative. | Has a clear point, but the topic sentence could be more explicit. | The point is somewhat clear, but the topic sentence is vague. | The point is unclear, and the topic sentence is missing or confusing. | No clear point or topic sentence present. |
| Topic | Writes on one of the assigned topics with creativity and depth. | Writes on one of the assigned topics with some depth. | Writes on one of the assigned topics but lacks depth. | Attempts to write on an assigned topic but strays off-topic. | Does not write on one of the assigned topics. |
| Spelling and Grammar | No grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, or punctuation issues. | Few minor errors in grammar, spelling, or punctuation. | Some errors in grammar, spelling, or punctuation that do not hinder understanding. | Frequent errors in grammar, spelling, or punctuation that hinder understanding. | Major errors in grammar, spelling, or punctuation that make the paragraph difficult to understand. |
| Clarity | Characters and events are vividly described with all necessary details included. | Characters and events are well described, but some minor details are missing. | Characters and events are somewhat described, with several details missing. | Characters and events are poorly described, with many essential details missing. | Characters and events are not described, with most essential details missing. |
| Format | Paragraph is indented, double-spaced, and formatted correctly with all required information. | Paragraph is mostly formatted correctly with minor errors in indentation or spacing. | Paragraph has noticeable formatting errors in indentation or spacing. | Paragraph has significant formatting errors and lacks required information. | Paragraph is not formatted correctly and lacks most required information. |