Criteria |
Excellent (10 points) |
Good (8 points) |
Fair (6 points) |
Poor (4 points) |
Very Poor (2 points) |
Evidence of Writing Ability |
Demonstrates exceptional writing skills with clear, coherent, and engaging prose. |
Shows strong writing skills with mostly clear and coherent prose. |
Writing is generally clear but may lack coherence in places. |
Writing is often unclear and lacks coherence. |
Writing is consistently unclear and incoherent. |
Distinctive Evidence of Own Voice |
Strong, unique voice that is consistent and engaging throughout the essay. |
Clear voice that is mostly consistent and engaging. |
Voice is present but may not be consistent or engaging. |
Voice is weak and inconsistent. |
Voice is absent or very weak. |
Lively Sentence Construction |
Uses a variety of sentence structures that enhance the essay’s liveliness. |
Uses some variety in sentence structures that contribute to the essay’s liveliness. |
Uses limited variety in sentence structures. |
Uses repetitive sentence structures. |
Uses monotonous and repetitive sentence structures. |
Precise Language Use |
Language is precise and effectively conveys the intended meaning. |
Language is mostly precise and conveys the intended meaning. |
Language is somewhat precise but may be vague at times. |
Language is often vague and imprecise. |
Language is consistently vague and imprecise. |
Skilful Use of Imagery |
Uses vivid and effective imagery that enhances the description. |
Uses effective imagery that enhances the description. |
Uses some imagery, but it may not always be effective. |
Uses limited or ineffective imagery. |
Uses no imagery or very ineffective imagery. |
Able to Control Tone and Nuances |
Controls tone and nuances expertly to enhance the essay. |
Controls tone and nuances well to support the essay. |
Shows some control of tone and nuances. |
Struggles to control tone and nuances. |
Unable to control tone and nuances. |
Content Controlled Throughout |
Content is consistently controlled and focused throughout the essay. |
Content is mostly controlled and focused. |
Content is somewhat controlled but may wander at times. |
Content is often uncontrolled and unfocused. |
Content is consistently uncontrolled and unfocused. |
Details Revealing Observation |
Details are vivid and reveal keen observation. |
Details are clear and reveal good observation. |
Details are present but may not be very revealing. |
Details are limited and reveal little observation. |
Details are absent or reveal very poor observation. |
Flair of Own Voice is Revealed |
Essay reveals a strong and unique flair of the writer’s own voice. |
Essay reveals a clear flair of the writer’s own voice. |
Essay reveals some flair of the writer’s own voice. |
Essay reveals little flair of the writer’s own voice. |
Essay reveals no flair of the writer’s own voice. |
Well Organised |
Essay is exceptionally well-organised with a clear and logical structure. |
Essay is well-organised with a mostly clear structure. |
Essay is somewhat organised but may lack clarity in structure. |
Essay is poorly organised and lacks a clear structure. |
Essay is very poorly organised with no clear structure. |
Intelligent and Mature |
Essay demonstrates a high level of intelligence and maturity. |
Essay demonstrates a good level of intelligence and maturity. |
Essay demonstrates some intelligence and maturity. |
Essay demonstrates limited intelligence and maturity. |
Essay demonstrates very little intelligence and maturity. |
Skilful Control of Language Usage |
Demonstrates exceptional control of language usage. |
Demonstrates good control of language usage. |
Demonstrates some control of language usage. |
Demonstrates limited control of language usage. |
Demonstrates very poor control of language usage. |