| Criteria / Topics | 4 Points | 3 Points | 2 Points | 1 Point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thesis | The essay clearly presents a strong and focused thesis statement that effectively addresses the prompt. | The essay presents a thesis statement that addresses the prompt, but it may lack clarity or strength. | The essay attempts to present a thesis statement, but it is unclear or does not effectively address the prompt. | The essay does not have a clear thesis statement or does not address the prompt. |
| Evidence | The essay provides thorough and relevant evidence to support the thesis statement, with clear and logical connections between the evidence and the thesis. | The essay provides evidence to support the thesis statement, but the connections between the evidence and the thesis may be somewhat unclear or weak. | The essay attempts to provide evidence to support the thesis statement, but the connections between the evidence and the thesis are unclear or weak. | The essay does not provide sufficient evidence to support the thesis statement. |
| Explain | The essay effectively explains the significance and relevance of the evidence in relation to the thesis statement, demonstrating a deep understanding of the topic. | The essay explains the significance and relevance of the evidence in relation to the thesis statement, but the explanations may lack depth or clarity. | The essay attempts to explain the significance and relevance of the evidence, but the explanations are unclear or lack depth. | The essay does not effectively explain the significance and relevance of the evidence. |
| Spelling | The essay is free of spelling errors. | The essay contains a few minor spelling errors that do not significantly impact readability. | The essay contains several spelling errors that may occasionally impact readability. | The essay contains numerous spelling errors that significantly impact readability. |
| Grammar | The essay demonstrates consistently strong grammar skills, with few or no errors in sentence structure, punctuation, and usage. | The essay demonstrates generally strong grammar skills, with occasional errors in sentence structure, punctuation, and usage. | The essay demonstrates some grammar skills, but there are noticeable errors in sentence structure, punctuation, and usage. | The essay demonstrates weak grammar skills, with frequent errors in sentence structure, punctuation, and usage. |