Grade 7 Expository Writing Rubric

4
CENTRAL IDEA

Strong, skillful introduction

Effective thesis statement

Follows a logical organizational

plan
Stays consistently on topic with
few digressions
Consistent point of view
Topic sentences are strong and
focus on the main ideas
Effectively uses transitional
words and/or phrases to connect
thoughts
Strong, effective conclusion

ORGANIZATION
AND
UNITY

Clear, consistent focus on a

central idea
Clear awareness of intended
audience

Reasonably consistent focus on

central idea
Awareness of intended audience

Inconsistent focus on central idea

Limited awareness of audience

Little or no focus on a central idea

No awareness of audience

Skillful introduction
Evidence of an adequate thesis
statement
Evidence of an organizational plan

Weak introduction
Weak thesis statement

No introduction
No thesis statement

Inconsistent organizational plan

Little or no organization of ideas

Stays mainly on topic and may have a

few digressions
Minor lapses in point of view
Topic sentences are reasonably
focused on the main ideas
Uses transitional words and/or
phrases to connect thoughts

Main topic not evident

Effective conclusion

Strays from the main topic and

has many digressions
Shifts in point of view
Topic sentences are weak or
inconsistent
Inconsistent use of transitional
words and/or phrases to connect
thoughts
Weak or ineffective conclusion

Inconsistent point of view

Topic sentences have little or no
indication of main ideas
Little or no evidence of transitional
words and/or phrases to connect
thoughts
Very limited or no conclusion

ELABORATION,
EVIDENCE, AND
DETAILS

Fully elaborated, containing

precise, relevant examples,
illustrations, reasons, facts,
and/or details which support
purpose and audience

Reasonably elaborated, containing

relevant examples, illustrations,
reasons, facts, and/or details which
support purpose and audience

Limited use of elaboration,

relevant examples, illustrations,
reasons, facts, and/or details
which support purpose and
audience

No elaboration, relevant examples,

illustrations, reasons, facts, and/or
details which support purpose and
audience

SENTENCE
FORMATION,
STRUCTURE, AND
FLOW

Includes a variety of sentence

lengths and beginnings
Rhythmic flow resulting from
purposeful sentence variety,
clauses, and transitions

Includes some sentence variety in

lengths and beginnings
Some rhythmic flow and sentence
variety with some effective clauses
and transitions

Includes little sentence variety in

lengths and beginnings
Uneven rhythmic flow, limited
sentence variety, repetitive
sentence patterns, little use of
clauses and transitions

No sentences of various lengths or

beginnings
No rhythmic flow or sentence
variety; no use of clauses or
transitions

WORD CHOICE

Contains highly specific word

choice, descriptive language, and
selected information
Appropriate, purposeful tone
Strong evidence of writers voice

Contains some specific word choice,

descriptive language, and selected
information
Evidence of tone
Some evidence of writers voice

Limited specific word choice,

descriptive language, and selected
information
Inconsistent tone
Limited evidence of writers voice

Consistently uses complete

sentences with appropriate
capitalization and punctuation
Consistently spells words
accurately
Consistently maintains verb tense
Consistently uses subject-verb
agreement with intervening
phrases and clauses
Consistently uses
pronoun/antecedent agreement
to include indefinite pronouns
Consistently uses adjectives and
adverbs to enhance writing

Mostly uses complete sentences with

appropriate capitalization and
punctuation
Mostly spells words accurately
Mostly maintains verb tense
Mostly uses subject-verb agreement
with intervening phrases and clauses
Mostly uses pronoun/antecedent
agreement to include indefinite
pronouns
Mostly uses adjectives and adverbs to
enhance writing

Limited use of complete

sentences with appropriate
capitalization and punctuation
Limited use of correct spelling
Inconsistent control of verb tense
Limited use of subject-verb
agreement with intervening
phrases and clauses
Limited use of
pronoun/antecedent agreement
to include indefinite pronouns
Limited use of adjectives and
adverbs to enhance writing

USAGE &
MECHANICS

No specific word choice,

descriptive language, and selected
information
Little or no tone
No evidence of writers voice
Little or no use of complete
sentences with appropriate
punctuation and capitalization
Little or no use of correct spelling
Little or no control of verb tense
Little or no use of subject-verb
agreement with intervening
phrases and clauses
Little or no use of
pronoun/antecedent agreement to
include indefinite pronouns
Little or no use of adjective and
adverbs to enhance writing