• provides thoughtful ideas and thorough explanations
• uses specific, relevant, and accurate support
• demonstrates a confident and perceptive understanding of task

7.5

• organizes writing fluently and effectively
• uses precise, accurate, and effective vocabulary
• demonstrates confident control of sentence construction, grammar, and mechanics

2.5

• provides meaningful ideas and appropriate explanations
• uses relevant and appropriate support that may contain minor errors
• demonstrates proficient and clear understanding of task

6

• organizes writing proficiently
• uses specific, accurate, and appropriate vocabulary
• demonstrates proficient control of sentence construction, grammar, and mechanics

2

• provides straightforward ideas and general explanations
• uses relevant but general and/or incompletely developed support
• demonstrates acceptable understanding of task

4.5

• organizes writing clearly and functionally
• uses appropriate and generally accurate but unspecific vocabulary
• demonstrates satisfactory control of sentence construction, grammar, and mechanics

1.5

• provides limited and over-generalized ideas and/or explanation
• uses superficial support that may not always be relevant
• demonstrates limited understanding of task

3

• organizes writing unevenly and /or incompletely
• uses general and/or imprecise and/or inappropriate vocabulary
• demonstrates faltering control of sentence construction, grammar, and mechanics

1

• provides minimal and/or poorly related ideas and/or explanation
• uses superficial, incomplete, and/or marginally relevant support, if any
• demonstrates minimal understanding of task

1.5

• organizes writing unclearly and ineffectively
• uses ineffective and frequently incorrect vocabulary
• demonstrates lack of control of sentence construction, grammar, and mechanics

0.5