iRubric: Writing for Freshman Students (analytic) rubric

Topic sentence is engaging (attention-getting) and well-developed: telling the reader what she will learn about in the rest of the paragraph.

Topic sentence may be incomplete. It expresses one part of what the reader will learn about in the rest of the paragraph.

Topic sentence is missing or faulty. Topic sentence does not make sense, and does not state what is being defined in the paragraph.

Conclusion summarizes content (repeats, in other words, what is stated in the introduction).

Conclusion does not adequately restate the topic.

No concluding sentence.

Contains several relevant details. Details are strong, specific, relevant to the topic.
Correct format (heading is centered, paragraph is indented).

Contains few supporting details. Details may be not specifically related to the topic; or insufficient. May lack order (logical, chronological, spatial, whole-part).
Improper heading; no indentation.

Insufficient details to support the topic sentence. Details are unrelated to the topic sentence (wrong), do not make sense, or incomplete.
No heading. No indentation.

Ideas are well-connected. Details are organized logically, chronologically (time order), sequentially (first, second, etc.).
Writing is smooth and makes sense. Sentences are strong and
express ideas with varied structure and connectors. Transitional words and conjunctions are used appropriately.

Some ideas are not well-connected. Writing may not be smooth, or make sense. Some ideas may not be well-connected. Some transitional words and conjunctions are missing or misused. Some sentences are not strong, some lack variety.

Details are not well-connected, lack order.
Writing is confusing and hard to follow. Contains fragments and/or run-on sentences. Transitional words and conjunctions are either missing or misused.

Fewer than 9 errors in spelling.

Between 10-20 errors in spelling.

21 or more spelling errors.