Example: General analytic rubric for a writing assignment

Evaluators should rank each piece of writing on the following criteria on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 3 (highest)

1. Introduction

1 =	no or poor introduction.
2 =	some introduction; nothing beyond a forecast.
3 =	introduction grasps reader’s attention (engages the reader) and forecasts major points.

2. Articulation of thesis

1 =	no or poor articulation of thesis.
2 =	some articulation of thesis
3 =	clear articulation of thesis or argument.

3. Paragraph development

1 =	poor paragraphs with no clear topic sentence; multiple topics; little or no development
2 =	some structure and development of paragraphs and/or some with clear topic sentences or focus, but not consistently.
3 =	paragraphs are consistently well developed, with a clear topic sentence and appropriate number of sentences that provide examples and develop points.

4. Use of examples

1 =	little or no use of examples.
2 =	some use of examples or evidence, but not consistent; no examples or evidence in places where they are needed
3 =	frequent or consistent use of examples and evidence; example or evidence appears whenever the reader asks, “For instance?”

5. Conclusion

1 =	no or poor conclusion or summary of argument
2 =	some summary of points made, but nothing beyond summary; no broad conclusions/lessons
3 =	a conclusion going beyond summary of what was written in the body of the essay.

6. Transitions

1 =	little or no transition between paragraphs; poor flow
2 =	some transition or flow between paragraphs; partial structure to argument
3 =	strong and/or consistent transition between points in essay; strong flow

7. Variation of sentences

1 =	little or no variation of sentences; monotonous use of sentence type. (length/ complexity).
2 =	some variation of sentences. Sentences of varying length or type, but not varied effectively.
3 =	effective variation of sentence length and type.

8. Coherence

1 =	lack of coherence; i.e. mismatch between the thesis and the body; tangents
2 =	occasional tangents; repetition
3 =	every paragraph works to support the thesis; “linked” paragraphs