Response to Literature Essay Rubric

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Addresses task / Addresses all parts of the writing task / Addresses all parts of the writing task / Addresses a only parts of the writing task / Addresses only one part of the writing task / Does not address the writing task
Thesis / Clearly and effectively states the thesis. / Clearly states the thesis / Has a main idea or thesis / Has an unclear thesis or main idea / Has an illogicalor no thesis
Content / Demonstrates a thorough and thoughtful, comprehensive grasp of the text and a clear understanding of the ambiguities, nuances, and complexities of the text.
Accurately and coherently provides specific topic sentences and textual details and examples to support the thesis and main ideas. / Demonstrates a comprehensive grasp of the text, and general understanding of the ambiguities, nuances, and complexities of the text.
Accurately and coherently provides general topic sentences and textual details and examples to support the thesis and main ideas. / Demonstrates a limited,comprehensive grasp of the text, and a limited, or nounderstanding of the ambiguities, nuances, and complexities of the text.
Provides few, if any, specific topic sentences and textual details and examples to support the thesis and main idea. / Demonstrates little, if any comprehensive grasp of the text, and demonstrates no understanding of the ambiguities, nuances, and complexities of the text.
Provides no topic sentences or textual details and examples to support the thesis and main ideas. / Lacks a comprehensive grasp of the text, and demonstrates no understanding.
Provides no details.
Organization&
Structure / Effectively organizes information and ideas accurately and coherently, and incorporates the sophisticated use of transitional devices. / Effectively organizes information and ideas accurately and coherently, and incorporates the sophisticated use of transitional devices. / Organizes the essay through the development of topic sentences, concrete details, and commentary. / Lacks the organization and development of topic sentences, concrete details, and commentary. / Structures ideas and arguments in an illogical fashion.
Devices/ Style:
(Response to literary passages) / Clearly demonstrates an awareness of the author’s use of literary and/or stylistic devices. / Demonstrates an awareness of the author’s use of literary and/or stylistic devices. / May demonstrate awareness of the author’s use of literary and/or stylistic devices. / Does not demonstrate any awareness of the author’s use of literary and/or stylistic devices / Does not demonstrate any awareness of the author’s use of literary and/or stylistic devices
Mechanics
Writing
Conventions / Includes a variety of sentence types and precise, descriptive language.
Contains few, if any, errors in the conventions of the English language (grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling).
These errors do not interfere with the reader’s understanding of the writing. / Includes a variety of sentence types, and somedescriptive language.
Contains some errors in the conventions of the English language (grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling).
These errors do not interfere with the reader’s understanding of the writing. / Provides few types of sentences and uses basic, predictable language.
Containsseveralerrorsin the conventions of the English language (grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling).
These errors may interfere with the reader’s understanding ofthe writing. / Includes no sentence variety and uses limited vocabulary.
Contains serious errorsin the conventions of the English language (grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling).
These errors interfere with the reader’s understanding of the writing. / Includes incomplete sentence structure.
Contains serious errorsin the conventions of the English language (grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling).
These errors create confusion or make the essay nearly unintelligible.