Attention Grabber The introductory paragraph has a strong hook or attention grabber that is appropriate for the audience. This could be a strong statement, a relevant quotation, statistic, or question addressed to the reader.
Focus or Thesis Statement The thesis statement names the topic of the essay and outlines the main points to be discussed.
Support for Position Includes 3 or more pieces of evidence (facts, statistics, examples, real-life experiences) that support the position statement. The writer anticipates the reader\’s concerns, biases or arguments and has provided at least 1 counter-argument.
Evidence and Examples All of the evidence and examples are specific, relevant and explanations are given that show how each piece of evidence supports the author\’s position.
Transitions A variety of thoughtful transitions are used. They clearly show how ideas are connected
Closing paragraph The conclusion is strong and leaves the reader solidly understanding the writer\’s position. Effective restatement of the position statement begins the closing paragraph.
Sentence Structure All sentences are well-constructed with varied structure.
Grammar & Spelling Author makes no errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content.
Capitalization & Punctuation Author makes no errors in capitalization or punctuation, so the essay is exceptionally easy to read.