Return to Language Arts Home

Score	Ideas and Content | Organization | Voice | Word Choice Sentence Fluency | Conventions
4	The writer has chosen a voice appropriate for the topic, purpose, and audience. The writer demonstrates commitment to the topic, purpose, and audience. There is a clear sense of "writing to be read." The writer does most or all of the following: • creates a strong interaction with the reader. There is a sense of a person and a purpose behind the words; • demonstrates a strong audience awareness which communicates the message effectively, and an appropriate voice or tone is consistently employed; • brings the topic to life; when appropriate, the writing may show originality, liveliness, honesty, conviction, excitement, humor, or suspense; may share insights.
3	The writer's voice is present. The writer seems committed to the topic, and there may be a sense of "writing to be read." The writer does most or all of the following: • interacts with the reader; at times there is a sense of a person and purpose behind the words; • demonstrates a sense of audience and seems to be aware of the reader, but may not consistently employ an appropriate tone or voice; • may employ liveliness, sincerity, or humor when appropriate; at times, the writing may be either too casual, personal, formal, or stiff.
2	The writer's voice may emerge at times. The writer's commitment to the topic seems inconsistent, and there is little sense of "writing to be read." The writer does most or all of the following: • seldom provides a sense of interaction between reader and writer; there is little sense of the person and purpose behind the words; • demonstrates a limited sense of audience or fails to use an appropriate tone or voice; • uses a voice that is likely to be overly informal and personal or too impersonal and flat.
1	The writer's voice provides little, if any, sense of involvement or commitment, and there is no sense of "writing to be read." The writer does most or all of the following: • shows no sense of interaction between reader and writer; it is hard to sense the person and purpose behind the words; • demonstrates no audience awareness; • uses a voice that is consistently flat, lifeless, and impersonal.