Four Point Rubric – Conventions

Writing Traits	1 Point	2 Points	3 Points	4 Points
Mechanics: Capitalization	Uses capitalization correctly at the beginning of sentences and with proper nouns, greetings, months, day of the week, and titles and initials of people.	Uses capitalization correctly for previously mentioned forms and with geographical names, holidays, historical periods, and special events.	Uses capitalization correctly for previously mentioned forms and names of magazines, newspapers, works of art, musical compositions, organization, and the first word in quotation when appropriate.	Consistently uses correct capitalization for all previously mentioned forms.
Mechanics: Punctuation	Uses end punctuation correctly. Inconsistently uses commas and quotation marks correctly. Punctuates dates, cities and states, and titles of books incorrectly.	Consistently uses punctuation of previously mentioned forms correctly. Inconsistently uses parentheses, commas in direct quotations, and apostrophes correctly.	Consistently uses correct punctuation for previously mentions forms. Uses a colon to separate hours and minutes and to introduce a list. Correctly punctuates direct quotes, titles of poems, songs and short stories.	Consistently uses correct punctuation for previously mentioned forms. Uses colons after the salutation in business letters, semicolons to connect independent clauses, and commas when linking two clauses with a conjunction in compound sentences.
Grammar and Usage	Uses verb tense, singular and plural nouns, contractions, adjectives, compound words, and articles correctly.	Consistently demonstrates standard use of previously mentioned items and with irregular verbs, adverbs, prepositions, and coordinating conjunctions and correct subject/ verb agreement.	Consistently demonstrates standard usage of previously mentioned items. Correctly uses verbs that are often misused (e.g., lie/lay, sit/set, rise/raise) And modifiers.	Consistently demonstrates standard usage of previously mentioned items and correctly uses indefinite pronouns and present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect verb tenses with compound subject/verb agreement.
Sentence Structure	Consistently and effectively uses a variety of simple and compound sentences (including declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory). No run0ons or sentence fragments present.	Consistently and effectively uses all previously mentioned sentence structures. Sentence patterns and length are varied, effective, and enhance what is written. Uses appositives, participial phrases, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phases	Consistently and effectively uses all previously mentioned structures. Uses independent and dependent clauses, transition, and conjunctions to connect ideas.	Consistently and effectively uses all previously mentioned sentence structures and simple, compound, and compound-complex sentences; uses effective coordination and subordination of ideas to express complete thoughts. Sentence patterns enhance what is written.
Spelling	Spells frequently used, irregular words, basic short-vowel, long-vowel, r-controlled, consonant-blend patterns, and grade-appropriate sight words correctly.	Correctly spells grade-appropriate words with blends, contractions, orthographic patterns, compound words, and common homo-phones.	Correctly spells previously mentioned words. Uses correct sound spelling patterns and structural patterns. Understands affixes, homophones, and meaning patterns.	Correctly spells all previously mentioned word forms along with words containing roots, inflections, affixes, and syllable constructions, and frequently misspelled words (their, they’re, there).