Persuasive Essay Rubric

Category
Introduction hooks the
reader

Introduction contains the

writers claim and point of
view.
Reasons are in order of
importance.

Score Point - 5
Introduction grabs
readers attention with
an interesting question,
quote or statement.
Claim is well-defined
and clearly presents the
issue and the writers
point of view.
Reasons are clearly
organized by order of
importance.

Evidence supports each

reason of the claim and is
consistent with writers
point of view.

Evidence/Facts are
present and explained to
support the reason for
the claim and it is
consistent with point of
view.

Writer identifies
counterclaim and argues
it.

Writer recognizes a
strong counterclaim in
essay and makes a
powerful argument to
counter.
Writer includes
persuasive appeal
techniques in the essay
and uses the appeal
correctly.
Conclusion clearly and
freshly restates the
claim, reasons, and
leaves reader to think
about claim.
Standard English
grammar and sentence
structure are used
appropriately for grade

Writer includes
persuasive appeal
techniques in essay.

Conclusion restates claim

and reasons in a new way
and gives audience
something to think about.
Standard English
grammar and sentence
structure are used
appropriately for grade

Score Point - 4
Introduction includes a
partially developed
attention getter.

Score Point - 3
Introduction is relevant
to the topic, but does not
grab readers attention.

Claim presents issue

and the writers point of
view, but is vague.

Claim suggest an issue,

but it is unclear and
does not have include
writers point of view.
Reasons appear to be in
order, but not in order of
importance.

Reasons are mostly in

order of importance, but
some of the details are
out of order.
Evidence/Facts are
present and support the
reason for the claim and
is consistent with point
of view, but some
reasons need more
specific evidence.
Writer recognizes a
counterclaim, but
provides a weak
argument to counter it.
Writer includes
persuasive appeal
techniques in the essay,
but the use of the appeal
is slightly vague.
Conclusion restates
claim and most reasons,
but is vague. Does not
leave reader to think
about claim.
Standard English
grammar and sentence
structure are used
appropriately for grade

Score Point - 2
Introduction does not
include anything to
grab the readers
attention.
No claim is provided.

Reasons are placed in

random order.

Evidence/Facts support
at least one reason, but
evidence is not relevant
to the reason, is an
opinion, and/or is not
consistent with point of
view.
Writer recognizes a
counterclaim, but does
not argue against it.

Evidence/Facts are
not present to support
reason for the claim.

Writer includes
persuasive appeal
techniques in the essay,
but the use of the appeal
in incorrect.
Conclusion repeats
thesis from introduction
and repeats reasons
from body word for
word.
Standard English
grammar and sentence
structure is used
inconsistently for grade

Writer does not

include any
persuasive appeal
techniques.

Writer does not

address a
counterclaim.

Essay does not

include a conclusion.

Essay lacks Standard

English grammar and
sentence structure for
grade level.

Total

level.

level throughout the

essay.

level with a few

problems.

level.

Overall Total: __________