1. Narrative Scoring Guide Rubric
A Well-Told Story A Vivid Presentation of Places and People An Indication of the Event’s Significance Mechanics
1 The story is entertaining and memorable.
The writer uses specific narrative action
with action verbs and verbal phrases.
The writer uses temporal transitions to
cue readers and move the narrative
through time. Finally, the writer uses
dialogue to convey immediacy and
drama.
The writer re-creates the place where the event occurred and
lets readers “hear” what people said. Vivid language and
specific details make the writing memorable. The writer
names objects to create clear scenes.
The writer provides details about some objects. The writer
uses similes and metaphors to draw comparisons and help
readers understand the point.
The writer provides descriptive details to present people. The
writer details characters’ appearances and behaviors, and
speech.
The writer shows and tells us that the event
was significant. The event is dramatized for
readers to appreciate its importance. Readers
understand the writer’s feelings.
The writer also comments on the event’s
meaning and importance. The significance is
not appended artificially, like a moral tagged
onto a fable.
A few technical
mistakes are made,
but they are not
distracting.
2 The story is entertaining and memorable.
The writer uses some narrative action
with action verbs and verbal phrases.
The writer uses some temporal
transitions to cue readers and move the
narrative through time. Finally, the
writer uses dialogue in an attempt to
convey immediacy and drama.
The writer re-creates the place where the event occurred.
Vivid language and specific details make the writing
memorable. The writer names some objects in an effort to
create clear scenes.
The writer provides details about some objects. The writer
uses occasional similes and metaphors to draw comparisons
and help readers understand the point.
The writer provides some descriptive details to present
people. The writer details characters’ appearances and
behaviors, or speech.
The writer shows or tells us that the event was
significant. The event is dramatized for
readers to appreciate its importance. Readers
generally understand the writer’s feelings.
The writer also comments on the event’s
meaning and importance, though the meaning
may be a bit unclear. The significance is not
appended artificially, like a moral tagged onto
a fable.
A few technical
mistakes are made,
but they are not
distracting.
3 The story is appropriate. The writer uses
some narrative action with a few action
verbs and verbal phrases.
The writer occasionally uses temporal
transitions to cue readers and move the
narrative through time. Finally, the
writer uses little dialogue.
The writer attempts to re-create the place where the event
occurred. The writer names a few objects in an effort to create
clear scenes.
The writer provides few details. The writer uses a simile or
metaphor to draw comparisons and help readers understand
the point.
The writer provides some descriptive details to present
people.
The writer attempts to show or tell us that the
event was significant. Readers generally
understand the writer’s feelings but at times
feel distant from the event.
The writer also comments on the event’s
meaning and importance, though the meaning
is unclear. The significance seems superficial,
like a moral tagged onto a fable.
Mistakes stand out
in more than one of
the following areas:
grammar,
punctuation,
spelling, or syntax.
4 The story is appropriate but the writer
uses little narrative action. The story is
told but not shown.
The writer does not use temporal
transitions to cue readers and move the
narrative through time. Finally, the
writer uses little or no dialogue.
Details about the place where the event occurred are vague or
absent. The writer does not name objects or identify sensory
detail in an effort to create clear scenes.
The writer provides few details, similes, or metaphors to draw
comparisons and help readers understand the point.
The writer lacks descriptive details to present people.
The writer neither shows nor tells us that the
event was significant. It is difficult to
understand the writer’s feelings about the
event.
The significance of the event seems
superficial, like a moral tagged onto a fable.
Mistakes are so
distracting that it is
difficult to read the
paper.
5 The story is inappropriate or doesn’t
meet the criteria of the prompt. The
story is told but not shown.
The writer does not use temporal
transitions to cue readers and move the
narrative through time. The writer uses
no dialogue
The story lacks details about the place where the event
occurred, or there is no setting.
The writer lacks descriptive details to present people, or there
are no people in the story.
The writer neither shows nor tells us that the
event was significant. The writer’s feelings
about the event are not included in the
narrative.
The event is insignificant.
Mistakes are so
distracting that it is
difficult to read the
paper.
The essay is
unreadable.