Short Story Rubric
Key Traits 4 3 2 1
20 pts. 15 pts. 10 pts. 5 pts.
• The opening lines vividly • The opening lines • The opening lines • The opening lines do
present the story's main present the story's main vaguely present the story's not present the story's
conflict and characters. conflict and characters. main conflict or characters. main conflict or
characters.
• Significant, descriptive • Most details are relevant in • More details and examples
IDEAS details reveal the setting revealing the setting and are needed. • Details and examples are
and characters. characters. irrelevant or are missing.
• The writer occasionally uses
• The writer uses strong • The writer often uses dialogue. • The writer does not
dialogue to show the dialogue to show the use dialogue.
characters' personalities. characters' personalities.
• The writer sets the scene • The writer vaguely • The writer hints at the • The writer does not set
by introducing the presents the characters, characters, setting, or up what the story is
characters, setting, or setting, or action. action. about.
action in a memorable way.
• The ending resolves the • The ending does not bring • The story begins and ends
• The ending resolves the conflict. the conflict to a satisfying in a confusing way.
conflict satisfactorily. conclusion.
ORGANIZATION • The sequence of events is
• The sequence of events is mostly clear. • The sequence of events
clear and engaging. is sometimes confusing.
• The story has a beginning,
• The story has a clear middle, and end, but the • The story has a beginning,
beginning, middle, and action is not always easy to middle, and end, but the
ending. follow. action is hard to follow.
• The tone and voice are • The tone and voice are • The tone and voice are not • The voice lacks
strongly individual and individual and acceptable. clearly individual and not individuality.
appropriate for the story. always appropriate.
VOICE • The point of view is • The point of view is
• The point of view is highly consistent. • The point of view is inconsistent and
consistent. occasionally inconsistent. confusing.
• Thoughtful use of sensory • Sensory language is • A little more sensory • Lack of sensory
language helps create adequate to describe the language is needed. language limits the picture
WORD CHOICE memorable pictures of the setting, characters, and of the setting, characters,
& setting, characters, and conflict. • Some sentences have and conflict.
SENTENCE conflict. a variety of
FLUENCY • Sentences mostly have a structures. • Repetitive sentence
• Sentences have a pleasing variety of structures. structures and lack of
variety ofstructures. • Use of fragments and run-on dialogue make the writing
sentences in dialogue is not difficult to follow.
• Use of fragments and run-
• Use of fragments and run- on sentences in dialogue is always thoughtful.
on sentences in dialogue is thoughtful.
deliberate and thoughtful.
• Spelling, capitalization, • Spelling, capitalization, • Spelling, capitalization, and • Common words are
and punctuation are correct. and punctuation are punctuation are sometimes misspelled and almost all
sometimes incorrect. incorrect. punctuation is missing or
incorrect.
• Grammar and usage are
correct. • Grammar and usage do • Grammar and usage errors
not distort meaning but are distract from meaning. • Grammar and usage
CONVENTIONS
not always correct. mistakes are frequent
• Paragraphing tends to be
• Paragraphing is and distort meaning.
correct.
• Paragraphing is irregular or too
attempted but is not frequent. • Paragraphing is
always sound. missing.
