An analysis of two sets of analytical expository and argumentative writing assessment criteria

Abstract

The article focuses on the analysis of two sets of analytical writing assessment criteria, namely the scoring guides by Meril Holly L. Jacobs et al. (1981) and by Vicki Spandl et al. (1990), evaluating them in terms of their descriptors' features. Writing assessment descriptors should be definite, clear, brief and independent as recommended by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (2001: 205–207). Both scoring guides were chosen because they are still used by teachers extensively. The analysis displays similarities and differences between the two scoring guides, their strengths and weaknesses, and the need for teachers to evaluate a particular scoring guide critically before starting to use it, to introduce improvements if necessary and, finally, to adjust the writing assessment criteria to their educational context.