Transcript 6 Traits of Excellent PASS Writing

6 Traits of Excellent
PASS Writing
English I and ELA 7
6 Traits of Excellent Writing
O Ideas & Content – the heart of the message
O Organization – the internal structure;
O Voice – the personal tone and flavor;
O Word Choice – the vocabulary a writer
chooses
O Sentence Fluency – the rhythm and flow
O Conventions – the mechanical correctness
and grammar
Ideas and Content
O Message is clear
O Provides detail
“Successful writers notice and
seek out the extraordinary, the
unusual, the bits and pieces of life
that others might overlook.”
Organization
O Clear beginning, middle, and end
O Smooth transitions
“Events proceed logically; information is given to the
reader in the right doses at the right times so that
the reader never loses interest. Connections and
transitions are strong. The piece closes with a
sense of resolution, tying up loose ends, bringing things
to closure, answering important
questions while still leaving the reader something to
think about.”
Voice
O Personal, individual, and expressive
“It is the heart and soul of the writing,
the magic, the wit, the feeling, the life
and breath. When the writer is engaged
personally with the topic and imparts a
personal tone and flavor to the piece
that is unmistakably his/hers alone.”
Word Choice
O Strong verbs and adjectives
O Rich and sophisticated language
“the use of rich, colorful, precise
language that communicates not just in
a functional way, but in a way that
moves and enlightens the reader.”
Sentence Fluency
O Easy to read out loud
O Variety of sentence beginnings and sentence
structures (sentences vary in length)
“the rhythm and flow of the language, the
sound of word patterns, the way in which the
writing plays to the ear, not just to the eye.
Fluent writing has cadence, power, rhythm,
and movement.”
Conventions
O Correct spelling, grammar,
punctuation, commas/periods
“Writing that is strong in
conventions has been proofread
and edited with care.”