Marking Criteria for Ab Initio Students/Candidates (Level 5): Writing

Date:

Tutor(s)/Examiner(s):

Grade

Grammar*

Student/Candidate:
Vocabulary*

outstanding degree of grammatical

accuracy, complex structures; no errors; no
errors in spelling/punctuation

highly sophisticated use of vocabulary;

very good use of idioms; no word errors;
appropriate register

excellent grammatical control and accuracy; hardly any errors; hardly any errors in
spelling/punctuation

sophisticated/varied vocabulary; good use

of idioms; hardly any word errors;
appropriate register

high degree of accuracy and control; a few

minor errors; a few minor errors in spelling/
punctuation/written accents

broad vocabulary and use of idioms; few

minor word errors; appropriate register

B
60-69

good degree of accuracy, with some

errors; some errors which can be recurrent
in spelling/punctuation

good variety of vocabulary and frequent

idioms; avoids repetitions; few word errors;
usually appropriate register

C
50-59

appropriate grammatical control, with

some recurrent basic errors; recurrent errors
in spelling/punctuation
basic grammar control; many recurrent
errors that can hamper understanding; many
recurrent errors in spelling/punctuation

appropriate command of vocabulary and

basic idioms; vocabulary sometimes basic;
some basic word errors; register-problems
basic vocabulary, limited range to express
ideas/repetitions; many word errors sometimes hamper understanding; recurrent
problems with register;
limited vocabulary; many word errors that
hamper general understanding;
inappropriate register
very limited vocabulary; a very high
number of errors that almost prevent understanding; register is almost entirely
inappropriate
extremely limited vocabulary; very high
number of word errors that prevent
understanding; use of mother tongue

A++
90-100

A+
80-89

A
70-79

D
40-49

F+
33-39
F
20-32

FF

Comments

0-19

limited grammar control; many basic errors

that hamper general understanding; many
errors in spelling/punctuation
very limited grasp of grammar; very high
number of errors that almost prevent understanding; very high number of errors in
spelling/punctuation
extremely limited grammar; high number
of errors prevents understanding; very high
number of errors in spelling/punctuation

Mark

Grammar

Language:

Vocabulary

Final Grade:
Coherence/Fluency*

Content*

highly coherent/clear; outstanding use of a

wide range of connectors/cohesive devices;
outstanding text structure and degree of
fluency
excellent use of a wide range of connectors/cohesive devices; very coherent/clear;
excellent text structure and degree of
fluency
coherent/clear; use of a comprehensive
range of connectors/cohesive devices; mostly complex sentences; very good text
structure and degree of fluency
overall coherent/clear; use of connectors/
cohesive devices partly limited; occasionally
simple-sentence structures; good text
structure and fluency
appropriate coherence; some connectors;
regular use of simple/ short sentences;
appropriate text structure and fluency
basic coherence; only few connectors;
often simple/short sentence structures; basic
text structure and fluency

Outstanding; highly accurate/

comprehensive/ exceptionally well-informed

limited coherence/unclear; hardly any connectors; mainly simple/short sentences; very

basic text structure; difficult to understand
highly disorganised; extremely short/
simple sentences; hardly any text structure;
very difficult to understand

limited understanding; often lacks

accuracy/ comprehensiveness; ill-informed;
often repetitions
very limited understanding/ accuracy/
comprehensiveness; very ill-informed;
mainly repetitions

completely disorganised; no text structure;

mostly unintelligible

extremely limited; no understanding of

subject matter; no ideas/ unclear/ not
informed at all

excellent accuracy/comprehensiveness;
highly thorough and informed

very good/ clear/ accurate/

comprehensive; very thorough and very well
informed
good, but may not be entirely accurate
and/or comprehensive; quite thorough and
overall well-informed
appropriate but sometimes less accurate
and/or comprehensive; less well-informed
adequate but rather basic: low accuracy/
comprehensiveness; sometimes repetitions;
not appropriately well-informed

Coherence

Content

Content:

* The weightings of language and content in calculating the final mark will vary according to the task. Please also see full description of the MFL- marking criteria on KEATS and/or in the Student Handbook.

(Kings College London/Modern Foreign Languages, September 2016)