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HCT Written Communication Descriptors - Linguistic

Bands

Communicative Quality & Coherence (CQ)

Structural Range & Accuracy (SRA)

Lexical Range & Accuracy (LRA)

Mechanics (M)

Raw Score

	Main and subsidiary points are clear and well organised, but may contain minor irrelevancies or inappropriacies
	A range of cohesive devices used, though not always accurately

Generally accurate use of sentence structure, though range of complex sentences is limited·

	Vocabulary choice generally adequate in general topics or own specialist area, but may be inadequate to express a wide range of ideas with precision
	Most of the time , appropriate choice of words, idioms and register give the text a feeling of fluency

	Occasional errors in spelling may still occur
	Uses capital letters, full stops, commas, apostrophes, brackets, and bullets, with only occasional unobtrusive errors

(Spelling fully accurate if using Spell Checker or copying from a text)

	Overall meaning of simple and more complex communications adequately conveyed though clarity will vary
	Organisation of text contributes to overall clarity
	Wider range of cohesive devices is attempted

	Simple sentences generally correct and some complex sentences can be used, but not often accurately·
	Errors in subject verb agreement may still occur

	Vocabulary generally appropriate but limited to familiar contexts·
	Occasionally, appropriate choice of words, idioms and register gives glimpses of fluency

	Spelling errors still intrude, but do not impair meaning·
	Uses capital letters, full stops commas and apostrophes appropriately, with only occasional errors

(Almost fully accurate if using Spell Checker or copying from text)

	Meaning clear in straightforward communications; where the content is more complex meaning comes through only intermittently
	Simple cohesive devices used appropriately

	Can construct simple sentences but errors in subject verb agreement and word order are frequent·
	Appropriate choice of basic tenses·

	Range of vocabulary becomes wider but may be inappropriate·
	Text is stilted

	Spelling errors intrude though words are mainly recognisable with effort·
	Uses capital letters and full stops almost without error·
	Commas and apostrophes missing or misused

(Almost fully accurate when using Spell Checker or copying text)

	Meaning only clear in short, simple communications, and becomes unclear if content becomes more complex·
	Little or no evidence of cohesive devices

Attempts simple sentences with some awareness of, but limited control of, basic sentence structure and word order

Vocabulary limited to simplest personal or work related topics

	Attempts at spelling unfamiliar words may be unrecognisable·
	Independent spelling of familiar words accurate on the whole·
	Uses capital letters and full stops most of the time

	Can convey only the simplest ideas·
	Can convey information by positioning words correctly in a form or diagram

Begins to produce a few short sentences and phrases independently, but with little or no control of sentence structure

Vocabulary limited to common words

	Can spell a few common words accurately·
	Some evidence of punctuation but usually inaccurate·
	Can copy sentences accurately·
	Can write legibly

Can convey information by positioning words correctly in a form or diagram, but may omit information occasionally

Essentially unable to make sentences or multi word messages