diff --git a/prompting/validators/criteria.py b/prompting/validators/criteria.py
index 23afbc3..030c243 100644
--- a/prompting/validators/criteria.py
+++ b/prompting/validators/criteria.py
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@
 # DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
 import re
 import torch
+import json
+import random
+import ast
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
 from typing import List
@@ -94,3 +97,72 @@ def evaluate(self, completions: List[str]) -> torch.FloatTensor:
 
     def compose_text(self) -> str:
         return self.text.format(target_length=self.target_length, unit=self.unit.value)
+    
+class LayoutTypeEnum(Enum):
+    JSON = "json"
+    DICTIONARY = "python dictionary"
+    NUMBEREDLIST = "numbered list"
+    BULLETPOINTLIST = "bullet point list"
+
+    def _select_random_attribute(self):
+        attribute_names = [attr for attr in vars(self) if not attr.startswith('_')]
+        random_attribute_name = random.choice(attribute_names)
+        random_attribute_value = getattr(self, random_attribute_name)
+        return random_attribute_value
+
+@dataclass
+class MatchLayoutCriteria(TaskCriterion):
+    text: str = "Your response must be in the form of a {format_type}{fields}"
+    penalty: float = 0.1
+    format_type: LayoutTypeEnum = LayoutTypeEnum.JSON
+    num_fields: int = 0
+    fields : str = " with {num_fields} fields"
+
+    def is_json(self, text):
+        try:
+            json.loads(text)
+            return True
+        except ValueError:
+            return False
+        
+    def is_dictionary(self, text):
+        try:
+            if type(ast.literal_eval(text)) == dict:
+                return True
+            else:
+                return False
+        except (ValueError, SyntaxError):
+            return False
+
+    def is_numbered_list(self, input_string):
+        pattern = r'^\d.*\n?$'
+        lines = input_string.split('\n')
+        return all(re.match(pattern, line) for line in lines)
+    
+    def is_bullet_point_list(self, input_string):
+        pattern = r'^\s*[-*+]\s*.*\n?(\s*[-*+]\s.*\n?)*$'
+        return bool(re.match(pattern, input_string))
+
+    def _get_format_match(self, response : str) -> bool:
+        if self.format_type == LayoutTypeEnum.JSON:
+            return self.is_json(response)
+        elif self.format_type == LayoutTypeEnum.DICTIONARY:
+            return self.is_dictionary(response)
+        elif self.format_type == LayoutTypeEnum.NUMBEREDLIST:
+            return self.is_numbered_list(response)
+        elif self.format_type == LayoutTypeEnum.BULLETPOINTLIST:
+            return self.is_bullet_point_list(response)
+        else:
+            return False
+    
+    def evaluate(self, completions: list[str]) -> torch.FloatTensor:
+        penalties = torch.zeros(len(completions), dtype = torch.float32)
+        for idx, completion in enumerate(completions):
+            if not self._get_format_match(completion):
+                penalties[idx] = self.penalty
+        return penalties
+
+    def compose_text(self) -> str:
+        if self.num_fields == 0:
+            return self.text.format(format_type = self.format_type.value, fields = "")
+        return self.text.format(format_type = self.format_type.value, fields = self.fields)
diff --git a/prompting/validators/tasks.py b/prompting/validators/tasks.py
index 2799169..d37d91c 100644
--- a/prompting/validators/tasks.py
+++ b/prompting/validators/tasks.py
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
     TaskCriterion,
     MatchLengthCriteria,
     TextLengthUnitEnum,
+    MatchLayoutCriteria,
+    LayoutTypeEnum,
 )
 
 
@@ -169,8 +171,12 @@ def create_qa_task(base_text: str, index: int) -> QuestionAnswerTask:
         target_length=random.randint(4, 8),
         unit=TextLengthUnitEnum.SENTENCES,
     )
+    match_layout_criteria = MatchLayoutCriteria(
+        penalty = 0.1, 
+        target_layout = LayoutTypeEnum._select_random_attribute(LayoutTypeEnum),
+    )
 
-    criteria = [match_words_criteria, match_length_criteria]
+    criteria = [match_words_criteria, match_length_criteria, match_layout_criteria]
 
     return QuestionAnswerTask(
         base_text=base_text,