ESSAY WRITING RUBRIC

 An A paper has:

            complete prewriting notes.

            (a) complete rough draft(s), indicating revision for content, and editing for correctness.

            a title.

            an original, attention-getting introductory paragraph containing a clearly articulated thesis or purpose.

            a series of carefully organized body paragraphs with:

a clear, general, topic sentence preparing the reader for the development of one main idea per body paragraph.

specific examples from your source(s) supporting the topic sentence, whether quotes, paraphrases, dialogue, behavior, references, etc.

the papers authors commentary/processing/analysis of supporting details.

a wrap-up/transition between the current and following paragraph(s).

            an original, non-repetitive conclusion, appropriate to the authors purpose.

very few, if any, errors in the conventions of Standard English: spelling, punctuation, word usage, and sentence structure.

A B paper has

All of the characteristics of an A paper a successful effort - but with:

some errors in the conventions of Standard English, not, however, significantly detracting from the readers appreciation of the essay.

fewer prewriting notes.

an incompletely drafted and revised rough draft.

some repetition of ideas in the introduction, body and conclusion paragraphs.

A C paper has

            All of the characteristics of a B paper, but with disappointments that include:

very few rewriting notes, indicating an obvious disregard for adequate preparation.

a rough draft that may be incomplete or has been minimally, if at all, revised.

more errors in Standard English, which now draw attention and seriously detract from the readers appreciation of the authors efforts.

missing paragraphs the reader was expecting.

obvious repetition of ideas in introduction, body, and concluding paragraphs, drawing attention to a minimum of original thought, planning and analysis.

A D paper has

            All of the mediocre characteristics of a C paper, but with additional problems that include:

few or no prewriting notes, and an incomplete or missing rough draft stage indicating a minimal effort at planning and executing anything worth reading.

many annoying errors in standard English, which here severely compromise the effectiveness of the paper, and indicate superficial, if any, proofreading and spell-checking.

missing paragraphs the reader is nonetheless expecting.

blatant repetition of ideas, stemming from lack of thought and planning, or clinging to a juvenile, unsophisticated writing formula.

An F paper has

            All of the unfortunate characteristics of a D paper, but with:

                        little or no attempt at prewriting, or a rough draft very poor planning of an important paper.

serious errors in standard English that ruin any attempt at communication, and indicate a semi-literate author, whether or not this is actually the case.

several missing paragraphs, indicating an unplanned, spontaneous effort that fails abysmally.