1. Does the introduction outline the basics of the argument?
2. Does the paper progress in a logical and coherent manner?
3. Do paragraphs have main ideas followed by explanation and supported with discussion and information?
4. Are terms defined clearly and accurately?
5. Are all borrowed ideas clearly referenced?
An A essay: demonstrates the above skills and qualities to a high degree; is correctly written with few or no errors in grammar, spelling, diction, punctuation; uses a recognized scholarly form of documentation; shows knowledge of the conventions appropriate to the type of essay (argument, description, narrative, analysis, etc.); is written in a way that facilitates the reader’s engagement with the issues under discussion.
A B essay: demonstrates some of the qualities listed above; is for the most part correctly and coherently written, but contains some errors in writing and scholarly form that obstruct the reader’s easy comprehension of the essay; is less sophisticated in its articulation of the core issues posed by the source materials; does not explain the issues as fully as a reader might require in order to understand them.
A C essay: shows only intermittent evidence of the qualities and skills listed above; contains numerous errors in writing and documentation; may begin with a thesis or focus but is not able to sustain it consistently or coherently; requires substantial effort on the part of the reader to understand it.
A D essay: lacks focus or argument; has not dealt with the assigned topic; contains a number of major writing errors (e.g. incomplete sentence, persistent misuse of words, unidiomatic phrases, paragraph fragments, etc.); lacks awareness of the conventions of essay writing or the uses of documentation; consistently fails to respond to the reader’s needs for clarity.