ENGWR 300—GRADING STANDARDS AND FEEDBACK SHEET
“A” = EXCELLENT PAPER:
The “A” essay excels in responding to the assignment.
Unity
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The thesis, whether implied or directly stated clearly and completely addresses the assignment in a thoughtful and
sophisticated manner demonstrating high level of engagement with the topic.
Topic sentences establish a clear link to the thesis and to the individual idea focused on and developed in the
paragraph.
Ideas
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The essay demonstrates analysis of the subject that is clear, thorough, and logical, and demonstrates sophistication of
thought.
The essay may acknowledge its contradictions, qualifications, or limits and their logical implications.
The essay demonstrates an understanding of its sources and critically evaluates them.
The essay appropriately limits and defines terms.
Organization & Coherence
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The essay uses a progression of ideas or pattern of organization appropriate to its subject, purpose, audience, thesis,
and disciplinary field.
The essay employs sophisticated transitional devices.
The essay guides the reader through its chain of reasoning or progression of ideas.
Support
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The essay fully develops its supporting points, using clearly relevant rhetorical strategies (such as audience
awareness, tone, modes of development, etc.), insightful analysis, and compelling evidence, which includes
sophisticated use of appropriate source material.
Style & Mechanics
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Sentences are varied, clearly structured, and carefully focused and almost entirely free of spelling, punctuation, and
grammatical errors.
Language is appropriate and sophisticated.
Documentation & Use of Sources
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The essay displays superior use of MLA formatting, documentation and citation with few if any errors.
Source material is integrated in a sophisticated way.
Relevant source material is well-chosen and relevant and provides exceptional support for the thesis.
“B” = GOOD PAPER:
The “B” essay provides a solid and appropriate response to the assignment.
Unity
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The thesis controls the direction of the essay. However, there may be minor lapses in focus, development and
complexity of thought.
For the most part, paragraphs are unified.
Ideas
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The essay partially acknowledges the complexity of its central idea and the possibility of other points of view.
The essay shows careful reading of sources, but may not always evaluate them critically.
The essay limits or defines terms, not always effectively.
Organization & Coherence
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The essay shows a logical progression of ideas.
The essay uses appropriate transitional devices.
Paragraphs clearly connect to the central idea although some logical links may be faulty.
Support
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The essay develops its supporting points using generally relevant rhetorical strategies, solid analysis, and convincing
evidence, which includes appropriate source material.
Style & Mechanics
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Sentences are generally clear well structured, and focused—although some sentences may be awkward.
Language is accurate and effective.
The essay may contain a few errors that distract the reader but do not impede understanding.
Documentation & Use of Sources
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The essay displays proficient use of MLA formatting, documentation and citations but contains a few errors.
Source material is effectively integrated.
Relevant source material clearly supports the thesis.
“C” = SATISFACTORY PAPER:
The “C” essay provides an adequate if occasionally ineffective response to the assignment.
Unity
 The thesis is apparent and generally controls the direction and development of the essay.
 There may be lapses in paragraph development, focus and unity.
Ideas
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The essay presents central ideas in general terms.
The essay may not acknowledge other views.
The essay shows basic comprehension of sources, perhaps with some lapses of understanding.
The essay attempts to define terms, but sometimes lacks clarity.
Organization & Coherence
 The essay may merely list ideas.
 The essay may have awkward or overly simple transitions.
 The essay may develop paragraphs that are related individually to the main idea, although the relationship may
occasionally be unclear.
 Organization is apparent but may exhibit some lapses, which do not impede the reader’s understanding.
Support
 The essay develops its supporting points adequately using rhetorical strategies and some analysis and evidence, which
includes source material.
 The essay may rely too heavily on narration, description, mere fact, or generalizations. The essay may assume that
evidence speaks for itself. It may have some lapses in logic.
Style & Mechanics
 The essay may use some inaccurate language or vague wording.
 The essay may contain several mechanical errors.
 The essay employs generally grammatical sentence structure, but may have wordy, unfocused, repetitive, or confusing
sentences, which may temporarily confuse the reader but do not impede overall understanding.
Documentation & Use of Sources
 The essay displays adequate use of MLA formatting, documentation and citations but may contain repetitive errors
 Source material is adequately integrated.
 The essay displays acceptable source material that supports the thesis.
“D” = UNSATISFACTORY PAPER:
The “D” essay responds ineffectively to the assignment.
Unity
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The essay may provide a thesis too vague or obvious to be developed effectively.
The thesis may not control the development of the essay or may not demonstrate any depth of thought.
Topic sentences are not apparent. Paragraphs lack a central focus.
Ideas
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The essay does not have a clear central idea or does not respond clearly to the topic.
The essay indicates that the writer may have misunderstood sources.
Organization & Coherence
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The essay may have random organization, lacking internal paragraph coherence and using few and/or inappropriate
transitions.
The essay may have paragraphs that lack topic sentences or main ideas, or that present ideas too general or too
specific to be developed effectively.
The essay may incorporate paragraphs not relating to the thesis.
Support
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The essay develops its supporting points inadequately, lacking rhetorical strategies, analysis, appropriate evidence,
and/or source material.
The essay may depend on clichés or overgeneralizations or may offer little evidence of any kind. It may offer summary
or narrative rather than analysis.
Style & Mechanics
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The essay may contain significant mechanical errors that interfere with the reader’s understanding.
Documentation & Use of Sources
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The essay displays improper/inconsistent use of MLA formatting, documentation and citations.
Source material is insufficiently or awkwardly integrated.
Source material is unrelated or does not sufficiently support the thesis.
“F” = FAILING PAPER:
The “F” essay fails to respond to the assignment.
Unity
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The essay lacks a thesis statement or the thesis statement inadequately addresses the topic.
The majority of paragraphs lack focus and/or connection to the central idea.
Ideas
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The essay neglects to use sources where necessary.
The essay may be off-topic.
Organization & Coherence
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The essay has no appreciable organization.
The essay lacks transitions and coherence.
Support
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Supporting points are poorly developed using inappropriate or no rhetorical strategies, analysis, or evidence.
The essay uses irrelevant details or lacks supporting evidence.
The essay is unduly brief.
Style & Mechanics
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The essay contains many awkward, garbled, and/or ungrammatical sentences.
The essay displays frequent and distracting misuse of words.
The essay contains major and repeated errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling that seriously impede the reader’s
understanding.
Documentation & Use of Sources
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The essay displays absent or limited use of MLA formatting, documentation and/or citations.
Integration of source material is absent or limited.
Source material is absent or limited.