Business Communication Evaluation
Memo
Message
Provides a stand-alone introduction that answers the audience question of "So what?"
Weight
Score
10 - Provides the reader with a clear purpose (statement of the issue), bottom-line (core-point), and
summary (preview) that is parallel to the body of the document.
7 - There are problems with one or more elements of the introduction: purpose is vague, bottom-line
fails to distill the core-point of the document, or the summary is not structurally parallel to the body of
the document.
5 - One of the elements of the introduction are omitted.
3 - Two of the elements of the introduction are omitted.
0 - Introduction is omitted.
Score
0
Feedback
Missing or vague elements of the introduction-Missing Purpose
Purpose is vague: What is the issue?
Missing Bottom-line
Bottom-line is vague: What is core-point?
Missing Summary
Summary is not parallel: What ideas are important to your c
Addresses all assignment-specific questions; answers audience question of "What's the story?"
Score
10 - All of the questions posed by the assignment are answered with a high-level of quality and
completeness.
7 - Most of the questions posed by the assignment are answered, but there are problems with
the level of detail.
5 - Half of the questions posed by the assignment are answered.
3 - Most of the questions posed by the assignment are omitted or answered in a haphazard
Feedback
Missing assignment-specific questions--
Additional Comments
Which company is in better financial position?
How does the company compare based on an evaluation of each index?
What was your rationale for selecting each company?
Which indices were the most important in your evaluation?
Incomplete analysis.
Fails to use Four Elements of a Fin
0
Encourages the audience to act providing an appropriate next action; answers audience
question of "What's next?"
Score
10 - Next action is clear and based on the mandate of the document: return response, conclusion,
recommendations, and/or findings.
7 - Next action based on the mandate of the document, however, but it may lack sufficient detail
making it harder for the audience to act.
5 - Next action is inappropriate and is not within mandate of the document; does not provide enough
detail for the audience to act.
3 - Next action is inappropriate and is not within mandate of the document; potentially could mislead
audience into taking the wrong action.
0
Feedback
Missing required next action-Return Response - How do I contact you if I have any questions regarding the issue? What
Conclusion - How should a view/judge the issue now that you have presented your argument? What decisi
Recommendation - Given the issue, what is the best course of action to follow? What could happen if the is
Findings - What did you find? What was missing? What is the potential impact of your findings? W
Provides sufficient documented support for all relevant statements. Score
10 - All information that is not common-knowledge or fact is properly cited parenthetically
and indexed to a reference page using proper APA citation format.
7 - Most information that is not common-knowledge or fact is properly cited parenthetically
and indexed to a reference page; there may be issues with citation style and formatting.
5 - Half information that is not common-knowledge or fact is cited improperly and/or omitted.
3 - Most information that is not common-knowledge or fact is cited improperly and/or
omitted.
0 - No citations are provided; document should be flagged according to Towson University's
Student Academic Integrity Policy.
Feedback
Missing or incorrect citation elements.
Missing parenthetical (in-text) citations.
Missing reference citations.
Incorrect citation style (APA v. MLA v. Chicago).
0
Organization
Structures document appropriately based on rhetorical situation: deductively or inductively.
Weight
Score
Score
10 - All topics are presented using the appropriate structure based on the rhetorical situation.
7 - Most of the topics are presented using the appropriate structure based on the rhetorical situation;
topics may lack precision.
5 - Half of the topics are presented using the appropriate structure based on the rhetorical situation;
topics may lack precision.
3 - Most of the document is inappropriately structured based on the rhetorical situation; topics may
lack precision.
0 - No obvious topics are presented; document is completely disorganized.
0
Feedback
Structural issues-Document is too inductive (core-point is buried)
Paragraphs are too inductive (topic sentences are buried)
Sections are too inductive (core-point is buried)
Paragraphs are missing clear topic sentences
Organizes document using parallel structure and provides transitions at all levels
when appropriate: section, paragraph, and sentence level.
Score
10 - All sections, paragraphs, and sentences contain explicit transitions that contribute to the
logical flow of the document; reader is able to quickly link ideas at all levels of the document.
7 - Most of the sections, paragraphs, and sentences contain explicit transitions that contribute to
the logical flow of the document; flow is hindered by forced transitions or issues with the knownnew contract.
5 - Half of the sections, paragraphs, and sentences are missing explicit transitions; flow is choppy
causing the reader to question the link between ideas at all levels of the document.
3 - Most of the sections, paragraphs, and sentences are missing explicit transition; flow is choppy
causing the reader to become frustrated and/or disengage with the document completely.
0 - No transitions are provided.
Feedback
Transitional issues-Sections are missing clear transitions.
Paragraphs are missing clear transitions
Too many sentences violate the known-new contract.
Paragraphs contain too many topics and should be chunked for c
0
Design
Uses proper formatting conventions to make the document usable.
Weight
Score
10 - All formatting conventions are applied: Margins 1.5" at 12 pt font; layout of block or modified
block (when appropriate); single line spacing; bold sans-serif font (Arial) for headings; serif font
(Times New Roman) for body copy.
7 - Most formatting conventions are applied: Margins 1.5" at 12 pt font; layout of block or modified
block (when appropriate); single line spacing; bold sans-serif font (Arial) for headings; serif font
(Times New Roman) for body copy.
5 - Half of the formatting conventions are applied: Margins 1.5" at 12 pt font; layout of block or
modified block (when appropriate); single line spacing; bold sans-serif font (Arial) for headings; serif
font (Times New Roman) for body copy.
3 - Most formatting conventions are violated: Margins 1.5" at 12 pt font; layout of block or modified
block (when appropriate); single line spacing; bold sans-serif font (Arial) for headings; serif font
(Times New Roman) for body copy.
0 - All formatting conventions are ignored.
Score
0
Feedback
Missing format conventions-Margins 1.5” (55-60 Characters per line)
Serif font for body copy (e.g. Times New Roman)
Block or Modified Block
Sans serif font for headings (e.g. Arial)
Single line spacing
Front and back matter (To, from, salutation, closing
Uses appropriate advance organizers.
Score
10 - All advance organizers are properly applied: headings are message-style and act as headlines for
each section (when appropriate); sections use appropriate heading levels; bulleted and numbered
lists are introduced using an independent clause with appropriate punctuation; bulleted and
numbered lists are grammatically parallel.
7 - Most advance organizers are properly applied; there may be specific issues including the level of
detail applied to headings, inappropriate nesting or stacking of heading levels, omission of a proper
introduction of bulleted and numbered lists, and a lack of parallel grammatical structure.
5 - Half of advance organizers are properly applied; there many issues including the level of detail
applied to headings, inappropriate nesting or stacking of heading levels, omission of a proper
introduction of bulleted and numbered lists, and a lack of parallel grammatical structure.
3 - Most advanced organizers are improperly applied.
Feedback
Advance organizer issues-Headings are too vague.
Heading-levels are incorrect.
Headings are stacked.
Missing introduction after section heading.
Bulleted and numbered lists are not introduced with an inde
Bulleted and numbered lists are not grammatically par
0
Provides usable figures and tables to succinctly show connections, patterns, and trends.
0
Score
10 - Figures and tables are easy to read, clearly labeled, introduced in the preceding paragraph, cited
properly, and analyzed directly after.
7 - Figures and tables are easy to read; however, they are not clearly labeled; there also may be issues
with citations and placement of the introduction and analysis.
5 - One of the elements of a figure and/or table are missing.
3 - Two or more of the elements of a figure and/or table are missing.
0 - Tables are omitted.
Feedback
Figures and tables issues-Figure/table is not introduced explicitly in the paragraph before.
Note is either not present or incorrectly cited.
Figure/table is either not labeled or incorrectly labeled.
Analysis of figure/table is not provided directly afte
S Style
Chooses words appropriately for the audience; writes in “plain English”
and avoid lofty diction.
Weight
Score
10 - All of the language is in "plain English" (German and French diction); words are clear
and precise.
7 - Most of the language is in "plain English" (German and French diction); however, there
may be words to go beyond the diction level of the audience or there may be words that
lack precision: jargon, idioms, clichés, buzzwords, euphemisms; language may be at times
too informal.
5 - Half of the language is in "plain English" (German and French diction); however, many
words to go beyond the diction level of the audience and there may be words that lack
precision: jargon, idioms, clichés, buzzwords, euphemisms; some language may be too
informal for the audience.
3 - Most the language is too complex for the given audience; and/or language lacks
precision and/or is too informal
Score
0
Feedback
Plain English issues-Uses jargon.
Uses inappropriate euphemisms.
Uses too many idioms/clichés/buzzwords.
Uses abbreviations and acronyms that are not define
Language is too informal.
Free from issues of lower order concerns (LOCs): spelling, grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.
Deduct 2% per LOC detected to a maximum of 10% for the paper. Allow remediation of LOCs by a
visit to the CBE Writing Proficiency Lab.
0
Feedback
LOCs Issues (Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation, and Mechanics).
Misspelled words
Unclear antecedents
Missing comma introductory phrase/clause
Missing hyphens
Missing comma in a compound sentence
Subject-verb agreement
Missing comma with a coordinating conjunction
Verb tense
Comma splice
Squinting modifiers
Missing articles and determiners
Dangling modifiers
Missing subject
Split Infinitives
Capitalization
Possessives
Preposition use
Incomplete comparisons
Singular v. plural
Homophones
Miswritten word (Their v. there)
Spell-out numerals under 10
Overuse of passive voice
Parallelism
Missing comma with an interrupter
Total
Curve
0
0