GRADE:
Grading Standards for Out-of-Class Essays
English-Writing 101
“A” = EXCELLENT ESSAY
[Unity] The thesis is precise, clearly addresses the assignment, and controls the direction and development of
the entire essay. Topic sentences establish a clear connection to the thesis, and the details in each paragraph
clearly support the topic sentence.
[Support/Development] Body paragraphs are fully developed with relevant, specific, meaningful examples and
include thoughtful analysis that logically connects the examples to main ideas.
[Organization/Coherence] The essay is logically organized with clear, smooth connections between paragraphs
and sentences and demonstrates an understanding of a variety of coherence techniques.
[Sentence Skills] Sentence variety and structure advance the reader’s grasp of the essay’s argument and
demonstrate that the writer can choose words aptly, use sophisticated sentences effectively, and observe the
conventions of written English. There are few if any grammatical errors.
“B” = GOOD ESSAY
[Unity] The thesis is clear, addresses the assignment, and controls the direction of the essay, but there might be
minor lapses in focus. Topic sentences support the thesis, but might not show as strong a connection as in the
“A” essay. Some paragraphs may briefly drift from the topic but most will remain focused.
[Support/Development] Body paragraphs are well developed with appropriate, specific examples that may not
be as rich as those of an "A" essay and include analysis that connects the examples to main ideas.
[Organization/Coherence] The essay is logically organized with clear connections between paragraphs and
sentences, but might lack the variety of coherence techniques demonstrated in the “A” essay.
[Sentence Skills] Sentence structure and variety demonstrate that the writer can choose words thoughtfully,
vary sentences effectively, and observe the conventions of written English. There may be a few errors in
grammar or mechanics, but they do not interfere with the reader’s understanding of the essay’s argument.
“C” = SATISFACTORY ESSAY
[Unity] The thesis is evident but it might not be clearly defined or sufficiently narrowed. The essay addresses the
assignment in a more general or simplistic way than the “B” essay. Some topic sentences might be weak and/or
some details may not clearly support the topic sentences.
[Support/Development] Body paragraphs are adequately developed with relevant examples and include
attempts to connect examples to main ideas.
[Organization/Coherence] The essay is organized although it may be confusing in places. Transitions between
paragraphs and sentences might be weak or formulaic.
[Sentence Skills] Sentence variety and structure show that the writer can choose words correctly, control
sentences of reasonable variety, and observe the conventions of written English. There are more errors in
grammar or mechanics than in a “B” essay, but these are minor and they do not significantly interfere with the
reader’s understanding.
“D” = UNSATISFACTORY ESSAY
[Unity] The thesis might not be evident or the central idea might be overly general or reveal a misunderstanding
of the assignment. Topic sentences might be off topic or nonexistent and paragraphs may lack focus.
[Support/Development] Body paragraphs are often inadequately developed with more general than specific
examples that may wander off point and may lack analysis with only limited connection to main ideas.
[Organization/Coherence] The essay is poorly organized and transition techniques are weak or missing.
[Sentence Skills] Sentence variety and structure impede the reader’s understanding of the essay’s argument.
The prose is characterized by at least one of the following: frequent imprecise word choice, little sentence
variety, major errors in grammar and usage, or frequent minor errors.
“F” = FAILING ESSAY
[Unity] The central idea or thesis is missing or might not address the assignment. Topic sentences are not
evident and paragraphs might include irrelevant details.
[Support/Development] Most body paragraphs lack development with few relevant and/or specific examples
and little, if any, analysis. The connection between examples and main ideas is not clear.
[Organization/Coherence] The essay lacks organization and transitions are missing.
[Sentence Skills] Sentence variety and structure block the reader’s comprehension. The prose demonstrates
simplistic or inaccurate word choice, monotonous or fragmented sentence structure, or many repeated errors in
grammar and usage.