Dr. Ford’s Grading Criteria
A: An “A” paper has a strong thesis, whether directly stated or implied. The paper has engaging, even sophisticated ideas, showing evidence that the writer put a great deal of time into thinking over what he or she wanted to say. The writer challenged himself or herself, resulting in an essay that engages the reader’s imagination. The paper also shows evidence of careful editing, with no comma splices, no fragments, and no run-ons marring the flow of ideas. All sources are documented carefully by following the MLA style, and the paper includes a Works Cited page that shows that the writer took the time to list all of his or her sources correctly. Each paragraph builds upon the one before, and the writer selects details that that allow him or her to develop the topic fully. The writer avoids making obvious statements throughout the essay, and the paper is the required length. The writer uses good sentence variety in addition to showing good vocabulary and diction.
B: A “B” paper has most of the characteristics of an “A” paper, though the writer may fall short in one or two areas. Typically, a “B” paper has a clear thesis, though the writer still needs to develop it further. Sometimes, the writer resorts to generalizations, but on the whole, the paper makes good points and usually supports these points. Overall, it may look like the writer could have challenged himself or herself more with the topic, but it is still a well-executed paper. A small number of editing problems occur—for example, the paper may have an occasional comma splice or fragment, but these don’t affect the writer’s ability to communicate. The paragraphs appear well-developed, with each one building upon the one before it. The writer followed the MLA style carefully, and he or she documented sources correctly. The writer avoids making obvious statements throughout the essay, and the paper is the required length. The writer uses good sentence variety in addition to showing good vocabulary and diction.
C: A “C” paper has a thesis that appears a bit too general, vague, or obvious. Still, the writer does make a point, even if he or she uses details that appear a bit too general. The paper appears rushed, with editing problems occasionally disrupting the flow of ideas. At times, the ideas of the paper may be unclear, indicating that the writer could have spent more time on expressing them properly. The paragraphs may be undeveloped, but the paper is still the required length. A few errors may occur in documentation, but the writer still made an obvious attempt to follow the MLA style. At times, diction may be inappropriate, and the writer may need to vary his or her sentence structure more.
D: A “D” paper has a vague or unclear thesis, and that thesis frequently goes unsupported. The paper may be nothing more than a series of observations that are not strongly related. Editing problems frequently disrupt the flow of ideas, to such an extent that that the paper might not make sense. The writer made little attempt to follow the MLA style, and there might not even be a Works Cited page. Papers that do not meet the assignment’s designated word count will receive no higher than a “D.”
F: The writer of an “F” paper made no attempt to document his or her sources, and the paper makes little sense. Frequent errors in spelling, punctuation, and mechanics occur. The paper is too short, and the ideas appear rambling and incoherent. In addition to all this, the paper is too short.