Grading Rubric ENG102

______An "A" paper meets assignment requirements in an outstanding way. The writer focuses on a purpose and develops ideas thoughtfully and thoroughly with that purpose in mind. The introduction skillfully addresses purpose, audience and content, and indicates the writer’s investment in the topic. The writer effectively develops and supports ideas and assertions with relevant details from well-chosen, credible sources. Sources are skillfully woven into the paper to move beyond summarizing or reporting to integrating the writer’s ideas with those of others through analysis, questioning, or evaluation. Ideas are sequenced logically, with artful transitions that enhance clarity and help the reader follow the writer’s progression of thought. The conclusion builds upon the writer’s ideasto encourage insight, reflection, or action. The writer engages the audience by maintaining personal voice while adopting an appropriate tone, level of formality, and style. The writer varies sentence structure and demonstrates appropriate use of grammar and mechanics and careful proofreading. Citations and documentation are placed and formatted correctly.

______A "B"paper meets assignment requirements successfully. The writer’s purpose and sense of audience are generally clear. Ideas and assertions are developed and supported with details from appropriate sources. The paper begins with an engaging introduction. The paper includes some analysis, synthesis, and/or evaluation to integrate the writer’s ideas with those of others. Transitions are used, but may not clearly indicate the relationships among ideas. The reader may not always clearly follow the progression of thought. The conclusion provides closure and adds meaning. For the most part, word choice is accurate and descriptive and sentence structure is varied. Minor errors of grammar and mechanics may be present but are not distracting or confusing. Citations and documentation are placed and formatted correctly as needed, with only minor errors.

______A "C" paper meets assignment requirements adequately. The reader may be forced to assume the writer’s purpose. The introduction may not effectively engage the reader or connect with the writer’s ideas. Ideas and assertions may need further development, including relevant supporting details from appropriate sources. Ideas of others may only be summarized without analysis, synthesis, or evaluation. Transitions may be used sporadically; the sequence of ideas may be disorganized or hard to follow. The conclusion may only summarize the paper.Word choice may be simplistic and not descriptive. Sentence structure may lack variety and/or effectiveness. Errors of grammar and mechanics may distract or confuse the reader. Citations and documentation may contain frequent minor errors or occasional major errors.

______A "D"paper is les than adequate. The writer’s purpose or thesis may be unclear. Ideas are undeveloped assertions, lack supporting detail, and/or imply little critical thinking. While the paper attempts to include the ideas of others, the paperfails to demonstrate a clear understanding and thoughtful analysis, synthesis, or evaluationof those ideas. Transitions may be missing or the paper may fail to show a clear progression of thought. Conclusion may be missing or inappropriate. Wording may be inaccurate or unclear and sentence structure may be incorrect or awkward. Errors of grammar and mechanics may interfere with the clarity of ideas. Citations and documentation contain major errors.

______An “F” paper lacks evidence of process, does not respond to the assignment, is unintelligible, or demonstrates evidence of plagiarism.
Qualities of College-Level WritingENG102

Rhetorical Knowledge

  • Focuses on a purpose and develops ideas thoughtfully and thoroughly with that purpose in mind.
  • Anticipates and addresses different audiences’ needs.
  • Demonstrates the writer’s knowledge or experience of the topic.
  • Begins in an engaging way appropriate to the writer's purpose and audience.
  • Effectively supports positions and assertions with relevant details, evidence and authority.
  • Sequences ideas logically and effectively for the purpose and the audience.
  • Concludes beyond summarizing to encourage insight, reflection, or action.
  • Writes with a tone that is appropriate for the purpose and audience.
  • Allows the reader to have a sense of interacting with the writer.

Critical Thinking

  • Uses writing and active reading to inquire, learn, think, and communicate.
  • Selects and evaluates appropriate primary and secondary sources.
  • Develops ideas with relevant details from well-chosen, appropriate sources.
  • Takes into consideration alternative viewpoints on the topic.
  • Moves beyond summarizing or reporting to integrating the writer’s ideas with those of others through analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
  • Effectively integrates information from a variety of primary and secondary sources by summarizing, paraphrasing or quoting, appropriate to the purpose of the writing.

Knowledge of Conventions

  • Uses topic sentences and transitions to enhance coherence and unity.
  • Varies sentence structure to reflect the complexity of the writer’s ideas.
  • Uses grammar and mechanics appropriately.
  • Demonstrates careful proofreading by correcting typos and errors.
  • Avoids clichés, colloquialisms, slang, and convoluted language and instead uses college-level vocabulary to make the writing precise and lively.
  • Citations and documentation are placed and formatted correctly in MLA style.
  • Uses appropriate number and variety of sources according to assignment guidelines.
  • Demonstrates a match between sources cited in text and those listed in works cited page.

Last updated 12 August 2007