Text-In-Context Rubric

Grading Rubric—Patrick Ryan

Course: ENGL 102

Assignment: Polemic Analysis . 50/50 Grade

• Analyzes the original polemic with exceptional depth and thoroughness
• Insightful, original
• Complexity of thought in developing new purpose(s), audience(s), and well-targeted rhetorical strategies
• Effective use of specific detail to support analysis
• Excellent organization
• Exceeds requirements for the assignment

• Analyzes the original polemic with depth and thoroughness
• Establishes interesting new purpose(s), audience(s), and a range of targeted rhetorical strategies
• Good examples, specific support
• Assertive thoughts/ thesis
• Effective organization
• May exceed some requirements for the assignment

• Unified idea, but maybe obvious in analysis of original polemic
• Establishes purpose and identifies some strategies to achieve it, specifies some audience appeals
• Gives some supporting details
• Shows clarity of thought, but lacking in complexity
• Some lapses in organization
• Meets requirements
  

• Weak or surface-level analysis of original polemic
  
• Unclear in describing new purpose, audience, or rhetorical strategies
  
• Rambling ideas, lacking support
  
• Overly general, vague
  
• Lack of organization
  detracts from paper
  
• Lacking requirements

• Fails to provide analysis
  
• Little/no new rhetorical strategies
  
• Lack of details and/or support
  
• Summary
  
• No apparent organization
  
• Fails to address requirements of assignment

• Sentence are varied and forceful
  
• Superior word choice
  
• Style is fresh, precise, and idiomatic
  
• Tone complements the subject, distinguishes the write, and defines the audience
  
• Rare mechanical errors

• Sentences are largely correct and varied
  
• Strong word choice
  
• Style is clear and idiomatic
  
• Tone fits the subject, persona, and audience
  
• May have a few usage, spelling, or punctuation errors

• Sentences are correct but ordinary
  
• Word choice is correct, but obvious
  
• Style is generally correct and idiomatic
  
• Tone is acceptable for the subject
  
• Some mechanical errors

• Sentences are immature or tediously patterned
  
• Word choice is vague or not idiomatic
  
• Style is vague
  
• Tone is inconsistent
  
• Consistent Mechanical errors

• Sentences are incoherent
  
• Non-standard word choice
  
• Non-standard style
  
• Tone is indiscernible
  
• incorrect and distracting mechanical errors

Additional Comments:

• Wow, you are WAY harder on yourself than I would have been. I disagree that a polemic can’t or shouldn’t be persuasive—it’s just that it doesn’t HAVE to be—as you said, it’s not restricted to the same organizational format as a persuasive essay. However, the conclusions you come to—even if I disagree—are well-reasoned and pleasantly presented here. You may want to glance at this again at the end of the semester before putting it into your portfolio, as I imagine you’ll want to tweak some language and adjust some commentary, but I’m not going to go so far as to indicate you have to. This is as close to a perfect paper as I’ve seen in the last two days. Nice job.
• A separate point, you have a lovely, clear style and well-developed voice. I have no idea where you went to HS, but somewhere the confluence b/t your native intelligence and a really good teacher or two put you in excellent stead. I hope you continue to write and more so, I hope you publish in your field. Have you read any Stephen J Gould? Or one of my former students, Anahad O’Connor (he just released a book called “Never Shower in a Thunderstorm”). Clarity and focus in student writing is incredibly difficult to find. You have it. Use it.