GRADING RUBRIC FOR PAPERS
For a grade of C, you must have
____ Fulfilled the assignment
___
___
___ Cited the text
____ Avoided significant errors of fact.
____ Followed a discernible pattern of organization
____ Minimized mechanical and usage errors [see Quick Fixes box, overleaf]
For a grade of B, you must also have
___ Maintained your focus on your thesis
___ Cited the text
___ Used the i.r.e. form to integrate quotations into your text
___ Chose quotations appropriately
___ Written a conclusion that develops logically from the body of the paper, though it may restate ideas from class.
___ Consistently maintained a standard written English level of diction.
___ Made few errors of usage or diction [see Quick Fixes box, below]
For a grade of A, you must also have
___ Taken a personally-grounded, intellectual grasp of the text and the issues embedded in it.
___ Reflected on the meaning of the work.
___ Concluded with ideas that go beyond those advanced in class.
___ Written in a personal voice
Quick Fixes
___get: means too many different things; choose another, more precise word.
___one...their agreement. Pronouns must agree with their referents in number.
___very: used so often it fails to intensify as it once did. You can usually eliminate it.
___person...who. People take “who,” objects take “that,” animals you call by name (pets) take “who,” other animals take “that.”
___hopefully is properly used only as but an adverb.
___ “in depth”. Cliché and used incorrectly. “Deep” does the job.
___homonyms: their/there/they’re; too/to/two; its/it’s. Learn them!
___passive voice. No responsible agent in the sentence.
___Spelling:
___Apostrophes:
___ Other