General Criteria for Grading Writing Assignments
The following is a brief description of the criteria I keep
in mind while grading your essays. Of course, I cannot include everything
that may come to bear on a grade, but this will give you a fairly good
idea of standard expectations.
An "A" essay has a clear purpose and keeps that purpose firmly in mind. Its main points are always relevant and clearly explained. It is rich in detail that illuminates the essay's thesis in general and that paragraph's main point in particular. It is carefully organized, smooth-flowing, and articulate. The sentences are mature and artfully varied. An "A" essay shows unusual insight and conveys that insight completely and with some flair. It is often innovative in some way.
A "B" essay also has a clear purpose, well-supported with appropriate detail. It has no major faults in organization, unity of purpose, or coherence, although one part may be weaker than the essay as a whole. It's logic is generally sound. It may have some sentence-level errors, but they will not be frequent, confusing or distracting. The sentence structure will be somewhat varied. A "B" essay lacks the sparkle, the insight, the sophistication of an "A".
A "C" essay meets the basic requirement of having a recognizable focus/purpose, but that focus may be somewhat vague or too broad; or the essay might lose sight of its purpose on occasion. It has adequate development, but the supporting evidence may be somewhat confusing or not clearly relevant. The organization may be less than logical and/or repetitive. Paragraphs may lack clear main points or may not stick to the point. The prose may be pedestrian, occasionally confusing, or lack transitions. The writing may contain distracting grammatical errors. The essay shows little insight and may be unconvincing.
A "D" Essay shows the rudiments of basic writing skills, but has a number of flaws or inadequacies that prevent meaningful communication of ideas. For example, it may lack a recognizable focus or coherent organization. It may speak in generalities and/or use inappropriate examples or none at all. The paragraphs may lack discernible main points. The essay may contain contradictory statements or express faulty logic. The writing may contain frequent mechanical or sentence level errors.
An excess of "D" essay characteristics transforms an essay into an "F".