Writing Criteria OE011 (spring semester), OE020, OE021, OE025, 26, 27, & 28, UE030, & UE031
Excellent (A).
An “A-paper” is of consistently excellent quality: elegant and lucid, focused and organized, nuanced and complex. In an A-paper, the writer executes the following components of a paper with control and mastery:
1. In A-essays, students pose a problem or question and offer an answer in the form of a thesis;
2. they speak directly to their audience, writing to engage, communicate with, and persuade;
3. they make hard choices, consciously selecting—and excluding—“material” in order to focus and develop their topic;
4. they offer explication of ambiguities and identify and respond to counterarguments;
5. they offer evidence for every claim and introduce both ideas and evidence clearly, providing context if necessary;
6. finally, they begin and end with clarity and purpose and they connect their ideas from start to finish.
7. These essays have virtually no problems with diction, grammar, syntax or formatting and cite every source appropriately.
Good (B).
In a “B-paper,” the writing is of consistently good quality, the topic is focused and significant, and the ideas are organized and supported. While the form of the paper may not be original, the writer displays good control of the form she or he employs.
1. In B-essays, students generally articulate concrete sub-topics and claims (rather than rely on generalizations);
2. they speak to their audience, writing with some exception to engage, communicate with, and persuade;
3. they select “material” or evidence in a manner to support many of their claims adequately;
4. they offer some explication of ambiguities and, at least in part, recognize and respond to counterarguments;
5. they offer sufficient evidence for each claim and generally place claims in context;
6. and they link ideas from paragraph to paragraph.
These essays occasionally have problems with syntax, format, or citation, or begin and end without clarity and purpose.
Average (C).
In a “C-paper,” the writing is generally of average to below average quality, the topic is appropriate but general and unfocused, and the ideas are often insufficiently organized or supported.
1 In C-essays, students inconsistently articulate concrete sub-topics and claims;
2. they speak in an unpersuasive manner;
3. they may select material that is inappropriate to or that unclearly supports claims;
4. they offer little if any explication of ambiguities and/or response to counterarguments;
5. they do not provide sufficient evidence for each claim nor do they provide sufficient context;
6. and transitions from paragraph to paragraph do not clearly link ideas.
These essays have repeated problems with syntax, format, and citation and often and begin and end without clarity and purpose.
Poor (D).
In a “D-paper,” the writing is of poor quality throughout, the topic is unfocused and inappropriate to the assignment, and the ideas are unorganized and unsupported. Frequent errors occur in syntax, format, and citations and impede understanding of any purpose or intent.
D-papers may also arise when and if the student has failed to follow the parameters of the assignment.
Writing Criteria OE009, OE010, & OE011 (fall semester)
Excellent (A).
An “A-paper” is of excellent quality and displays a clear sense of focus and organization. In an A-paper, the writer executes the following components of a paper with control and mastery:
1. In A-essays, students pose a problem or question and offer an answer in the form of a thesis that moves beyond that of the “five paragraph essay” format;
2. they create a thesis and overall subject of the paper that displays some sense of intellectual individuality and/or originality;
3. they speak to their audience, writing to engage, communicate with, and persuade;
4. they display a clear sense of structure, in terms of individual paragraphs and the paper as a whole;
5. they create paragraphs that cohere around a clear point and offer a sense of connectivity to preceding ideas;
6. they create a paper structure that displays an understanding of specific rhetorical strategies and is appropriate to its purpose;
7. they make concrete claims that directly relate to the thesis;
8. they offer concrete evidence to support these claims and they articulate this evidence clearly, providing context if necessary;
9. finally, they begin and end with clarity and purpose and they connect their ideas from start to finish.
These essays show mastery of vocabulary, MLA formatting, and have no serious defects in grammar usage.
Good (B).
In a “B-paper,” the writing is of generally good quality and the ideas are organized and supported. While the topic of the paper may not be particularly original, the writer displays good control of the form she or he employs.
1. In B-essays, students articulate their subject in a thesis that may rely too much on the “five paragraph essay” format;
2. they have a thesis and overall subject for their paper that is not wholly original but is articulated relatively well;
3. they speak to their audience, although there are moments where the writing is generic and/or general;
4. they display a sense of basic structure, in terms of individual paragraphs and the paper as a whole;
5. they make claims that directly relate to the thesis;
6. they offer concrete evidence, with some exception, to support these claims, providing context if necessary;
7. there is a clear attempt to connect their ideas from start to finish;
These essays occasionally have problems with diction, grammar, syntax or formatting and sometimes do not cite sources appropriately.
Average (C).
In a “C-paper,” the writing is generally of average to below average quality, the topic is appropriate but general, lacking in clear focus, and the ideas are often insufficiently organized or supported.
1. In C-essays, students articulate their subject in a thesis that is sometimes vague, relies too heavily on the “five paragraph essay” format, or is obvious;
2. they write generically or at times slip into moments of informality;
3. they display a very basic structure, in terms of individual paragraphs and the paper as a whole, although there are moments where the structure is unfocused or non-apparent;
4. they very often make generic claims that are not firmly tied to the thesis;
5. they offer vague evidence to support these claims, providing little context;
6. there is a lack of strong cohesion, although some sense of cohesion is apparent;
These essays have problems with diction, grammar, syntax or formatting, but not so much that it actually obscures the paper’s meaning; sources may be cited incorrectly, but there is an attempt at citation.
Poor (D).
In a “D-paper,” the writing is of poor quality throughout, the topic is unfocused and inappropriate to the assignment, and the ideas are unorganized and unsupported. Frequent errors occur in syntax, format, and citations and impede understanding of any purpose or intent.
D-papers may also arise when and if the student has failed to follow the parameters of the assignment.
Writing Criteria JE001 & JE002
Excellent (A).
An “A-paper” follows a clear 5 paragraph essay format. In an A-paper, the writer executes the following components of a paper with control and mastery:
1. In A-essays, students have a clear thesis statement and, by the 8th grade, this thesis statement answers “so what?”
2. they include a separate introduction and conclusion; by the 8th grade, the conclusion moves beyond the introduction to connect the essay to larger ideas,
3. they provide a clear topic sentence for each paragraph,
4. each paragraph is cohesive, and all of the paragraphs relate to the overall topic of the essay; by the 8thgrade, students begin to identify and address counter-arguments
5. they provide transitions between paragraphs,
5. they cite evidence from the text to support their claims; by the 8th grade, evidence should be incorporated seamlessly
6. they explain how their evidence supports their argument,
7. they demonstrate an understanding of audience,
These essays have virtually no problems with diction, grammar, syntax or formatting.
Good (B).
In a “B-paper,” the writing is of consistently good quality, the topic is focused, and the ideas are generally organized and supported.
1. In B-essays, students have an identifiable thesis statement and, by the 8th grade, this thesis statement moves toward answering “so what?”
2. they include a separate introduction and conclusion; by the 8th grade, the conclusion moves beyond the introduction to connect the essay to larger ideas,
3. they generally provide a clear topic sentence for each paragraph,
4. each paragraph is cohesive, with occasional lapses, and all of the paragraphs relate to the overall topic of the essay; by the 8th grade, students begin to identify and address counter-arguments
5. they provide transitions between paragraphs,
5. they generally cite evidence from the text to support their claims; by the 8th grade, evidence should be incorporated seamlessly
6. they generally explain how their evidence supports their argument,
7. they demonstrate some understanding of audience,
These essays have occasionally have problems with diction, grammar, syntax or formatting.
Average (C).
In a “C-paper,” the writing is generally of average to below average quality, the topic is appropriate but general and unfocused, and the ideas are often insufficiently organized or supported.
1 In C-essays, there may be no thesis statement, and paragraphs may lack topic sentences,
2. they speak in an unpersuasive manner;
3. they may select material that is inappropriate to or that unclearly supports claims;
4. they offer little if any explanation of how evidence supports their claims;
5. they do not provide sufficient evidence for each claim nor do they provide sufficient context;
6. and transitions from paragraph to paragraph do not clearly link ideas.
These essays have repeated problems with diction, grammar, syntax or formatting, and often and begin and end without clarity and purpose.
Poor (D).
In a “D-paper,” the writing is of poor quality throughout, the topic is unfocused and inappropriate to the assignment, and the ideas are unorganized and unsupported. Frequent errors occur in syntax and format, making it difficult to judge the writer’s intent.
D-papers may also arise when and if the student has failed to follow the parameters of the assignment.