English 222 Essay Evaluation Rubric
Fall 2015
Essay value: 10 pts. or 10% of course score
Focus, Organization, and Coherence
_______ (1 pts) Your essay is focused and organized, with a clear beginning, middle, and end, and with well-developed paragraphs and meaningful transitions.
Development
_______ (1 pt.) Your thesis is clear, debatable, and insightful, and remains consistent throughout the essay.
_______ (2 pts) Your thesis and claims are supported with plenty of clear, SPECIFIC analysis, examples, reasons, sources, or other evidence. This includes quotations, summaries, and/or paraphrases of specific poems or passages of poems. Research facts and information are analyzed and tied to the thesis--not merely regurgitated.
_______ (1 pt) Your essay makes clear why or how your analysis MATTERS to our understanding and appreciation of the topic.
_______ (1 pt) Your essay acknowledges and refutes opposing views and counter evidence.
Style, Mechanics, and Conventions
- For comprehensive help with the writing process, using sources, and mechanical conventions, see OWL AT PURDUE.
- See also our Power Point titled, "Fundamentals of Writing Review."
_______ (1 pt.) Your essay follows manuscript and documentation guidelines set out by MLA.
_______ (1 pt.) Your essay is a minimum of 3 full, double-spaced pages.
_______ (1 pt. ) Your work is edited for clarity, concision, precision, and elegance. Problems to especially watch out for:
- wordiness
- multiple sentences strung together with many repeated words and phrases (combine and condense);
- awkward or excessive reliance on function words such as prepositions, articles, determiners, etc. (trim and condense).
- flabby style
- weak verbs (use strong, vivid, surprising verbs);
- excessive use of participles (-ing);
- passive constructions (use active voice).
- vagueness
- meaning is fuzzy, ambiguous, imprecise, or garbled (re-write until your meaning is crisp and clear).
- too few references to SPECIFIC passages or details. Remember to back up your assertions with evidence from the poem itself. Quote, paraphrase, or summarize specific passages.
_______ (1 pt.) Your work is proofread for standard punctuation, spelling, and grammar errors. Problems to especially watch out for:
- typos or erroneous word selections caused by spell-check systems;
- comma splices (two independent clauses separated by a comma);
- fused sentences (two independent clauses run together with no punctuation between them);
- awkward, unmotivated disagreements in number or tense.
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