Essay Rubric for Romeo and Julielt

Rubric for Essay

To receive an “A”, you must do the following: The essay: ·      is 1.5 spaced ·      has, as a minimum, a 500 word count (approximately two pages) ·      has  paragraphs that are no more than half a page in length ·      is factually accurate ·      has a thesis statement, which gives a framework and a guide to the essay ·      has quotations from the text to support the writer’s position ·      has 5% or fewer grammatical errors such as: sentence fragments, fused sentences, and/or comma splices, and correct use of commas, semi-colons, and capitalization The heading: ·      Has a title ·      The student’s name, date, and period are on the upper left side of the first page The introductory paragraph has: ·      A thesis statement (what the essay is about and the position of the writer) ·      The title of the play and the full name of the author ·      A “grabber” that catches the interest of the reader ·      One sentence per main idea that will be discussed later on in the essay ·      A transitional sentence that provides a bridge to the next paragraph

The body paragraphs (paragraphs 2, 3, 4, etc.): ·      Should be no more than half a page in length ·      Should have a mini-topic sentence which helps the reader understand what the paragraph is about ·      Must refer to the text to support the points the writer is making ·      For every point the writer is making, the writer must provide proof from the text to support her point ·      Must have a short quotation and/or a paraphrase of the text to support the point the writer is making ·      Should have a transitional sentence that acts as a bridge to the next paragraph

The Conclusion: ·      There should be no new material in the last paragraph ·      There should be a brief summing up of the main points – one sentence per main idea ·      A final point that sums up the writer’s conclusion

A “B” paper does the following: Does much of the same things the “A” paper has, but may lack the following: ·      does not follow the 1.5 spacing ·      may not have the 500 word minimum but has, at least, 450 words ·      may not have one sentence per main idea in the introductory paragraph ·      may not have a grabber sentence in the introductory paragraph ·      the paragraphs may be too long (a full page) or too short. ·      may have 10% grammatical errors such as: sentence fragments, fused sentences, comma splices, and incorrect use of commas and capitalizations which may interfere with the reader’s understanding of the paper ·      does not support all the points by references to the text: direct quotations and/or paraphrasing lines from the literary piece. ·      May not have all the main ideas from the essay in the concluding paragraph and/or may have a weak final thought.

A “C” paper does the following: ·      May have less than 400 words ·      May not have a strong and clear thesis statement ·      May have more than 10% grammatical errors such as: sentence fragments, fused sentences, comma splices, and incorrect use of commas and capitalizations, which may interfere with the reader’s understanding of the paper. ·      May use pronouns such as “I” or “you” and includes sentences such as “My paper is going to be about” or “I am going to tell you….” ·      May have many typos, misspellings, and factually incorrect information which would suggest a poorly planned out and hastily written paper ·      May lack quotations and/or paraphrases to support the writer’s point ·      Poor organization which does not follow the format (see the organization for the “A” paper)

A “D” or “F” paper does the following: ·      May have less 300 words ·      No clear strong and clear thesis statement ·      No grabber sentence to attract the reader’s interest ·      Does not have one sentence per main idea in the introductory paragraph ·      May use pronouns such as “I” or “you” and include sentences such as “My paper is going to be about” or “I am going to tell you….” ·      More than 20% grammatical errors, which interferes with the reader’s understanding of the paper. ·      Has many typos, misspellings, and factually incorrect information, which would suggest not a great deal of time was spent on the paper. ·      Lack of clear organization ·      Little to no references to the text, nor quotations, nor paraphrases from the text ·      No conclusion or a conclusion that does not include the main ideas of the paper