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
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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
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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
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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.
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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)
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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
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