ESSAY #2:
EXPOSITORY ESSAY: GENDER ROLES
GRADING PROFILE
NAME: __________________________________ GRADE: ___________/___________
WRITING ASSIGNMENT/CONTEXT AND ESSAY REQUIREMENTS
Write a 750 word (or up to three full double spaced pages) thesis-controlled expository essay exploring a focused
topic of interest to you on gender roles. By an expository purpose, we mean an essay that informs and explains.
Once again, the audience is our English 1301 class (a supportive community of writers). However, you might want
to narrow your audience to either the men or the women in the class. Your tone (and persona) might be, for
example, one of concern, humor, or anger. Carefully examine your attitude towards your subject matter as well as
your audience.
Strategies that help you accomplish your purposes of informing and explaining are exemplification, definition,
comparison/contrast, and classification. Also use narration and description (from Essay #1) where appropriate. You
might use only one of these strategies as a primary strategy to structure your organization and be reflected in your
thesis. However, you might choose to write a multi-strategy essay, one that incorporates several developmental
strategies. In the body of your essay, use topic sentence paragraphs with a topic sentence and controlling idea,
development, unity, and coherence. Be sure to “frame” your essay with related introductory and concluding
paragraphs.
Your thesis for an expository essay will be different from the thesis you wrote for your memoir. Possibly, your thesis for
Essay #2 might suggest a single strategy such as example, comparison/contrast, definition, classification. Whether or not
you use a single strategy or multi-strategy approach, your thesis will reveal the main point of your essay. As you develop
your expository thesis, turn to primary sources: your own personal life experiences and observations/eye witness
accounts. In addition, you might also incorporate results from personal experiments, surveys you have constructed and
given, and interviews that you design and conduct. You can also examine works of art, advertisements, news reports, TV
shows, movies, letters, objects, photographs, case histories, and works of literature. Do not consult any secondary
sources such as books, magazines, journals, and/or web sites.
Our mottos for essay #2 on gender are “Don’t tell the reader what the reader already knows” and “Raise Awareness!”
Give your reader significant, valuable, and meaningful content with your own fresh, thoughtful insights.
ESSAY EVALUATION CRITERIA
____1. Content (27% of grade)
____2. Organization (23% of grade)
____3. Sentences (20% of grade)
____4. Diction and Tone (17% of grade)
____5. Punctuation/Capitalization/Manuscript Mechanics (13% of grade)
____ TOTAL POINTS (numeric grade)
____ - 10 points (This essay was submitted late.)
____ - 3 each for missing list of possible topics, creating activities, planning page, self/peer critique page
____ FINAL NUMERIC GRADE
____ LETTER GRADE
OTHER
____ This essay contains numerous grammatical errors that seriously impede clear communication. The
grade on Essay #2 is “R” for “Revise.” You can revise the second essay until it receives a grade of 75.
____ This essay needs to be revised because it does not fulfill the assignment. See tutor or me for help.
____ This essay contains plagiarized material and receives a grade of 0/F with no opportunity to revise.
____ No marked rough draft. (NOTE: I will not accept a final draft without a marked rough draft.)
English 1301 Grading Profile for an Expository Essay, Version 7, Jeff Lindemann
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1. CONTENT: 27% of Grade
____ A: Excellent/Exceptional/Exceeds Expectations 27 26 25 24
Superior understanding of expository essay writing assignment. Strong sense of purpose and audience. Insightful thesis supported
with at least 750 words of substantial, thorough, significant, and meaningful content. Intelligently handled focused topic and
depth of development. Expository essay is distinctive because of originality and perceptiveness. Excellent use of primary source
materials. Because of powerful content, this essay raises audience awareness. Strong reader interest.
____B: Good/Solid Quality/Meets Expectations 23 22
Good understanding of expository essay writing assignment. Good thesis supported with at least 750 words of thoughtful,
worthwhile content. Good specific focus. Good use of primary source materials. The essay raises reader awareness. Substantial
reader interest. Although the content of this essay is good, it does not contain the depth, originality, and perceptiveness of the “A”
essay content.
____C: Adequate/Average/Acceptable 21 20 19
Adequate understanding of writing assignment. Adequate thesis supported with 750 or fewer words of related content. The essay
may lack specific focus. Content of this expository essay might be somewhat sketchy, overly general, occasionally repetitive, or
irrelevant. This expository essay needs more explanation of thesis and main points. Adequate use of primary source materials.
Because the content is too general, the essay does not raise much reader awareness. Some reader interest.
____ D: Poor/Inadequate/Needs More Work 18 17
Poor understanding of writing assignment. Weak thesis supported with 750 words or fewer words of inadequate information and
explanation. Content of this expository essay is overly general, very sketchy, repetitive, or irrelevant. Inadequate use of primary
source materials. This expository essay only minimally raises audience awareness. Minimal reader interest.
____ F: Unacceptable 16 15 14 13 12 11
Lack of understanding writing assignment. Unclear, indiscernible thesis supported with fewer than 750 words of inadequate
content. Lacking in originality and insight. Lack of specific focus. This expository essay is underdeveloped, irrelevant, or
unsuitable for assignment. Faulty use of primary source materials. Because of the overly general content, no subject awareness
raised in audience. Little or no reader interest.
2. ORGANIZATION: 23% of Grade
____ A: Excellent/Exceptional/Exceeds Expectations
23 22 21
Excellent organizational plan related to thesis. Excellent use of developmental strategies (any combination of narration,
description, examples, definition, classification, and/or comparison/contrast). Excellent use of topic sentence paragraphs with
topic sentence, development, unity, and coherence. Excellent “framing” with related introductory and concluding paragraphs.
Organization might also include excellent use of transition paragraphs, dialog paragraphs, rhetorical questions, and one sentence
paragraphs for interest. Excellent title.
____ B: Good/Solid Quality/Meets Expectations
20 19 18
Good organizational plan related to thesis. Usually smooth narrative flow. Good use of developmental strategies (any
combination of narration, description, examples, definition, classification, and/or comparison/contrast). Good use of topic
sentence paragraphs with topic sentence, development, unity, and coherence. Essay is well “framed” with related introductory
and concluding paragraphs. Organization might also include good use of transition paragraphs, dialog paragraphs, rhetorical
questions, and one sentence paragraphs for interest. Good title.
____ C: Adequate/Average/Acceptable 17 16
Adequate, routine or predictable organizational plan related to thesis. Adequate use of developmental strategies (any combination
of narration, description, examples, definition, classification, and/or comparison/contrast). Some use of topic sentence paragraphs
(with topic sentence, development, unity and coherence). Essay adequately or minimally “framed” with related introductory and
concluding paragraphs. Organization might also include adequate use of transition paragraphs, dialog paragraphs, rhetorical
questions, and one sentence paragraphs for interest. Occasionally disorganized and/or rambling off topic. Routine title.
____ D: Poor/Inadequate/Needs More Work 15 14
Weak connection between thesis and organization. Disconnected information and explanations. Topic sentence paragraphs may
contain weak topic sentence, skimpy development, and/or lack of unity and coherence. Essay poorly “framed” with introduction
and conclusion or missing framing altogether. Frequently disorganized and/or rambling. Minimally clear plan. Vague or overly
general title.
English 1301 Grading Profile for an Expository Essay, Version 7, Jeff Lindemann
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____ F: Unacceptable 13 12 11 10 9 8 7
Little or no connection between thesis and organization. Lack of organizational plan. Essay not framed with related introduction
and conclusion. Lack of at least one topic sentence paragraph with topic sentence, development, unity, and coherence. Topic
sentence paragraphs, if used, are weak in or lacking topic sentence, development, and/or unity and coherence. Weak, confusing,
or ineffective title.
3. SENTENCES: 20% of Grade
____ A: Excellent/Exceptional/Exceeds Expectations
20 19 18
Sentences are artistically constructed. Excellent sentence variety achieved adding a richness and sophistication to the memoir. No
major sentence errors of fragment, comma splice, run-on, and/or awkward sentence. Correct and effective modification and
parallelism. No awkward of confusing sentences. Effective use of intentional fragment (if used) for stylistic effect. Forceful
sentence style: graceful yet energetic. Polished, finished prose.
____ B: Good/Solid Quality/Meets Expectations
17 16
Sentences are skillfully constructed. Some sentence variety achieved. No major sentence errors of fragment, comma splice, runon, and/or awkward sentence. Correct modification and parallelism. No awkward/confusing sentences.
____ C: Adequate/Average/Acceptable 15 14
Sentences are clearly constructed but lacking in distinction. Minimal sentence variety. Short, choppy sentences. Sentence clarity
may be affected due to a major sentence error of fragment, comma splice, run on, and/or awkward sentence. A sentence error
may exist due a modification or parallelism problem. Some sentence combining needed.
____ D: Poor/Inadequate/Needs More Work 13 12
Sentence construction is marred occasionally enough to annoy or frustrate the reader. Minimal sentence variety. Sentence clarity
affected due to two or three major sentence errors of fragment, comma splice, run-on, and/or awkward sentence. Sentence clarity
marred due to a few modification or parallelism problems.
____ F: Unacceptable 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Sentence construction is marred frequently enough to annoy or frustrate the reader. Little or no sentence variety. Sentence clarity
is affected due to four or more major sentence errors of fragment, comma splice, run-on, and/or awkward sentence. Sentence
clarity marred due to several modification or parallelism problems. Non-standard written English appears in the essay. Five major
sentence errors will result in a grade of R (rewrite on out-of-class essays).
4. DICTION (word choice and usage) and TONE: 17% of Grade
____ A: Excellent/Exceptional/Exceeds Expectations
17 16 15
Excellent use of diction and tone. Diction for the expository essay is distinctive and exhibits word form mastery. No clichés.
Artistic use of figurative language: metaphor, simile, personification, allusion, symbol, hyperbole, understatement. Vivid
imagery. Strong verbs. No errors in idiomatic language. Concrete and specific language. No errors in subject-verb agreement,
pronoun-antecedent agreement, pronoun case, or pronoun reference. Tone is appropriate and complements the subject. Any
switch in tone is done carefully. Mature vocabulary. No misspelled words.
____ B: Good/Solid Quality/Meets Expectations
14
Good use of diction and tone. Diction for the expository essay is clear and accurate but might exhibit occasional errors in word
form, word choice, or idiomatic language. Skillful use of figurative language: metaphor, simile, personification, allusion, symbol,
hyperbole, and understatement. Vivid imagery. Strong verbs but occasional passive voice. Mostly concrete and specific language.
Occasional (one or two) errors in subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement, pronoun case, or pronoun reference.
One or no clichés. Tone is appropriate and complements the subject. Any switch in tone is done purposefully and carefully. Good
vocabulary. No or one misspelled word.
____ C: Adequate/Average/Acceptable 13 12
Diction is adequate and generally accurate, competent, appropriate, and idiomatic. At times diction is wordy, vague or imprecise.
Minimal attempt at using figurative language. Style and originality undistinguished. In a few instances, language is not concrete
and specific. Several word form errors. Several errors in subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement, pronoun case,
and/or pronoun reference. Several instances of weak verbs and passive voice. Several (two to three) clichés. Inconsistent or
inappropriate tone for subject matter. Adequate vocabulary. Several misspelled words.
English 1301 Grading Profile for an Expository Essay, Version 7, Jeff Lindemann
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____ D: Poor/Inadequate/Needs More Work 11 10
Diction is poor due to frequent errors in word form, unidiomatic language, and word choice. Substandard language occasionally
disrupts flow of communication. Little or no attempt to use figurative language. Weak imagery. Numerous instances of weak
verbs and passive voice. Many errors in subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement, pronoun case, and/or pronoun
reference. Diction frequently lacking in concrete and specific language. Frequent use of cliché. Inappropriate and/or inconsistent
tone. Limited vocabulary. Missing words. Many misspelled words.
____ F: Unacceptable 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Diction is unacceptable due to numerous errors in word form, unidiomatic language, and word choice. Substandard language
obscures understanding of content and stops a reader’s smooth flow of clear communication. No attempt to use figurative
language. Weak or very little imagery. Numerous instances of weak verbs and passive voice. Numerous word form errors.
Numerous errors in subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement, pronoun case, or pronoun reference. Numerous
clichés. Inappropriate and/or inconsistent tone. Limited vocabulary. Missing words Numerous misspelled words.
5. PUNCTUATION, CAPITALIZATION, AND MANUSCRIPT MECHANICS: 13% of Grade
____ A: Excellent/Exceptional/Exceeds Expectations
13 12
Clarity and effectiveness of expression are promoted by effective and consistent use of standard punctuation and capitalization.
Attractive and correct manuscript. Correct course information and headers.
____ B: Good/Solid Quality/Meets Expectations
11 10
Flow of clear communication occasionally diverted but not confused by errors in standard punctuation and/or capitalization.
Standard manuscript form. Correct course information and headers.
____ C: Adequate/Average/Acceptable 9
Adequate clarity and effectiveness of expression, but weakened by any combination of some errors in punctuation and/or
capitalization. Some unnecessary punctuation. Adequate manuscript form. Correct course information and headers.
____ D: Poor/Needs More Work 8 7
Clear communication is hindered by several errors in punctuation and/or capitalization. Unattractive manuscript form with many
errors. Missing or incorrect course information and/or missing or incorrect use of headers.
____ F: Unacceptable 6 5 4 3 2 1
Clear communication is hindered by numerous errors in punctuation and/or capitalization. Unattractive and incorrect manuscript
form. Missing or incorrect course information and/or missing or incorrect use of headers.
INSTRUCTOR COMMENTS:
(This 2009 version #10 of my English 1301 Grading Profile for an Expository Essay is loosely based on the HCCS English
Department Grading Profile from 1988. The committee members who created the original profile are Dr. Martha Weathers,
SuzAnne Cole, Dr. Robert Ford, and Jeff Lindemann.)
English 1301 Grading Profile for an Expository Essay, Version 7, Jeff Lindemann
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