ENGR 160
CONDENSED WRITING GUIDE FOR STUDENT PAPERS
Parameter
Cover Sheet, Table
of Contents and
Title on 1st page
Description
Yes or No
A
All three present
and formatted
properly
Pagination
No page number
on the Cover
Sheet, Table of
Contents
numbered with
lower case Roman
numerals
beginning with “i”,
and the rest of the
paper is
numbered with
Arabic numerals,
also beginning
with “1”
Proper English is
used throughout
the paper. Poor
grammar,
colloquialisms or
other improper
English usage is
not allowed.
3 sections set up
correctly and all
page numbers
correctly
formatted and
inserted
Proper English
usage
Background
information
The Reader has to
be given all the
background
information that
the student was
given and that
information needs
to be properly
footnoted
Proper English is
generally used
throughout the
paper. Poor
grammar,
colloquialisms or
other improper
English usage are
generally not
present.
The Reader has
been given all the
background
information that
the student was
given and that
information was
properly
footnoted
B
Cover Sheet and
Table of Contents
present and
formatted
properly
Incorrect
sectioning, but
page numbers
inserted correctly
C
Two of the three
missing, the third
formatted properly
D
Two of three
missing and third
formatted
improperly
F
None of the three
present
Page numbers
correct, but typed
in rather than
being properly
inserted, Section
breaks inserted
correctly or
incorrectly
Page numbers
missing, sectioning
incorrect
Page numbers
missing, sectioning
missing
Proper English is
generally used
throughout the
paper. Poor
grammar,
colloquialisms or
other improper
English usage are
occasionally
found
The Reader has
been given most
of the
background
information that
the student was
given, but it was
not footnoted
Proper English is
not generally used
throughout the
paper. Poor
grammar,
colloquialisms or
other improper
English usage are
present
Proper English is
not generally used
throughout the
paper. Poor
grammar,
colloquialisms or
other improper
English usage are
rampant
Improper English is
rampant
throughout the
paper. Poor
grammar,
colloquialisms or
other improper
English usage is the
norm
The Reader has
been given some
of the background
information that
the student was
given, but not
enough of it
and/or it was not
footnoted
The Reader has
been given very
little of the
background
information that
the student was
given, and it was
not footnoted
Essentially no
background
information was
provided or
footnoted.
Verb tenses
Correct verb
tenses used
throughout the
paper
Correct verb
tenses used
throughout the
paper
Introduction is
correct, but
future conditional
verb tense not
used where
needed
Introduction is not
correct, and future
conditional verb
tense not used
where needed
People Words
Professional
documents must
be written in an
unemotional,
sterile tone; all
use of “people”
words must be
eliminated.
Complete first
references, proper
use of second and
subsequent
references in
footnotes,
no in-line citations
in paper or
footnotes, proper
bibliography
No “people”
words appear in
the paper
A minimal
number of
“people” words
appear in the
paper
Several instances
of “people” words
appear, usually
through copy and
paste errors
Proper
bibliography,
complete first
references and
proper use of
second and
subsequent
references in
footnotes, no inline citations in
paper or
footnotes
Missing or
improper
bibliography, but
proper use of all
references in
footnotes, in-line
references used
in paper or
footnotes
Missing or
improper
bibliography and
improper use of
second and
subsequent
references in
footnotes, 1st
references are
proper, in-line
references used in
paper and/or
footnotes
Missing or
improper
bibliography and
improper use of
references in
footnotes, in-line
references used in
paper and/or
footnotes
Calculations
Done as
calculations, not
as a narrative; one
step – one line
Done as
calculations, not
as a narrative;
one step – one
line; correct and
accurate
calculations
Done as
calculations, not
as a narrative;
one step – one
line, but
calculations are
not correct or
accurate
Done as a
narrative or done
with a series of
calculations strung
together with
equals signs
Units
Show all the units
with all the
numbers all the
time
All the units
shown with all
the numbers all
the time and all
units are correct
All the units
shown with all
the numbers all
the time but all
units are not
correct
All the units shown
with all the
numbers most of
the time and all
units are correct
Done as a
narrative or done
with a series of
calculations strung
together with
equals signs and
answers are not
correct or
calculations are
not correct
All the units shown
with all the
numbers most of
the time but all
units are not
correct
References
Verb tense usage
generally mixed
throughout paper
with some places
having proper
usage and others
not
Many instances of
“people” words
appear throughout
the paper; the use
of “I” or “we” is
common.
Verb tenses
generally wrong
throughout paper
and verbs and
nouns regularly do
not agree
No regard paid to
this issue and
“people” word
usage is rampant
throughout the
paper, particularly
the words “I”
and/or “we”.
Missing or improper
bibliography,
improper use of
references in
footnotes, in-line
references used in
paper and/or
footnotes
Calculations not
shown or grossly
inadequate
Units are not shown
are or are generally
incorrect
Diagrams and
sketches
Recommendations
Evaluation and
justification of
options
Diagrams and
sketches done
using a drawing
program or shapes
in WORD with all
appropriate
dimensions
Students may
recommend only
one solution and
may only claim to
have the best
option among
those evaluated
Done with
drawing program
or shapes in
WORD and all
appropriate
dimensions
shown
Student makes a
single, good
recommendation
and makes no
unwarranted
claims
Done with
drawing program
or shapes in
WORD but all
appropriate
dimensions not
shown
Student makes a
single, good
recommendation
but makes
unwarranted
claims or claims
not supported by
facts.
Evaluation and
justification of
options must use
only the stated
criteria
Evaluation and
justification of
options are based
only on the stated
criteria
Evaluation of
options are based
only on the
stated criteria,
but justification
introduces other
criteria
Done poorly with
drawing program
or shapes in WORD
and/or all
appropriate
dimensions not
shown
Student makes
more than one
recommendation
or makes a vague
recommendations
and/or makes
unwarranted
claims or claims
not supported by
facts.
Evaluation OR
justification of
options are not
based on the
stated criteria
Hand drawn neatly
and correctly and
scanned in with
appropriate
dimensions shown
Missing or done
poorly with hand
drawn sketches
scanned in and hard
to read
Student makes
more than one
recommendation
or makes a vague
recommendation
and makes
unwarranted
claims or claims
not supported by
facts.
Evaluation AND
justification of
options are not
based on the
stated criteria
Student makes no
recommendation or
makes
recommendations
totally unsupported
by facts
No evaluations or
justifications
provided