ENGL 475—Essay #1—Personal Narrative Grading Rubric, Sample Student Essay
Peer Reviewer: ______________________________
Scoring Rubric:
5 = Excellent Work in a Specific Area [“A-level work”]
4 = Exceeds Expectations in Specific Area [“B-level work”]
3 = Generally Meets Expectations, But Still Needs Improvement [“C-level work”]
2 = Does Not Meet Expectations, Below College-level Writing [“D-level work”]
1 = Severely Deficient or Missing Component [“F-level work]
Creative title that reflects the thesis AND hooks the target audience’s interest
Engaging introduction that effectively presents the topic, establishes a voice, & successfully guides the reader to
the thesis
A clear, concise thesis that includes the following: limited topic + clear opinion
Each body paragraph contains a clear topic sentence that identifies a single main idea in support of thesis
¶ 1:
¶2:
¶3:
¶4:
Average Score:
Each topic is vividly described; the author consistently “shows, and doesn’t tell”
¶ 1:
¶2:
¶3:
¶4:
Average Score:
Each topic is reflected upon in depth; the author consistently shares his/her thoughts and feelings in relation to
the opinion as stated in thesis
¶ 1:
¶2:
¶3:
¶4:
Average Score:
Essay follows a consistent organizational pattern [chronological order of events]
Body paragraphs follow a consistent organizational pattern [topic sentence—evidence—reflection]
Includes a powerful conclusion that leaves the target audience with something to think about in regards to the
topic; stays “true to the thesis”
Essay is developed to 6+ Paragraphs
Essay maintains a consistent voice that reflects the author’s feelings/attitude towards the topic
Essay written for a target audience— an academic audience of your peers
Essay reflects a mature and effective style [i.e., uses appropriate college-level diction; effectively uses transitions
to achieve coherency between ideas, etc.]
Clarity of ideas— essay avoids weak, generic language and/or vague references
Paper shows clear signs of proofreading—paper is free of repetitive sentence-level errors— [comma splices,
fragments, etc.; avoids second person references [i.e., “you” or “your”]; avoids contractions [i.e., “can’t”], etc.
Paper Meets Length Requirement: 2 FULL Pages, Not to Exceed 4 Full Pages
Correct use of MLA Policy [heading, header, margins, font, spacing between paragraphs, etc.]
Successfully completes ALL required steps/stages of the writing process
Conducts an in-depth active reading of ALL Feedback Received During the Writing Process
Successfully Completes the Purpose of the Essay: To compose a well-developed, college-level essay that explores
a specific person, place, or event that has had a significant impact on the writer’s life
Total Points: