Rubric for Grading and Evaluating Essays (from inside cover of Insightful Writing)
Standard →
Grade
↓
Invention:
Ideas/
Support
Arrangement:
Organization
of Essay and Within Paragraphs
A
Far Exceeds
Standards
*Addresses assignment thoughtfully.
*Strong, consistent sense of purpose and audience.
*Clear thesis.
*All body paragraphs are fully developed with
appropriate, specific details.
*If required, sources are used, cited, and integrated
skillfully.
*Introduction skillfully builds context and contains focused
thesis.
*Order of all paragraphs is logical and appropriate for
essay’s purpose.
*Each body paragraph skillfully supports essay’s purpose
and is unified, coherent, with transitions and topic sentence.
*Closing paragraph skillfully brings essay to logical end.
B
Exceeds
Standards
*Addresses assignment.
*Good sense of purpose and audience.
*Clear thesis.
*Most body paragraphs are developed with appropriate
details.
*If required, sources are usually used, cited, and
integrated.
*Introduction builds context and contains focused thesis.
*Order of all paragraphs is logical and appropriate for
essay’s purpose.
*Each body paragraph supports essay’s purpose and is
mostly unified and coherent, with transitions and topic
sentence.
*Closing paragraph brings essay to logical end.
C
Meets
Standards
*Addresses assignment.
*General sense of purpose and audience.
*Adequate thesis.
*Most body paragraphs are developed with details.
*If required, sources are usually used and cited, but
sometimes not integrated skillfully.
*Introduction builds some context and contains thesis.
*Order of most paragraphs is logical and appropriate for
essay’s purpose.
*Most body paragraphs support essay’s purpose and are
usually unified, coherent, with some transitions and topic
sentences.
*Closing paragraph brings essay to end.
D
Needs Some
Revision to
Meet
Standards
*Addresses assignment superficially or partially.
*Little sense of purpose and audience.
*Unclear thesis.
*Few body paragraphs are developed.
*If required, sources are sporadically used and cited, and
not well integrated.
F
Needs Much
Revision to
Meet
Standards
*Assignment not addressed.
*No sense of purpose and audience.
*No thesis.
*Few body paragraphs are developed.
*If required, sources are rarely used and cited, and not
integrated, or are not used; or are used but not cited
(plagiarism).
*Introduction builds little context and contains flawed
thesis.
*Order of some body paragraphs is not logical or
appropriate for essay’s purpose.
*Some body paragraphs do not support essay’s purpose, and
some lack unity, coherence, transitions, or topic sentences.
*Closing paragraph is ineffective or combined with a body
paragraph.
*Introduction builds little or no context and contains no
thesis.
*Order of paragraphs is not logical or appropriate for
essay’s purpose.
*Most body paragraphs do not support essay’s purpose, and
are not unified and coherent.
*Transitions and topic sentences are rarely used.
*Essay lacks closing paragraph.
[explanatory text TK]
Style: Voice/Tone/
Sentence Quality/
Word Choice
(Diction)
*Voice/tone are always
distinctive, appropriate,
engaging.
*Sentence quality is almost
always high, appropriate,
fluent, varied.
*Diction is consistently
appropriate, fresh, clear.
Style: Grammar,
Usage, Punctuation,
Spelling, Format
*Voice/tone are usually
distinctive, appropriate,
engaging.
*Sentence quality is usually
high, appropriate, fluent,
varied.
*Diction is usually
appropriate, fresh, clear.
*Voice/tone are inconsistent.
* Sentence quality is
adequate, not as fluent and
varied.
*Diction is usually
appropriate and clear.
*Demonstrates strong understanding of
sentence boundaries.
*Grammar, usage, punctuation almost
always help promote essay’s ideas.
*Demonstrates proficient use of
Standard Written English.
*All format standards are skillfully
used.
*Essay contains a few sentence
boundary problems.
*Grammar, usage, and punctuation are
adequate, with some errors.
*Demonstrates adequate use of
Standard Written English.
*Most format standards are
used.
*Voice/tone need some
development.
*Sentence quality is low,
sometimes not fluent or
varied, and idiomatic.
*Diction is sometimes
inappropriate, unclear, and
limited.
*Voice/tone need much
development.
*Sentence quality is low, not
fluent, not varied,
unidiomatic.
*Diction is often
inappropriate,
unclear, and limited.
*Essay contains more sentence
boundary problems.
*Errors in grammar, usage, and
punctuation begin to hinder
communication
*Shows limited experience with
Standard Written English.
*Some format standards are not used.
*Shows little understanding
of sentence boundaries.
*Numerous errors in grammar, usage,
and punctuation hinder communication
*Shows lack of experience with
Standard Written English.
*Many format standards are not used.
*Demonstrates strong understanding of
sentence boundaries.
*Grammar, usage, punctuation
help promote essay’s ideas.
*Demonstrates highly proficient use of
Standard Written English.
*All format standards are skillfully
used.
Other
(Instructor’s
Choice)