Philosophical Essay Assessment Rubric
Your name: _______________________________________
Name of the person whose paper is being evaluated:____________________________
Essay Title: ______________________________
Overall Assessment: Please type in the following space the letter grade you think this paper deserves:
_____________________ Note: type only one of the following: A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D,
D-, F. Note also that the assessment is the grade BEFORE any of the deductions noted on the essay topics
hand-out. For example, suppose the student neglected to put a word count on the paper. The penalty for
this is 10%. A student, then, might receive a mark as follows: “B -10% no word count.” Your mark
should be the “raw” letter grade part, that is, just the “B” in the example.
Instructions: Put in bold box (A, B, C or LC) for each of the following 8 items. Add a comment under
each section. Remember the goal of the exercise is to help your peers improve their writing: be as honest
as possible while making specific recommendations for improvement. Your comments must be typed.
A. General Essay Requirements
1. Literacy
(spelling,
punctuation,
grammar)
A. Excellent: Few or
no mistakes in
spelling punctuation
and grammar.
C. Needs serious
attention: some
mistakes in
spelling,
punctuation and
grammar.
General comment on improving spelling punctuation and grammar:
LC. Major Overhaul:
Spelling, punctuation
or grammar seriously
detracts from the
comprehensibility of
the paper.
2. Bibliographic
form
Excellent: no errors in
citing materials, either
in in-text citations or
reference list.
Contains at least one
reference to course
readings
Good: Minor
errors in some
references, either
in in-text or
reference list.
Contains at least
one reference to
course readings.
General comment on improving bibliographic form:
Needs serious
attention:
Consistent errors
either in in-text or
reference list.
Contains at least
one reference to
course readings.
Major Overhaul:
Lacks understanding
of proper citing
procedures or lacks
references altogether.
3. Organization
Excellent: logical
structure of argument
is very clear. Main
arguments, objections
and replies very
clearly indicated.
Needs serious
attention: logical
structure of
argument is not
clear, or main
arguments,
objections and
replies not clearly
indicated
Major Overall:
structure of argument
cannot be made out, or
missing entirely.
General comment on improving organization:
B. Good: Few
mistakes in
spelling,
punctuation and
grammar.
Good: logical
structure of
argument is clear.
Main arguments,
objections and
replies clearly
indicated.
4. Accuracy
Excellent: concepts
and argument from
readings clearly and
accurately explained
Good: concepts
and argument from
readings mostly
clearly and
accurately
explained
Needs serious
attention: concepts
and argument from
readings not
clearly and
accurately
explained
Major overall:
concepts and argument
from readings not
included or
misrepresented
C. Somewhat clear
LC. Not clear
General comment on improving accuracy:
*LC = Less than a ‘C’, i.e., D or F.
B. Argument Evaluation
5. Statement of Thesis A. Very Clear
B. Clear
General comments for improvement of thesis statement:
6. Arguments in
A. Very persuasive B. Persuasive
C. Somewhat
support of Thesis
persuasive
General comments for improvement of arguments in support of main thesis:
LC. Not very
persuasive
7. Objections
A. Very strong
B. Strong
objection
Objection
General comments for improvement to objections:
C. Somewhat
strong objection
LC. Not very strong
objection
8. Reply to objections
C. Somewhat
strong reply
LC. Not very strong
A. Very strong
B. Strong reply
reply
General comments for improvement to reply to objections: