ENGLISH 101.  ACADEMIC WRITING
English 101 Essay Rubric

Home

Course Info

Schedule

At TC3, the English 101 Final Exam is team graded by at least two instructors-- or three in case a tie-breaker is needed. No instructor is permitted to grade his or her own students' exams. 

For your information, the "essay rubric" that is used by many TC3 graders for scoring the final exam follows. It is similar to the form that Dr G has used in grading the Plato exam and the research report.

Course Info

Instructor

Course goals

What you will need

Course policies

Disabilities

Schedule
(for Fall 2004)

Course Index

 HOW TO SCORE: Add up the five sores from the five categories below, then multiply the total times five. The resulting product will be a score from zero to 100; 70 points are needed to pass. Example: Suppose scores were intro 4, body 3, conclusion 4, grammar 3, documentation 4. The math would be 4+3+4+3+4 = 18 X 5 = 90. Exam grade would be pass at 90%.  

     INTRODUCTION

     4: Writer uses attention-getter to introduce topic, sets the context for the topic, narrows down the topic, and presents a college-level thesis.

     3. Writer introduces topic, narrows down the topic, and presents a thesis.

     2. Writer introduces topic, does not attempt to narrow topic, and presents a thesis.

     1. Weak introduction, no attempt to narrow topic, weak or missing thesis.

     BODY/EVIDENCE

     4. Well developed and organized paragraphs (six to ten sentences each) including clear transitions. Writer's ideas are supported by appropriate evidence from appropriate sources including paraphrased, summarized, and quoted material. No "ghost quotes." No logic errors.

     3. Writer presents evidence from sources in support of thesis. Paragraphs need development or organization. Problems with paraphrases or quotations. Some errors in logic.

     2.  Writer attempts to support thesis but does not provide appropriate evidence from sources. Poor organization.

     1. Writer discusses topic but does not support thesis.

    CONCLUSION/REFUTATION

     4. Writer sums up by recalling the main idea of the paper and making a strong statement about it that will stick in the reader's mind; can review main points and restate thesis with new words; can frame essay by returning to something mentioned in the intro. Conclusion begins with transitional word or phrase. In persuasive paper, writer includes a refutation of opposing arguments. (refutation can appear after intro paragraph or before conclusion.)

     3. Writer summarized points. Conclusion begins with transitional word or phrase. Refutation: in a persuasive paper, writer mentions opposition.

     2. Weak transition. Weak attempt to summarize. Refutation: in a persuasive paper, refutation of opponents is weak or missing.

     1. No conclusion. No refutation.

     GRAMMAR/MECHANICS/STYLE

     4. Essay is unified and coherent. General writing style is appropriate, mature, clear, lively and literate. Writer uses a variety of correct sentence structures, uses transitions appropriately, uses effective parallel structure. Grammar, usage and mechanics, including spelling and punctuation, are correct..

     3. Essay is coherent generally but lapses in focus and unity. Paragraphs are somewhat disorganized. General writing style is fairly clear and mature.

     2. Essay is disorganized. Many sentence structure errors, problems with pronoun usage, and other grammar errors. Poor spelling.

     1. Extremely disorganized. Very poor grammar and mechanics, including spelling and punctuation.

     DOCUMENTATION

     4. Works Cited and in-text citations are accurate and formatted correctly. Paraphrase, summary and direct quotes are correct.

     3. Works Cited page and in-text citations are present but contain small errors.

     2. Missing Works Cited page or significant in-text citation errors.

     1. No Works Cited page or in-text citations.