Grading criteria for longer paper assignment  

1.    Writing

a.     Page length met

b.     Quality of spelling

c.     Quality of grammar and sentence construction

d.     Quality of punctuation and presentation (cover page, margins, etc.)

2.    What unusual connection or analysis was discussed?

a.     More than the obvious (sheds new light on the literature)

b.     Articulated in a thesis statement

c.     Relevant passages are used well and diction is appropriate

d.     Shows imaginative thinking or sparks controversy

3.    Unity, coherence and paragraph construction

a.     All discussion pertinent to singular topic

b.     Avoids large chunks of biographical data

c.     Paragraphs are well-formed with transitions

d.     Flow is smooth and paper’s purpose is easily discernible

4.    Balance of borrowed material with personal writing

a.     Outside sources consulted, integrated, and documented properly

b.     Works cited page formatted correctly

c.     Balance shouldn’t exceed 50/50, but not hints of plagiarism

d.     Quotations from novels themselves are part of evidence

Grading Definitions

4.0     This is an impressive paper with a clear interpretation which engages the reader. 
Consequently, the 4.0 paper is easy to read. That is, a reader can get through a 4.0 paper 
from start to finish without needing to stop and figure out connections between 
examples, guess at the writer’s intentions, or stumble over sentences that seem difficult 
to follow. The reader of the 4.0 paper smiles with the writer, not at the writer. Sentences 
are excellent, both in structure and variety. The 4.0 paper possesses few or no errors in 
spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

3.5    In style and content, this paper is very similar to the 4.0 paper but perhaps lacks in minor ways some of the qualities that make the 4.0 so satisfying.  There may be a few more mechanical errors that impede a reading, or the content may contain a confusing, ambiguous, or unexplained point. Still, this paper is exceedingly well done and indicates both intelligence and, perhaps more importantly, insight into the topic.

3.0    Like the 4.0 paper, the 3.0 paper is readable, but may seem less convincing in its use of examples, explanations, and analysis. Although somewhat less memorable than the 4.0 paper, this paper more than meets the assignment. The paper may on occasion simply restate the obvious, but the writer’s own interpretation and analysis of the texts is generally clear.  The paper is well organized, well developed, and well structured. The language is good but the style is less accomplished than the 4.0 paper. There may be some repetitiveness in sentence pattern and types, and the paper may not be entirely free of errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar.

2.5     The 2.5 grade is the hardest to define. In some ways it represents a paper that succeeds 
in some aspects and fails in others. Perhaps grammar and mechanical problems were 
simply too numerous to ignore as they obstruct a reader’s ability to see the main points. Perhaps the content wasn’t sufficiently developed, or the interpretations made were too simplistic and obvious. And yet, the paper does slightly more than what a book report 
would do.  There is interpretation and there is insight; it’s just not strongly stated or consistently evident. A careful revision would probably be the best solution for 
improving a 2.5 paper.

2.0    The 2.0 paper seems unfinished; it is difficult for readers to see connections among examples or to follow the intended thinking process. The 2.0 paper may rely on clichés, stereotypes, or trite arguments to carry meaning. There may seem to be as many weaknesses as strengths in a 2.0 paper. The paper may lack clear examples and sufficient references to the texts; it may also be difficult to distinguish information from the texts and the writer’s own analysis and interpretation. A final draft may show little proofreading. Though the 2.0 paper may have errors in spelling, punctuation, and/or grammar, these errors do not completely interfere with the reading of the paper.

1.5     Weaknesses outweigh strengths. The 1.5 paper often demonstrates no clear sense of direction or seems to present several possible topics for discussion, without providing connections or a focus. It is often difficult for readers to understand the writer’s intentions. Although the writer includes information from the texts, the paper demonstrates little or no attempt to understand or comment upon that information. It may be impossible for readers to distinguish source information from the writer’s own analysis, and source citations may be incorrect or missing altogether. The reader may have to reread the 1.5 paper once or twice to understand its purpose. Papers below 2.0 are usually written once, the night before they are due. Errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar impede the reader’s ability to understand the 1.5 paper.

1.0    The 1.0 paper does not respond to the assignment or suggests that the writer may not have understood the assignment. This paper may include no references to the texts, or may include quotes for no apparent reason, or may even present source information as the writer’s own work. Where the sentences and paragraphs are understandable, the writing may contain simple sentences and seem almost childlike. Errors in spelling, punctuation, and/or grammar impede or prevent readers from understanding the paper.

An “F” paper, or 0.0, can only be obtained by failing to submit the assignment.