The “A” Essay

 This essay demonstrates the student’s ability to address rhetorical situations in innovative, creative, and perceptive ways.  The topic is well-researched and demonstrates the student’s understanding of the topic.  The purpose is distinguished by some depth and breadth of insight, and the support is interesting, relevant, and thought-provoking.  The organization is coherent and appropriate to the rhetorical situation.  The writing exhibits finesse in style, diction, and sentence structure.  There are no grammatical and mechanical errors.  The sources are smoothly incorporated into the essay and documentation and citation are free of errors.

The “B” Essay

 This essay demonstrates the student’s ability to address the rhetorical situation beyond mere competency.  The point is original and interesting, the organization is clear, and the support is specific, substantive, and relevant.  The style and tone reflect attention to rhetorical concerns and the audience’s needs.  Sentence structure and diction show effective language use.  The writing is free of distracting errors. The research is used to support the student’s thesis and rhetorical goals, and documentation and citation are correctly done.

The “C” Essay

 This essay meets the requirements of the assignment in a competent way.  The essay displays some evidence of rhetorical and audience awareness and includes adequate support of a recognizable claim.  The organization is logical but at times formulaic or not appropriate for the intended audience.  Coherence is compromised by weak or formulaic paragraphs. The tone and style are appropriate, but there is little evidence of a sophisticated use of writing to advance the argument.  The paper is readable (though not necessarily engaging) to the intended audience, but errors in usage and mechanics will occur often enough to hinder the audience’s understanding.  Sources are incorporated into the essay, though not always smoothly, and there are no (or very few) errors in documentation and citation.

The “D” Essay

 The essay only begins to meet the requirements of the essay, but is flawed in one or more of the following ways: the essay’s purpose may be confused or general; its support may not be specific, wholly accurate, relevant, or sufficient; the essay lacks coherence; there may be no or very weak paragraph transitions.  The voice and tone may be inconsistent or inappropriate.  The style is awkward, making reading difficult.  Sentence structure is at times awkward; word choice is vague; and the number of grammatical and/or mechanical errors distracts the audience.  Sources have not been incorporated smoothly, and documentation and citation are incorrect.

The “F” Essay

 This essay does not meet the requirements of the assignment or is seriously flawed in one or more of the following ways: the essay lacks purpose and/or a claim that is clear, suitably limited, and on the assigned topic; it lacks support and any apparent organization or development; it has a voice or tone that alienates the audience, or a style that is unreadable or deviates significantly from the conventions of standard written English. Research has not been appropriately incorporated and is incorrectly documented.