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ENGLISH 101 RUBRIC

  A B C D F
Audience Awareness: From title on, essay engages readers in an academic environment, using appropriate language and tone.                                                   

Essays typically have:

  • A mature sense of voice and awareness of a specific audience                   

Essays typically have:

  • Appropriate use of language and awareness of audience                                  

Essays typically have:

  • Attention to audience but language use that could be expanded            

Essays typically have

  • A lack of audience awareness and often a limited use of language

Essays typically have

  • No audience awareness                                                                                          

Thesis: Thesis is clear and well developed. It interests and challenges readers, and takes a stand, offering direction and purpose. 

  • An insightful, well-crafted thesis                  
  • A relevant, purposeful thesis                 
  • A reasonable thesis, even if its claim is lacking depth or complexity
  • An inadequate, simplistic, or off-topic thesis                                 
  • Many theses or no thesis                                   
Development: Essay examines ideas in depth and with support; paragraphs are clear, interesting, and convincing.
  • Developed paragraphs that strongly support the essay's purpose and emphasize its relevance
  • Developed paragraphs that support the essay's purpose               
  • Sustained and unified paragraphs that support the essay's purpose  
  • Underdeveloped paragraphs, often lacking consistency                                    
  • Weak development of ideas                                                                 
Structure: Essay is well-organized, flowing easily and logically throughout the work. Transitions, quotations, and signal phrases are used to move the essay forward smoothly and clearly. 
  • A close and careful examination of evidence, transitioning between stylistic elements smoothly and effectively
  • A skillful examination of evidence, using transitions and stylistic elements effectively                                    
  • A balanced argument with evidence, including transitions and signal phrases                                                          
  • Ideas presented awkwardly and out of order                                                                                                                                                    
  • Chaotic organization, with no overall sense of direction                                                                                  
Grammatical Control: Grammar is controlled, with spelling and punctuation used successfully. 
  • Strong, correct use of grammar, providing a near-seamless read
  • Effective use of grammar, with only minor errors                 
  • Sentences that demonstrate grammatical control, with few serious errors             
  • A lack of grammatical control, with many distracting errors                        
  • Constant, severe grammar errors                                       
Academic Conventions: MLA format is required, including document design, quoting, and citation format. 
  • All sources incorporated and cited expertly via various rhetorical techniques
  • All sources incorporated and cited skillfully and effectively                                     
  • All or most sources cited correctly                                                                                              
  • Sources used incorrectly or unclearly, and/or without proper citation                                                  
  • No sources, sources used haphazardly, or plagiarized sources