What Do Essay Grades Mean?
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| A | This is an excellent paper, an innovative, creative and
perceptive response to the assignment. The purpose is specific, and the clearly focused
thesis is marked by some depth or breadth of insight. The support is not only interesting
and relevant but boldly thought-provoking. The careful organization is not only markedly
clear and coherent, but also reflects a particularly apt response to the rhetorical
situation. The style demonstrates the high competence of the B paper as well as exhibiting
finesse through the writer's skillful use of stylistic elements to achieve specific goals. |
| B | This paper goes beyond a routine response to the
assignment. The thesis reflects some originality or excites the curiosity of the audience.
The development includes substantive support that is interesting, relevant, and complete.
The organization is clear, coherent, and well suited to purpose and audience. Sentence
structure shows variety, word choice is well suited to audience and purpose, and
transitions function effectively to give the paper unity. The essay is generally free of
distracting errors in grammar and mechanics. |
| C | This paper carries out the assignment in a competent
way. While the C paper advances a reasonable thesis and offers some relevant support,
these may be expressed in vague generalities or predictable and conventional ways. The
pattern of organization is recognizable to the reader but may be formulaic or may not be
the best for the purpose or audience of the paper. The voice and tone are generally
appropriate. The style is essentially readable: there are few really awkward sentences;
few serious errors in wording; and few, if any, glaring errors in grammar and mechanics.
The C paper typically lacks variety of sentence structure, transitions are often
inadequate, and word choice may be imprecise or cliched. |
| D | This is a paper that begins to meet the requirements of
the assignment but is flawed in one or more of the following ways. The purpose may be
confused or too general. The thesis may not be limited enough or clear enough. The support
offered may not be wholly accurate or relevant, but in any case is far from sufficient.
The organization may be unclear or confusing. The voice and tone may be inconsistent or
somewhat inappropriate. And the style makes it difficult for the reader to understand what
is being said: the sentence structure is at times awkward; the word choice is vague or
ambiguous; and the number of grammatical or mechanical mistakes is sufficient to be
distracting to the reader. |
| F | The failing paper does not meet the requirements of the assignment or has several interrelated flaws in purpose, support, organization, voice and tone, and style; and it is the combination of these distracting flaws that renders the paper essentially ineffective. Among the most serious flaws are lack of a purpose and/or lack of a controlling thesis that is clear, suitably limited, and on the assigned topic; almost total lack of support; absence of any apparent organizational or developmental plan; a voice or tone that alienates the audience; and a style that is unreadable either because of vagueness and imprecision or because of the number and magnitude of deviations from the conventions of edited American English. |
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Last updated August 27, 2003