Allen Hibbard/English 2030

Rubric for Marking Papers

This second paper will be somewhat more formal than the first one. In that first paper I wanted you to write freely and tell me something about yourselves. In this paper, you will be developing a discussion of various works you have read, around a topic/theme you've chosen. Still, there is a place for our voice and personal styles.

As I have mentioned before, I want you all to become better readers and writers this summer. As we work on our next three papers, it might be useful for us to think about qualities of good writing. What do we, as readers, value and appreciate when we read prose? We might be surprised to learn that readers generally agree on what they want and expect. If we identify these elements, we will have a better idea of readers’ expectations.

As I evaluate these papers (worth 100 points), I'll be using the following rubric (which I refer to as CLOMS):

CONTENT (30 possible points): Papers that are knowledgeable and display substantive and thorough development of the topic will receive the highest marks. Your thinking and insights matter to this reader (and to readers in general).

LANGUAGE (25 points possible): Papers with effective, grammatically correct, and sophisticated sentence structures, as well as appropriate use of vocabulary will receive the highest marks.

ORGANIZATION (25 points possible): Papers with logical arrangement of ideas, clear transitions, and effective openings and conclusion will receive the highest marks.

MECHANICS (10 points possible): Papers that demonstrate mastery of conventions (correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and paragraphing) will receive the highest marks.

SOURCES (10 points possible). Papers that use support from texts that we have read and properly we have read and properly CITE those references will receive the highest marks.

I have learned from experience that if we are clear in advance about expectations, we are more likely to produce good quality work, pleasing to all! So, I hope this helps. Let me know, as you are working, if you have any questions or concerns. It takes TIME to write a good paper, so begin working as far in advance as you can, so you have time for your thinking to develop and time to revise and polish your work.