Essay
#2 Grading Criteria & Revision Checklist
These
Essay
#2 Basic
Requirements Are Met:
___a.
Topic Choice
& Type of Argument are suitable for argument essay
(e.g. convince, persuade, evaluate, problem-solution, mediate/negotiate
conflict, inquiry)
___b.
Suggested Length
(5 to 7 typed double-spaced pages) & Topic Focus: thesis claim
& argumentative purpose are neither too narrow nor too
broad to be fully developed and supported in an essay of this length.
___c.
At least three (3) sources
relevant to the chosen topic are cited/used to develop the essay, and at
least one of these sources represents an opposing/alternative
viewpoint
___d. MLA
Documentation Style is used & Plagiarism is successfully avoided: A good
faith effort is made to follow correct documentation form for citing sources
___(1) in-text (within the essay) using timely author tags,
parenthetical page citations for quotations and paraphrases; so that readers can
clearly match sources cited to sources listed on the Works Cited page; and
___(2) in a “Works Cited”
page included on a separate page at the end of the essay, properly titled;
all sources and only sources cited in-text in Essay #2 are listed in the Works Cited in
alphabetical order, double-spaced, with any second+ lines of an entry properly
indented;
___e.
Quotation, Paraphrase (AKA:
indirect quotation), Summary from sources:
accurate and correctly punctuated quotations, using ellipses and brackets when
needed, and blocked
format for long quotations; paraphrases (indirect quotations) and
summaries are faithful to the original sources and do not distort the meaning of
the original.
Evaluation Guide:
___
= Excellent; ___ = Very good;
___ = Satisfactory, but could improve; ___ = Weak/needs work
___1.
Title,
Introduction, Thesis
___a.
Title effectively reflects the issue and student’s essay
thesis claim/persuasive purpose.
___b.
Issue or problem under discussion is clearly introduced,
and the scope and grounds of the argument are controlled through needed
definitions and qualifications.
___c.
Thesis and purpose
of the argument is clearly stated, well-placed and appropriately qualified.
___d.
(If applicable) Optional preview
of main supporting points aids coherence by previewing all main points to
be addressed, and in the same order that they are addressed, in essay
body.
___e.
Unity: Central thesis or purpose unifies essay content such that
everything in the essay is consistent with and contributes to that
thesis/purpose, reinforced by clear and timely thesis transitions integrated
into the essay body.
___2.
Organization, Coherence, and Conclusion
___a.
Overall organizational plan/arrangement
of ideas is clear, logical, and effective in achieving the essay’s
thesis/purpose.
___b.
Coherence is strong, achieved through clear expression,
logical and well-placed transitions, logical and readable paragraph breaks,
well-structured body paragraphs unified by clear (implicit or explicit) topic
sentences.
___c.
Conclusion is appropriate to the type of argument
chosen, effective and consistent in (re)emphasizing the thesis and purpose of
the essay, in expanding on the implications of the preceding argument for
readers and author, and in providing a pleasing sense of closure.
___3.
Audience
___a.
Essay
effectively addresses a diverse readership,
anticipating ranges of
background knowledge and of pre-existing opinions that readers are likely to
have on the topic issue under discussion
___b.
Essay effectively appeals
to common values and experiences likely to be shared by author and
most readers, targeting specific groups of readers appropriate for special
appeals that serve the argument’s thesis/purpose. Any unargued assumptions (implicit or explicit) about
author’s and readers’ common values, experiences, and viewpoints relevant to
the issue under discussion, are reasonable and likely to be accepted by most
readers and/or targeted groups in the author’s audience.
___c.
Addressing the Weightiest Opposition: Author anticipates opinions
different from her/his own, effectively identifies significant opposing
viewpoints on the issue under discussion, and answers her/his opposition fairly
and effectively.
____4. Supporting
Development
___a.
Use of Appeals:
Author develops and supports her/his points using an appropriate selection of
relevant and effective appeals (to reason/logos, to emotions and values/pathos,
to character and persona/ethos, to language/style), demonstrating the ability to
apply what s/he has been learning in WR 122 about successful argumentation.
___b.
Body Paragraphs: Each
of the major body points is clearly, adequately, and effectively supported,
using appropriate and persuasive specific development.
___c.
Thesis Support: Body paragraph development offers relevant,
appropriate and ethical appeals in support of the thesis claim and the central
purpose(s) of the argument.
___d.
Use of Sources is accurate, fair and effective in developing and
supporting the author’s body points and overall purpose/thesis; if/when
appropriate, the sources’ rhetorical contexts and/or any special claims to
authority on the issue are introduced.; and source citations (e.g., quotations,
paraphrases, summaries) are accompanied by adequate interpretation and
explanation to point out their relevance to the student author’s argument.
___5.
Author’s Engagement, Ethos & Tone
___a. Engagement: it is clear that the author has chosen a topic, thesis,
and/or argumentative purpose of interest or importance to her/him; student
author conveys a persuasive sense of engagement with the issue under discussion,
encouraging readers to consider the issue significant and the argument
worthy of serious attention
___b. Ethos and
Tone: The author’s dominant ethos (character), persona
(self-presentation), and/or tone (of voice) makes a persuasive contribution to
achieving the essay thesis/purpose; and the author can vary her/his persona and
tone effectively to serve the purposes and points of different sections of the
argument.
___6.
Style, Clarity, and Grammatical Correctness
___a.
Sentence style is clear, effective and mature, showing a command of
stylistic devices like coordination and subordination, emphasis, parallelism,
pleasing sentence variety.
___b.
Word Choice: Special attention is given to careful, precise, clear, and
concise word choice necessary to successful argumentation.
___c.
In-text citations are incorporated smoothly and grammatically
correctly into essay, using ellipses and brackets as needed to maintain concise,
clear, and effective expression.
___d.
Correct
grammar, usage, punctuation, and mechanics characterize written expression in
this essay, suggesting careful editing and proofreading based on the author’s
knowledge of past patterns of errors likely to occur in her/his writing, and
demonstrating a college-level command of the conventions of standard written
English (e.g., major sentence errors like fragments, comma splices, fused/run-on
sentences, subject-verb agreement, verb form and tense problems, are avoided).
___1. Essay
(a) Title relevant & effective, (b) clear Introduction
to issue/problem, incl. needed definitions & qualifications; (c) Thesis
and/or Purpose well placed, clearly presented, appropriately qualified; (d)
(optional) preview lists all main supporting points in same order
they are addressed in essay body; (e) Essay Unity is strong: essay
content consistent with & controlled by thesis/purpose
___2. (a)
Organization is logical and effective;
(b) Coherence is strong: clear expression
& few sentence errors, logical timely transitions, logical/readable
paragraph breaks, well-structured body
paragraphs with clear topic sentences; (c) Conclusion appropriate to type of argument, reemphasizes thesis/purpose, provides
pleasing sense of closure
___3. Audience:
(a) diverse readership (prior knowledge & opinions) effectively
addressed; with appropriate appeals to (b) common values &
experiences, targeted special groups, and any unargued assumptions likely
to be shared by most readers
___4. Supporting
Development: (a) Use of appeals (e.g. to logic, emotion, values,
character, style) is effective to support thesis/purpose, and varied, showing
strong preparation & ability to apply what student author has learned in
WR 122 this term; (b) Body Paragraphs develop each major supporting point
clearly, specifically, effectively; (c) Thesis case & argumentative
aim/purpose are effectively achieved; (d) Use of Sources is
accurate, fair, effective in developing main points; relevant rhetorical
contexts & claims to authority are stated; all source citations are
accompanied by student’s commentary, explaining citations’ relevance and
significance to student author’s argument
___5. Student
Author’s (a) Engagement persuades readers that issue is significant
& argument worthy of serious attention; (b) Ethos/Character, & Tone
contributes positively to argumentative thesis/purpose
___6. (a)
Sentence Style and (b) Word Choice are clear, careful, precise, effective,
& mature; (c) In-text citations (e.g. quotations) are incorporated
smoothly, clearly, and grammatically correctly into essay; (d) Grammatical
Correctness characterizes written expression in this essay, suggesting
careful, effective editing and proofreading; major sentence errors are
avoided.
As stated in the WR 122 Syllabus, the Humanities Department Composition Committee has
identified the following competencies (or learning objectives) for all WR 122
courses. Essay #2 (Argument Using
at least 3 Sources) has been designed to
help you achieve these course competencies:
Competency 1. Demonstrate
the ability to use a variety of analytical and argumentative essay patterns, such
as evaluation of a published argument, comparative analysis of sources,
persuasion, argumentation synthesis.
Competency 2. Demonstrate the ability to use
several quotations from either published sources or interviews, which are (1)
integrated into the student's
own writing (at both the paragraph and the sentence level), and (2) correctly
documented according to some currently accepted practice.
Competency 3: Demonstrate the ability to adopt
a persona or tone that serves one's
persuasive purposes in written argument, and to identify and anticipate audience
considerations (e.g. readers'
knowledge, assumptions, beliefs/values, attitudes, needs) in the selection of
evidence and presentation of the writer's
argument.
In
addition, Essay #2 preparatory exercises, Workshops, preliminary drafts, as well as follow-up Writer’s Profile
assignment, are
intended to help you achieve these WR 122 competencies:
Competency 4: Summarize published arguments and
analyze components of written arguments, such as claim, support (including the
distinction between observation and inference, fact and opinion), warrants,
assumptions, logic, rebuttals, credibility, psychological appeals, connotation,
tone, slanted language, irony.
Competency 5: Use writing to provide a peer
with alternative viewpoints and suggestions for revising and editing.
Competency 6: Adopt a writing process to
incorporate the special concerns of arguments such as analyzing opposing
viewpoints, synthesizing personal opinions with written sources, thesis
formation, organization, drafting, revising, editing and proofreading.
Competency 7: Analyze and evaluate one
's
own argument, identifying strengths, weaknesses and potential biases,
assumptions--and suggest some means of improving his or her argumentative
practice.
