These grading standards establish major criteria for instructor evaluation at each grade level: purpose, reasoning and content, organization, and expression. Obviously, every paper will not fit neatly into one grade category; a paper may, for instance, have some characteristics of B and some of C. The final grade the paper would receive depends on the weight the instructor gives each criterion.
The A Paper
- The A paper has not only fulfilled the assignment but has done so in a fresh and mature manner. It has effectively met the needs of the rhetorical situation; it makes a substantial contribution to the situation; it is fully accommodating to its audience(s) and is likely to move them to act as the writer desires.
- The evidence is detailed; the sources of information or persuasion have been used creatively and cited appropriately. The evidence presented is appropriate to the rhetorical audience. The reasoning is valid. Beyond that, the paper is thoughtful, showing hard work, good judgment, and sensitivity to the complexities of the situation or issue.
- The organization is effective for this audience and purpose. The introduction establishes the context and purpose of the communication. Segments, whether sections or paragraphs, are fully developed and follow logically from what precedes them. Headings and subheadings are appropriately used. The conclusion is suitable in tone and strategy.
- The prose is not only clear and readable but occasionally apt and memorable. It contains few infelicities, none of which seriously undermines the effectiveness of the paper for its rhetorical audience.
The B Paper
- The assignment has not just been followed but fulfilled. In taking its stand, the paper shows a clear sense of rhetorical audience and purpose. It shows more awareness of the implications of what it is saying and of its assumptions about the audience than the C paper does.
- The writer has not settled for the most obvious evidence. The B paper is characterized by thoroughness. The reasoning is more than adequate, showing thoughtfulness and some awareness of complexities and other points of view.
- The B paper has an effective introduction and conclusion. The order of information is logical, and the reader can follow it because of well-chosen transitions. Paragraph divisions are logical, and the paragraphs use enough specific detail to make their point tellingly.
- The expression is competent, more ambitious than that of the C paper, less felicitous than that of the A paper. A few infelicities of rhetorical conventions could interfere with the effectiveness of the paper for its rhetorical audience.
The C Paper
- The assignment has been followed. The paper develops its points with a sense of audience.
- The information or degree of persuasion in a C paper is appropriate. That means that there is evidence, and though the evidence is perhaps obvious and easily accessible, it has been gathered honestly and used responsibly. The C paper may exhibit some minor imperfections or inconsistencies in mapping out the arguments, but it commits no major flaws in reasoning.
- The organization is clear. The reader could easily outline the presentation. Paragraphs have adequate development and are divided appropriately. Transitions may be mechanical, but they foster coherence.
- The expression, though at times limited, is competent in every way, including in transferring meaning and purpose to its rhetorical audience.
The D Paper
- A D paper attempts to follow the assignment, even if the choice of topic, situation, or rhetorical audience is poor, whether too broad, too narrow, or inappropriate. A D paper often shows a poor sense of audience and purpose. For example, it may over or under-estimate the audience’s prior knowledge or assumptions. Or it may correctly assess the situation but add little substance.
- Necessary evidence may be missing, irrelevant evidence may be present, or the interpretation or evaluation of that evidence may be inadequate. The reasoning may be seriously flawed, resting on insufficient understanding of the situation or the rhetorical audience. Or the essay may rely too heavily on evidence from published sources without adding original analysis.
- Organization may be significantly flawed in any of the following ways: relevant segments may be missing; topic sentences may be absent or inappropriate to the content of the paragraph; paragraphs are not well developed or divided or arranged; transitions are missing or incorrect; introductions or conclusions are missing or incomplete.
- A D paper may stray so far from rhetorical conventions that it does not meet the needs and expectations of its rhetorical audience.
The F Paper
- An F paper does not respond to the assignment, even if well written. (Many instructors require that such papers be rewritten before assigning any grade.)
- It relates to the assignment but has no clear purpose or goes off in several directions
- It is missing essential elements of the assigned genre or form of delivery.
- It falls seriously short of the minimum length requirements.
- It may be plagiarized—either it is someone else’s paper, or it has used sources improperly or without documentation.
- It is plagued by more than one of the organizational deficiencies of the D paper.
- Numerous and consistent infelicities seriously hinder communication to a rhetorical audience.
