Thesis and support
Strengths
- Clearly articulated thesis
- Makes a genuine, interesting claim
- Support from texts clearly relates to the thesis
- Several specific examples
- Thesis and support offer an imaginative or surprising perspective on the topic
- Writer cites sources of support (whether quoted, paraphrased, or in summary reference)
Weaknesses
- Thesis not clearly stated
- Thesis more a statement of fact or general agreement than an arguable claim
- Inadequate support
- Irrelevant or vague support
Argumentation and development
Strengths
- Writer “works” the textual support to show how it supports the thesis or a particular point in support of the thesis
- The support from texts makes new points, rather than simply repeating the same point
- Paragraphing signals changes in topic or perspective on the topic
- Points are arranged persuasively (from most obvious to least obvious, chronologically, least important to most important, etc.)
Weaknesses
- Quotations left without analysis or argumentation
- Some parts of the paper obviously more fully developed than others
- Argument never presented as complex or susceptible to alternative interpretations
- No apparent logic to the organization of points
- Paragraphing happens too often (before points are completed) or too rarely (obscuring the distinction and development of points)
Style
Strengths
- Writer has an engaging human voice
- Writer varies sentence length and structure appropriately
- Writer uses words accurately and appropriately for an academic context
Weaknesses
- Writer’s human voice doesn’t come through to the reader
- Most sentences are about the same length and structure
- Vocabulary may be either inflated, too casual, or imprecise
Control of Standard Edited English
- Writer makes very few, if any, errors in sentence grammar
- Writer makes very few, if any, errors in spelling
- Writer makes very few, if any, errors in punctuation