Name:_________________________ Stage of Writing:_______________________Class_____________

Excellent (A) Good (B) Average (C) Subpar (D) Missing (F)
5pts 4pts 3pts 1-2pts 0pts
Introduction The The There is an There is an There are zero
introduction introduction introduction, attempt at an elements of
is focused on is mostly on road map, introduction, an
one topic, topic, the and semi there may or introduction.
giving the road map is logical. may not be an
reader a mostly clear, Attempts a attempt at a
“road map” and there is credibility road map. No
for where the good logical statement. credibility
essay is going backing. Has Leads to statement.
to go, and is a decent thesis. Likely does
logical. Has a credibility not lead to
great statement thesis.
credibility which shows
statement experts are
which shows talking about
experts are the topic.
talking about Leads to
the topic. thesis.
Leads to
thesis
Thesis 10pts 7pts The thesis The thesis There is not a
The thesis The thesis has 3-4 exists, but thesis.
has 3-4 clear has 3-4 average may not
sentences decent sentences connect to
with 2 strong sentences with at least the
transition with 2 good 1 transition assignment.
words which transition word which
lets the words which connect to
reader know generally lets the
what issue the reader assignment in
you are know what at least 1
persuading issue you are way.
on and how persuading
on and how
Topic Sentences Clearly shows Shows the Somewhat Does a poor Has no
the point of point of the shows the job of relevance to
the paragraph, point of the showing the the paper.
paragraph, uses paragraph, point of the
uses key keywords does not use paragraph,
words well from the keywords, does not use
from the thesis and and keywords,
thesis and lets the somewhat and poorly
lets the reader know lets the lets the
reader know what the reader know reader know
what the paragraph what the what the
Name:_________________________ Stage of Writing:_______________________Class_____________

paragraph will be about. paragraph paragraph will

will be about. will be about. be about.
Context 10pts 7pts The reader The reader There is no
The reader is The reader is expects an does not context
well prepared mostly upcoming expect an
for the prepared for source. The upcoming
upcoming the upcoming writer source. The
source. The source. The attempts writer gives
writer has writer has creditability little
creditability creditability statements creditability
statements statements and/or and/or
and keywords and keywords keywords keywords
from the from the from the from the
article and article and article and article and
quote, which quote, which quote, which quote, which
are are used to attempt to barely
effectively prepare the prepare the prepares the
used to reader for the reader for the reader for an
prepare the outside outside outside
reader for the source. source. source.
outside
source.
Integration All quotes are Most quotes Some quotes Quotes are There is no
effectively are are either integration.
integrated effectively effectively integrated
into an integrated integrated into an
original into an into an original
sentence original original sentence or
created by sentence sentence there are in-
the writer. created by created by text citations,
There are the writer. the writer. but not both.
perfect in- There are There are in-
text citations. good in-text text citations.
citations.
Outside Sources 10pts 7pts 8 sources are Less than 8 No sources
At least 8 At least 8 used but they sources are are used.
credible credible may not be used. The
outside outside from the sources may
sources: 4 sources: 4 correct or may not
from the from the locations and come from
databases, 2 databases, 2 may not be the requested
are peer are peer very credible. locations.
reviewed, reviewed,
and 2 are and 2 are
from a from a
credible credible
place. Each place. Each
Name:_________________________ Stage of Writing:_______________________Class_____________

source source mostly

advances the advances the
essay and essay.
works to
persuade the
audience.
Interpretation 10pts 7pts The writer There is little There is no
The writer The writer attempts interpretation interpretation.
successfully does a good breaking of quotes and
and job breaking down, it is hard to
effectively down, interpreting see how the
breaks down, interpreting some quotes, sources
interprets most quotes, and attempts connect to
quotes, and and explains explaining the essay or
explains why why the why some assignment.
quotes are quotes are quotes are
important to important to important to
the the the
advancement advancement advancement
of the essay. of the essay. of the essay.
Connection/follow 10pts 7pts Some Very little There is no
through Each Each paragraphs connection connection/
paragraph paragraph do a good job back to the follow
does an does a good connecting thesis through.
excellent job job back to the statement
connecting connecting thesis and topic
back to the back to the statement sentence
thesis thesis and topic without much
statement statement sentence or any use of
and topic and topic while keywords
sentence sentence attempting to
while while use
effectively effectively keywords.
using using
keywords. keywords.
Persuasion The essay The essay The essay is Is this a This is an
successfully persuades persuasive persuasive informative
persuades the audience most of the essay or research
the audience of the time, but informative essay. Not
of the writer’s topic tends to rant one? meeting the
writer’s topic and mostly or ramble. requirements.
and uses a uses a
professional professional
academic academic
tone to help tone to help
persuade. persuade.
Content 10pts 10pts The writer The audience The language
Name:_________________________ Stage of Writing:_______________________Class_____________

The writer The writer persuades is persuaded may be

successfully persuades the audience in such a way persuasive
persuades the audience of the topic that if with a rant or
the audience the topic with but not with uneducated ramble on a
of the topic enough detail enough detail on the topic topic. The
with enough that someone that someone may form a reader would
detail that who had who had biased or not get a good
someone never heard never heard wrong idea about the
who had of the topic of the topic opinion, in topic.
never heard now now this case the
of the topic understands understands sources are
now it. The writer it. The writer likely not very
understands gives the gives the credible.
it. The writer audience audience
gives the most of the some
audience the information information
information needed to be but it may be
needed to be educated on biased or
educated on the topic. incomplete.
the topic.
Organization and The ideas are The ideas are In general, The writing is No idea what
Page Length arranged arranged the writing in not logically the paper is
logically to logically to arranged organized. about. Less
support the support the logically, Frequently, than 4 pages
purpose of central although ideas fail to of writing.
the purpose or occasionally make sense
argument. argument. ideas fail to together. The
They flow They are make sense reader cannot
smoothly usually clearly together. The identify a line
from one to linked to each reader is of reasoning
another and other. For the fairly clear and loses
are clearly most part the about what interest.
linked to each reader can the writer The essay is 5
other. The follow the intends. The pages of
reader can line of essay is 6 writing
follow. The reasoning. pages of
essay is 8 full The essay is 7 writing
pages of pages of
writing writing
Conclusion The The The There is a No conclusion.
conclusion conclusion conclusion final
gives readers gives readers gives readers paragraph
a clear a clear a summary of that may or
summary of summary of the essay may not be a
the essay the essay contents. conclusion.
contents and contents and
wraps it up. wraps it up.
The
Name:_________________________ Stage of Writing:_______________________Class_____________

conclusion
leaves the
reader
hungry for
more.
Mechanics The writing is There are There are A lot of errors So many
free or occasional quite a few making the errors, the
almost free of errors within errors within meaning reader cannot
errors. Easy the essay. the essay rather hard to follow along.
to read. Mostly easy impeding understand.
to read. some reading
ability.
APA The essay The essay has The essay has The essay is APA is not
uses correct mostly some correct missing most used.
APA correct APA APA of the APA
document document document elements or
design, in- design, in- design, in- there are few
text citations, text citations, text citations, to no
and work and work and work citations, in-
cited entries cited entries cited entries text or work
page. page. page. cited.