For this Reading Journal:
- In a Word document, read and write a labeled paragraph Reading Journal for the following:
Chapters 1-3 in Everything’s an Argument
The Qualities of Effective Expository Writing
In a nutshell:
A reading journal is a summary paragraph of the key points from your assigned reading. It is an effective paragraph as set forth in our primary textbook, The Little Brown Handbook (Fowler and Aaron 72). The paragraph is the basic unit of thought in this class.
For more information, please see
Instructions for Reading Journals
.
● Central Idea: (evaluated according to the relevance, scope and clarity of the
stance you take in the paper)
● Organization/Coherence: (the arrangement of your ideas and how well
connected they are, i.e., the reader’s journey through the progression of your
ideas and the signposts you provide the reader)
● Support: (the evidence you provide–be it in the form of facts or details,
arguments, or anecdotes, i.e., the degree to which and the manner in which
you give your reader the opportunity to experience your ideas, feelings,
opinions)
● Voice: (not an easy one to define–I like to think of “voice” as the personality
of the writer coming through the words on the page. One of the ways I think
about the “voice” of a piece of writing is to consider whether or not I as the
reader have a sense of the writer’s relationship- to the topic and to an
audience)
● Sentence Structure/Diction: (the degree to which and the ways in which you
join and modify ideas within the boundaries of a sentence.
● Standard Conventions: (grammar/punctuation/spelling/format)
● Unity: created by a strong, clear controlling idea; topic sentences in body
paragraphs; clear relationship of body paragraphs to controlling idea; clear
relationship of supporting sentences to topic sentence; ideas communicate a
clear purpose
● Development: detailed discussion that satisfies the reader’s need to
understand the writer’s intended points;
● Audience: as shown by appropriate opening and concluding paragraphs;
awareness of choice of detail and language appropriate for the reader;
● Fluency: sentences that show appropriate use of logical connectors, such as
appositives, adjective clauses, and verbals; language appropriate to the topic,
purpose, and audience, avoiding clichés and generalizations;
● Proofreading: sentences that are generally free of basic skills errors, and
spelling errors.
The following information contains brief explanations of what the categories of writing
effectiveness mean in terms of letter grades throughout your collegiate experience:
“Outstanding (O)” for Amazing Accomplishment
● Relevance and Scope: Central idea is clearly defined, insightful and
appropriate for audience and purpose. You may have taken an ambitious
approach to the problem you’re addressing in this writing assignment. You’ve
taken some risks, tried something difficult and worthwhile, taught your reader
how to see things in a new way, and/or entertained him/her gracefully,
memorably.
● Organization/Coherence: Essay structure and paragraphing reflect a clear,
logical and smooth development of the central idea. In spite of the complexity
and/or thoroughness of your thinking, you’ve found a way to organize your
material so that the progression between ideas is always clear. But your
method of organization does not draw attention to itself, distracting the reader
from the ideas themselves.
● Development: Full and clear explanation of the ideas you’re trying to convey
through the use of relevant and specific detail (e.g., examples, anecdotes, a
metaphor that’s elaborated), and/or commentary (i.e., your interpretation or
discussion of the details or illustrations you use).
● Voice: Being able to discern the concern, the involvement, the emotion of the
writer coming through the words on paper throughout the entire essay.
● Sentence Structure/Diction: Smooth, varied and elaborated sentence
structure; your style is effective, showing full assimilation of sentence
techniques taught in this class–including a sense of when to use them.
Appropriate and fresh word choice. Standard Conventions: Only rare or
isolated errors in grammar/ punctuation/spelling.
The general criteria listed above will help you know what to expect. Remember,
however, that every essay is different, a unique mixture of strengths and weaknesses
that cannot be precisely described by these general terms. Also, since writers are
expected to develop over the period of the semester, the criteria established here will, of
course, offer an ever-increasing challenge. Central ideas, for example, will become
more intricate as writers progress. The organization will become more controlled, then
more complex. Support will be derived more and more frequently from outside print
sources. Fewer and fewer sentence and word-level problems will obscure the meaning
of your ideas. These criteria will remain our evaluative standards as the academic year
progresses, but they will be used to assess increasingly sophisticated texts.
“Good (G)” for BETTER than adequate
● Relevance and Scope: You’ve been bold enough to extend your thinking
beyond the basics of the ideas you’re writing about; you’ve offered your
readers some fresh, entertaining or compelling observations and insights.
● Organization/Coherence: Besides being able to grasp your main point, the
reader generally has an easy journey through your essay, rarely feeling lost.
You probably provide good signposts, like transitions between paragraphs.
● Development: Your essay offers several good points or raises several
thoughtful questions in your discussion of the topic. Your paragraphs give
your reader time to experience an idea, walk around inside it and think it
through with you.
● Voice: Your personality and stance toward your reader and topic come
through in places in the essay.
● Sentence -Structure: You are using sentence techniques that enhance your
meaning(s).
● Standard Conventions (grammar/punctuation/spelling): You may have a few
stubborn errors, which you will continue to work on, but they are rare.
“Satisfactory (S)” for Communicatively Competent
The communicatively competent paper adequately fulfills its purpose. It has many
commendable features, certainly including a central idea and a recognizable
organizational structure. It provides support for its thesis through specific examples and
elaboration. It contains, at most, only isolated errors in grammar and punctuation, with
only occasional misspellings. The sense of audience and purpose is there, and the
authorial voice may show engagement with the topic. Thus, some bottom line skills you
have clearly mastered:
● Relevance and Scope: You engage the topic/assignment appropriately; you
contribute meaningfully to the conversation you’re joining or a problem you
address.
● Organization/ Coherence: Your reader gets your main point.
● Development: There’s enough detail and discussion that your reader isn’t left
with many confusing questions.
● Sentence Structure: You use a clear style that conveys your meaning,
connecting ideas where appropriate.
Despite these strengths, the S paper may be limited in one or more of the categories
above. For instance, the central idea may be too general or too predictable; the
organization of the content may lack some necessary transitions; support may be
insufficient in some places. In general, however, this is a sound and acceptable piece of
writing. You demonstrate adequate Communicative Competence (“S” work) at the
college level, and for much of the writing you will do in the world beyond school.
“Needs Improvement (NI)” for Developing, but not ready for the professor
Some students are astounded when they earn their first “NI” in a college writing class.
This grade does not mean you have made no effort, are ignorant or are a hopeless
writer. It does not even mean your essay is impossible to understand or says little of
interest–though in rare cases these problems may be present. In other words, the NI
paper can be the result of a “good faith” effort by the writer, which for many possible
reasons may have gone astray and so is not yet eligible for a passing grade of O, G, or
S. The writer may have picked a topic that did not leave him or her any room to develop
a position. Alternatively, he or she may have tried tackling an ambitious subject, and in
the process of writing, has been unable to evolve a clear and central idea, or has found
two competing or conflicting ideas he or she has been unable to reconcile, or has
devoted so much time to working out ideas that the language of his or her presentation
is rough. Additionally, usage and proofreading is inadequate, leaving serious errors in
grammar or punctuation. In some cases, a writer may simply not yet have mastered the
sentence options or rules of punctuation needed for this level of work. So, the “NI”
paper has one or more of the following characteristics:
● No recognizable central idea or one that is far too shallow or ambitious to be
developed in an essay;
● No clearly defined or apparent plan of development. or Disunited or
incoherent paragraphs;
● Consistently vague and non-specific support;
● Consistently inaccurate or inappropriate word choices;
● Frequently awkward sentence structure;
● Frequent errors, both major and minor, in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
“Needs Tremendous Improvement (NTI)” for existing, but ineffective and
inadequate
The controlling idea is either confusing or absent from the paper. The paper lacks detail,
examples, outside sources or a Works Cited page (when research is included).
Paragraphs or sentences show serious patterns of error. These papers are generally
difficult to understand. Papers revealing plagiarism earn a “NTI” mark.
● Central Idea: (evaluated according to the relevance, scope and clarity of the
stance you take in the paper)
● Organization/Coherence: (the arrangement of your ideas and how well
connected they are, i.e., the reader’s journey through the progression of your
ideas and the signposts you provide the reader)
● Support: (the evidence you provide–be it in the form of facts or details,
arguments, or anecdotes, i.e., the degree to which and the manner in which
you give your reader the opportunity to experience your ideas, feelings,
opinions)
● Voice: (not an easy one to define–I like to think of “voice” as the personality
of the writer coming through the words on the page. One of the ways I think
about the “voice” of a piece of writing is to consider whether or not I as the
reader have a sense of the writer’s relationship- to the topic and to an
audience)
● Sentence Structure/Diction: (the degree to which and the ways in which you
join and modify ideas within the boundaries of a sentence.
● Standard Conventions: (grammar/punctuation/spelling/format)
● Unity: created by a strong, clear controlling idea; topic sentences in body
paragraphs; clear relationship of body paragraphs to controlling idea; clear
relationship of supporting sentences to topic sentence; ideas communicate a
clear purpose
● Development: detailed discussion that satisfies the reader’s need to
understand the writer’s intended points;
● Audience: as shown by appropriate opening and concluding paragraphs;
awareness of choice of detail and language appropriate for the reader;
● Fluency: sentences that show appropriate use of logical connectors, such as
appositives, adjective clauses, and verbals; language appropriate to the topic,
purpose, and audience, avoiding clichés and generalizations;
● Proofreading: sentences that are generally free of basic skills errors, and
spelling errors.
The following information contains brief explanations of what the categories of writing
effectiveness mean in terms of letter grades throughout your collegiate experience:
“Outstanding (O)” for Amazing Accomplishment
● Relevance and Scope: Central idea is clearly defined, insightful and
appropriate for audience and purpose. You may have taken an ambitious
approach to the problem you’re addressing in this writing assignment. You’ve
taken some risks, tried something difficult and worthwhile, taught your reader
how to see things in a new way, and/or entertained him/her gracefully,
memorably.
● Organization/Coherence: Essay structure and paragraphing reflect a clear,
logical and smooth development of the central idea. In spite of the complexity
and/or thoroughness of your thinking, you’ve found a way to organize your
material so that the progression between ideas is always clear. But your
method of organization does not draw attention to itself, distracting the reader
from the ideas themselves.
● Development: Full and clear explanation of the ideas you’re trying to convey
through the use of relevant and specific detail (e.g., examples, anecdotes, a
metaphor that’s elaborated), and/or commentary (i.e., your interpretation or
discussion of the details or illustrations you use).
● Voice: Being able to discern the concern, the involvement, the emotion of the
writer coming through the words on paper throughout the entire essay.
● Sentence Structure/Diction: Smooth, varied and elaborated sentence
structure; your style is effective, showing full assimilation of sentence
techniques taught in this class–including a sense of when to use them.
Appropriate and fresh word choice. Standard Conventions: Only rare or
isolated errors in grammar/ punctuation/spelling.
The general criteria listed above will help you know what to expect. Remember,
however, that every essay is different, a unique mixture of strengths and weaknesses
that cannot be precisely described by these general terms. Also, since writers are
expected to develop over the period of the semester, the criteria established here will, of
course, offer an ever-increasing challenge. Central ideas, for example, will become
more intricate as writers progress. The organization will become more controlled, then
more complex. Support will be derived more and more frequently from outside print
sources. Fewer and fewer sentence and word-level problems will obscure the meaning
of your ideas. These criteria will remain our evaluative standards as the academic year
progresses, but they will be used to assess increasingly sophisticated texts.
“Good (G)” for BETTER than adequate
● Relevance and Scope: You’ve been bold enough to extend your thinking
beyond the basics of the ideas you’re writing about; you’ve offered your
readers some fresh, entertaining or compelling observations and insights.
● Organization/Coherence: Besides being able to grasp your main point, the
reader generally has an easy journey through your essay, rarely feeling lost.
You probably provide good signposts, like transitions between paragraphs.
● Development: Your essay offers several good points or raises several
thoughtful questions in your discussion of the topic. Your paragraphs give
your reader time to experience an idea, walk around inside it and think it
through with you.
● Voice: Your personality and stance toward your reader and topic come
through in places in the essay.
● Sentence -Structure: You are using sentence techniques that enhance your
meaning(s).
● Standard Conventions (grammar/punctuation/spelling): You may have a few
stubborn errors, which you will continue to work on, but they are rare.
“Satisfactory (S)” for Communicatively Competent
The communicatively competent paper adequately fulfills its purpose. It has many
commendable features, certainly including a central idea and a recognizable
organizational structure. It provides support for its thesis through specific examples and
elaboration. It contains, at most, only isolated errors in grammar and punctuation, with
only occasional misspellings. The sense of audience and purpose is there, and the
authorial voice may show engagement with the topic. Thus, some bottom line skills you
have clearly mastered:
● Relevance and Scope: You engage the topic/assignment appropriately; you
contribute meaningfully to the conversation you’re joining or a problem you
address.
● Organization/ Coherence: Your reader gets your main point.
● Development: There’s enough detail and discussion that your reader isn’t left
with many confusing questions.
● Sentence Structure: You use a clear style that conveys your meaning,
connecting ideas where appropriate.
Despite these strengths, the S paper may be limited in one or more of the categories
above. For instance, the central idea may be too general or too predictable; the
organization of the content may lack some necessary transitions; support may be
insufficient in some places. In general, however, this is a sound and acceptable piece of
writing. You demonstrate adequate Communicative Competence (“S” work) at the
college level, and for much of the writing you will do in the world beyond school.
“Needs Improvement (NI)” for Developing, but not ready for the professor
Some students are astounded when they earn their first “NI” in a college writing class.
This grade does not mean you have made no effort, are ignorant or are a hopeless
writer. It does not even mean your essay is impossible to understand or says little of
interest–though in rare cases these problems may be present. In other words, the NI
paper can be the result of a “good faith” effort by the writer, which for many possible
reasons may have gone astray and so is not yet eligible for a passing grade of O, G, or
S. The writer may have picked a topic that did not leave him or her any room to develop
a position. Alternatively, he or she may have tried tackling an ambitious subject, and in
the process of writing, has been unable to evolve a clear and central idea, or has found
two competing or conflicting ideas he or she has been unable to reconcile, or has
devoted so much time to working out ideas that the language of his or her presentation
is rough. Additionally, usage and proofreading is inadequate, leaving serious errors in
grammar or punctuation. In some cases, a writer may simply not yet have mastered the
sentence options or rules of punctuation needed for this level of work. So, the “NI”
paper has one or more of the following characteristics:
● No recognizable central idea or one that is far too shallow or ambitious to be
developed in an essay;
● No clearly defined or apparent plan of development. or Disunited or
incoherent paragraphs;
● Consistently vague and non-specific support;
● Consistently inaccurate or inappropriate word choices;
● Frequently awkward sentence structure;
● Frequent errors, both major and minor, in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
“Needs Tremendous Improvement (NTI)” for existing, but ineffective and
inadequate
The controlling idea is either confusing or absent from the paper. The paper lacks detail,
examples, outside sources or a Works Cited page (when research is included).
Paragraphs or sentences show serious patterns of error. These papers are generally
difficult to understand. Papers revealing plagiarism earn a “NTI” mark.
● Central Idea: (evaluated according to the relevance, scope and clarity of the
stance you take in the paper)
● Organization/Coherence: (the arrangement of your ideas and how well
connected they are, i.e., the reader’s journey through the progression of your
ideas and the signposts you provide the reader)
● Support: (the evidence you provide–be it in the form of facts or details,
arguments, or anecdotes, i.e., the degree to which and the manner in which
you give your reader the opportunity to experience your ideas, feelings,
opinions)
● Voice: (not an easy one to define–I like to think of “voice” as the personality
of the writer coming through the words on the page. One of the ways I think
about the “voice” of a piece of writing is to consider whether or not I as the
reader have a sense of the writer’s relationship- to the topic and to an
audience)
● Sentence Structure/Diction: (the degree to which and the ways in which you
join and modify ideas within the boundaries of a sentence.
● Standard Conventions: (grammar/punctuation/spelling/format)
● Unity: created by a strong, clear controlling idea; topic sentences in body
paragraphs; clear relationship of body paragraphs to controlling idea; clear
relationship of supporting sentences to topic sentence; ideas communicate a
clear purpose
● Development: detailed discussion that satisfies the reader’s need to
understand the writer’s intended points;
● Audience: as shown by appropriate opening and concluding paragraphs;
awareness of choice of detail and language appropriate for the reader;
● Fluency: sentences that show appropriate use of logical connectors, such as
appositives, adjective clauses, and verbals; language appropriate to the topic,
purpose, and audience, avoiding clichés and generalizations;
● Proofreading: sentences that are generally free of basic skills errors, and
spelling errors.
The following information contains brief explanations of what the categories of writing
effectiveness mean in terms of letter grades throughout your collegiate experience:
“Outstanding (O)” for Amazing Accomplishment
● Relevance and Scope: Central idea is clearly defined, insightful and
appropriate for audience and purpose. You may have taken an ambitious
approach to the problem you’re addressing in this writing assignment. You’ve
taken some risks, tried something difficult and worthwhile, taught your reader
how to see things in a new way, and/or entertained him/her gracefully,
memorably.
● Organization/Coherence: Essay structure and paragraphing reflect a clear,
logical and smooth development of the central idea. In spite of the complexity
and/or thoroughness of your thinking, you’ve found a way to organize your
material so that the progression between ideas is always clear. But your
method of organization does not draw attention to itself, distracting the reader
from the ideas themselves.
● Development: Full and clear explanation of the ideas you’re trying to convey
through the use of relevant and specific detail (e.g., examples, anecdotes, a
metaphor that’s elaborated), and/or commentary (i.e., your interpretation or
discussion of the details or illustrations you use).
● Voice: Being able to discern the concern, the involvement, the emotion of the
writer coming through the words on paper throughout the entire essay.
● Sentence Structure/Diction: Smooth, varied and elaborated sentence
structure; your style is effective, showing full assimilation of sentence
techniques taught in this class–including a sense of when to use them.
Appropriate and fresh word choice. Standard Conventions: Only rare or
isolated errors in grammar/ punctuation/spelling.
The general criteria listed above will help you know what to expect. Remember,
however, that every essay is different, a unique mixture of strengths and weaknesses
that cannot be precisely described by these general terms. Also, since writers are
expected to develop over the period of the semester, the criteria established here will, of
course, offer an ever-increasing challenge. Central ideas, for example, will become
more intricate as writers progress. The organization will become more controlled, then
more complex. Support will be derived more and more frequently from outside print
sources. Fewer and fewer sentence and word-level problems will obscure the meaning
of your ideas. These criteria will remain our evaluative standards as the academic year
progresses, but they will be used to assess increasingly sophisticated texts.
“Good (G)” for BETTER than adequate
● Relevance and Scope: You’ve been bold enough to extend your thinking
beyond the basics of the ideas you’re writing about; you’ve offered your
readers some fresh, entertaining or compelling observations and insights.
● Organization/Coherence: Besides being able to grasp your main point, the
reader generally has an easy journey through your essay, rarely feeling lost.
You probably provide good signposts, like transitions between paragraphs.
● Development: Your essay offers several good points or raises several
thoughtful questions in your discussion of the topic. Your paragraphs give
your reader time to experience an idea, walk around inside it and think it
through with you.
● Voice: Your personality and stance toward your reader and topic come
through in places in the essay.
● Sentence -Structure: You are using sentence techniques that enhance your
meaning(s).
● Standard Conventions (grammar/punctuation/spelling): You may have a few
stubborn errors, which you will continue to work on, but they are rare.
“Satisfactory (S)” for Communicatively Competent
The communicatively competent paper adequately fulfills its purpose. It has many
commendable features, certainly including a central idea and a recognizable
organizational structure. It provides support for its thesis through specific examples and
elaboration. It contains, at most, only isolated errors in grammar and punctuation, with
only occasional misspellings. The sense of audience and purpose is there, and the
authorial voice may show engagement with the topic. Thus, some bottom line skills you
have clearly mastered:
● Relevance and Scope: You engage the topic/assignment appropriately; you
contribute meaningfully to the conversation you’re joining or a problem you
address.
● Organization/ Coherence: Your reader gets your main point.
● Development: There’s enough detail and discussion that your reader isn’t left
with many confusing questions.
● Sentence Structure: You use a clear style that conveys your meaning,
connecting ideas where appropriate.
Despite these strengths, the S paper may be limited in one or more of the categories
above. For instance, the central idea may be too general or too predictable; the
organization of the content may lack some necessary transitions; support may be
insufficient in some places. In general, however, this is a sound and acceptable piece of
writing. You demonstrate adequate Communicative Competence (“S” work) at the
college level, and for much of the writing you will do in the world beyond school.
“Needs Improvement (NI)” for Developing, but not ready for the professor
Some students are astounded when they earn their first “NI” in a college writing class.
This grade does not mean you have made no effort, are ignorant or are a hopeless
writer. It does not even mean your essay is impossible to understand or says little of
interest–though in rare cases these problems may be present. In other words, the NI
paper can be the result of a “good faith” effort by the writer, which for many possible
reasons may have gone astray and so is not yet eligible for a passing grade of O, G, or
S. The writer may have picked a topic that did not leave him or her any room to develop
a position. Alternatively, he or she may have tried tackling an ambitious subject, and in
the process of writing, has been unable to evolve a clear and central idea, or has found
two competing or conflicting ideas he or she has been unable to reconcile, or has
devoted so much time to working out ideas that the language of his or her presentation
is rough. Additionally, usage and proofreading is inadequate, leaving serious errors in
grammar or punctuation. In some cases, a writer may simply not yet have mastered the
sentence options or rules of punctuation needed for this level of work. So, the “NI”
paper has one or more of the following characteristics:
● No recognizable central idea or one that is far too shallow or ambitious to be
developed in an essay;
● No clearly defined or apparent plan of development. or Disunited or
incoherent paragraphs;
● Consistently vague and non-specific support;
● Consistently inaccurate or inappropriate word choices;
● Frequently awkward sentence structure;
● Frequent errors, both major and minor, in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
“Needs Tremendous Improvement (NTI)” for existing, but ineffective and
inadequate
The controlling idea is either confusing or absent from the paper. The paper lacks detail,
examples, outside sources or a Works Cited page (when research is included).
Paragraphs or sentences show serious patterns of error. These papers are generally
difficult to understand. Papers revealing plagiarism earn a “NTI” mark.
● Central Idea: (evaluated according to the relevance, scope and clarity of the
stance you take in the paper)
● Organization/Coherence: (the arrangement of your ideas and how well
connected they are, i.e., the reader’s journey through the progression of your
ideas and the signposts you provide the reader)
● Support: (the evidence you provide–be it in the form of facts or details,
arguments, or anecdotes, i.e., the degree to which and the manner in which
you give your reader the opportunity to experience your ideas, feelings,
opinions)
● Voice: (not an easy one to define–I like to think of “voice” as the personality
of the writer coming through the words on the page. One of the ways I think
about the “voice” of a piece of writing is to consider whether or not I as the
reader have a sense of the writer’s relationship- to the topic and to an
audience)
● Sentence Structure/Diction: (the degree to which and the ways in which you
join and modify ideas within the boundaries of a sentence.
● Standard Conventions: (grammar/punctuation/spelling/format)
● Unity: created by a strong, clear controlling idea; topic sentences in body
paragraphs; clear relationship of body paragraphs to controlling idea; clear
relationship of supporting sentences to topic sentence; ideas communicate a
clear purpose
● Development: detailed discussion that satisfies the reader’s need to
understand the writer’s intended points;
● Audience: as shown by appropriate opening and concluding paragraphs;
awareness of choice of detail and language appropriate for the reader;
● Fluency: sentences that show appropriate use of logical connectors, such as
appositives, adjective clauses, and verbals; language appropriate to the topic,
purpose, and audience, avoiding clichés and generalizations;
● Proofreading: sentences that are generally free of basic skills errors, and
spelling errors.
The following information contains brief explanations of what the categories of writing
effectiveness mean in terms of letter grades throughout your collegiate experience:
“Outstanding (O)” for Amazing Accomplishment
● Relevance and Scope: Central idea is clearly defined, insightful and
appropriate for audience and purpose. You may have taken an ambitious
approach to the problem you’re addressing in this writing assignment. You’ve
taken some risks, tried something difficult and worthwhile, taught your reader
how to see things in a new way, and/or entertained him/her gracefully,
memorably.
● Organization/Coherence: Essay structure and paragraphing reflect a clear,
logical and smooth development of the central idea. In spite of the complexity
and/or thoroughness of your thinking, you’ve found a way to organize your
material so that the progression between ideas is always clear. But your
method of organization does not draw attention to itself, distracting the reader
from the ideas themselves.
● Development: Full and clear explanation of the ideas you’re trying to convey
through the use of relevant and specific detail (e.g., examples, anecdotes, a
metaphor that’s elaborated), and/or commentary (i.e., your interpretation or
discussion of the details or illustrations you use).
● Voice: Being able to discern the concern, the involvement, the emotion of the
writer coming through the words on paper throughout the entire essay.
● Sentence Structure/Diction: Smooth, varied and elaborated sentence
structure; your style is effective, showing full assimilation of sentence
techniques taught in this class–including a sense of when to use them.
Appropriate and fresh word choice. Standard Conventions: Only rare or
isolated errors in grammar/ punctuation/spelling.
The general criteria listed above will help you know what to expect. Remember,
however, that every essay is different, a unique mixture of strengths and weaknesses
that cannot be precisely described by these general terms. Also, since writers are
expected to develop over the period of the semester, the criteria established here will, of
course, offer an ever-increasing challenge. Central ideas, for example, will become
more intricate as writers progress. The organization will become more controlled, then
more complex. Support will be derived more and more frequently from outside print
sources. Fewer and fewer sentence and word-level problems will obscure the meaning
of your ideas. These criteria will remain our evaluative standards as the academic year
progresses, but they will be used to assess increasingly sophisticated texts.
“Good (G)” for BETTER than adequate
● Relevance and Scope: You’ve been bold enough to extend your thinking
beyond the basics of the ideas you’re writing about; you’ve offered your
readers some fresh, entertaining or compelling observations and insights.
● Organization/Coherence: Besides being able to grasp your main point, the
reader generally has an easy journey through your essay, rarely feeling lost.
You probably provide good signposts, like transitions between paragraphs.
● Development: Your essay offers several good points or raises several
thoughtful questions in your discussion of the topic. Your paragraphs give
your reader time to experience an idea, walk around inside it and think it
through with you.
● Voice: Your personality and stance toward your reader and topic come
through in places in the essay.
● Sentence -Structure: You are using sentence techniques that enhance your
meaning(s).
● Standard Conventions (grammar/punctuation/spelling): You may have a few
stubborn errors, which you will continue to work on, but they are rare.
“Satisfactory (S)” for Communicatively Competent
The communicatively competent paper adequately fulfills its purpose. It has many
commendable features, certainly including a central idea and a recognizable
organizational structure. It provides support for its thesis through specific examples and
elaboration. It contains, at most, only isolated errors in grammar and punctuation, with
only occasional misspellings. The sense of audience and purpose is there, and the
authorial voice may show engagement with the topic. Thus, some bottom line skills you
have clearly mastered:
● Relevance and Scope: You engage the topic/assignment appropriately; you
contribute meaningfully to the conversation you’re joining or a problem you
address.
● Organization/ Coherence: Your reader gets your main point.
● Development: There’s enough detail and discussion that your reader isn’t left
with many confusing questions.
● Sentence Structure: You use a clear style that conveys your meaning,
connecting ideas where appropriate.
Despite these strengths, the S paper may be limited in one or more of the categories
above. For instance, the central idea may be too general or too predictable; the
organization of the content may lack some necessary transitions; support may be
insufficient in some places. In general, however, this is a sound and acceptable piece of
writing. You demonstrate adequate Communicative Competence (“S” work) at the
college level, and for much of the writing you will do in the world beyond school.
“Needs Improvement (NI)” for Developing, but not ready for the professor
Some students are astounded when they earn their first “NI” in a college writing class.
This grade does not mean you have made no effort, are ignorant or are a hopeless
writer. It does not even mean your essay is impossible to understand or says little of
interest–though in rare cases these problems may be present. In other words, the NI
paper can be the result of a “good faith” effort by the writer, which for many possible
reasons may have gone astray and so is not yet eligible for a passing grade of O, G, or
S. The writer may have picked a topic that did not leave him or her any room to develop
a position. Alternatively, he or she may have tried tackling an ambitious subject, and in
the process of writing, has been unable to evolve a clear and central idea, or has found
two competing or conflicting ideas he or she has been unable to reconcile, or has
devoted so much time to working out ideas that the language of his or her presentation
is rough. Additionally, usage and proofreading is inadequate, leaving serious errors in
grammar or punctuation. In some cases, a writer may simply not yet have mastered the
sentence options or rules of punctuation needed for this level of work. So, the “NI”
paper has one or more of the following characteristics:
● No recognizable central idea or one that is far too shallow or ambitious to be
developed in an essay;
● No clearly defined or apparent plan of development. or Disunited or
incoherent paragraphs;
● Consistently vague and non-specific support;
● Consistently inaccurate or inappropriate word choices;
● Frequently awkward sentence structure;
● Frequent errors, both major and minor, in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
“Needs Tremendous Improvement (NTI)” for existing, but ineffective and
inadequate
The controlling idea is either confusing or absent from the paper. The paper lacks detail,
examples, outside sources or a Works Cited page (when research is included).
Paragraphs or sentences show serious patterns of error. These papers are generally
difficult to understand. Papers revealing plagiarism earn a “NTI” mark.
● Central Idea: (evaluated according to the relevance, scope and clarity of the
stance you take in the paper)
● Organization/Coherence: (the arrangement of your ideas and how well
connected they are, i.e., the reader’s journey through the progression of your
ideas and the signposts you provide the reader)
● Support: (the evidence you provide–be it in the form of facts or details,
arguments, or anecdotes, i.e., the degree to which and the manner in which
you give your reader the opportunity to experience your ideas, feelings,
opinions)
● Voice: (not an easy one to define–I like to think of “voice” as the personality
of the writer coming through the words on the page. One of the ways I think
about the “voice” of a piece of writing is to consider whether or not I as the
reader have a sense of the writer’s relationship- to the topic and to an
audience)
● Sentence Structure/Diction: (the degree to which and the ways in which you
join and modify ideas within the boundaries of a sentence.
● Standard Conventions: (grammar/punctuation/spelling/format)
● Unity: created by a strong, clear controlling idea; topic sentences in body
paragraphs; clear relationship of body paragraphs to controlling idea; clear
relationship of supporting sentences to topic sentence; ideas communicate a
clear purpose
● Development: detailed discussion that satisfies the reader’s need to
understand the writer’s intended points;
● Audience: as shown by appropriate opening and concluding paragraphs;
awareness of choice of detail and language appropriate for the reader;
● Fluency: sentences that show appropriate use of logical connectors, such as
appositives, adjective clauses, and verbals; language appropriate to the topic,
purpose, and audience, avoiding clichés and generalizations;
● Proofreading: sentences that are generally free of basic skills errors, and
spelling errors.
The following information contains brief explanations of what the categories of writing
effectiveness mean in terms of letter grades throughout your collegiate experience:
“Outstanding (O)” for Amazing Accomplishment
● Relevance and Scope: Central idea is clearly defined, insightful and
appropriate for audience and purpose. You may have taken an ambitious
approach to the problem you’re addressing in this writing assignment. You’ve
taken some risks, tried something difficult and worthwhile, taught your reader
how to see things in a new way, and/or entertained him/her gracefully,
memorably.
● Organization/Coherence: Essay structure and paragraphing reflect a clear,
logical and smooth development of the central idea. In spite of the complexity
and/or thoroughness of your thinking, you’ve found a way to organize your
material so that the progression between ideas is always clear. But your
method of organization does not draw attention to itself, distracting the reader
from the ideas themselves.
● Development: Full and clear explanation of the ideas you’re trying to convey
through the use of relevant and specific detail (e.g., examples, anecdotes, a
metaphor that’s elaborated), and/or commentary (i.e., your interpretation or
discussion of the details or illustrations you use).
● Voice: Being able to discern the concern, the involvement, the emotion of the
writer coming through the words on paper throughout the entire essay.
● Sentence Structure/Diction: Smooth, varied and elaborated sentence
structure; your style is effective, showing full assimilation of sentence
techniques taught in this class–including a sense of when to use them.
Appropriate and fresh word choice. Standard Conventions: Only rare or
isolated errors in grammar/ punctuation/spelling.
The general criteria listed above will help you know what to expect. Remember,
however, that every essay is different, a unique mixture of strengths and weaknesses
that cannot be precisely described by these general terms. Also, since writers are
expected to develop over the period of the semester, the criteria established here will, of
course, offer an ever-increasing challenge. Central ideas, for example, will become
more intricate as writers progress. The organization will become more controlled, then
more complex. Support will be derived more and more frequently from outside print
sources. Fewer and fewer sentence and word-level problems will obscure the meaning
of your ideas. These criteria will remain our evaluative standards as the academic year
progresses, but they will be used to assess increasingly sophisticated texts.
“Good (G)” for BETTER than adequate
● Relevance and Scope: You’ve been bold enough to extend your thinking
beyond the basics of the ideas you’re writing about; you’ve offered your
readers some fresh, entertaining or compelling observations and insights.
● Organization/Coherence: Besides being able to grasp your main point, the
reader generally has an easy journey through your essay, rarely feeling lost.
You probably provide good signposts, like transitions between paragraphs.
● Development: Your essay offers several good points or raises several
thoughtful questions in your discussion of the topic. Your paragraphs give
your reader time to experience an idea, walk around inside it and think it
through with you.
● Voice: Your personality and stance toward your reader and topic come
through in places in the essay.
● Sentence -Structure: You are using sentence techniques that enhance your
meaning(s).
● Standard Conventions (grammar/punctuation/spelling): You may have a few
stubborn errors, which you will continue to work on, but they are rare.
“Satisfactory (S)” for Communicatively Competent
The communicatively competent paper adequately fulfills its purpose. It has many
commendable features, certainly including a central idea and a recognizable
organizational structure. It provides support for its thesis through specific examples and
elaboration. It contains, at most, only isolated errors in grammar and punctuation, with
only occasional misspellings. The sense of audience and purpose is there, and the
authorial voice may show engagement with the topic. Thus, some bottom line skills you
have clearly mastered:
● Relevance and Scope: You engage the topic/assignment appropriately; you
contribute meaningfully to the conversation you’re joining or a problem you
address.
● Organization/ Coherence: Your reader gets your main point.
● Development: There’s enough detail and discussion that your reader isn’t left
with many confusing questions.
● Sentence Structure: You use a clear style that conveys your meaning,
connecting ideas where appropriate.
Despite these strengths, the S paper may be limited in one or more of the categories
above. For instance, the central idea may be too general or too predictable; the
organization of the content may lack some necessary transitions; support may be
insufficient in some places. In general, however, this is a sound and acceptable piece of
writing. You demonstrate adequate Communicative Competence (“S” work) at the
college level, and for much of the writing you will do in the world beyond school.
“Needs Improvement (NI)” for Developing, but not ready for the professor
Some students are astounded when they earn their first “NI” in a college writing class.
This grade does not mean you have made no effort, are ignorant or are a hopeless
writer. It does not even mean your essay is impossible to understand or says little of
interest–though in rare cases these problems may be present. In other words, the NI
paper can be the result of a “good faith” effort by the writer, which for many possible
reasons may have gone astray and so is not yet eligible for a passing grade of O, G, or
S. The writer may have picked a topic that did not leave him or her any room to develop
a position. Alternatively, he or she may have tried tackling an ambitious subject, and in
the process of writing, has been unable to evolve a clear and central idea, or has found
two competing or conflicting ideas he or she has been unable to reconcile, or has
devoted so much time to working out ideas that the language of his or her presentation
is rough. Additionally, usage and proofreading is inadequate, leaving serious errors in
grammar or punctuation. In some cases, a writer may simply not yet have mastered the
sentence options or rules of punctuation needed for this level of work. So, the “NI”
paper has one or more of the following characteristics:
● No recognizable central idea or one that is far too shallow or ambitious to be
developed in an essay;
● No clearly defined or apparent plan of development. or Disunited or
incoherent paragraphs;
● Consistently vague and non-specific support;
● Consistently inaccurate or inappropriate word choices;
● Frequently awkward sentence structure;
● Frequent errors, both major and minor, in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
“Needs Tremendous Improvement (NTI)” for existing, but ineffective and
inadequate
The controlling idea is either confusing or absent from the paper. The paper lacks detail,
examples, outside sources or a Works Cited page (when research is included).
Paragraphs or sentences show serious patterns of error. These papers are generally
difficult to understand. Papers revealing plagiarism earn a “NTI” mark.
● Central Idea: (evaluated according to the relevance, scope and clarity of the
stance you take in the paper)
● Organization/Coherence: (the arrangement of your ideas and how well
connected they are, i.e., the reader’s journey through the progression of your
ideas and the signposts you provide the reader)
● Support: (the evidence you provide–be it in the form of facts or details,
arguments, or anecdotes, i.e., the degree to which and the manner in which
you give your reader the opportunity to experience your ideas, feelings,
opinions)
● Voice: (not an easy one to define–I like to think of “voice” as the personality
of the writer coming through the words on the page. One of the ways I think
about the “voice” of a piece of writing is to consider whether or not I as the
reader have a sense of the writer’s relationship- to the topic and to an
audience)
● Sentence Structure/Diction: (the degree to which and the ways in which you
join and modify ideas within the boundaries of a sentence.
● Standard Conventions: (grammar/punctuation/spelling/format)
● Unity: created by a strong, clear controlling idea; topic sentences in body
paragraphs; clear relationship of body paragraphs to controlling idea; clear
relationship of supporting sentences to topic sentence; ideas communicate a
clear purpose
● Development: detailed discussion that satisfies the reader’s need to
understand the writer’s intended points;
● Audience: as shown by appropriate opening and concluding paragraphs;
awareness of choice of detail and language appropriate for the reader;
● Fluency: sentences that show appropriate use of logical connectors, such as
appositives, adjective clauses, and verbals; language appropriate to the topic,
purpose, and audience, avoiding clichés and generalizations;
● Proofreading: sentences that are generally free of basic skills errors, and
spelling errors.
The following information contains brief explanations of what the categories of writing
effectiveness mean in terms of letter grades throughout your collegiate experience:
“Outstanding (O)” for Amazing Accomplishment
● Relevance and Scope: Central idea is clearly defined, insightful and
appropriate for audience and purpose. You may have taken an ambitious
approach to the problem you’re addressing in this writing assignment. You’ve
taken some risks, tried something difficult and worthwhile, taught your reader
how to see things in a new way, and/or entertained him/her gracefully,
memorably.
● Organization/Coherence: Essay structure and paragraphing reflect a clear,
logical and smooth development of the central idea. In spite of the complexity
and/or thoroughness of your thinking, you’ve found a way to organize your
material so that the progression between ideas is always clear. But your
method of organization does not draw attention to itself, distracting the reader
from the ideas themselves.
● Development: Full and clear explanation of the ideas you’re trying to convey
through the use of relevant and specific detail (e.g., examples, anecdotes, a
metaphor that’s elaborated), and/or commentary (i.e., your interpretation or
discussion of the details or illustrations you use).
● Voice: Being able to discern the concern, the involvement, the emotion of the
writer coming through the words on paper throughout the entire essay.
● Sentence Structure/Diction: Smooth, varied and elaborated sentence
structure; your style is effective, showing full assimilation of sentence
techniques taught in this class–including a sense of when to use them.
Appropriate and fresh word choice. Standard Conventions: Only rare or
isolated errors in grammar/ punctuation/spelling.
The general criteria listed above will help you know what to expect. Remember,
however, that every essay is different, a unique mixture of strengths and weaknesses
that cannot be precisely described by these general terms. Also, since writers are
expected to develop over the period of the semester, the criteria established here will, of
course, offer an ever-increasing challenge. Central ideas, for example, will become
more intricate as writers progress. The organization will become more controlled, then
more complex. Support will be derived more and more frequently from outside print
sources. Fewer and fewer sentence and word-level problems will obscure the meaning
of your ideas. These criteria will remain our evaluative standards as the academic year
progresses, but they will be used to assess increasingly sophisticated texts.
“Good (G)” for BETTER than adequate
● Relevance and Scope: You’ve been bold enough to extend your thinking
beyond the basics of the ideas you’re writing about; you’ve offered your
readers some fresh, entertaining or compelling observations and insights.
● Organization/Coherence: Besides being able to grasp your main point, the
reader generally has an easy journey through your essay, rarely feeling lost.
You probably provide good signposts, like transitions between paragraphs.
● Development: Your essay offers several good points or raises several
thoughtful questions in your discussion of the topic. Your paragraphs give
your reader time to experience an idea, walk around inside it and think it
through with you.
● Voice: Your personality and stance toward your reader and topic come
through in places in the essay.
● Sentence -Structure: You are using sentence techniques that enhance your
meaning(s).
● Standard Conventions (grammar/punctuation/spelling): You may have a few
stubborn errors, which you will continue to work on, but they are rare.
“Satisfactory (S)” for Communicatively Competent
The communicatively competent paper adequately fulfills its purpose. It has many
commendable features, certainly including a central idea and a recognizable
organizational structure. It provides support for its thesis through specific examples and
elaboration. It contains, at most, only isolated errors in grammar and punctuation, with
only occasional misspellings. The sense of audience and purpose is there, and the
authorial voice may show engagement with the topic. Thus, some bottom line skills you
have clearly mastered:
● Relevance and Scope: You engage the topic/assignment appropriately; you
contribute meaningfully to the conversation you’re joining or a problem you
address.
● Organization/ Coherence: Your reader gets your main point.
● Development: There’s enough detail and discussion that your reader isn’t left
with many confusing questions.
● Sentence Structure: You use a clear style that conveys your meaning,
connecting ideas where appropriate.
Despite these strengths, the S paper may be limited in one or more of the categories
above. For instance, the central idea may be too general or too predictable; the
organization of the content may lack some necessary transitions; support may be
insufficient in some places. In general, however, this is a sound and acceptable piece of
writing. You demonstrate adequate Communicative Competence (“S” work) at the
college level, and for much of the writing you will do in the world beyond school.
“Needs Improvement (NI)” for Developing, but not ready for the professor
Some students are astounded when they earn their first “NI” in a college writing class.
This grade does not mean you have made no effort, are ignorant or are a hopeless
writer. It does not even mean your essay is impossible to understand or says little of
interest–though in rare cases these problems may be present. In other words, the NI
paper can be the result of a “good faith” effort by the writer, which for many possible
reasons may have gone astray and so is not yet eligible for a passing grade of O, G, or
S. The writer may have picked a topic that did not leave him or her any room to develop
a position. Alternatively, he or she may have tried tackling an ambitious subject, and in
the process of writing, has been unable to evolve a clear and central idea, or has found
two competing or conflicting ideas he or she has been unable to reconcile, or has
devoted so much time to working out ideas that the language of his or her presentation
is rough. Additionally, usage and proofreading is inadequate, leaving serious errors in
grammar or punctuation. In some cases, a writer may simply not yet have mastered the
sentence options or rules of punctuation needed for this level of work. So, the “NI”
paper has one or more of the following characteristics:
● No recognizable central idea or one that is far too shallow or ambitious to be
developed in an essay;
● No clearly defined or apparent plan of development. or Disunited or
incoherent paragraphs;
● Consistently vague and non-specific support;
● Consistently inaccurate or inappropriate word choices;
● Frequently awkward sentence structure;
● Frequent errors, both major and minor, in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
“Needs Tremendous Improvement (NTI)” for existing, but ineffective and
inadequate
The controlling idea is either confusing or absent from the paper. The paper lacks detail,
examples, outside sources or a Works Cited page (when research is included).
Paragraphs or sentences show serious patterns of error. These papers are generally
difficult to understand. Papers revealing plagiarism earn a “NTI” mark.
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