Kathleen Flake
Assistant Professor of American Religious History

Paper Grading Standards

Please don't hesitate to contact me or the writing tutor

if you have questions about these standards.

• The thesis of the paper goes beyond what was said in class.
• The relevance of the topic to the course as a whole is explicit
• Most appropriate evidence is used.
• Contrary evidence is considered and refuted.
• Entire argument clearly supports the thesis
• All the elements of the paper are clearly related to the thesis " Sound organization and assigned length.
• Few, if any, mechanical mistakes.
• Clear, unambiguous sentences.
• An identifiable authorial voice that has a point of view and a sense of its audience.
  

• Original thesis, but not well-connected to the question being considered in the paper.
• Evidence is appropriate to the argument
• Some contrary evidence is considered and refuted. "
• Competent, but superficial analysis.
• Argument is generally related to the thesis
• In excess of the assigned length.
• Some minor mechanical errors but no major ones
• Likely stylistic weakness may include wordiness and unclear transitions.

• Thesis is obvious or general
• Evidence is only vaguely related to argument.
• Contrary evidence is ignored.
• Examples are given for their own sake or to prove that the writer has read the text, not to prove a point.
• Evidence is stated but not analyzed to show relation to argument.
• Argument within a paragraph may be clear but overall structure is not or overall structure is clear but the argument in paragraphs is not.
• Less than the assigned length.
• Organization rambles or disappears.
• Words are misused.
• Proofreading is weak.

• No coherent thesis. " Evidence is not related to argument.
• Evidence is misinterpreted.
• Evidence is not cited adequately.
• Arguments are not related to thesis.
• Significant grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors.

• No thesis.
• No evidence is used.
• Sources of evidence are not given.
• Points are asserted without argument.
• Paper is not intelligible.