EVALUATING YOUR GRADED ESSAYS

In your syllabus you have a summary of the qualities that are expected at each grade level. Your grade is dependent on several factors:

1. The effectiveness of your treatment of the particular essay assignment.

2. Your ability to communicate your ideas in an clear, direct, and original manner.

3. Your ability to use the mechanical, stylistic, and compositional techniques you have already learned or that we introduce in class.

4. Your demonstration of an understanding and mastery of the conventions of Standard Edited English.

Your final grade represents a balance between your mastery of the mechanics of the essay and the way you organize and express your ideas.

In order to improve your writing skills, you should examine closely the comments on your essay. Take your essay to a tutor or talk to me about any problem you do not understand.

Below are most of the marks that I use to indicate to you where you may have been unclear or ineffective. I also try to point out places where you have made effective or interesting points.

Frag -- Fragment

Comma Splice, Run On -- Linked independent clauses

Sp. -- Spelling

Wrong Word (WW) -- Not the right word

Unclear -- You have not communicated your thoughts

Awkward -- This sentence needs to be re-written to make it more effective.

Agreement Problems (Tense, Number, or Gender) -- two words circled and joined by a line.

Explain, Expand, Example -- Need to give more information.

What? Why? How? When? Who? -- Need to give more information.

? -- Don't understand your point.