One quick note: I will often know what you are trying to say in your papers (we may have even discussed your thesis and other parts of your paper during office hours), and I will often think that your argument is an excellent one. However, when I evaluate your written work, my goal is to focus exclusively on the paper you have submitted to fulfill the assignment. It may help to think about the process this way: when I evaluate your written work, I am reading your paper, not your mind. What counts are the words on the page.

An "A" Paper
The "A" paper not only fulfills the assignment, but it does so in a fresh and mature way. The paper is exciting to read and accommodates itself well to its intended audience. The paper's exigence, whether explicit or implied, is clearly significant. Arguments are well-crafted, thoughtfully presented, and used persuasively. The writer demonstrates an awareness of other points of view and responds with facility when necessary. The organization of the paper gives the reader a sense of the necessary flow of the case and an overall sense of coherence. Paragraphs are fully developed and follow naturally from what precedes them; the introduction brings the reader into the case and the conclusion reinforces the reader's confidence in the writer's control of the paper. The style is appropriate to the writer's audience and purpose; stylistic variety is used for emphasis; the prose is clear, apt, free of errors and occasionally memorable. Citations are used effectively where appropriate and are formatted correctly.

A "B" Paper
The "B" paper follows and fulfills the assignment. It has a clear exigence for its intended audience, and appropriately addresses that audience. Often, this is the kind of paper that revision could have made into an "A" paper. The arguments may be on the obvious or predictable side, though the writer does not consistently settle for the obvious. The reasoning is better than adequate; it is thoughtful, with some awareness of other points of view. The introduction and conclusion are clear, but perhaps not as forceful or appropriate to the case or audience as they could be. Paragraphs follow well and are appropriately divided. The expression demonstrates attention to sentence-level concerns. Not only is sentence structure correct, but subordination, emphasis, sentence length, and stylistic variation are generally used effectively. Some sentences could be improved, but it would be surprising to find serious sentence errors--comma splice, fragments, or fused sentences--in a "B" paper.

A "C" Paper
For a paper in the "C" range, the assignment has been followed, but in a somewhat predictable way. The thesis may be too broad or too general, or the writer may not have expressed a clear exigence for the paper's intended audience. Though an effort has been made to support the case with arguments, the arguments may be obvious or predictable; the paper may even lack some pertinent information. The reasoning may be predictable and/or occasionally flawed. There is some awareness of the intended audience as well as other points of view, but that awareness may be limited. There is an implicit sense of organization in this paper, but several paragraphs and/or sentences within paragraphs may be misplaced to the extend that the organizational structure is recognizable but disjointed. Sentence structure is generally correct, although there may be a lack of elements such as subordination, sentence variety, and stylistic devices to achieve emphasis. Comma splices, unintentional fragments, fused sentences, subject/verb disagreements, and other mechanical errors may bring an otherwise fine paper into the low "C" or even "D" range.

A "D" Paper
The "D" paper demonstrates a poor sense of audience and a limited sense of purpose. The purpose, exigence, or thesis may not be discerned without significant work on the part of the reader. Necessary arguments or evidence may be out of order and/or missing; irrelevant arguments may instead be present. The reasoning will necessarily be flawed. The organization of the paper may be difficult to discern. The introduction may be unclear or nonexistent, paragraphs may not be well developed or arranged, and transitions between paragraphs and/or ideas may be confusing or missing. There may be numerous errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Lack of proofreading may turn an otherwise adequate paper into a "D" paper, regardless of the quality of reasoning present in the paper.

An "E" Paper
In this paper, there may be no evidence of serious engagement with a controversial issue or there may be no evidence of audience awareness or exigence. The case or supporting arguments may be seriously flawed and unable to withstand even casual scrutiny by the writer's classmates. If a paper contains a well-reasoned case but is marred by so many errors in mechanics or organization that it is hard to make sense of the essay, it may also be in the "E" range.