Easy Rider screen shot

Essay 1 Grading Criteria

A 70- to 80-Point Essay (3.5-4.0, A Range)

  • Has a substantive thesis and essay fully addresses the topic; the thesis is defendable, clearly explained, and supported in the body of the essay
  • Shows substantial depth, fullness and complexity of thought
  • Expresses ideas clearly and commands the reader’s attention
  • Demonstrates clear, unified and coherent organization
  • Is fully developed and detailed with arguments supported by persuasive reasoning and references to film(s); there is an appropriate balance between providing evidence and analyzing that evidence
  • Has a sophisticated style (remarkable variety of sentence patterns, smooth transitions between ideas, superior control of diction)
  • Properly cites source material
  • Has few, if any, minor errors in grammar, usage or mechanics

A 50- to 69-Point Essay (2.5-3.4, B Range)

  • Has a clear thesis that addresses the topic, but thesis may not address more significant aspects of the topic; the thesis may be clear and well-argued, but could use additional support; the essay may introduce points not expressed in the thesis; or the thesis may be discernible but not focused, with the essay addressing more aspects of the film(s) than can be adequately explored within the page limit
  • Shows some depth and complexity of thought
  • Expresses ideas clearly
  • Demonstrates effective organization
  • Is well developed with sensible reasoning and appropriate references to film(s); however, some evidence may detract from the thesis and some ideas might not be fully explored.
  • Demonstrates balance between evidence and analysis for the most part, but balance may be weak in places
  • Has an effective style (some variety of sentence patterns, transitions between ideas, accurate diction)
  • Properly cites source material, but may have errors in citation format
  • Has few errors in grammar, usage or mechanics

A 30- to 49-Point Essay (1.5-2.4, C Range)

  • Has a thesis that may not be entirely clear and essay does not fully analyze the film(s) and topic; essay may mention many points and analyze few
  • Shows insufficient awareness of the complexity of issues addressed; may treat the film(s) simplistically or repetitively
  • Communicates ideas clearly for the most part, but may have some lapses in clarity
  • Has a recognizable organizational pattern, but the relation among parts is not consistently clear enough to provide a coherent focus
  • Is unevenly developed; writer may offer sufficient reasoning or references to film(s) for some of the ideas but not for others
  • Demonstrates some balance between evidence and analysis
  • Has an adequate style (limited variation in sentence patterns, transitions between most ideas, diction accurate for the most part)
  • Cites the majority of source material, but occasionally material may be clearly cited but not referenced in parentheses
  • Has some errors in grammar, usage or mechanics, but demonstrates basic control of these areas

A 14- to 29-Point Essay (.7-1.4, D Range)

  • Has an unclear thesis; essay describes the films' elements and meets basic length requirements, but does not analyze the film or treat the topic in any meaningful fashion
  • Lacks focus or demonstrates confused, stereotyped or simplistic thinking; writer may demonstrate no overall conception of the issues raised by the film
  • May not communicate ideas clearly
  • Is ineffectively organized, with no clear relationship between the parts of the essay
  • May not provide adequate or appropriate reasoning or references to support generalizations, or may provide details without generalizations
  • Demonstrates little relationship between evidence and the thesis
  • Has stylistic weaknesses (no variety of sentence patterns, few transitions, imprecise diction)
  • Indicates use of source material, but does not have consistent parenthetical references
  • Has occasional major errors in grammar, usage or mechanics or frequent minor errors that interfere in the reader's understanding of the essay

A 0- to 13-Point Essay (0-.6, F Range)

  • Has no thesis or has an incomprehensible thesis
  • May be deliberately off-topic and demonstrate no understanding of the issues addressed by the film(s)
  • Does not communicate ideas clearly
  • Lacks coherent organization
  • Shows no development of ideas; may simply summarize film(s)
  • Has an incoherent style (difficulties with sentence structure, pattern of diction errors)
  • Presents another writer’s work as the author’s own
  • Has pervasive pattern of errors in grammar, usage and mechanics that renders the essay unreadable