iRubric: English 101 Essay Rubric

* Does not respond to assignment
* Lacks clear central idea
* Details are nonexistent

* Only responds to the assignment superficially
* Lacks clear central idea
* Thesis is too vague or obvious to be developed effectively
* The paper is very repetitive.

* An adequate paper, but the writer's topic is not fully defined
* Presents central idea in general terms, but depends
on platitudes or cliches; does not ackowledge other views
* Shows basic comprehension of question and sources
* Details are limited and there is no in-depth explanation
* The paper is somewhat repetitive

* A solid paper. The writer's position on the argument is clear, but may have minor lapses in development.
* Demonstrates understanding of the question and sources, but may handle the idea in a less sophisticated and effective way

*Interesting, ideas are very clear and are full of originality and strength
* Central idea is stated clearly, worth developing, and limited enough to be manageable
* Demonstrates clear understanding of question and sources

* The writing is boring and too brief to catch the reader's attention
*Uses irrelevant details or lacks supporting evidence entirely

* The writer depends on cliches or overgeneralization for support, or offers little evidence of any kind
* May be a personal narrative rather than an essay or summary rather than analysis

* The writing is somewhat interesting but does little to catch the reader's attention
* The writer tries to have an individual voice, but lacks creativity
*Uses generalizations to support points. May use examples, but they are obvious or irrelevant
* Depends on unsupported opinion or personal experience, or assumes that evidence speaks for itself and needs no application to the point being discussed
* Fails to offer support when needed

*The writer includes several interesting parts that keep the reader's attention.
* The writer's tone catches the reader's interest and connects with the reader
* Offers reasons to support points, using varied kinds of evidence, but the evidence may need further evaluation or qualification
*Examples support thesis, but connections between evidence and main ideas may need clarifying

* Uses evidence appropriately and effectively, providing sufficient evidence and explanation to convince
* Logic is always clear and defensible

* Contains so many errors that is is impossible for the reader to follow the logic of the essay

* Contains either many mechanical errors or a few important errors that block the reader's understanding
* Format is
innapropriate or may indicate neglect or misreading of instructions

* Contains several mechanical errors, including format and/or citation, which may temporarily confuse the reader but not impede overall understanding

* Contains a few errors, which the reader may notice but they do not interfere with understanding
* Format and citation are substantially correct

* Almost entirely free of spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors. *Observes all applicable format and citation conventions.