A The grade of A [90% or more on a paper or short essay exam answer]
means that it excels in most or all of the following ways:
· Treatment of subject shows good critical intelligence, careful workmanship
and originality.
· Organization is so clear that the reader knows all the times what the purpose
is and how the writer intends to accomplish it.
· The paragraph is coherent and it is developed fully as the function demands.
· Sentences are clear in meaning and so constructed as to contribute precisely
and effectively to the writer's purpose.
· Choice of words is exact, appropriate and sensitive.
· Grammar, punctuation and spelling conform to accepted usage, with few
minor errors and no major errors.
B The grade of B [80% or more on a paper or short essay exam answer]
means that it good in most or all of the following ways:
· Treatment of subject shows some originality and better than average
ability to relate ideas.
· Organization is clear, although lacking the full clarity and tighten coherence
of A work. It is appropriate to the subject and purpose.
· The paragraph is reasonably unified, coherent, and well developed.
· Sentences are generally fluent and clear, and are sufficiently varied to make
for an easy style.
· Words are used precisely and with some attention to stylistic appropriateness.
· Grammar, punctuation, and spelling conform to accepted usage.
C The grade of C [70% or more on a paper or short essay exam answer]
means that it is routine in its total effect:
· Treatment of subject is acceptable, but it lacks distinction.
· Organization is fairly clear; a central idea is systematically treated.
· The paragraph development shows little originality; paragraph structure
shows some coherence, but it tends to be loose.
· Sentences are correct and sufficiently linked to make for continuity.
Generally, however, the style is flat, and the meaning is not always clear.
· Choice of words is generally appropriate, but shows little attention to effect.
· There are some errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
D The grade of D [60% or more on a paper or short essay exam answer
means that it has a number of the following weaknesses:
· Treatment of the subject tends to be thin, vague, or trite.
· Organization is not clear nor effective.
· The paragraph tends to be incoherent and poorly developed.
· Sentences are generally awkward or overly simple and show little awareness
of style. Their meaning is frequently not clear.
· Choice of words is often imprecise, or inappropriate.
· There are a number of errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
F The grade of F [less than 60% on a paper or short essay exam answer
means that it has a number of the following weaknesses:
· Treatment of the subject is thin and vague.
· The paragraph lacks a distinct beginning, middle, and ending.
· The paragraph obviously lacks unity and is poorly developed.
· Sentences are awkward, or unclear.
· The choice of words is frequently inexact or inappropriate.
· Grammar, punctuation and spelling are faulty.