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How Teachers Mark Your Essays

March 10, 2005

 

In tonight's class, we will take a look at the teachers' marking rubric and discuss the meaning of CFSM. Each student essay handed in last week has an attached copy of the marking rubric to help students understand the strengths and weaknesses of their writing.
 

How Teachers Mark Your Essays

To mark your composition, teachers will look at four areas: Conventions, Form, Style, and Meaning. Each of these is worth 25% of your total score on any composition. 

The teachers assign a mark for each area in the same order as given above (C, F, S, M).

Briefly, the four areas are defined as follows:

Conventions: These are the basic parts of your writing: the spelling, punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure. Teachers look for the number of errors made and, more importantly, to see if these errors make it hard to understand your writing.

Form: This is the order of your writing and how easy it is to follow your ideas. In an essay, for example, teachers examine how well your introduction, body, and conclusion work together and how logical your order of ideas is inside each paragraph. (See class notes with tips for good essays)

Style: Here, your sentence variety and knowledge of idiom and vocabulary are very important. How fluent is your language? Are your sentences precise? To excel, a student needs a good repertoire of sentence types, along with a strong vocabulary. (View the Advanced Composition Worksheet Archive)

Meaning: Teachers look here for signs of your developing voice in writing. The more individual (meaning your ideas are specific to your own experience and you have conveyed them well) the better. Are your ideas convincing? Are they mature? Originality counts here. Remember the rule: Show, Don't Tell! (Worksheet on Show, Don't Tell)

Composition Marking Scale
NOTE: Off topic essays are awarded DNP (did not pass)

Aspect

Not Yet Within Expectations

Meets Expectations (Minimal)

Fully Meets Expectations

Exceeds Expectations

Meaning

 

·          Ideas and information

·          Use of details

·          Unfocused; may omit thesis

·          Little understanding of topic

·          Details and examples are not clearly linked to topic

·          Clear topic and thesis statement

·          Mostly relevant details

·          Mostly accurate information

·          Clear, focused thesis

·          Sound understanding of topic; some depth

·          Clearly and logically developed

·          Accurate and complete information

·          Well defined thesis and sense of direction

·          Vivid, relevant details and examples (show not tell)

·          Accurate and complete information

Style

 

·          Clarity, variety, and impact of language

 

·          Little awareness of the reader

·          Simple, limited range of sentences

·          Repetitive language

 

·          Language is clear and varied

·          Some variety in sentences (compound OR complex)

·          Varied, clear language; has some impact

·          Varied, complex AND compound sentences

·          Some idiomatic English

·          Precise language chosen for effect

·          Sentences are varied to create a particular effect

Form

 

·          Introduction

·          Organization and sequence

·          conclusion

 

·          No title

·          Introduction is not engaging; may omit purpose or thesis statement

·          difficult to follow; transitions are weak or missing

·          may end without a logical conclusion

 

·          Title with errors

·          Introduction states simple thesis; attempts to engage reader

·          Logical organization; some use of transitions

·          2-3 body paragraphs with topic sentences with controlling ideas

·          Correct title

·          Introduction clearly states thesis; engages reader

·          Logically organized; varies transitions

·          topic and concluding sentences in each body paragraph

·          Restates thesis in first sentence of conclusion

 

·          Effective title

·          Introduction catches attention; offers well-developed thesis

·          Effectively developed paragraphs

·          Has an effectively restated thesis as first sentence

 

Conventions

 

·          Spelling

·          Punctuation

·          Sentence structure

·          Grammar

 

·          Frequent, repeated errors in basic language

·          meaning is unclear

 
0-12

·          Some errors, but meaning is clear

 

 

 13-17

·          May have occasional that do not affect meaning

 

18-21 

·          May making occasional errors when taking risks (e.g. using a difficult word but misspelling)

 22-25

                                                                

 

Please also visit your Advanced Composition Class Page where you can access current and past lessons.

More Lessons (index of past lesson worksheets)