| An A essay: a superior essay, is characterized by the following features:
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incisive, original, significant, and well-developed content
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a clear and insightful thesis
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a tightly woven, efficient structure that advances the thesis
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consistent awareness of the essay’s audience (e.g., instructor, classmates, general public)
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abstractions that are supported with well-chosen, sharp details
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nuanced prose that exemplifies inventive stylistic techniques (e.g., varying rhythms, parallel elements, appropriate figures of speech)
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fresh, precise, and appropriate diction
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practically no errors in mechanics or documentation
A B essay: a good essay, possesses the following features:
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coherent, developed content
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a clear thesis
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considerable awareness of the essay's audience and purpose
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a cohesive and logical structure that includes effective transitional elements
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moderate awareness of appropriate diction
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prose that's clear and also uses some basic elements of sophisticated style (e.g., varied sentence lengths and structures, strong verbs, emphatic elements)
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some errors in mechanics or documentation
A C essay: an acceptable essay, displays the following features:
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content that attempts to support the essay’s thesis
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an identifiable thesis that lacks clarity or development
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some awareness of audience and purpose
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a somewhat unified structure with some attempts at transitional elements
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prose that is generally clear yet needs more careful revision for sentence variety, smooth phrasing, and word choice
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frequent mechanical errors (e.g., sentence fragments, run-ons, verb tense shifts)
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persistent problems with documentation
A D or F essay: an unsatisfactory essay, displays a range of the following features:
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deficient, superficial, and/or confusing content
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no identifiable thesis
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an unclear central purpose and/or lack of audience awareness
- a structure with clear gaps in unity or coherence
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abstractions lacking concrete support
- a preponderance of either excessively confusing or overly basic sentences
- serious mechanical errors
- serious errors in documentation
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