The detailed writing instruction is post in the attached file, DO NOT choose option 1 and option 9.
Choose one from option 2-8. total word count: 1300-1500
Grading and General Guidelines
Writing a paper should not be a mystery. You should have a clear idea of what is expected of you. If
after reading these assignment descriptions you have any doubts about what the goal of a paper is,
please come talk to us!
We will focus on three main elements in assessing all papers: writing, structure, and argument. The
key elements of each are described on the table below.
Grades below “B” indicate some problem with the writing, structure, or argument of your paper.
“B” papers are good in all respects. “A” papers distinguish themselves from “B” papers by their
argument. That is to say, “A” papers have something distinctive to say and do an excellent job
saying it. If you want to write an “A” paper, you need to develop a strong argument. This can be
hard to do. A good piece of general advice is to start figuring out what you are going to write by
asking a real question about the topic you are writing about. A real question is a question without an
obvious answer. Your answer to that question is your argument that you develop and support
through the structure and writing of the paper. Most of the assignments above provide the question
for you.
How you say it What you have to say
Writing Structure Argument
Are there spelling or grammar
mistakes?
Does the paper have a clearly
stated thesis? (the thesis
statement should normally be
stated in the first paragraph,
often as the last sentence of the
first paragraph) Does the thesis
actually govern the argument of
the paper or does it fade away?
Is the thesis appropriate to the
assignment?
Is your thesis strong or weak? A strong thesis
advances: 1) a clear argument that can be
addressed using evidence; 2) a non-obvious
(and therefore interesting) argument. A weak
thesis may be unclear, it may be perfectly
interesting but not amenable to evidence one
way or the other (so who can say if it is right, or
wrong?), or it may be so obvious that you really
don’t need to write a paper or make an
argument to know that your point is right.
Is the paper written in a way that
effectively and clearly
communicates its meaning? Or
do we have to puzzle over what
you are trying to say?
Does each paragraph have a clear
purpose in advancing the
argument of your paper? Does
the paper “signpost” that
purpose by using effective
transitional and clarifying
language to alert the reader to
what each part of the paper is
doing? (One technique for doing
this is to have the first sentence
of each paragraph communicate
the purpose of that paragraph).
Does the paper develop its argument using
appropriate evidence?
This could be empirical
evidence for some papers, quotes from the text
for papers about another author’s arguments or
point of view, an example or case that illustrates
a certain point, and so on. The point is
whether the evidence effectively supports your
argument. This also means making sure not to
argue that your evidence says or means more
than it should.
Are references (if any) properly
cited in a references section at
the end of the paper?
Is the paper structured in a
logical way that contributes to
creating a clear, comprehensible
argument?
Given the requirements of the assignment, is
the argument convincing and/or compelling?
That doesn’t mean that we have to agree with
your argument, but often it involves:
1) the question of whether your paper has not just selected evidence that supports your argument, but has also
effectively considered alternative explanations, other evidence that might point in different directions, and what the
limits of the evidence and argument you have developed might be; and 2) whether you have developed an argument and
approach to evidence that is appropriate for the assignment. This can be a problem when a thesis claims too much or an
argument tries to do too much in a short space, resulting in a paper that overpromises and under-delivers. Try not to!
0 comments