| Criteria | Excellent (5 points) | Good (4 points) | Fair (3 points) | Poor (2 points) | Unsatisfactory (1 point) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thesis | Clear and insightful thesis that defines the term and presents a strong opinion without announcing intentions. | Clear thesis that defines the term and presents an opinion, but slightly lacks depth. | Thesis defines the term but is vague or lacks a clear opinion. | Thesis is unclear or does not define the term effectively. | No clear thesis or opinion is presented. |
| Format | Essay has 5+ well-developed paragraphs, each with a clear topic statement and at least 8 sentences. | Essay has 5 paragraphs, most with clear topic statements and 8 sentences. | Essay has 4-5 paragraphs, some lacking clear topic statements or sufficient sentence count. | Essay has fewer than 5 paragraphs or lacks clear topic statements. | Essay is poorly structured with insufficient paragraphs and unclear topic statements. |
| Title and Name | Original title is centered; name and date are correctly placed at the top left. | Title and name/date are present but not perfectly formatted. | Title or name/date is missing or incorrectly formatted. | Title and name/date are both missing or incorrectly formatted. | No title, name, or date present. |
| Classification/Synonyms/Etymologies | Uses at least five definition techniques effectively and creatively. | Uses four definition techniques effectively. | Uses three definition techniques, but some are not well-developed. | Uses two definition techniques, lacking depth and clarity. | Uses one or no definition techniques effectively. |
| Grammar/Spelling | Free of sentence fragments, comma splices, run-ons, spelling, and capitalization errors. | Few minor errors in grammar and spelling. | Some errors in grammar and spelling that do not hinder understanding. | Frequent errors in grammar and spelling that somewhat hinder understanding. | Numerous errors in grammar and spelling that significantly hinder understanding. |
| Minimum Length/Spacing | Essay is 700+ words, evenly double-spaced, and uses size 12 font. | Essay is slightly under 700 words but meets spacing and font requirements. | Essay is under 700 words and/or has minor spacing/font issues. | Essay is well under 700 words and has noticeable spacing/font issues. | Essay is significantly under 700 words and does not meet spacing/font requirements. |
| MLA Documentation | All sources are correctly cited in-text and on a Works Cited page. | Most sources are correctly cited with minor errors. | Some sources are cited, but there are several errors. | Few sources are cited, with numerous errors. | No sources are cited, or citations are incorrect. |