1. Basic Rubric

2. Introduction/Thesis15 ptsHook: the very first sentence (s) of an essay,intended to grab the readers attention and stimulatecuriosity or strong emotions Think of how your topic applies to people in the realworld. Avoid falling into a hook habit by using the sametechnique (famous quote, for example) in everypaper. Avoid dictionary definitions (not very interesting) http://toeflstar.com/?p=105 has great ideas! 3. Introduction/Thesis15pts continuedThesis Statement: a sentence or sentences thatprovides a mini-outline of your essay Identify purpose (reason for writing). Ask yourself Why is this message important for people to hear?View examples on p.14 of 40 Model Essays*IMPORTANT: to entertain and toexpress must be coupled with a morespecific purpose LIST points to be made in the body paragraphs*Keep them in the same order as they willappear in the body (this is parallelism) 4. Introduction/Thesis15pts continued Provide necessary background information include any information that might help the reader to better understand the topicfor example... Historical details Significant facts or statistics Relevant current events Explanation of anything that isnt generalknowledge (medical terms, legal jargon,tools, etc) Personal experience(s) that led up to your selection of this topic 5. Body/Development40 pts Each body paragraph should begin with atopic sentence: a sentence that identifies themain idea (point of focus) in the paragraph All paragraphs and related topic sentencesshould help to develop the thesis statement Use plenty of detail and support in the bodyparagraphs (a body paragraph should beapproximately page when typed and double-spaced) What is support? Facts, statistics, current orhistorical events, personal life experiences,expert opinion, related quotes, etc. 6. Body/Development40 pts continued Organize the body paragraphs. Rather than putting them in a random order, think about an order that might be most effective* http://toeflstar.com/?p=615 has greatideas The entire essay should be 3-5 pages long without padding (this means avoid statements that merely reword how interesting something is or how wonderful a writer is. Work to fill the body paragraphs with meaningful support) Educate the audience on your topic. Use only information that is truly meaningful. Avoid repeating yourself or using dull details. 7. Conclusion10 pts Show the importance of the thesis. This meansanswering the question so what? (You havecommunicated your message, but so what? Whatwill this communication accomplish?)--How will this message affect readers and/orthe world in which we live?--Will readers gain a better understanding ofsomething?--Will readers change a behavior?--Will readers make a choice? 8. Conclusion10 pts continued DO NOT restate the entire introduction. Saysomething different to keep the reader interested. Work to be persuasive. This is your last chance toconvince the reader of your purpose, so make itcount. DO reword the thesis statement purpose and list oftopics. Remember to keep those topics in the sameorder as they appear in the body. 9. Style/Coherence15 pts Use transitions, especially at the beginning of eachparagraph after the introduction. (See section 8e inThe Writing Process tab of The Everyday Writerfor details and examples) Use clear language. To insure this, read your paperaloud. Ask a friend to read it aloud. Anything that iseven a bit difficult to understand should be revisedfor clarity. (See sections 25-28 in the SentenceStyle tab of The Everyday Writer for details andexamples) 10. Style/Coherence15 pts continued Use words appropriately. (See section 22 in theLanguage tab of The Everyday Writer for furtherexplanation and examples.) 11. Style/Coherence15 pts continued Keep sentence structure concise. (See section 28 inthe Sentence Style tab of The Everyday Writer forfurther explanation and examples.)--Eliminate I phrases. These are wordy phrasesthat add nothing to the topic, such as I think, Ifeel, or In my opinion. We assume this is youropinion...your name is on the paper!--avoid announcing parts of the assignment. Thepurpose of this paper is... is an announcement.Instead, begin with the actual purpose. This paperwill focus on... is an announcement. Use a variety of word choice. Find synonyms toavoid repetition. 12. Grammar/Mechanics15 pts Avoid general errors in grammar and mechanics.Using grammar check or having another personreview for grammar errors can help. (See section 1of the About College Writing tab in The EverydayWriter for the most common errors.) Avoid pronoun reference errors and the word you(See section 33g of the Sentence Grammar tab inThe Everyday Writer for specifics.) Use correct punctuation and spelling. Activating andusing spell check on your computer is a must. Omit typographical errors (typos). Read carefullyfor this before submitting the final draft.