When an English teacher analyzes an essay and assigns a grade, he or she follows an almost standardized rubric. The starting position is that the paper deserves a perfect score. The paper is read twice; first to identify technical errors, second to consider the structure, organization and content. The scoring for technical errors is objective, whereas the scoring for structure, organization and content is subjective. The essay Structure and Orgaization is worth considering as an example. The most important attributes to a well written essay are clarity, content and effectiveness.
A rubric is an authoritative rule or established guideline. Most instructors have a documented rubric for grading papers to insure fairness and consistency. In many institutions, the instructor writes his or her own while in other institutions the college dean writes one for all of that college’s instructors to follow. The rules for grading papers in Mrs. Sawyer’s classes assign a total of 40 points to grammar or mechanical errors. A basic sentence error such as a run-on sentence or comma-splice is worth 10 points. The other major errors such as dangling modifiers, verb tense, and agreement are worth five points. The values assigned for content and structure total 60 points. The opening paragraph is worth 20 points because it is the key element to a good essay. Each body paragraph should have an appropriate topic sentence, clarity and tie back to a topic mentioned in the opening paragraph. Body paragraph errors are valued at five points each.
A paper is assumed to be perfect. It starts with a score of 100. When the writer follows the guidelines for good essays, presents a mature and adequately developed content, has a clear opening paragraph that states the main point as a thesis, develops the minor points in body paragraphs, summarizes the minor points to state the main point as a conclusion, has good punctuation, and uses good grammar, then the paper will retain the perfect score. If the writer does not follow the guidelines, the paper will lose points according to the severity of the errors as documented in the FSCC rubric.
The scoring for mechanical errors and grammar is objective. Spelling, punctuation, capitalization and grammar rules are well documented. The standards dictate specific values for those types of mistakes. All writers must be familiar with the fundamental rules of the English language, even if it is their second language.
Scoring for content and structure is mostly subjective. The rubric allocates values for the various elements of content and structure, but being able to gauge the severity of an error is not as “cut and dry” as identifying a mechanical error. Content is neither a measure of how many words are written, nor a measure of the quantity of information. Instead, a value of an essay’s content is determined after reading to the end of the paper. The writer should exhibit maturity and present a paper that has intrinsic quality as well as making a specific point. Scoring for structure and organization is more objective than scoring for content. A writer who follows the rules of Structure and Orgaization will naturaly be more effective. The opening paragraph must be well developed and present the major topic as a thesis. Body paragraphs must have topic sentences that individually present the minor points. The final paragraph must summarize the minor points and present the major point as a conclusion. However, the scoring is subjective in determining the value of the paper’s organization, coherence and effectiveness. The paper’s body paragraphs do not have to be exactly associated to each sentence of the opening paragraph, but they should be organized in the same sequence that the minor points were presented. Coherence is a measure of how well the paper integrates the minor points to the topic and how easily the sentences flow together.
The score for the essay Structure and Organization depends on the audience for whom it is written. As an essay assignment for Mrs. Sawyer’s classes it deserves a 100. As an essay written for a PhD class, it deserves a 70. As an essay submitted to the British publication Writing Magazine, it deserves a rejection slip. There are no grammar or punctuation errors so that should be worth 40 points from the start. In the opening paragraph, the first and last sentences imply the main topic. The main topic is stated as a thesis in the middle, “Essays and speeches differ from the conversation by their organization and adherence to a formal rule called structure.” The first topic in the opening paragraph coincides with the first paragraph – verbal communication as exemplified by a phone call. Likewise, the second topic on an informal letter coincides. The third point is the main topic and the third paragraph expands on the concept of structure. The final paragraph summarizes the points that verbal communication is unstructured and that in an essay the main topic is most important. The last sentence restates the main topic as a conclusion “By being organized and following the structure pattern, an essay or speech can be much more clear, effective, and efficient at stating its point.” The paper is easy to read and makes a very significant point. It has content, coherence and effectiveness. When measured by a more stringent “yardstick”, the paper comes up short. The opening paragraph really has two theses: 1) a good essay has organization and structure; 2) organization and structure make an essay more clear and effective. Only the second topic is presented as a conclusion in the final paragraph. The importance of the main topic in formal verses informal communication is presented in the opening paragraph. However, there is no body paragraph present to expand on the subject. Despite the title, only one paragraph is devoted to explaining what elements constitute organization and structure. The paper does not mention any of the other important parts of content and structure; unity, coherence, completeness and development.
The analysis of an essay is made from two points of view and according to varying levels of strictness. The paper should follow the basic guideline of structure, have adequate content, show maturity of judgment, adhere to the rules of grammar, and have proper punctuation. From one point of view, the paper is analyzed for the mechanics. Points are deducted for each error in punctuation and grammar. From the other point of view, the paper is analyzed for structure, content, and effectiveness. If the paper is an exercise in writing skills, it will receive a high score for following the fundamental rules. If the paper is written for publication, it will be examined under the editor’s “microscope.” Disregarding the audience, a good writer will use the fundamental rules of structure and organization to make points effectively. The paper’s content is then more understandable and memorable.
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