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GRADING GUIDELINES FOR HUMA 1905 9.0 (SF)
| A+ (90-100) |
Paper of exceptional quality; i.e., comprehensive, and original or creative in its insights; written with sense of style. No grammatical, punctuation, or spelling errors. Displays high degree of conceptual skill and knowledge. Thesis is specific, interesting, original or controversial, rather than trivial, obvious, or easy. Thesis is well-defended, with strong, relevant evidence (e.g. properly cited quotations). |
| A (80-89) |
Excellent; i.e., comprehensive and/or original, and insightful treatment of topic; well written. Papers in the "A" range indicate a high degree of intellectual/conceptual/ analytical sophistication. In a 1000 level course, "A" might reward solid competence in analytical skills; in upper level courses, the student would have to demonstrate originality as well; one would assume the competence. At the lower range, an "A" might have some minor infelicities in expression and/or fall somewhat short of the sophistication suggested above. Thesis is interesting and well-argued. |
| B+ (75-59) |
Very Good/Well Above Average; an extremely competent, thorough, thoughtful, if not original or comprehensive handling of the topic. May have exceptional insights. Organization and expression of ideas should be logical and clear. It should have a solid or interesting thesis. Normally such a paper would have no errors in syntax, mechanics, diction, etc. The assignment instructions have been successfully followed. |
| B (70-74) |
Above Average; good/skilful/competent handling of the topic; reasonably well organized; a thesis of some strength and interest; ideas developed, but with little sparkle or flair. Expression adequate, with no, or very few, major errors. In a 1000 level course, a "B" may indicate a compromise where a paper contains exceptional insights but where the writer is not sure how to elaborate her ideas. |
| C+ (65-69) |
"High Average" or competent paper; i.e., one which handles the topic adequately, is fairly well organized, contains a few ideas which testify to the student’s ability to think and write critically and analytically. A "C+" may exhibit a certain amount of awkwardness in expression. May have some writing errors. It has a thesis to defend but the thesis is bland. |
| C (60-64) |
"Low Average" or fairly competent paper; i.e., one which has ideas which are not well developed. No major problems in organization and/or expression. Or it may be a paper which is little more than a rehash or lectures or which has a thesis that is too narrow, too obvious, or too general for the assignment. It may also be a “B” with severe writing problems. A paper that is minimally developed, has some sense of organization, is clearly expressed but lacks a thesis, may also fall in the lower part of the "C" range. Or a low "C" may be a paper with lots of problems but a spark of life that giving it a "D" would deny (at the 1000 level). |
| D+ (55-59) |
Below Average; the paper shows the student has given thought to the material but does not know how to write a paper and/or has severe writing problems. Shows slightly better than minimal knowledge of the subject. Writer needs to follow instructions and work more carefully. |
| D (50-54) |
Minimal pass; a paper one does not want to fail because it shows some honest effort, but otherwise has little going for it. Has not really succeeded in understanding or fulfilling the assignment. Get thee to a Writing Workshop and meet with your tutorial leader! |
| E (40-49) |
Failure, but not totally hopeless. Some extra hard work will be rewarded next time. |
| F (<39) |
Pretty hopeless. On the other hand, shows tremendous room for improvement! |
Some Friendly Advice: please, please, please make use of the Writing Workshops and other university resources if you are not very confident in your essay-writing ability; and even if you are confident, you can always improve. Remember to follow your teacher's written and verbal instructions. Consult your teacher about your essay and its thesis well before the deadline.
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