42.101 Blog

The following should give you some detail on how I will evaluate your essays. Grading essays is not mathematical and the following is meant to serve as a guide. But I hope the topics will help you focus your revision.

Thesis: The paper needs to announce a clear, arguable thesis in the beginning of the paper. For the paper to succeed it needs to engage with opposing or differing views of your thesis, the "they say" in your textbook.

Organization: The paper needs to progress logically with each point (reason) building off of the previous. Each paragraph should provide a clear topic and then develop or analyze that topic with analysis and evidence (quotes). Furthermore, the conclusion should not be a simple reiteration of the introduction, but it should gesture toward larger issues or topics that your paper relates to. One way to think of a conclusion is to answer (or begin to answer) "why does it all matter?"

Readability: Sentences need to be largely without grammatical, syntactical, or logical errors. Confusing sentences structures, quotes without context, or rough transitions between paragraphs distract the reader and take away from the paper's purpose. The essay needs to move forward and develop an argument rather than repeat points made in the beginning.

Use of Evidence: Papers need to demonstrate a competent knowledge of the texts, and they need to integrate quotes into the essay when needed. Quotes should serve a purpose in the essay, such as providing an example of your critique or providing evidence to a claim. Quotes should be incorporated organically into the essay with a set-up and a follow-up after explaining to the reader why the quote is relevant. Quotes need to be cited properly (parenthetically).