Ideas

Organization

Voice

Mechanics

Qualities of a strong (5) paper

paper is clear, focused, and interesting; holds the reader's attention; anecdotes and details enrich the theme or story; fresh and original

enhances the central idea or theme; order, structure or presentation is compelling

writer speaks directly to reader; writer is clearly involved in the text; writing to be read

a good grasp of standard writing conventions: grammar, capitalization, punctuation, usage, spelling, paragraphing; errors are few; only light editing needed for publication

Qualities of a developing (3) paper

clear and focused; topic shows promise even though still limited, sketchy, or general

strong enough to move the reader along without confusion

writer seems sincere, but not genuinely engaged or involved; result is pleasant but short of compelling

a reasonable control over a limited range of conventions; errors numerous and serious enough to be somewhat distracting; uses some conventions well; would require moderate editing for publication

Qualities of a weak (1) paper

no clear sense of purpose or theme; reader must make inferences based on sketchy details

lacks a clear sense of direction; ideas, details, or events strung together at random

writer seems indifferent, uninvolved, distanced from the topic; flat; mechanical; overly technical/jargonistic

errors repeatedly distract and make the text difficult to read; extensive editing required for publication