Essay Evaluation Guidelines

Thesis/Focus

• What is the thesis?
• Is the thesis clearly stated?
• Could the thesis be elaborated further on?
• Is every part of the essay relevant to the thesis?

Support/Detail

• Do you have enough examples?
• Is the support clearly connected to the thesis?
• Is the support primarily factual? (Statistics are not facts.)
• Is the support true and accurate?
• Could the essay give more details?
• Could the essay be more specific?
• Is all support relevant to the thesis?
• How relevant is the support to the thesis?
• Is any support missing?
• Is support vague?
• Are you as specific as possible?

Organization

• What organizational pattern does your essay use?
• Where is the thesis located?
• Why is it located there?
• Does each paragraph have only one idea?
• Is there a logical order to the paragraphs?
• What is that order and is it the most effective order?
• Does each paragraph only clarify one idea?
• Are all your transitions smooth?

Grammar/Punctuation/Clarity

• What grammar/punctuation errors do you usually make?
• Did you use all the tools of grammar and punctuation well?
• Do you have a variety to your sentences?
• Did you read your paper sentence-by-sentence backwards?
• Did you read your essay out loud?
• Can some words be cut from sentences?
• Is the paper free from fragments and run-ons?
• Does the essay avoid cliches and generally trite language?
• Does the essay avoid vernacular or if needed does it make meaning clear to a general audience?