1. General Specifications
- Does the formatting (margins, line spacing, font size, citations, bibliography, etc.) follow the assigned specifications?
- Are the topic and length suitable to one another and appropriate to the assignment, and have I completed everything assigned?
2. Clarity of Organization
- Does the introduction state the thesis clearly and suggest how the thesis will be argued in the body?
- Does the body develop the stated thesis in distinct parts that are connected by clear transitions?
- Does the conclusion tie together the main ideas from the body and restate the thesis from the introduction?
3. Quality of Writing
- Have I avoided spelling mistakes?
- Have I avoided grammatical errors (especially tense shifts and pronoun-antecedent disagreements)?
- Have I composed compelling sentences, avoided clichés, and employed action verbs in the active voice?
- Have I organized sentences into paragraphs, each of which emphasizes a singular, clear theme?
- Have I engaged my particular audience in an effective manner?
4. Depth of Analysis
- Does the essay draw from appropriate source materials, analyzing quotations in detail?
- Have I placed the sources and their subject matter in their respective contexts (historical, philosophical, theological, etc.)?
- Have I offered original and convincing insights?
