Student Writing Samples - Prose

The 3 Response

The three essay's response is barely adequate. While the student's treatment of the topic may not be wrong, it may be incomplete or so superficial as to seem inaccurate. While a central idea may not be clearly stated, it is present or implied and at least partially supported. Support may consist of long references to the prose which are not clearly connected to a central idea; alternatively, support may be very meager and/or replaced by repetitive statements. Organization is present, but may not directly help the flow of ideas. There are lapses in the student's control ove rthe conventions of language.

348 10 - The structure and content of this paper are strong, but it contains fundamental language errors, such as subject - verb agreement, verb tense shifts, prepositional problems and dropped articles. However, the depth of understanding and development of ideas justify a passing grade.

171 21 - This paper is barely adequate because it does not focus on the character of the father and does not develop a central idea. It is of minimum length with simple vocabulary and a host of mechanical errors.

196 11 - This barely adequate paper focuses on the plot rather than the father’s character. The introduction and conclusion suggest a viable thesis, but the body of the essay does not support this. Mechanical errors, although frequent, do not impede understanding.