MLA Argumentative Essay

RUBRIC
Exceeds Meets Approaching Insufficient
Thesis ❏Is a clearly & creativity ❏ Is a clearly articulated ❏ Attempts to articulate ❏ Argument not clear or
❏ ❏ ❏
(5 points) articulated argument argument argument Sometimes relevant Does not carry
❏It defines & carries the It carries the argument carries the argument the argument
argument throughout throughout throughout the paper throughout the paper
Introduction ❏Has a creative hook that ❏ Has a hook that ❏ Attempts to use a hook ❏ No hook
❏
(5 points) introduces the thesis & introduces the thesis but it may be irrelevant No background
❏demonstrates strong research ❏ Gives background info ❏ or inaccurate information or
Gives sufficient & pointed relevant Not enough background completely irrelevant
background info relevant to to the topic into or info
topic some irrelevant info
Body/Evidence All Body Paragraphs Include: All Body Paragraphs Include: All Body Paragraphs Include: All Body Paragraphs Include:
(15 points) Topic sentence clearly ❏ Topic sentence states ❏ Topic sentence does ❏ Topic sentence not used
states main idea of the main idea of paragraph not fully capture main ❏Ideas/details/evidence
paragraph ❏ Ideas/details/evidence idea of paragraph do not support thesis
Ideas/details/evidence support thesis ❏Ideas/details/evidence ❏ Inaccurate use of
clearly support thesis ❏ Accurate use of all do not always evidence
Creative & accurate use of evidence
support thesis
all evidence ❏ Mostly accurate use of
evidence
Counterclaim ❏Counter argument is well ❏ Counter argument is ❏ Counter argument is ❏ Does not include a
(5 points) chosen and clearly supported well chosen and is weak or irrelevant counter argument OR
❏with evidence supported with ❏ Does not clearly use counter argument does
Clearly counters argument to ❏ evidence counter argument to not make sense
strengthen paper’s thesis Counters argument to strengthen thesis
strengthen paper’s
thesis
Conclusion (5 ❏Restates the thesis in ❏ Restates the thesis ❏ Attempts to revisit the ❏ Does not revisit thesis
❏ ❏ ❏ ❏
points) ❏interesting way Strongly ❏ Unifies the ideas in the ❏ thesis Partially unifies ❏ Does not unify ideas in
unifies the ideas in the paper paper Leaves an impact ideas in paper Attempts paper Does not leave
Leaves a strong impact on on the reader to leave an impact on any kind of impact on
the reader by answering the the reader reader
question, “so what?”
Structure (5 ❏Paper is well-organized ❏ Paper is organized ❏ Some of the paper is ❏ Paper is not
❏ ❏ ❏ ❏
points) Paper flows, using transitions Paper uses transitions organized Paper ❏ organized No
❏between points and ❏ between points and ❏ sometimes uses use of
paragraphs paragraphs Presents transitions between transitions
Presents argument in a clear argument in a logical points and paragraphs No logical presentation
and logical sequence Argument is sometimes of argument
sequence presented logically
Mechanics (5 ❏Completely accurate use of ❏ Mostly accurate use of ❏ Several grammatical ❏ Too many grammatical
❏ ❏ ❏ ❏
points) ❏grammar Variety in sentence grammar Some variety ❏ errors ❏ errors No variety in
❏structure ❏ in sentence structure ❏ Little variety in sentence ❏ sentence structure Too
No spelling errors ❏ Limited spelling errors structure Some spelling many spelling errors
Extensive variety in word Variety in word errors No variety in word
selection selection Some variety in word selection
selection
MLA Format ❏Paper always uses proper ❏ Paper uses proper ❏ Paper attempts proper ❏ Paper does not use
(5 points) MLA 8 format (i.e. heading, MLA 8 format (i.e. MLA 8 format (i.e. proper MLA 8 format
margins, font, spacing, page heading, margins, heading, margins, font, ❏ Sources are not
❏numbers, works cited) font, spacing, page spacing, page numbers, properly cited in the
All sources are properly cited ❏ numbers, works ❏ works cited) body of the paper and
both in the body of the paper cited) All sources are cited on the works cited page
❏and on the works cited page All sources are both in the body of the
Got 1st draft edited ❏ properly cited both in ❏ paper and on the works
the body of the paper cited page
and on the works Multiple mistakes
cited page Minimal
mistakes