Grading Rubric for Your Essay

	A	B	C	D/F
Persuasiveness	Highly engaging hook and finale.  You masterfully use recognizable, relevant, known, and reliable sources.	Either the hook or finale could be more engaging.  One of the sources comes from a less-authoritative source.	Both the hook and  finale could be more engaging.  More than one of the sources comes from a less-authoritative source.	The hook and finale aren’t engaging, and the sources carry no authoritative weight.
Flow/Structure	Thesis and topic sentences are masterfully matched and fit together.  Quotes or facts are expertly embedded.  Transitions used cleverly.  The entire essay flows perfectly.	Thesis and topic sentences fit together with key words, but not masterfully done.  Transitions used well, and quotes and facts are embedded.	There are evident thesis and topic sentences, but they don't all cohesively fit together.  More than one of the transitions is awkward.  Some of the quote or fact embedding is awkward or missing.	Either thesis or one of the topic sentences is indistinguishable from other sentences.  The paper is choppy, with no transitions.  Poor or little attempt to embed quotes.
PQE / Quality of Analysis	Quotes/facts fully PQE'd, and there are clear, well-stated connections to your topic sentences and thesis; the relevance of the quote or fact is clearly evident. The quote/fact is perfect evidence of point.	Most quotes/facts PQE'd, well-chosen quotes/facts that support the topic sentences.  The facts are easily understood with the PQE.  Quotes/facts are well chosen.	Quotes/facts are missing aspects of PQE, or quotes/facts don't adequately support topic sentences. PQE.  Quotes/facts are mostly well chosen, but one or two are weak.	Quotes/facts are largely irrelevant or unintelligible, and there is little attempt at PQE.  The quotes are generally weak, coming from unknown or unreliable sources, or just don’t make sense or support your topic sentences.
Editing / MLA Format	No errors, perfect format.  There are at least three unique sources, and each parenthetical reference matches a works cited entry.	Very few errors, perfect format. There are at least two unique sources, and each parenthetical reference matches a works cited entry.	Some errors, but evidence that paper is still edited.  Some problems with format. There are at fewer than three unique sources, or there is an inadequate reliance on one source, or each parenthetical reference doesn't match a works cited entry.	Little evidence of editing or attention paid to format.  Large problems with reliance on a single source of information, or huge problems with matching references to works cited.