summary

Summary Rubric (simplified grading rubric) = 25 total rubric points

Total Weighted Rating Points Divided by 2 = grade points (out of possible 25 points). Graded summaries are generally worth 25 points, 50 points (multiply total rubric points X 2), 75 points (multiply total rubric points X 3), or 100 points (multiply total rubric points X 4).

RATING

Successful (up to 10 points) Proficient/Passing (7 points) Marginal/Unacceptable (0-6 points)

Contextualization (Weighted points = Rating X 1)

The writer has fully contextualized the text being summarized, providing the full and correct title (and, if appropriate, the larger publication’s title), introducing the text’s author by full name and credentials, and identifying the original intended audience and purpose. Contextual information is smoothly integrated into the summary.

The contextualizing information is included, but is not smoothly integrated into the summary. The writer has identified the text, but has left out, misidentified, or included irrelevant some minor contextualizing information.

The writer has not sufficiently contextualized the text.

Text analysis (Weighted points = Rating X 2)

The writer has correctly quoted or paraphrased the author’s thesis/argument and the evidence he or she uses to prove it. The writer has also explained any key words or concepts identified by the author that are necessary to the understanding of the thesis and/or evidence.

The writer has correctly quoted or paraphrased the author’s thesis/argument, but has not sufficiently explained how the text works to prove it, or the writer has in some small way not entirely understood the thesis/argument or evidence. The insufficiency or small misunderstanding does NOT, however, negate or significantly undermine the meaning of the text.

The writer has not correctly quoted or paraphrased the thesis/argument, or the writer has significantly misunderstood the thesis/argument or evidence.

Writing, grammar, punctuation, & flow (Weighted points = Rating X 2)

The summary is grammatically correct and written in standard academic English. The summary is well written and flows well.

The summary is mostly grammatically correct and written in standard academic English. There are no more than three types of minor grammar and/or punctuation errors.

The summary contains multiple grammar and punctuation errors and/or uses non-standard (slang) English. The summary may include one or more major grammar and/or punctuation errors, including fragments and/or run-on sentences (including comma splices).

These errors will cost you points on your papers. College-level writing does NOT include unintentional fragments, run-ons (including

comma splices), incorrect apostrophe use, wrong word errors, or subject-verb agreement errors. (Consult Little Seagull Handbook and the

grammar videos on Blackboard for additional explanation and help.)

Symbol/ Notation Error or problem Explanation of common writing error

Frag

Fragment (incomplete

sentence)

A sentence is a grammatically complete idea. A fragment is an incomplete sentence, missing its

subject (noun or pronoun that the sentence is about) or its predicate (verb clause that explains

what the subject is or what the subject is doing), or its meaning is somehow incomplete.

R-O

(simple) run-

on

A run on is two or more complete sentences that are fused together to form one grammatically

incorrect sentence. A comma splice is a type of run on.

C/S

Comma splice

run-on

A comma splice is two complete sentences that are fused (by a comma) into one grammatically

incorrect run-on sentence. Complete sentences cannot be connected together with just a comma.

Insert

comma

You need a

comma

Use a comma after an introductory phrase, between items in a series, before a coordinating

conjunction (FANBOYS) connecting independent clauses, and to separate a dependent, non-

restrictive clause from the rest of the sentence. Use commas also separate cities from their

regions and, in dates, to separate day from month and, in a sentence, before and after the year.

comma NO comma Do NOT use a comma when you don’t need it (see above).

semicolon

Do NOT use a

semicolon

Semicolons are used to connect complete sentences. You CANNOT use a semicolon to connect

a sentence to a fragment (or vice versa).

S/V Subject-verb

error

Subjects and verbs must AGREE with one another in number (singular or plural). If

a subject is singular, its verb must also be in singular verb form; if a subject is plural,

its verb must also be in plural verb form. Unlike subjects (nouns), the singular verb form most

often ends in S, while the plural verb form does NOT end in S. Thus, “she (singular) sits

(singular)” and “they (plural) sit (plural).”

P/A

Pronoun-

antecedent

error

Pronouns and their antecedents (the words to which the pronouns refer) must AGREE with one

another in number (singular or plural). If a pronoun is singular, its antecedent must also be in

singular; if a pronoun is plural, its antecedent must also be plural. The pronouns “they,” “their,”

and “them” are PLURAL and must refer to plural antecedents. Thus, “the student (singular

antecedent) got in trouble for his or her grades (singular pronoun),” not “the student (singular

antecedent) got into trouble for their grades (plural pronoun).”

apostrophe

No apostrophe

necessary

Apostrophes are used to indicate possession or contraction. Do not use an apostrophe to make

simple plural nouns. Thus “the students went out,” not “the student’s went out.”

apostrophe

Apostrophe IS

necessary

Apostrophes are used to indicate possession or contraction. Plural possession is indicated with

the apostrophe AFTER the plural S. Thus, “parents’ kids” = kids belonging to multiple parents.

= Capitalize Capitalize proper nouns, the first word in a sentence, and the words in a title.

= Don’t capitalize Do NOT capitalize common nouns or occupations (unless a formal title PRECEDING a name).

Combine

Combine

sentences

together

Sentences must do real work. If this annotation appears on your paper, you must work on

crafting sentences that are substantial. This annotation is used for short choppy sentences that

should be combined to form a single meaty sentence.

Concision

Work on

concision

Sentences must do real work, but they should only be as long as necessary to accomplish their

task. Don’t write overly long or needlessly convoluted sentences.

Overwriting

Do NOT

overwrite

Do NOT overwrite. Your goal is to communicate clearly. Do not bulk up your sentences with

impressive sounding language that does not directly contribute to clarity or meaning.

This

Do NOT use

“This”

Do not use “this.” Name, categorize, or specify what “this” is, or rephrase the sentence to

eliminate “this.” If you begin a sentence with “this,” consider eliminating “this” and collapsing

the sentence into the sentence that precedes it (where you name, categorize or specify “this”).

It Do NOT use “It” Avoid using “it.” Name, categorize, or specify what “it” is, or rephrase the sentence to eliminate “it.”

Thing NO “thing” Be clear and specific. Do not use “thing” or any word that contains “thing.”

You

Do NOT use

“you”

Avoid using “you” as general address. Your ENC paper has a specific “you”: me, your English

professor. “You” is great for persuasive papers, but not for our text-based arguments.

Wrong

word Wrong word

You have used the wrong word. Perhaps you have confused words that sound alike: there, their,

and they’re, for example, or your and your, or affect and effect. Or you’ve written the wrong

word for the circumstance, such as “less” instead of “few,” or “amount” instead of “number,” or

“although” (or “though”) when you mean “however.”

Spelling Spelling error You have misspelled a word.

Title error Title error

Titles for shorter texts (articles, chapters, poems, songs) should be contained in quotes. Titles

for longer texts (magazines/journals, books, albums) should be italicized or underlined.

Cite/quote

error

Citation or

quotation error

You have made a mistake citing or quoting. Please consult the MLA-format section of your

Little Seagull Handbook.