Term Paper For History

WRITING RUBRIC

Writing assignments are graded using the key below.

Analysis (AS): Simply reporting what occurred is not the same as offering an analysis. I already know the story, so there’s no need to repeat it to me. When you analyze, you're interpreting the facts in order to convey a point. What is it about the history that you find interesting and compelling and what is the point you want the reader to know? In other words, make an argument.

Grammar (GR): This is the set of structural rules governing the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in a natural language. History is written and having good writing skills is important. This is a college course, and I expect college level writing. Using colloquialisms and slang will bring down your grade. Avoid writing as if you are talking – the two are not the same thing. Above all, make sure you’re choosing words carefully so as to not sound repetitive. Be as intelligible as possible.

Sentence Structure (SS): This is a big part of grammar. Do your best to compose proper sentences. There are times when a short sentence is appropriate, but the general rule is to construct long sentences that adequately convey the message across. These can come in the form of compound sentences wherein the second half of the compound is expanding on the first. Don’t just join to disparate sentences for the sake of joining – that’s bad grammar.

Awkward Sentence (Awk): These sentences are clunky and not properly structured. Often, the issue is with the word choice, where a term is being improperly used making the sentence nonsensical. Streamline your thoughts to flow naturally and avoid “fluffing up” sentences with unnecessary wording.

Word Choice (WC): A good sentence and paragraph will avoid repetition. Using the same term repeatedly signals a lack of imagination and a low command of the language. Use appropriate synonyms (and not just the first one on the list) where applicable and rework your phrasing if necessary. Saying the same thing in different ways repeatedly is bad writing and should be avoided.

Spelling (SP): This is a common error that can be easily avoided. In many cases, it’s a matter of having a typo or using the wrong “homophone” (similar sounding word) – such as to, too, or two. A good way of avoiding this mistake is to use the Word spellchecker/editor tool which will pick up everything from spelling errors to sentence formation.

Punctuation (PN): Punctuation is extremely important and too complex to explain here. If you have questions about how punctuation marks are used and when to use which, I suggest looking at a writing manual. A paper or essay response that has bad punctuation is not only bad writing, but it can send the wrong message to the reader. It’s a sign of carelessness and sloppy work and will bring down your grade.