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Shape

Unity

• Is there a main idea (thesis sentence) that focuses the information?
• Does all of the information relate to and support that main idea?
• Has the main idea been broken down into its parts (topic sentences), and are those parts indicated clearly in the essay?
• Is the main idea actually a main idea and not just a topic? That is, is there a clear, assertive idea being presented about a topic?

Organization

• Does the essay have a clear introduction-body-conclusion order?
• Are the ideas in the body arranged in an order appropriate to their content (e.g., complexity, time, order of importance)?
• Are the ideas in the body arranged in an order appropriate to the thesis, if the thesis indicates an order?
• When moving from one main idea to the next in the essay's body, are the moves marked with transitions that show how the new idea relates to the receding idea?

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Content

Support

• Are all of the examples and explanations relevant to the thesis and topic sentence ideas?
• Is there enough evidence - are there enough main ideas - to support the thesis fully?
• Are there enough specifics and details to fully explain each main or topic sentence idea?
• Are the examples and explanations specific and concrete enough so that the reader can understand them and relate them to real-world experience?

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Presentation

Language

• Is the language grammatically correct; does it follow accepted grammatical conventions so that a reader can understand it?
• Is the language appropriate in style for the writing's purpose, audience and context? (e.g., not too formal, not too informal, nor too technical or wordy?)
• Is the essay written in the writer's own voice so that the language is "comfortable," clear, and interesting to both the writer and the audience?

Format

• In research essays, is the information documented as needed?
• Is the documentation format standard (MLA, APA or a designated format) and correct?
• Has the essay been proofread, and is it free of distracting typos and errors?