To give you a sense of what to expect from me, I will sketch out the way that I think about the grades that I assign to papers.

A Everything is right: analysis, development of argument, and exposition are excellent.

A- The analysis is right, but there is a relatively minor problem in development of the argument or exposition.

B+ The analysis is right, but there are some minor problems in development of the argument or exposition.

B The central analysis is right, but exposition and development of the argument are more problematic.

B- A main point of the analysis is right, but other aspects of the analysis are flawed, either because of argument development or exposition.

C+ Analytically on the right track, but undeveloped.

C Raising the right analytical points, but mishandling them.

C- Off-track analytically, but discussing the right subject matter.

D+ Handed it in, but it's a mess.

D or D- Handed it in, but it's worse than a mess.

F Didn't hand it in.

See also this copy of Kimberlee Gillis Bridges' grading criteria for her 1997 CGU course, "Reading Oppositional Film." Her explanation is fuller than mine, and I agree with every word of it.

Last modified September 15, 1998.