The English Concentration 
in the Liberal Studies Degree 

For this assignment, you will complete a summary-response essay in reaction to an assigned piece of research. You will need to read the assigned article closely, analyzing the argument as it unfolds and determining the thesis.  Then you will need to write an essay that summarizes the thesis and the argument of the article (2-4 paragraphs) and that responds to the strengths and/or weaknesses of the article (2-4 paragraphs).  Your summary should clearly state the thesis of the article and should explain how the critic develops the thesis.  Your response should provide a clear thesis, agreeing or disagreeing with the article, and provide evidence for your stance;  this evidence can come from an analysis of the critic’s argument and/or from a discussion of the literary work considered in the article.  You should also include a title, an introduction, and a conclusion for your essay. 

You will need to follow all guidelines for good essay writing to receive a satisfactory or average grade (a “C”):   
--an informative and interesting title  
--an informative lead-in  
--a clear, focused statement of the thesis of the article 
--a clear and concise summary of the argument of the article 
--a clear, focused thesis in your response, agreeing or disagreeing with the article 
--evidence for your thesis 
--unity 
--coherence 
--a well thought out, non-repetitive conclusion 
--only minor errors in mechanics, grammar, spelling, and MLA documentation and citation.  

To receive a higher grade, your analysis of the article will need to demonstrate a high level of critical and creative thinking and your presentation of the thesis and argument will need to be crafted artfully and concisely;  in addition, you will need to have a unique focus in your response, stating clearly why you agree or disagree with the article and strong evidence supporting your thesis.  Finally, you can have virtually no errors in documenting and citing your sources and in mechanics, grammar, and spelling.  I will check all your quoted passages and all your citations for correctness (use MLA internal documentation with a Works Cited page). 
 
 

The following is a list of general characteristics of essays in different grade ranges;  these are only general characteristics and should not be taken as a definitive guide.

“A” Essay

• Summary:  includes clear statement of the topic and the thesis, and a fully developed yet concise summary of the argument of the essay;
• Response:  includes clear and focused statement of agreement/disagreement and clear and strong evidence in support of this statement (analysis of text and/or analysis of the article);
• Strong title, introduction, and conclusion that provides a sense of coherence to the essay;
• Especially strong unity and coherence;
• Virtually no errors in mechanics, grammar, punctuation, spelling, MLA documentation and citation.

“B” Essay

• Summary:  includes clear statement of the topic and the thesis, and a strong summary of the argument of the essay (the summary may be slightly overdeveloped);
• Response:  includes clear and focused statement of agreement/disagreement and solid evidence in support of this statement (the thesis may not be as original as an “A” essay and the evidence may not be as well crafted);
• Strong title, introduction, and conclusion that provides a sense of coherence to the essay;
• Strong unity and coherence;
• A few minor errors in mechanics, grammar, punctuation, spelling, MLA documentation and citation.

“C” Essay

• Summary:  includes clear statement of the topic, a clear though more general statement of the thesis, and a summary of the argument of the essay (the summary may be slightly underdeveloped or not clearly organized or expressed);
• Response:  includes clear statement of agreement/disagreement and evidence in support of this statement (the thesis may be mechanical and the evidence may be slightly underdeveloped);
• Title, introduction, and conclusion that provides some coherence, though they may be somewhat mechanical;
• Unity and coherence, though the transitions may be mechanical;
• A small number of errors in mechanics, grammar, punctuation, spelling, MLA documentation and citation.

“D” Essay

• Summary:  includes clear statement of the topic but does not include a statement of the thesis, and a general and vague summary of the argument of the essay;
• Response:  does not include clear statement of agreement/disagreement or clear evidence in support of this statement;
• Title, introduction, and conclusion that are weak and mechanical;
• Lack of unity and weak coherence (repetitive or mechanical transitions);
• A large number of errors in mechanics, grammar, punctuation, spelling, MLA documentation and citation.