A Word on Grading Policies:

Late papers will be penalized (barring extraordinary circumstances). Failure to turn in a required piece of work (essay, response, project, exam) will result in a failing grade.

Remember, plagiarism, even if commited unintentionally, is a very serious academic offense; it can result in failing a class, or in being separated from the College. If you are uncertain about what constitutes plagiarism, please follow this link to the Writing Center.

Generally speaking, here is what the grades that I give mean:

• a 4.0 is an extraordinary, knock your socks off sort of essay; it has an original and exciting thesis, an argument which could persuade someone whose mind was already made up against it, and virtually no errors of grammar, syntax, spelling, punctuation, etc.
• a 3.0 is a good essay; its thesis is interesting, if not overwhelmingly original; its argumentation is solid and moves in a rational manner from one point to the next, pursuing a sensible structure; there are no major errors in grammar or syntax, but there may be some minor errors .
• a 2.0 is an essay which has a seriously flawed thesis (one which states the obvious or ignores all evidence to the contrary); the argument is vague, or shapeless, or it makes leaps which are impossible to follow; the essay may be mostly plot summary; there may be serious problems with grammar, syntaxt, spelling and punctuation.
• a 1.0 is simply incomprehensible, or entirely plot summary, or both.

4.0s are very, very rare; fortunately, so are 1.0s.

English 201b. . . Syllabus. . . Assignments. . . Resources