Maryland C-Standard

English 111 and 112

Standards for a “C” paper

 These standards were developed by Maryland’s Statewide English Composition Committee to ensure ”rigor at the college-level for all general education courses.”

  

Content

“The ‘C’ paper fulfills the assignment, meeting all specified requirements, such as subject, organization, and length, and reflects the author’s awareness of audience and purpose.  The paper presents a central idea supported by relevant material (facts, figures, examples, quotations, or other details).  The reasoning is sound; arguments are supported with adequate evidence.  Other points of view are acknowledged and responded to as appropriate.  Sources of information are accurately presented and fully attributed.”

 

Organization

“The ‘C’ paper has a discernible and logical plan.  It has a focus, and the writer maintains the focus throughout the essay.  The writer has unified the entire essay in support of the central idea, or thesis, and individual paragraphs in support of subordinate points.  Some individual paragraphs, however, may be weak.  The writer promotes coherence through the logical order of paragraphs and the use of some or all of the following devices: thesis statement, topic sentences, opening and closing paragraphs, and transitions.  The use of these devices may lack smoothness, but the writer has achieved an acceptable level of organization.”

 

Style/Expression

“The ‘C’ paper uses reasonable stylistic options (tone, word choice, sentence patterns) for its audience and purpose.  As a rule, the paper has smooth transitions between paragraphs, although some transitions may be missing or ineffective.  The meaning of the sentences is clear, although some sentences may be awkward or there may be a lack of variety in sentence patterns.  Nonetheless, sentence structure is generally correct, although it may show limited mastery of such elements as subordination, emphasis, sentence variety and length, and modifiers.  The paper reflects current academic practices of language use established by professional associations such as the Modern Language Association and the American Psychological Association.”

Grammar/Mechanics

“The ‘C’ paper follows the conventions of standard written U.S. English; thus, it is substantially free of errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and mechanics.  What errors are present must not impede meaning nor overly distract the reader.  The paper reflects current citation and documentation of sources as specified in relevant guidebooks.”