Essay #1 Rubric
Essay Assignment #1: Swimming While Drowning Essay

INTRODUCTION:
Does the title/hook effectively grab the reader’s attention?
Does the introduction offer sufficient background information (not excessive summary) about the play being analyzed?
Does the introduction contain a clear, compelling thesis statement about one out of the five scenes the writer has decided to examine in Swimming While Drowning.
BODY PARAGRAPHS:
Does each body paragraph begin with a clear topic sentence that connects to the thesis?
Does each body paragraph include specific, carefully chosen textual evidence to support the claim?
Does each body paragraph use close reading to analyze the moods, patterns, and language of the text?
Does each body paragraph end with a careful, logical explanation of how the textual evidence supports the claim and overall thesis?
CONCLUSION:
Does the conclusion restate the thesis and emphasize the essay’s main ideas?
Does the conclusion end with a compelling final thought?
OVERALL STRUCTURE:
Is the essay well-organized and easy for the reader to follow?

Is the essay written clearly with relatively few sentence-level errors?
Does the essay use proper MLA format (including a works cited page if needed)?