23 The Argumentative Essay Rubric
The rubric below is how you will earn points for the argumentative essay, so make sure you understand each criterion completely, and then check your paper to make sure that you have attempted to meet each description.
- Title (5 pts) – Is there a good title? A title should be catchy, engaging, and succinct. It is the first “attention grabber” of your paper. It should not use the word “argument” or “essay” or “paper.”
- Hook (5 pts) – Is there a hook (i.e., attention grabber) at the start of the essay? It is hard to be persuasive if you write a boring essay. It is especially hard if the reader never bothers to read the second sentence. That first sentence has to get their attention!
- Thesis Statement (10 pts) – Is there a clearly-written thesis statement in the introduction? Your thesis statement should be a claim—something debatable—and not worded as a question or mere statement of what you are going to talk about.
- Source (10 pts) – Do you use at least one source? Ideally, the source will come from your issue-analysis report, but it’s okay if you found a new source. It should be used effectively in the paper to help make it persuasive.
- Editing (15 pts) – Is the essay well-edited with a conversational tone (as opposed to feeling too formal or informal)?
- Logical Fallacies (10 pts) – Is your paper relatively free of fallacies (logical, pathetic, or ethical)?
- Formatting (10 pts) – Is your paper formatted to MLA or APA standards?
- Word Count (15 pts) – Is your paper at least 1,000 words?
- Conclusion (5 pts) – Do you have a solid conclusion that provides a sense of closure? Ideally, your conclusion will tie back to the introduction and remind the reader what you want them to do with this information.
- Persuasion (10 pts) – Overall, is the argument persuasive to the intended audience? If it’s unclear who the intended audience is or what you want them to do with this information, then the answer will be no, it is not persuasive.
