Does the paper seem responsive to the assignment?

Is the topic idea adequately contextualized?

Does the opening paragraph present a thesis?

Does the thesis make a reasonable, specific claim about the topic idea?

Is the thesis argumentative? Clear? Does it "map" the paper?

Is there a topic sentence that refers to key ideas or terms in the thesis?

Does the paragraph move the argument forward by supporting claims made by the thesis?

Is there one major idea to a paragraph?

Is that idea adequately explained, developed, and supported?

Are ideas that are not yours attributed to their real source?

Do you provide transitional language that "signposts" your ideas?

Are quotations relevant? Is that relevance introduced and discussed?

Are quotations correctly cited and appropriately attributed?

Are pronouns used and key terms repeated in ways that increase coherence?

Are sentences concise instead of wordy? Are sentence structures varied in a pleasing way as opposed to choppy and monotonous?

Are sentences subordinated correctly? Coordinated correctly?