Precis Assignment Grading Sheet

Category

Possible Points

Actual Points

Comments

Full bibliographic citation in MLA format of the article or book chapter.

2

 

 

Printout of article (or link) handed in with précis

3

 

 

Summary of article (first paragraph)

This includes the overall argument that the author is making, the author’s thesis, the logical thread of the argument, the kinds of support provided, and so forth. It also includes the context for the argument.
  • If the author invents or uses special terms to argue the case, mention and define them.
  • What critics or points of view does the author attempt to refute?
  • Where does the author’s argument fit into the larger critical discussion of the issue?
  • Is the author attempting to overturn certain assumptions about the work, and, if so, what are those assumptions?
  • Is the article an appropriate choice: a peer-reviewed, scholarly article found in the MLA Bibliography? ___Yes ____No

10

 

 

Critique of article (second paragraph).

  • What parts of the article were especially strong or insightful, and why?
  • In what parts of the essay (if any) did the author make claims that were not supported by the evidence?
  • Were there any flaws in the logic of the piece?
  • In what ways is this article useful for understanding the subject? How significant is it?

10

 

 

Quality of writing (style, grammar, punctuation, etc.)

10

 

 

 

Total

35

 

 

Extra credit for writing about an article or book chapter not available online

2

 

 

Total points