Paper Comments and Grade Scale

Symbols:

¶     -- You should have started a new paragraph here. 

SP   -- Designated word is misspelled. 

REF -- You should have given a reference here. 

#     -- An extra space should have been inserted here. 

=     -- The letter under which this symbol occurs should have been capitalized. 

/      -- The letter through which this line is drawn should not have been capitalized. 

^      -- The indicated material should be inserted here.
 

Key to Numbered Comments:

#1. The main point of the paper is not stated crisply and with precision in your introduction. 

#2. You have not indicated clearly enough in your introduction just how you will go about accomplishing what you want to accomplish in the paper. 

#3. Don't make sweeping generalizations. 

#4. The indicated material is stated too vaguely or imprecisely.

#5. The indicated claim requires further explanation. 

#6. Find a more appropriate word or phrase. 

#7. The indicated material is stated inelegantly.

#8. The crossed out word or phrase is unnecessary.

#9. The indicated word or expression is misused. 

#10. Don't change tenses abruptly. 

#11.  Your pronoun does not match its antecedent in grammatical number. 

#12. Your verb does not match its subject in grammatical number. 

#13. The indicated phrase is a dangler, i.e., not appropriately connected to its intended referent. 

#14. You have not provided enough context to make the indicated quote fully intelligible. 

#15. Incorrect punctuation. 

#16. Avoid colloquialisms.

#17.  Please proofread your paper more carefully.


Grade Scale (the numerical grades are the ones that count):

100-95
A
94-90
A-
89-85
B+
84-80
B
79-75
B-
74-70
C+
69-65
C
64-60
C-
59-55
D
54-0
F