The opening paragraph draws in the reader. Transitions tend to be smooth, and the sentence structure varied. The diction is typically concise and precise. An essay with a C is generally competent. A thesis statement is present but may be very general.
Topic sentences are mechanical.
The essay is adequately organized and developed but lacks concrete detail and sustained analysis, so that the paper's treatment of its subject seems thin and commonplace. In fact, an essay with a C is generally organized, clear, and coherent, but fairly superficial. Typically, the sentence structure is not sufficiently varied or forceful. The diction is occasionally marred by repetitions, redundancy, awkwardness, and imprecision. An essay with a D develops its subject in a redundant way.