Every student deserves to excel, right? Why deny students faster feedback?
The 100% free Virtual Writing Tutor essay checker can score 4 types of essays automatically. Try the automatic essay scoring system now or watch the video below to see a demonstration of how automatic essay scoring works on the Virtual Writing Tutor website.
Essay requirements
What is the automatic essay score based on? It’s based on the requirements given for each type of essay listed below. Briefly, the system checks for paragraph structure, vocabulary, cohesion, topic development, argument strength, language accuracy, and in some cases the use of citations and references to support claims.
Studying IELTS? To get your IELTS band score, try our automated IELTS essay scoring system here.
Quick start
Click one of the choices to see the instructions, requirements, and a sample essay for each essay type:
Or, you can try the automatic essay scoring system now.
Why use automated essay evaluation?
Automated essay evaluation is useful because it is fast and can provide an objective analysis of the contents and structure of your essay before you give it to your teacher for a score that counts.
Pssst! Teachers, add automated essay scoring to your Moodle course with the Fast Assignment plugin.
Use the feedback and score from the Virtual Writing Tutor’s automated essay evaluation to help you improve your essay. While I cannot guarantee that your teacher is going to give your revised essay the same score that the system generates, revising your essay to get a better score from the VWT is likely to help you get a better score from a human teacher, as well.
You don’t have to write an essay from scratch to try the essay rater. You can start experimenting with the system by selecting a sample essay from the dropdown list in the bottom right corner of the text area.
If you feel that the Virtual Writing Tutor has made a mistake, post your essay to the forum to get human help or ask your teacher. If you would like step-by-step advice on essay writing, you can find out more here.
Opinion Essay
Here is a sample opinion essay. Use it to test how the automatic essay scoring system works now, or read the opinion essay assignment instructions below to see what features the automatic scoring system is expecting. Each paragraph has its own requirements and structure.
Instructions: Write a four-or-five paragraph opinion essay on any topic. Use the Virtual Writing Tutor’s opinion essay outliner to help you plan. Make sure that your essay includes the following elements.
First paragraph: introduction
- Opening: Begin the essay by engaging your reader’s interest with a question, a surprising statistic, a famous quote, an anecdote, or expert testimony.
- Context: Establish the importance of the topic. Use phrases like these: a vital factor in, the leading cause of, widely considered to be, set to become, undergoing a revolution, is responsible for.
- Thesis: End your introduction with a thesis statement that makes a strong claim about a controversial issue.
2 or 3 Body paragraphs: supporting arguments
- Topic sentence: Begin each body paragraph with a topic sentence that summarizes the main idea of the paragraph and supports the claim you made in your thesis statement.
- Argue: Refer to facts, statistics, logic, what is reasonable, what follows from the evidence, and conclusions one can draw.
- Evidence: Give evidence from your reading and research using these types of words: according to, to quote from, tells us that, shows us that, referring to, argues that, stated, wrote, argued, discussed, expressed the concern that, as written.
- Support: Give examples to support your claims using words and phrases such as these: for example, for instance, suppose that, take the case of, that is, to be exact, to explain, to illustrate, to put another way, to show what I mean.
Final Paragraph: conclusion
- Reformulation of the thesis: Restate the thesis in different words from the introduction.
- Build cohesion: Use expressions such as To sum up, To conclude, In closing, or For these reasons.
- Recommendation: Make a recommendation. Use one expression such as should, ought to, recommend, suggest, propose.
- Prediction: Make a prediction. What will happen if the reader follows your recommendation? Use one expression such as should, ought to, will, or going to, or likely.
Argument essay
Here is a sample argument essay. Use it to test how the automatic essay scoring system works now, or read the argument essay assignment instructions below to see what features the automatic scoring system is expecting. Each paragraph has its own requirements and structure. Argument essay differ from opinion essays in that they include a paragraph that refutes a counterargument.
Instructions: Write a 450-750 word argumentative essay on one of these topics: abortion, climate change, animal rights, body image, feminism, immigration, internet censorship. Use the Virtual Writing Tutor’s argument essay outliner. Make sure that your essay includes the following elements.
Paragraph 1: introduction
- Opening: Begin the essay with a provocative, thought-provoking question. You could begin, for example, with “Did you know that…?”
- Context: Establish the importance of the topic. Use phrases like these: a vital factor in, the leading cause of, widely considered to be, set to become, undergoing a revolution, is responsible for.
- Thesis: Include a debatable thesis about one of these areas of controversy: abortion, climate change, animal rights, body image, feminism, immigration, internet censorship.
Paragraph 2: first supporting argument
- Topic sentence: Begin the paragraph with a topic sentence that summarizes the main idea of the paragraph and includes the first of the two topics in your thesis sentence.
- Argue: Refer to facts, statistics, logic, what is reasonable, what follows from the evidence, and conclusions one can draw.
- Evidence: Give evidence from your reading and research using these types of words: according to, to quote from, tells us that, shows us that, referring to, argues that, stated, wrote, argued, discussed, expressed the concern that, as written. Use these quotation marks: “…”
- Cite sources: Properly cite quoted text using the person’s family name in parentheses (Einstein).
- Support: Give examples to support your claims using words and phrases such as these: for example, for instance, suppose that, take the case of, that is, to be exact, to explain, to illustrate, to put another way, to show what I mean.
Paragraph 3: second supporting argument (same requirements as above)
- Topic sentence: Begin the paragraph with a topic sentence that summarizes the main idea of the paragraph and includes the second of the two topics in your thesis sentence.
- Argue: Refer to facts, statistics, logic, what is reasonable, what follows from the evidence, and conclusions you can draw.
- Evidence: Give evidence from your reading and research using these types of words: according to, to quote from, tells us that, shows us that, referring to, argues that, stated, wrote, argued, discussed, expressed the concern that, as written. Use these quotation marks: “…”
- Cite sources: Properly cite quoted text using the person’s family name in parentheses (Einstein).
- Support: Give examples to support your claims using words and phrases such as these: for example, for instance, suppose that, take the case of, that is, to be exact, to explain, to illustrate, to put another way, to show what I mean.
Paragraph 4: counterargument
- Topic sentence: Summarize an opposing view with words like these: some people claim, some believe, others believe, some people object to, try to refute, discount, reject, it is often argued that, the opposing side will claim.
- Concede: Show which parts of the counterargument have merit with words like these: concede that, granted, indeed, it is true that, while it is true that, naturally, to be sure, admittedly, one cannot deny that.
- Refute: Refute the counterargument using words like these: nonetheless, nevertheless, regardless, whereas, although, and yet, in contrast, by contrast, despite, there is countervailing evidence, that said, however.
Paragraph 5: conclusion
- Reformulation of the thesis: Restate the thesis in different words from the introduction.
- Build cohesion: Use expressions such as To sum up, To conclude, In closing, or For these reasons.
- Recommendation: Make a recommendation. Use one expression such as should, ought to, encourage, recommend, propose, what needs to be done is.
- Prediction: Make a prediction. What will happen if the reader follows your recommendation? Use one expression such as should, ought to, will, or going to, predict, foresee, expect or likely.
Works Cited section
- Heading: Identify this section of your essay with the heading, “Works Cited”
- List: Include at least 3 sources properly formatted, each on its own line.
Film Analysis Essay
Here is a model film analysis essay. Use it to test how the automatic essay scoring system works now.
Write a 400-500 word film analysis essay with 4 paragraphs about the film you studied using one or two literary elements you have researched.
Paragraph 1: introduction
- Opening: Begin the essay with a provocative, thought-provoking question. You could begin, for example, with “Did you know that…?“
- Context: Give the name of the film, the book it is based on, the director, and the year it appeared. Mention the film genre, such as horror, action, thriller or romance.
- Thesis: Include a debatable thesis that refers to one or two of the literary elements you wish to analyze, such as character, plot, point of view, setting, style, theme, or audio-visual features.
Paragraph 2
- Topic sentence: Begin the paragraph with a topic sentence that summarizes the main idea of the paragraph and includes an element of your thesis sentence.
- Build cohesion: Use two transitional expressions to show, for example, sequence (first), an example (for instance), importance (especially), and cause or effect (consequently).
- Topic depth: Use as many literary or audiovisual words as you can to elaborate on the main idea expressed in your topic sentence.
- Quote: Include at least one direct quote from either the film, the novel or film review you read. Use, for example, these expressions: according to, wrote, stated, or claimed.
- Cite sources: Properly cite the quote using, for example, a reviewer’s name in parentheses (Ebert).
Paragraph 3
- Topic sentence: Begin the paragraph with a topic sentence that summarizes the main idea of the paragraph and includes an element of your thesis sentence.
- Build cohesion: Use two transitional expressions to show, for example, sequence (first), an example (for instance), importance (especially), and cause or effect (consequently).
- Topic depth: Use as many literary or audiovisual words as you can to elaborate on the main idea expressed in your topic sentence.
- Quote: Include at least one direct quote from either the film, the novel or film review you read. Use, for example, these expressions: according to, wrote, stated, or claimed.
- Cite sources: Properly cite the quote using, for example, a reviewer’s name in parentheses (Ebert).
Paragraph 4: conclusion
- Reformulation of the thesis: Restate the thesis in different words from the introduction.
- Build cohesion: Use expressions such as To sum up, To conclude, In closing, or For this reason.
- Recommendation: Make a recommendation. Use one expression such as should, ought to, suggest, propose, encourage, predict.
- Prediction: Make a prediction. What will happen if the reader follows your recommendation? Use one expression such as should, ought to, will, or going to, or likely.
Works Cited section
- Heading: Identify this section of your essay with the heading, “Works Cited.”
- List: Include at least 3 sources properly formatted, each on its own line.
Literary critique
Here is a sample literary critique essay. Use it to test how the automatic essay scoring system works now.
Instructions: Write a four-or-five paragraph literary critique on any novel, short story, poem, or play. Make sure that your essay includes the following elements.
First paragraph: introduction
- Title: Give your essay a title. Capitalize the first word and every word with four or more letters.
- Opening: Begin the essay by engaging your reader’s interest with a question or a famous quote using these quotation marks “…”.
- Context: Establish the importance of the genre, author, or work. Use phrases like these: recognized as being, believed to be, widely considered to be, well known that, generally accepted that, increasingly becoming, set to become, undergoing a revolution, generating considerable interest.
- Thesis: End your introduction with a thesis statement that includes 2 or 3 literary terms and identifies the type of literature, the title of the work, the author, and the literary concepts you intend to analyze in the rest of the essay: In the 1950 children’s fantasy novel “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” by C. S. Lewis, the theme of good versus evil is vividly developed through the use of character, setting, and metaphor.
2 or 3 Body paragraphs: supporting arguments
- Topic sentence: Begin the paragraph with a topic sentence that presents the main idea developed in the paragraph and links back to the thesis statement.
- Analysis: Refer to elements of the work using literary terms: allusion, allusions, antagonist, antagonists, character, chapter, chapters, characters, characterization, cliff-hanger, cliff-hangers, cliffhanger, cliffhangers, climax, conflict, conflicts, exposition, figurative, flashback, foreshadowing, genre, genres, hyperbole, imagery, irony, language, makeup, metaphor, metaphors, mood, narration, narrator, novel, novella, onomatopoeia, paragraph, personification, plot, poem, point of view, points of view, protagonist, protagonists, refrain, resolution, score, setting, settings, short story, simile, song, stanza, structure, style, symbol, symbols, symbolism, theme, themes, tone.
- Evidence: Give evidence from the literary work (primary source) and from a scholarly analysis you read (secondary source) to support your thesis. Use these types of words: according to, to quote from, tells us that, shows us that, writes that, argues that.
- Citations: Cite evidence with a proper in-text citation and a source in the Works Cited section, referring to an MLA style guide to help you.
- Examples: Give at least two examples to support your claims using words and phrases such as these: for example, for instance, take the case of, that is, to explain, to illustrate. If you quote a someone, use these quotation marks “…”
- Cohesion: Use transitional words and phrases to show the relationship between your ideas like these: first, along the same lines, as a result, furthermore, such as, indeed, nevertheless, the upshot of all this is that, admittedly, in other words.
Final Paragraph: conclusion
- Reformulation of the thesis: Restate the thesis in different words from the introduction.
- Cohesion: Use expressions such as To sum up, To conclude, In closing, or For these reasons.
- Recommendation: Make a recommendation. Use one expression such as should, ought to, suggest, encourage, propose, recommend.
- Prediction: Make a prediction. What will happen if the reader follows your recommendation? Use one expression such as these: should, ought to, will, or going to, or likely.
