Grading papers

I don’t enjoy figuring grades. I’m a score keeper – I don’t “give grades,” but the truth is I want people to get good grades. I can not reward those who ignore the assignment prompt though, and it’s hard not to get a little annoyed when someone does those little things I’ve harped on all semester, like:

• misuse block quotes – in format please – otherwise it’s mondo confusing.
• display obliviousness to the “that vs. who” distinction. If you’re referring to a human, use who. “That” implies a thing (or maybe a non-sentient animal?). See Grammar Girl for elaboration.
• ignore minimum page lengths. They are there for a reason. Many teachers will simply fail any paper that comes up short. Maybe that’s what I need to do.