Grading?

Unlike the rest of you, who I'm sure graded furiously all throughout the break, I'm only now sitting down to plow through my essays, and I have to say that 3/4 of them have significantly improved.  Their work with the language of the quotations is generally excellent.  Their use of quotation is excellent.  Their prose has gotten markedly better.

With that said, a couple of students who don't come to class all that much performed--what's the expression?--poorly.

How are yours?