What is meant by the "mechanics" of a compare and contrast essay?It is specified in the rubric

Mechanics, of rubrics I've worked on and used, usually
includes: grammar, formatting, and language usage.  For comparison and contrast papers,
specifically, it should have the language of juxtaposition: "similar," "different,"
"comparable," "equivalent," "analogous," etc...

Good
writing mechanics reveals a paper free of most errors in grammar and usage; its sentence
variety is implemented with rich vocabulary; transitions are present; it includes
project elements as assigned; it is properly formatted (MLA – margins,
etc).

Here's what our state standards have to say about
Mechanics:

1.
Use Standard English conventions in all writing, such as sentence structure, grammar and
usage, punctuation, capitalization, and
spelling.

2. Demonstrate a well-developed
knowledge of English syntax to express ideas in a lively and effective personal
style.

3. Use subordination, coordination,
apposition, and other devices effectively to indicate relationships between
ideas.

4. Use transition words to reinforce a
logical progression of ideas.

5. Exclude
extraneous details, repetitious ideas, and inconsistencies to improve
writing.

6. Use knowledge of Standard English
conventions to edit own writing and the writing of others for
correctness.

7. Use a variety of reference
materials, such as a dictionary, grammar reference, and/or internet/software resources
to edit written work.

8. Write legibly in
manuscript or cursive to meet district
standards.