with LLM-assisted feature extraction
The target essay most closely matches Student B's writing on register, sentence structure, and transitional vocabulary. The signal is meaningful but not conclusive: candidate samples are short (~55 words each), and the target is more polished than Student B's known work, raising the possibility of LLM-assisted editing rather than ghostwriting by a classmate. We recommend collecting a longer in-class writing sample under controlled conditions before any disciplinary action.
Student B
Primary attributionThe target document is most consistent with Student B's writing on three independent dimensions. Both share a formal register marked by passive constructions ("is to be permitted," "must be enforced"), the same characteristic transition ("Furthermore,") in the second sentence, and a preference for noun-phrase modification ("the conventional boundaries of authorship," "a coherent position on this issue") over verb-driven prose. Both also avoid first-person pronouns and contractions entirely, in contrast to Students A and C. The match is meaningful but not conclusive — the candidate sample is short, and the target essay is more polished than even Student B's strongest known work.
- ›Sentence-initial "Furthermore," appears in both target and Student B's sample — absent in A and C
- ›Passive voice constructions per 100 words: target ≈ 4.5, Student B ≈ 3.9, Students A and C ≈ 0
- ›First-person pronouns: 0 in target, 0 in Student B's sample, 4 in Student A's sample, 1 in Student C's sample
- ›Contractions: 0 in target, 0 in Student B's sample; present in both Student A ("it's," "I've") and Student C ("don't," "didn't," "that's")
- ›Mean sentence length: target ≈ 28 words, Student B ≈ 27, Student A ≈ 19, Student C ≈ 14
- ›Both target and Student B use "in which" as a relative-clause construction — absent in A and C
Student A
Student A's sample shares the topical concern with policy ambiguity, but the register is consistently informal — first-person framing, contractions, and conversational connectives that do not appear in the target. The shared topic likely reflects a common course prompt rather than authorial signature.
- ›First-person pronouns frequent in sample, absent in target
- ›Contractions throughout sample, absent in target
- ›Sentence length divergence (target ≈ 28 words, Student A ≈ 19)
Student C
Student C's writing is short, declarative, and morally direct ("They're cheating," "that's not fair"). The target uses none of these features — no short sentences, no moral declaration, no concrete consequence framing. Stylistic profiles diverge across nearly every measured dimension.
- ›Mean sentence length divergence (target ≈ 28 words, Student C ≈ 14)
- ›Student C uses contractions throughout; target uses none
- ›Student C frames in plain consequence ("didn't do the assignment," "not fair"); target uses abstract institutional framing
- ⊘Candidate samples are short (~55 words each). Stylometric confidence increases sharply above 300 words per sample.
- ⊘The target essay is more polished than any of the three candidates' known work. This is consistent with either ghostwriting by a more experienced writer or LLM-assisted editing.
- ⊘This report does not detect AI authorship. If LLM ghostwriting is suspected, additional methods are required.
- ⊘All three candidates share a course context, which can pull student writing toward common vocabulary and frames and suppress individual signal.
- ⊘This report is investigative, not evidentiary. Use as one input alongside human judgment.