diff --git a/mod/lesson/essay.php b/mod/lesson/essay.php
index 94331dc8079..a05e46faf03 100644
--- a/mod/lesson/essay.php
+++ b/mod/lesson/essay.php
@@ -356,11 +356,11 @@ switch ($mode) {
                     $attributes = array();
                     // Different colors for all the states of an essay (graded, if sent, not graded)
                     if (!$essayinfo->graded) {
-                        $attributes['class'] = "graded";
+                        $attributes['class'] = "essayungraded";
                     } elseif (!$essayinfo->sent) {
-                        $attributes['class'] = "sent";
+                        $attributes['class'] = "essaygraded";
                     } else {
-                        $attributes['class'] = "ungraded";
+                        $attributes['class'] = "essaysent";
                     }
                     $essaylinks[] = html_writer::link($url, userdate($essay->timeseen, get_string('strftimedatetime')).' '.format_string($pages[$essay->pageid]->title,true), $attributes);
                 }
diff --git a/mod/lesson/styles.css b/mod/lesson/styles.css
index de3ddf3a371..4d17e7e52a3 100644
--- a/mod/lesson/styles.css
+++ b/mod/lesson/styles.css
@@ -83,3 +83,15 @@
 #lesson-timer {
     text-align: center;
 }
+
+.path-mod-lesson a:link.essayungraded{
+    background-color: #efcfcf;
+}
+
+.path-mod-lesson a:link.essaygraded {
+    background-color: #efefcf;
+}
+
+.path-mod-lesson a:link.essaysent {
+    background-color: #cfefcf;
+}