You can revise on your own, but another reader sees what you can’t: the gap you filled in with what you meant. Giving and using feedback well is a skill of its own.
- Specific: point to the exact place: “the second paragraph,” “this sentence.”
- Kind: about the writing, not the writer.
- Actionable: something the writer can try.
- Balanced: name what works, then one or two things to try.
Key idea
Useful feedback is specific, kind and actionable: name what works, then suggest one or two things to try. When you receive it, listen, ask questions, and decide what to use; it is still your writing.
Why it works
Vague praise (“Good job!”) feels nice but teaches nothing. Vague criticism (“This is confusing”) leaves the writer guessing what to fix. Specific comments show the writer exactly what a reader experienced, and that is what they need to revise.
| Vague | Specific and actionable |
|---|---|
| Good job! | Your opening question made me want to keep reading. |
| This is confusing. | In paragraph 3, I couldn’t tell whether “they” meant the students or the teachers. |
| Add more detail. | Could you add an example of a time the bus was late? |
| I don’t like the ending. | The last paragraph adds a new reason. Could it return to your thesis instead? |
Worked example: Make it useful
Improve this comment on a classmate’s essay: “Your evidence is weak.”
- Where? Name the paragraph or the claim.
- Why? Say what a reader needs.
- What to try? Offer one idea.
Answer: “In paragraph 2, the only support is your cousin’s story. A survey or a fact from a reliable source would make the claim stronger.”
Worked example: Using feedback
Two readers disagree: one says to cut your opening story, the other loved it. What do you do?
- Ask each reader why.
- Check the story against your purpose: does it lead to the thesis?
- You decide; feedback is information, not orders.
Answer: Find out why, test it against your purpose, then decide.
Common mistake
Giving vague praise or vague criticism instead of a specific suggestion. Check each comment: does it point to a place, say what you noticed, and suggest something to try? If not, add the missing piece.