Harvard

College Writing Program

HARVARD WRITING PROJECT BRIEF GUIDE SERIES

A Brief Guide to Responding

to Student Writing
Principles of Responding Many veteran readers find
to Student Writing
Your comments on student writing should clearly reflect the the experience of responding
hierarchy of your concerns about the paper. Major issues
should be treated more prominently and at greater length; to student writing to be one
minor issues should be treated briefly or not at all. If you
comment extensively on grammatical or mechanical issues, of constantly deciding not to
you should expect students to infer that such issues are
among your main concerns with the paper. It is after all comment on less important
not unreasonable for students to assume that the amount
of ink you spill on an issue bears some relationship to the
issue’s importance.
issues. Such restraint allows you
It is often more helpful to comment explicitly, substantively, to focus your energies on just a
and in detail about two or three important matters than
it is to comment superficially about many issues. Many few important points and also
veteran readers find the experience of responding to student
writing to be one of constantly deciding not to comment on
less important issues. Such restraint allows you to focus your
tends to yield a cleaner and more
energies on just a few important points and also tends to yield
a cleaner and more easily intelligible message for students.
easily intelligible message for
Some suggestions for writing comments follow. students.

Harvard College
Writing Program
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Harvard University
2

R e a din g th e Paper

You may want to skim through four or • Structure: Is the paper clearly • Sources: If appropriate or required,
five papers to get a sense of the pile organized? Is it easy to understand are sources used besides the main
before reading and grading any single the main point of each paragraph? text(s) under consideration? Are they
paper. Many instructors read each paper Does the order of the overall introduced in an understandable
once through to grasp the overall argument make sense, and is it easy way? Is their purpose in the argument
argument before making any marks. to follow? clear? Do they do more than affirm
Whether skimming on a first time the writer’s viewpoint or represent
• Evidence and Analysis: Does the
through or reading carefully, you might a “straw person” for knocking down?
paper offer supporting evidence for
keep the following categories in mind, Are responsible inferences drawn
each of its points? Does the evidence
which will help you assess the paper’s from them? Are they properly
suggest the writer’s knowledge of
strengths and weaknesses: attributed, and is the bibliographical
the subject matter? Has the paper
information correct?
• Thesis: Is there one main argument overlooked any obvious or important
in the paper? Does it fulfill the pieces of evidence? Is there enough • Style: Is the style appropriate for its
assignment? Is the thesis clearly stated analysis of evidence? Is the evidence audience? Is the paper concise and
near the beginning of the paper? properly attributed, and is the to the point? Are sentences clear
Is it interesting, complex? Is it argued bibliographical information correct? and grammatically correct? Are there
throughout? spelling or proofreading errors?

Writing a Final Comment • Discuss the paper’s weaknesses, focusing on

large problems first. You don’t have to comment
Your final comment is your chance not only to critique
on every little thing that went wrong in a paper. Instead,
the paper at hand but also to communicate your expectations
choose two or three of the most important areas in which
about writing and to teach students how to write more
the student needs to improve, and present these in order
effective papers in the future.
of descending importance. You may find it useful to
The following simple structure will help you present your key these weaknesses to such essay elements as Thesis,
comments in an organized way: Structure, Evidence, and Style. Give specific examples to
show the student what you’re seeing. If possible, suggest
• Reflect back the paper’s main point. By reflecting
practical solutions so that the student writer can correct
back your understanding of the argument, you let the
the problems in the next paper.
student see that you took the paper seriously. A restatement
in your own words will also help you ground your com- • Type your final comments if possible. If you
ment. If the paper lacks a thesis, restate the subject area. handwrite them, write in a straight line (not on an
angle or up the side of a page), and avoid writing on
• Discuss the essay’s strengths. Even very good
the reverse side; instead, append extra sheets as needed.
writers need to know what they’re doing well so that
The more readable your comments are, the more
they can do it again in the future. Remember to give
seriously your students are likely to take them.
specific examples.

You don’t have to comment on every little thing that went wrong in
a paper. Instead, choose two or three of the most important areas in
which the student needs to improve, and present these in order of
descending importance.
3 Marginal Comments • Write in complete, detailed sentences. Cryptic
comments—e.g. “weak thesis,” “more analysis needed,”
While carefully reading a paper, you’ll want to make
and “evidence?”—will be incompletely understood by
comments in the margins. These comments have two main
most students, who will wonder, What makes the thesis
purposes: to show students that you attentively read the paper
weak? What does my teacher mean by “analysis”? What
and to help students understand the connection between
about my evidence? Symbols and abbreviations—e.g.
the paper and your final comments. If you tell a student in
“awk” and “?”—are likewise confusing. The more specific
the final comment that he or she needs more analysis, for
and concrete your comments, the more helpful they’ll be
example, the student should be able to locate one or more
to student writers.
specific sites in the text that you think are lacking.
• Ask questions. Asking questions in the margins
promotes a useful analytical technique while helping
Some Principles for Making students anticipate future readers’ queries.
Marginal Comments
• Use a respectful tone. Even in the face of fatigue
• Make some positive comments. “Good point” and frustration, it’s important to address students
and “great move here” mean a lot to students, as do fuller respectfully, as the junior colleagues they are.
indications of your engagement with their writing.
Students need to know what works in their writing if • Write legibly (in any ink but red). If students
they’re to repeat successful strategies and make them a have to struggle to decipher a comment, they probably
permanent part of their repertoire as writers. They’re also won’t bother. Red ink will make them feel as if their
more likely to work hard to improve when given some essay is being corrected rather than responded to.
positive feedback.

• Comment primarily on patterns—representative

strengths and weaknesses. Noting patterns (and marking
these only once or twice) helps instructors strike a
balance between making students wonder whether
anyone actually read their essay and overwhelming them
with ink. The “pattern” principle applies to grammar and
other sentence-level problems, too.

1 0 S tra tegi es for R esp o nding t o

S tu d e nt Writing Mo re Efficient l y

1. Skim through the pile to discern the 4. Comment representatively in the 7. Design effective writing assignments.
range of responses to an assignment. margins by noting patterns.
8. Respond to proposals, outlines,
2. Read each essay through quickly, 5. Use a reliable format for structuring and drafts.
before making any marks, to identify final comments—for example,
9. Organize students into writing groups.
major strengths and weaknesses. restatement of thesis, discussion
of strengths, and discussion of 10. Ask for a cover letter.
3. Think about strengths and weaknesses
weaknesses.
in terms of clear assessment criteria—
thesis, structure, analysis, and so on. 6. Identify in final comments no
more than three or four areas
for improvement.

Copyright 2007, Harvard College Writing Program