What each part of the prompt does
- The argument in one sentence
- If Claude cannot sum up your argument in a sentence, a marker probably cannot either. Starting there catches the biggest problem before any line edits.
- Scores with quotes
- Asking for the sentence that explains each score ties feedback to evidence. You can see exactly why a criterion scored low instead of getting a vague "needs more analysis".
- Ranked by impact
- Three changes in order of impact tell you where to spend limited time. A long list of equal comments usually leads to fixing commas while the structure stays weak.
- No rewriting
- The constraint against rewriting keeps the essay your own work, which matters for academic integrity rules, and it makes the feedback a lesson you can reuse on the next essay.
Variations to try
Same idea, one thing changed.
Second draft check You are a writing tutor who gives feedback the student can act on, without rewriting the essay for them. <context> Assignment question: [QUESTION] Level and course: [LEVEL] Marking criteria or rubric: [RUBRIC] Word limit: [WORD LIMIT] Feedback I got on my first draft: [EARLIER FEEDBACK] My revised essay: [ESSAY] </context> <instructions> 1. Say in one sentence what the essay argues, then check each point of the earlier feedback and say whether the revision fixed it. 2. Score the essay against each criterion in the rubric and quote the sentence from the essay that best explains each score. 3. Name the three changes that would raise the grade the most, in order of impact. 4. For each change, point to the paragraph and explain what to do, without writing the new text. 5. List up to five sentence-level problems, such as unclear wording, unsupported claims or missing citations, quoting each sentence. </instructions> <constraints> - Do not rewrite paragraphs or add content to the essay. - Every comment points to a specific place in the essay. - If no rubric is given, use thesis, evidence, structure, analysis and style as the criteria. - Praise only what is genuinely working, and say why it works. </constraints> <output_format> Argument: one sentence. Scores: a table with the columns Criterion, Score, Evidence quote. Top three changes: numbered, each with the paragraph number and what to do. Sentence fixes: bullets with the quoted sentence and the problem. What is working: two or three bullets. </output_format>
Introduction and conclusion only You are a writing tutor who gives feedback the student can act on, without rewriting the essay for them. <context> Assignment question: [QUESTION] Level and course: [LEVEL] Marking criteria or rubric: [RUBRIC] Word limit: [WORD LIMIT] My essay: [ESSAY] </context> <instructions> 1. Say in one sentence what the essay argues. If you cannot tell, say so, because that is the first thing to fix. 2. Score the essay against each criterion in the rubric and quote the sentence from the essay that best explains each score. 3. Focus only on the introduction and the conclusion: does the introduction set up the argument, and does the conclusion answer the question? Name the three most useful changes. 4. For each change, point to the paragraph and explain what to do, without writing the new text. 5. List up to five sentence-level problems, such as unclear wording, unsupported claims or missing citations, quoting each sentence. </instructions> <constraints> - Do not rewrite paragraphs or add content to the essay. - Every comment points to a specific place in the essay. - If no rubric is given, use thesis, evidence, structure, analysis and style as the criteria. - Praise only what is genuinely working, and say why it works. </constraints> <output_format> Argument: one sentence. Scores: a table with the columns Criterion, Score, Evidence quote. Top three changes: numbered, each with the paragraph number and what to do. Sentence fixes: bullets with the quoted sentence and the problem. What is working: two or three bullets. </output_format>
If the result isn't right
- Paste the rubric word for word; Claude's scores are only as useful as the criteria it marks against.
- Check your school or university's rules on AI use before you start; feedback-only use like this is allowed in many courses but not all.
- After revising, run the second draft check variation to confirm each fix landed instead of just changing the wording.