'Be More Critical'? What Your Lecturer's Feedback Really Means (Free Decoder + Bingo)
It's 11pm. Your mark has just appeared on the module page. You scroll past the number to the comments, hoping for a clue about what went wrong. There's one line in the margin: "Be more critical." No example. No explanation. Just three words that feel like a riddle.
If that has happened to you, you're not alone. UK lecturers often mark dozens of essays in a row, and their comments arrive as shorthand. Each phrase points to a skill the marker expected you to know already. Once you know the code, the same comments turn into a clear to-do list.
This post gives you three things: a decoder for 15 of the most common comments, a game of Feedback Bingo to share with your course mates, and a simple method for making sure the same comment doesn't come back next time.
First, the British politeness problem
UK academic culture loves understatement. Criticism is often softened so much that international students, and plenty of British ones, miss it altogether. Here's a quick phrasebook:
The two to watch are "You might want to consider…" and "I'm not sure about this". Both sound gentle, and both usually cost marks if you ignore them.
A good rule of thumb: if a comment suggests something, treat it as something you were expected to do.
The Feedback Decoder
Type a word from your feedback, or tap a comment. You'll see what it really means, why you probably got it, and a quick fix with a before-and-after example.
The one question hiding behind half of these comments
Look closely at the decoder and you'll notice a pattern. "Too descriptive", "be more critical", "develop this point" and "where is your argument?" are really the same complaint: the marker can see your sources, but not your thinking.
The fix is a habit called the So What? test. Before you submit, read each paragraph and ask three questions:
If you can't answer the third question, the paragraph is descriptive. Add one sentence that answers it, and you've dealt with the comment before the marker can write it. For a full walkthrough of paragraph and essay structure, see how to structure an academic essay.
Try it: rescue this paragraph
Here's a paragraph that would collect at least four comments from the decoder. Can you spot them before you scroll?
"Social media is a big problem for students nowadays. Everyone knows it stops them concentrating. According to Brown (2020), 'students who use social media for more than three hours a day report lower concentration'. Also, Green (2019) says students spend a lot of time on their phones. So social media is bad for students."
Have a go first. Write your own version in the comments and I'll reply with feedback. (Brown and Green are invented sources for this exercise.)
The comments it would get
One possible rewrite
"Heavy social media use may affect students' ability to concentrate. Brown (2020) found that students who spend more than three hours a day on social media report lower concentration, and Green (2019) shows how much study time phones can absorb. However, both studies rely on self-reported data, so they show an association rather than a cause. Universities may therefore do more good by helping students manage phone use during study time than by treating social media itself as the problem."
Notice what changed: a hedged claim, sources in conversation with each other, a limitation, and a final "so what?". Same evidence, a much stronger paragraph. If paraphrasing and combining sources is the part you find hardest, my guide to synthesising sources in your writing goes step by step.
Feedback Bingo
Now the fun part. Tap every comment you've ever received. Four in a row is bingo. Share your score with your course group and find out who has collected the most red ink.
How to stop getting the same feedback
Most students read their feedback once, feel bad, and close the tab. The students who improve fastest do something different: they keep a feedback log.
Make a simple table with three columns: the comment, the assignment, and what you will do differently next time.
Add every comment from every module, not just the harsh ones.
After three or four assignments, look for repeats. A comment that appears in two different modules is your top priority, because fixing it lifts every future mark.
Before you submit your next assignment, check it against your three most common comments.
If you're not sure what a comment means, ask. Most lecturers welcome specific questions in office hours. Try this script:
"On my essay you wrote 'too descriptive' next to paragraph three. Could you show me one sentence where I should have added more analysis?"
A specific question gets a specific answer. "Why did I get 58?" rarely does. And if deadlines are the real problem, the free assignment planner works out how much time you need to leave for proofreading.
Frequently asked questions
What does "too descriptive" mean in an essay?
It means you've explained what happened or what a source says without explaining why it matters for your argument. Add a sentence after each piece of evidence that interprets it.
What does "be more critical" mean?
It means you should evaluate your sources rather than simply accept them. Ask how strong the evidence is, who disagrees, and where the findings stop applying. My post on critical thinking skills for university students goes deeper.
Is it rude to ask my lecturer to explain my feedback?
No. Asking a specific question about a specific comment shows you're taking the feedback seriously. Most lecturers would much rather you ask than repeat the same mistake.
Does "interesting" mean my point was good?
Not always. In UK feedback, "interesting" can be a compliment, a sign of doubt, or a request to explain why the point matters. If there's no other comment beside it, ask.
Why do I keep getting the same comment?
Usually because the comment names a symptom, not the cause. "Too descriptive", for example, often comes from a missing argument in the introduction. Fix the cause and several comments can disappear at once.
How do I make my writing less informal?
Replace conversational phrasal verbs and vague words with precise academic ones, and avoid contractions and "you". My list of academic phrasal verbs and their formal alternatives is a good place to start.
Got a comment that isn't here?
Write the strangest, most confusing feedback you've ever received in the comments below, and I'll decode it. The best ones will be added to the decoder.
And if the same comments keep coming back, we can work on them together. My Academic & Research Skills sessions use your own assignments to work on argument, analysis, synthesis and referencing. One-to-one sessions are £30 an hour.
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