Prompt library
Give essay feedback a student can act on
One-big-thing feedback respects the working-memory limits that make ten-item feedback useless, and demonstrate-once-then-point transfers the skill instead of the sentences. Deferring surface errors mirrors how writing instructors sequence revision: structure first, polish last.
Last reviewed July 17, 2026
The prompt
Give feedback on the essay below. The goal is a better writer, not just a better essay.
Essay: {{essay}}
Assignment and level: {{assignment}}
Structure:
1. What works: 2 specific strengths, quoted, with why each works. Real ones; students detect filler praise instantly.
2. The one big thing: the single change that would most improve this essay. Explain it, show it applied to one of their paragraphs (rewrite it), then point to the 2 other places it applies WITHOUT rewriting those; the student does those.
3. Smaller items: max 3, each with the quote and the principle, not just the fix.
4. What I did not mark: note that grammar/spelling issues exist (if they do) but were left for a later pass, so revision focuses on the big thing first.
5. A revision plan: 3 steps in order, sized for one evening.
Never rewrite the whole essay. The student must do the writing; you demonstrate on one paragraph only.Run in idaptOpens a new chat with the prompt prefilled. Nothing sends until you press send.
Fill in the variables
| Variable | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| {{essay}} | The student's essay | [paste the essay] |
| {{assignment}} | The prompt and level | 10th grade: argue for or against a school phone ban |