Markers write “too descriptive” in seconds; students agonise over it for weeks. If you’ve ever read a comment on a returned essay and felt more confused than before, you’re not alone. University feedback is written in a kind of shorthand, and nobody really teaches you how to read it. Here’s how to translate the dialect — and turn it into a better grade next time.
Why marker feedback feels like code
Feedback is written fast, under a pile of other scripts, in language markers use every day but students rarely hear explained. Comments are compressed: a phrase like “engage more critically” carries a whole expectation behind it. On top of that, the moment you read it is often an emotional one — you’ve just seen a disappointing mark — which makes calm interpretation even harder. The result is that genuinely useful guidance gets mistaken for vague criticism.
The five phrases UK students misread most
A few comments come up again and again, and they mean something specific:
- “Too descriptive” — you explained what the sources say but never judged them. Description reports; analysis takes a position.
- “Engage more critically with the literature” — don’t just cite studies, weigh them against each other and say what they prove.
- “Assertion rather than argument” — you stated a claim without evidence backing it.
- “This could be developed further” — in British academic politeness, this often flags a real weakness, not a minor aside.
- “Signposting needed” — the marker lost the thread of your structure and wants clearer direction between points.
Turning a comment into an action
The skill that moves grades is converting each comment into a concrete next step. “Too descriptive” becomes: in every paragraph, add a sentence that judges the evidence rather than just reporting it. “Signposting needed” becomes: open each section by telling the reader what it argues and why it follows.
If a comment leaves you stuck, a free tool that explains assignment feedback can help. Feedback Decoder translates comments like “lacks critical analysis” into a specific, doable next step and shows which marking criterion each one relates to — so you understand what held your grade back and can act on it, rather than guessing.
Using this term’s feedback on next term’s work
The biggest waste in higher education is feedback that’s read once and forgotten. Keep a simple running note of the comments you get across modules. Patterns emerge fast — if “too descriptive” shows up three times, that’s your single highest-value fix, and addressing it lifts every future assignment, not just one.
Where to get help understanding it
You don’t need to decode all this alone. Alongside talking to your tutor in office hours, there are free study tools from My Perfect Writing designed to help you make sense of feedback, understand your briefs and review your own drafts before you submit — all aimed at helping you improve your own work.
Feedback isn’t a verdict on you as a student. It’s a set of instructions for next time, written in a language that’s finally worth learning to read.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “too descriptive” mean in feedback?
It means you explained what your sources say but didn’t judge them. Markers want analysis — weighing the evidence and taking a clear position — not just a report of the material.
Why did I get a low grade when my research was good?
Strong research still loses marks if the writing describes rather than argues, or misses what the question actually asked. The issue is usually the level of critical thinking, not the amount of content.
How can I understand confusing marker comments?
Match each comment to the marking criterion it relates to, then turn it into one concrete action for next time. Keeping a running log of feedback across modules helps you spot the patterns worth fixing first.
Does understanding feedback really improve my next grade?
Yes. A recurring comment points to a single habit that’s costing you marks across every assignment. Fixing that one habit tends to lift your work more than any last-minute effort on a single essay.
