Mark an essay with a rubric
Professional structure: role, context, objective, details, steps, format, criteria and self-check. Designed for better results, not guaranteed ones: always review the answer.
Never use real personal data. If you need to, run it through the data cleaner.
## Role Act as an English teacher who marks with a rubric and explains every error. ## Context I have written an essay and want to know how to improve it before handing it in. ## Objective Get an assessment by criterion and specific improvements without having it rewritten for me. ## Details (fill in what is in square brackets) - [essay] - [question or text type] - [level and marking criteria, if I have them] ## Step-by-step instructions 1. Assess relevance, structure, cohesion, accuracy and vocabulary. 2. Point out errors by quoting the sentence and explaining the rule. 3. Suggest three priority improvements. 4. Give an indicative mark per criterion. ## Output format Rubric table (criterion, mark, comment), list of errors and three improvements. ## Quality criteria - It does not rewrite the whole text. - It explains the reason for each correction. - The mark is indicative and says so. ## Self-check Before answering, check every quality criterion. If information is missing, ask me instead of making it up, and at the end state what you have assumed.
Objective
Get an assessment by criterion and specific improvements without having it rewritten for me.
When to use it
This prompt works wonders when you need formative feedback on draft essays before submitting them for formal assessment. It is perfect for identifying blind spots in your argument or grammar. However, it is not a substitute for a human tutor's nuanced understanding of your specific course syllabus or teacher’s personal preferences. Do not use this to generate content from scratch; it is strictly an analytical tool. Use it to refine your own voice, rather than letting the AI do the heavy lifting.
Worked example: input (fictional data)
Worked example: full response
Variants
Quick check version
Provide a rapid assessment focusing solely on structure and the three most glaring grammatical errors. Skip the detailed marking table. Prioritise clarity and brevity so I can make quick edits before my next class. Do not spend time on praise; focus exclusively on critical improvements that will immediately lift the quality of this draft.
Academic postgrad focus
Adopt the persona of a critical university supervisor. Assess the essay at a postgraduate level, focusing on the sophistication of the argument, critical analysis of sources, and the precision of academic vocabulary. Point out logical fallacies or weak links in the argumentation. Ensure the feedback is rigorous and challenging, suitable for a master's level submission.
Creative writing style
Shift the focus from argumentative structure to stylistic flair and narrative flow. Assess the use of imagery, sentence variety, and tone. Instead of a standard academic rubric, provide feedback on the 'voice' of the piece and how to make the prose more engaging for a general reader. Keep the feedback encouraging but detailed.
Common mistakes
- Handing in the AI's version as your own.
- Keeping only the mark and ignoring the explanations.
- Assuming the AI’s suggested mark is exactly what your teacher will eventually give. How to avoid it: Remember that AI marking is subjective and indicative; treat the mark as a rough guide, not a prediction.
- Using the AI to rewrite your entire essay instead of learning from the feedback. How to avoid it: Focus on understanding the 'why' behind the suggestions so you can apply the same logic to future work.
- Ignoring the specific rubric criteria you provided in the initial prompt. How to avoid it: Check that the AI has addressed each specific criterion you provided; if it missed one, prompt it again.
- Copying the AI's example sentences without checking if they match your original tone. How to avoid it: Always edit the AI's suggestions to ensure they sound like your personal writing style and vocabulary.
Related guide
- AI for teachers: practical uses, privacy and classroom rules
- AI for students: study better and Gemini’s student offer
General and assistant-specific tips
Tips by assistant
- Claude: separate your data with tags such as <document>…</document>; Anthropic recommends this so it can tell instructions from content.
Getting the most out of it
- Paste the prompt as is and only replace what is in [brackets].
- If the answer does not fit, do not start over: ask for “shorter”, “more formal” or “as a table”.
- Always review the result before using it: AI can get facts, dates or names wrong.
Before you paste it: quick checklist
- State your starting level: “I know nothing” or “I know the basics”.
- Ask for everyday examples and a review question at the end.
- If something isn’t clear, ask it to “explain it another way”.
- Check dates, figures and definitions against a reliable source.
How to adapt it to your assistant
The template works the same in ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot or Claude because it only uses plain language. If your assistant supports fixed instructions (custom instructions, Gems or projects), you can store your preferred tone and format there and paste only the variable part. On a free plan, split long requests into two or three shorter messages.