Prompting AI for Essay Feedback - Without Plagiarizing off of AI
The purpose of this process is to get overall feedback on your essay without plagiarizing off of AI. If you copy something from AI into your paper for a school, that is almost always considered plagiarism. The idea is to ask AI for feedback, and then you need to make the changes yourself. As long as you are "playing" with the words yourself on the page, you are not plagiarizing.
Usually essays are graded based on three broad criteria: 1) structure (logical order of ideas), 2) content (logic of the ideas and research), and 3) accuracy of language use (grammar, punctuation, etc.).
Depending on what kind of feedback you would like, try out the following prompts followed by your essay draft. Then make changes without copying what the AI gives you. These examples ask for what an English professor would say, but if you are taking a different course, you could also ask the prompt what a professor in that field would say. For example, if it is an education course, you could include education professor in the prompt.
Sample Prompts
Feedback on Grammar (Use this at any time in the writing process)
Instead of using Grammarly or another GenAI tool to rewrite your paper in "boring AI style," try out these steps to learn more about grammar and editing with the help of AI.
Step 1: Type the following prompt into Google Gemini or another AI chatbot:
I am a college student and I don't want to plagiarize anything. Don't rewrite my paper, as that is plagiarism. What are some common errors related to grammar, punctuation, and language use in the following essay? Are any phrases in the essay considered too informal for academic writing? Give a brief explanation and tips for fixing these issues. [Copy and paste your essay draft here and hit "Enter."]
Step 2: Copy the feedback into a separate Word document and save it so you don't lose it.
Step 3: Do your best to rewrite the paper yourself using each piece of feedback if you agree with it.
Feedback on Content (Use this early in the writing process)
Step 1: Type the following prompt into Google Gemini or another AI chatbot:
I am a college student and I don't want to plagiarize anything. Don't rewrite my paper, as that is plagiarism. What overall feedback would an English professor give about the content, including the logical reasoning and the use of evidence based on research? [Copy and paste your essay draft here and hit "Enter."]
Step 2: Copy the feedback into a separate Word document and save it so you don't lose it.
Step 3: Use CU Search or another library database to find more sources to improve the content of the essay, or go to this page on tips for using AI to get peer-reviewed sources.
Step 4: Do your best to rewrite the paper using each piece of feedback if you agree with it.
Feedback on Use of Research (Use this early in the writing process)
Step 1: Type the following prompt into Google Gemini or another AI chatbot - if you are using APA, substitute APA for MLA.
I am a college student and I don't want to plagiarize anything. Don't rewrite my paper, as that is plagiarism. What overall feedback would an English professor give about the use of research and evidence? Did I use enough research to support my points? Am I misunderstanding the research evidence? What relevant research is missing from this paper? [Copy and paste your essay draft here and hit "Enter."]
Step 3: Use CU Search or another library database to find more sources to improve the content of the essay, or go to this page on tips for using AI to find peer-reviewed sources.
Step 4: Do your best to rewrite the paper using each piece of feedback if you agree with it.
Feedback on Structure (Use this in the middle of the writing process)
Step 1: Type the following prompt into Google Gemini or another AI chatbot:
I am a college student and I don't want to plagiarize anything. Don't rewrite my paper, as that is plagiarism. What overall feedback would an English professor give about the structure, including the thesis statement and the logical flow of ideas? [Copy and paste your essay draft here and hit "Enter."]
Step 2: Copy the feedback into a separate Word document and save it so you don't lose it.
Step 3: Do your best to rewrite the paper using each piece of feedback if you agree with it.
Feedback on Citations (Use this later in the writing process)
Step 1: Type the following prompt into Google Gemini or another AI chatbot, but if you are using APA, substitute APA for MLA.
I am a college student and I don't want to plagiarize anything. Don't rewrite my paper, as that is plagiarism. What overall feedback would an English professor give about the MLA citations. Are there any formatting errors related to MLA citation format, and how might I fix them? [Copy and paste your essay draft here and hit "Enter."]
Step 2: Copy the feedback into a separate Word document and save it so you don't lose it.
Step 3: Do your best to correct your citations using each piece of feedback, but don't directly copy and paste it into your paper.
Overall Essay Feedback (Use this when you are almost done)
Step 1: Type the following prompt into Google Gemini or another AI chatbot:
I am a college student and I don't want to plagiarize anything. Don't rewrite my paper, as that is plagiarism. What overall feedback would an English professor give about the structure, content, and accuracy of language use? [Copy and paste your essay draft here and hit "Enter."]
Step 2: Copy the feedback into a separate Word document and save it so you don't lose it.
Step 3: Do your best to rewrite the paper and correct any errors in your draft yourself. Don't copy and paste anything directly into you paper.