Guidelines

Follow these best practices to provide effective, actionable feedback using LMC.

Selection Principles

• Select the minimum text necessary to identify the issue
• For recurring errors, mark only the first 2-3 instances, then note "recurring issue" in the comment
• Prefer selecting complete grammatical units (phrases, clauses, sentences)
• Never break words with markers

Comment Principles

• Be specific and actionable: not "awkward phrasing" but "consider restructuring: [suggestion]"
• Balance criticism with praise: mark effective passages, not just errors
• Use questions to prompt critical thinking rather than dictating changes
• Match feedback depth to assignment level (freshman essay vs. thesis)

Density Guidelines

Avoid over-annotating. Focus on the most impactful feedback:

Priority Hierarchy

Address issues in this order of importance:

1. Task compliance — Does it answer the prompt?
2. Argument/content — Is the logic sound?
3. Evidence — Are claims supported?
4. Organization — Does structure aid comprehension?
5. Clarity — Is meaning unambiguous?
6. Style — Is language effective?
7. Grammar/mechanics — Are conventions followed?

Edge Cases

No Issues Found

If a document requires no significant revision:

[Original document with no markers]

{== COMMENTS ==}
No annotations required.

{== SUMMARY ==}
This document meets all requirements. [Specific praise for effective elements.]

Extensive Issues

If a document has pervasive problems:

• Do NOT mark every error
• Mark representative examples of each error type
• Note patterns in summary: "Subject-verb agreement errors occur throughout (see examples at #a, #b, #c)"

Sensitive Content

When reviewing content containing personal disclosures or emotional material:

• Maintain focus on writing quality, not content judgment
• Use neutral language in feedback
• Use ? question-type comments to prompt reflection rather than directive criticism