Anyone who has graded a class set of Machiavelli essays has typed the same comment thirty times. "Explain how this quote supports your point." "Which chapter is this from?" It is tempting to copy and paste, but generic comments can feel dismissive. A well-built comment bank solves both problems.

The key is to write comments that are reusable in structure but specific in content. Instead of "needs more analysis," a good bank entry says what kind of analysis is missing and gives a question to answer.

Organizing the bank around rubric criteria makes it easy to use. You are grading thesis, so you pull from the thesis section. You are checking evidence, so you open the evidence section.

Keep the bank short enough to remember. Twenty to thirty well-chosen comments cover most of what any Machiavelli essay needs.

Building Comments That Sound Human

Write each comment the way you would say it to a student in person. Skip stiff phrases like "the argument lacks sufficient support" and try something closer to "I can see your claim, but I want to see the chapter that backs it up."

• Thesis: What would someone who disagrees with this claim say back?
• Evidence: Which chapter is this from, and what is Machiavelli responding to?
• Analysis: You told me what the quote says. Now tell me why it matters here.
• Context: What was happening in Florence when he wrote this?
• Conclusion: Does your ending answer the question you opened with?

Customizing Without Starting Over

Pasting a comment is fine as long as you add one detail from the student's own paper. Referencing a specific sentence or example takes ten seconds and makes the feedback feel personal.

Also mix in positive comments. Students need to know what to keep doing, and a bank with only corrections can read as discouraging over time.

Letting Technology Do the Drafting

AI grading tools can go a step further by drafting personalized comments for each essay from your rubric and past preferences. You are effectively getting a comment bank that adapts to each paper.

As always, read and adjust before returning work. A quick edit to match your voice keeps the feedback authentic, and the time saved on drafting leaves room for the individual notes students remember most.