Asking a Professor About a Grade in English
A three-move way to ask about a mark you did not expect: the practical core of how to talk to professors in English when the grade is already published.
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The essay comes back with 58 on it. You expected something in the high sixties, two comments mention criteria you thought you had met, and office hours are on Thursday. You have one conversation to find out what happened.
Most students spend it defending the essay. The ones who get somewhere ask how the mark was reached, add one piece of evidence, and ask for a specific next step. That order is most of what how to talk to professors in english about a grade comes down to.
Why the first sentence decides which conversation you get
A grade question can land as two different requests. One asks for information: how was this mark reached? The other accuses: this mark is wrong. The professor hears whichever one your first sentence resembles, and the accusing version produces a defence of the mark before you say anything about your work.
Published guidance leans the same way. One university's re-marking page states that wanting extra marks to reach a higher grade is not an acceptable reason for a re-mark, and that students should discuss the concern with the coordinator first, since that conversation often supplies the feedback they were missing.
How to talk to professors in English when the mark is already published
Three moves, in this order.
Move one, ask how the mark was reached. Not whether it is fair, but how. Could you walk me through how the second criterion was marked? That invites an explanation rather than a justification, and it gets you information even if the mark never changes.
Move two, add one piece of evidence. One, not five. The brief you were working from, the comment suggesting a section was not read, the criterion you think was applied to the wrong part. The rubric asks for a comparison, and I compared both designs in section three. Was that marked as description?
Move three, ask for the next step. Is the marked copy with your comments available to me? or If a criterion was misapplied, what is the process here? The next step can be a re-mark, a correction, a complaint, or a note on what to fix next time.
Three kinds of problem, and which one is worth raising
Not every disappointment is a marking problem. Sort yours into one of three first.
| What you found | What it is | What to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Section marks that do not add up | An administrative error | A correction, not a re-mark |
| A criterion you addressed marked as missing | A criteria disagreement | How that criterion was read, and where |
| A judgement you disagree with | A merit disagreement | What would have moved it up, not a new mark |
The first two ask whether the process was applied correctly, so raise them. The third asks a marker to prefer your judgement to theirs, and usually ends in a defended mark. One institution's published grounds say the same in policy language: the mark is inconsistent with the feedback, part of the submission appears not to have been considered, or the criteria were not applied appropriately.
Twelve phrases that stay respectful without being apologetic
Every line below keeps the question on the marking.
Do you have ten minutes to go through the feedback on my essay?I was expecting something higher, and I would like to understand the gap.Could you show me how the second criterion was marked?The comment says the analysis is thin, so I want to check which section that refers to.I read the brief as asking for two cases, so I stopped at two. Is that where I lost marks?Which part of the rubric was weakest in this piece?Even if the mark stands, what would have moved it up a band?Is the marked copy with your comments available to me?If a criterion was applied incorrectly, what is the process here?I would still like to take your second module next term.Is a re-mark something I can request, or is that closed for this assessment?So the mark stands and the fix is the evidence section. Thank you for going through it.
A worked office-hours conversation, move by move
You, at the door, essay and rubric printed. Do you have ten minutes to go through the feedback on my essay? I want to understand the mark before I decide whether to do anything about it.
Move one, after the professor asks what the problem is. The mark is lower than I expected, and I would like to understand how the second criterion was marked. If the answer is vague, ask for the section. Could you show me which paragraph you read as description rather than analysis?
Move two, one piece of evidence. Section three compares both survey designs, and the comment says the analysis is thin. I want to know whether I made the comparison in a way that did not count.
The professor explains the difference between describing two designs and saying what the comparison shows: not what you wanted to hear, and the useful part.
Move three. That makes sense. Is a re-mark open for this assessment, or is the route a complaint about the marking?
Close with the summary and no argument. So the comparison was there but the implication was not. I will fix that next time. Thank you.
The email version: subject line, three short paragraphs, deadline language
Email is the weaker channel for a grade conversation: writing centres tend to send students to office hours for grades and keep email for dates and requirements. Use it when office hours are impossible, or when you need the request in writing.
Subject line: course code, piece of work, one plain noun. Subject: Essay 2 mark - POL204
Paragraph one, who you are and what you want. I am in your POL204 tutorial on Tuesdays, and I would like to ask about the mark on Essay 2.
Paragraph two, the specific question, one piece of evidence, no accusation. The feedback says the analysis is thin. I compared both survey designs in section three and would like to know whether that was marked as description.
Paragraph three, the next step and the date that matters. Could we use ten minutes of your office hours this week? The request window closes on the 20th, so I wanted to ask before then.
One line that keeps it easy to answer. If a meeting is not possible, a short reply by email is completely fine.
When the answer is no: the complaint and appeal route
A no ends the informal process, but not always the formal one. Ask what the formal route is, in one sentence, before you leave. If I want to take this further, is that a complaint or an appeal, and who do I send it to?
Some institutions close the re-mark route entirely when work has been blind double marked by two markers independently. A student may still be able to complain about how the marking was conducted, which is a different question from whether the mark was right.
A re-mark can move a mark down as well as up, and asking for one usually means accepting that. The relationship outlives the mark: a student who asks once, reads the answer, and says thank you is still one the professor will write for later.
Drill: rewrite five lines into the three-move structure
Say each line aloud, then the rewrite.
This mark is unfair.becomesCan you show me how the second criterion was marked?I worked really hard on this.becomesI want to understand the gap between the feedback and the mark.You did not read my whole essay.becomesThe comment mentions the analysis, and I would like to check which section it covers.Can I get a re-mark?becomesIs a re-mark open for this assessment, or is the route a complaint?Everyone else got higher marks.becomesWhich part of the rubric was weakest in my piece?
Frequently asked questions
Can I ask a professor to re-mark my essay?
You can ask, and at many institutions the request has a formal route, but frame it as a question about the mark against the published criteria, not a request for more marks. Ask whether a re-mark is open for that assessment before writing: some assessments are closed to re-mark requests when they were marked independently by two markers. If the route is open, expect to submit the work and a written explanation of which criterion was applied incorrectly.
How do I email a professor about a grade politely?
Use the course code in the subject line, three short paragraphs, and one specific question. Say who you are, state the question with the feedback line you are asking about, then name the next step and the date that matters. Do not attach the whole essay unless asked, do not call the mark unfair, and make it easy to answer in two lines.