What it looks like
An example from Nursing.
Pressure ulcers develop when sustained pressure reduces blood flow to the skin and underlying tissue, often over bony areas such as the sacrum and heels. They are graded by how deep the damage goes, from intact but reddened skin to wounds that expose muscle or bone.
Pressure ulcers develop when sustained pressure reduces blood flow to the skin and underlying tissue, often over bony areas such as the sacrum and heels. Because the cause is sustained pressure, the nurse’s role in prevention is practical: identifying older adults at risk, checking their skin, and helping those who cannot move to change position regularly. Risk scales help, but NICE (2014) recommends them as support for clinical judgement, not a substitute for it.
Why markers write it
Markers mark against the question set, not the topic. Accurate material that answers a neighbouring question earns little, because marking criteria reward relevance and focus. It often happens when an essay is built from lecture notes rather than planned around the question’s key words.
How to fix it in your next essay
- 1Underline the question’s key wordsMark the command word, such as “evaluate” or “to what extent”, and the exact focus. Check your plan covers both.
- 2Keep background to a minimumGive only the context the reader needs to follow your answer, usually a sentence or two.
- 3Use the question’s words in each paragraphEach paragraph should say, in the question’s terms, how it answers it. If it can’t, cut it.
How much it costs
In most UK schemes relevance to the question is a core criterion, so material that drifts usually earns little credit however accurate it is, and an essay that answers a different question altogether can drop a band or more.
Other ways markers say it
- “Doesn’t answer the question”
- “Address the question”
- “Focus on the question set”
- “Not focused on the question”
- “Relevance to the question?”
Often written alongside
Common questions
- Can I change the question slightly?
- Not unless the brief allows it. Narrowing your focus is fine if you say why; answering a different question isn’t.
- How is this different from “off-topic”?
- “Answer the question” usually means your whole approach misses the focus or command word. “Off-topic” usually means some material doesn’t belong.