# Is there a prompt pattern that gets an AI to critique a draft without rewriting it?

Source: https://digicruncher.com/topic/is-there-a-prompt-pattern-that-gets-an-ai-to-critique-a-draft-without/
Site: DigiCruncher, category AI writing tools and assistants
Published: 2026-11-12. Updated: 2026-11-12. Replies: 0.

## Question by Hollis B., 2026-11-12

Every time I ask an assistant to look at a draft, it hands back a polished replacement and a cheerful note that I should be pleased. I did not ask for a replacement. I asked what is wrong with it. When I was a copy editor, the useful thing a colleague could do was say "the second paragraph buries your point" and then leave me alone to fix it.

I have tried writing "do not rewrite" in capitals at the top and it works for one reply and then drifts. I have tried asking for "feedback only" and got feedback with a rewritten example attached to each point, which amounts to the same thing.

Does anyone have a prompt pattern that reliably yields a critique, with comments tied to specific places in the text, and leaves the sentences untouched? I am using a chat interface, not the API.

---
Cite as: DigiCruncher, "Is there a prompt pattern that gets an AI to critique a draft without rewriting it?", https://digicruncher.com/topic/is-there-a-prompt-pattern-that-gets-an-ai-to-critique-a-draft-without/, accessed 2026-11-12.