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Language, when you need it
Search concise C2 rules, vocabulary and speaking phrases without leaving the course to hunt through past lessons.
What it is
A reviewer response defends your work by treating criticism as a problem to solve methodically: acknowledge the point, explain your reasoning or make a change, and stay courteous throughout. It's persuasion through discipline, not defensiveness.
Form
| Form | Pattern | Model sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Acknowledge | We thank the reviewer for raising... | We thank the reviewer for raising this important point about sample size. |
| Respond with evidence | However, / In fact, + explanation | However, the effect remained significant even after excluding the smallest sites. |
| Concede and revise | We agree and have revised... to... | We agree and have revised Section 3 to clarify the sampling procedure. |
| Politely hold ground | We respectfully disagree, because... | We respectfully disagree, because the alternative method would introduce a different bias. |
Use it when
- You're replying to peer review comments on a paper or grant application
- A manager or editor has pushed back on your report and you need to respond in writing
- You need to accept a valid criticism gracefully while defending points you stand by
- You want the tone to stay collaborative even when you disagree
Examples
- We appreciate the reviewer's concern and have added a paragraph addressing it directly.
- While we understand the reviewer's hesitation, the original design was chosen specifically to avoid this issue.
- This is a fair point, and we have softened the claim in the revised conclusion accordingly.
- We note that this concern was also raised in an earlier round and address it further in Appendix B.
- We welcome this suggestion and have incorporated it into the revised manuscript.
Watch out
✗ The reviewer is wrong about this.
✓ We respectfully disagree with this point, for the following reasons.
A defence stays courteous even when firmly holding a position.
✗ We already explained this, please read more carefully.
✓ We apologise if this was unclear; we have expanded the explanation in Section 2.
Blaming the reviewer damages the relationship; owning the clarity gap keeps things constructive.
✗ Fine, we'll change it, whatever you want.
✓ We agree and have revised the text to address this concern.
A response should sound considered, not resigned or sarcastic.
Remember
Every reviewer comment gets three moves: thank, respond, revise or defend — never skip the first.
Quick check
- 1. What are the three typical moves in a reviewer response?
Reveal
Acknowledge the comment, respond with evidence or reasoning, then revise or politely defend.
- 2. Give a phrase for disagreeing with a reviewer without sounding hostile.
Reveal
'We respectfully disagree, because...'
- 3. Why is it risky to write 'the reviewer is wrong'?
Reveal
It sounds confrontational and can damage the working relationship, even if the point is valid.