What it looks like
An example from Sociology.
Durkheim (1897) found that Protestants had higher suicide rates than Catholics. He also found that suicide rates rose during economic crises.
Durkheim (1897) found that Protestants had higher suicide rates than Catholics, which he linked to their weaker ties to a shared religious community. He also found that suicide rates rose during economic crises. Both patterns matter for the question: if even an act as private as suicide varies with social conditions, its rate is a social fact, not just the sum of individual choices.
Why markers write it
Markers can only credit links you make on the page. A fact with no explanation reads as padding, even when it’s accurate and relevant, because the marker can’t tell what you think it shows. “So what?” is the marker asking you to take that last step.
How to fix it in your next essay
- 1Add a “this matters because” sentenceAfter each main point, say what it shows and how it moves your argument forward.
- 2Echo the question’s key wordsLinking back in the question’s own terms shows the point is relevant, not just true.
- 3Read your draft as a scepticAfter each paragraph, ask “so what?” out loud. If the paragraph doesn’t answer, add the sentence that does.
Phrases that help
How much it costs
It’s a small gap that adds up. Unexplained points usually earn marks for knowledge but not for analysis, which in most UK schemes is the difference between the 2:2 and 2:1 bands.
Other ways markers say it
- “Why does this matter?”
- “Significance?”
- “Relevance?”
- “And?”
- “Link back to the question”
Often written alongside
Common questions
- Isn’t the significance obvious?
- To you, perhaps — but the marker can’t credit a link you haven’t written. Spell it out, even when it feels obvious.
- Where should the “so what” go?
- Usually straight after the evidence, and again at the end of the paragraph, where you link back to the question.