Instructions Not Explicit Enough

(Students have just turned in rough drafts of lab reports and I am meeting with them to go over what they did well and what they should change. One student was rather vague with his descriptions and explanations)

Me: “I think I know what you’re trying to describe here, but you have to be more explicit in your explanations of the lab.”

Student: “Could you give me an example?”

Me: “Sure. Here, for instance, you say ‘the buret took some time to drain, then we measured it.’ I need more than that. The explanation needs to be more explicit.”

Student: “Okay.”

(He takes his paper back and two days later returns it with corrections, though not with the corrections I was expecting.)

Second Draft: “The godd*** buret took f***ing FOREVER to drain! Then we f***ing measured that b**** and figured out how much s*** came out.”