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Code Reviews & PRs

English for code reviews and pull requests

108 articles54 vocab lessons

Code-review English must be precise and polite. This hub teaches softeners, blocking vs optional comments, and PR vocabulary so B2 engineers can give feedback that lands well. Start with phrase patterns like “nit:”, “optional:”, and “Have you considered…?” before writing your next review.

  • Leave constructive PR comments without sounding harsh
  • Label nit / optional / blocking feedback clearly
  • Use common review terms (LGTM, draft PR, revert) correctly

Code reviews are one of the hardest places to get English right: feedback must be precise, constructive, and professional — all at once. This section covers the exact phrases senior engineers use, how to soften criticism without losing the message, and how to write pull request descriptions that actually get reviewed quickly.

Named packs

Start with these review kits

Soft feedback, bug/incident English, and listening practice for pull requests — the phrases senior engineers actually use.

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Start with these terms

High-demand lessons with a short definition — open the full page for examples and practice.

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Frequently asked questions

Short answers for B2 learners — and for search and AI assistants that cite this page.

How do I give critical feedback in a code review politely?
Separate tone from the request: “Thanks for this — one concern on the error handling. Could we add a null check here?” Use “we” and questions for optional changes; be direct only for blocking issues.
What does LGTM mean in a pull request?
LGTM means “Looks good to me” — approval to merge (sometimes with minor nits). Pair it with any remaining comments so the author knows what is still required.
How should I write a pull request description in English?
State why, what changed, and how to test. Example: “Adds rate limiting to the public API to reduce abuse. Test: hit /v1/search 100 times and confirm 429 responses.”
What’s the difference between a nit and a blocking comment?
A nit is a small, non-blocking preference (naming, style). A blocking comment must be fixed before merge. Labelling them helps non-native authors prioritise.

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