Essay question instructions

Once you have thought about or investigated each highlighted word, then you should be able to make sense of the question and understand exactly what is expected in your essay. In addition to thinking about the key words, another useful strategy is to write in your own words what you think the question is asking you to do. Back to Writing essays.

If you work in the way suggested below, your essay should take the right approach to the topic from the outset. Essay questions are usually worded in one of a number of standard ways: they often start with words and phrases such as discuss, analyse, assess, and to what extent? which give you a hint as to how to deal with the question.

Instruction words provide the critical instructions for answering essay questions and guide you in which direction you should approach to solve the query. 1. Analyze: Break an issue into its constituent parts to assess its depth, nature proportion and function. Implement supporting arguments and sources to back the topic.

Read the question several times and consider any implicit assumptions behind the question. Define the key words (use a dictionary if necessary) and look for any words that focus or restrict the area you need to examine in your answer. Key words in the title. Underline the key words or phrases in your question.