Understanding the Essay Question

When preparing for writing the essay, it’s especially important to understand the essay question. You need to understand what exactly you are expected to write. Even if the task seems obvious, we suggest that you read it carefully before writing your first draft. Many students expect their essay question to be straightforward and start to write the first draft as soon as possible. However, quite often, such an approach is a reason why they cannot produce a good essay. Tips from writers-house.com service will help you avoid such problems.

Instructions

There are several common ways of formulating essay questions. Most often, such questions start with such words as “asses,” “analyze,” “discuss,” etc. The word choice in the question helps to understand what are your main instructions:

• examine/analyze/investigate (consider the main features of an issue in detail);
• compare (describe the similarities between certain items);
• evaluate/assess/to what extent?/how far? (evaluate to what extent something is the case, supporting your point with evidence);
• contrast (describe the differences between given items);
• give an account of/describe/state (present a detailed account);
• define (provide the exact meaning);
• illustrate (describe the main features using examples);
• do you agree?/discuss (provide arguments for or against);
• summarize (sum up the key aspects of the issue);
• explore (consider the issue from different points of view);
• trace/outline (present the key aspects);
• explain/how?/why?/what? (demonstrate your knowledge of the subject).

Key Words

An easy way to get a grasp on your question is to underline these instructional words because they are the most important. Make sure that you understand all these words and check the dictionary if you need. Once you’ve considered every instructional word, you’ll be able to understand your task. Another useful approach is to rewrite the question in your own words.