understand your assignment
Nothing is worse
than writing a great paper
but
one that has not
answered the assignment
The fist step is to understand your assignment
Know exactly
WHAT
you are writing
Know exactly
WHY
you are writing
Know exactly
WHO
you are writing for
Carefully reading your assignment
will help you to know
what is being asked of you.
Look for topic guidelines
having to do with
length
style
intended audience
Also
pay attention to
the type of
information sources
allowed
or
preferred
For example
some assignments
will require you to use
academic
peer-reviewed
articles only
These details are meant to
guide you
and help you focus
on the most important parts
of an assignment
TASK ANALYSIS
Use key verbs in assignment to clarify tasks
key verb:
compare
asks you to:
emphasize similiarities
key verb:
contrast
asks you to:
emphasize differences
key verb:
define
asks you to:
give clear, concise meanings of concepts
key verb:
discuss
asks you to:
consider different possibilities
key verb:
list
asks you to:
state points clearly and in concise form
key verb:
evaluate
asks you to:
judge advantages and disadvantages
key verb:
explain
asks you to:
clarify by stating cause and effect or reasons
key verb:
prove
asks you to:
establish truth through factual evidence and logic
key verb:
summarize
asks you to:
restate another's point in your own words
key verb:
trace
asks you to:
describe historical sequence or development
My assignment does not have any of those key verbs
Ask yourself and the assignment these questions
What questions
and claims
are
explicit
in the assignment
What questions and claims are
implicit
in the assignment
Which words
in the directions
command my attention?
Why?
What do
I understand
about the assignment?
What questions do I still have?
Where can I go for answers?
Let's analyze
an example assignment
that has no action verbs
to guide you
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