Answering Assignment Questions

In order to decide how to answer an essay question, you need to identify what the question requires in terms of content and genre. This guide outlines some methods to help you analyse essay questions.

Analysing a Question Using Key Words

Assignment questions can be broken down into parts so that you can better understand what you are being asked to do. It is important to identify key words and phrases in the topic.

What are Key Words?

Key words are words in a question that tell you the approach you should take when answering an essay question.

Task Words	tell you what to do; the action(s) you need to perform. are usually verbs.
Limiting Words	limit and define the essay, making it workable. are usually about the topic area/s help you to focus your research and reading on the correct area.
Content Words	tell you what the focus is and what you should write about. define the topic area further indicate aspects of the topic you should narrowly concentrate on.

Make sure you understand the meaning of all the key words in an essay question, especially the Task words. As Task words direct you and tell you how to go about answering a question, understanding the meaning helps you to know exactly what you have to do.

Limiting words define the scope of your assignment and take you halfway towards narrowing down your material and selecting your answer.

If you're not sure about any aspect of the question, ask your tutor/ lecturer for clarification. Never start any assignment until you know and understand exactly what you are being asked to do.

How to use Key Words

Look for the keywords in your essay question
Underline them
Spend some time working out what they mean. Use the Glossary of Task Words to help you.

Try it

Example Question: Examine the changes computers have made to education

Task Word

Glossary of task words

Limiting Word

Content Word

Next: Implied or complex questions

Links

Answering the Question University of Canberra

Essay Writing: Planning your approach University of Otago

Analysing Assignment Questions University of Southern Queensland

Analysing a topic University of Tasmania

Interpreting an Assignment Question Massey University Learning Centre NZ