Determining the purpose of the assignment
The wording of an assignment may suggest its purpose. You might be expected to do one of the following in a college writing assignment:
Understanding how to answer an assignment’s questions
Many assignments will ask you to answer a how or why question. You cannot answer such questions using only facts; instead, you will need to take a position. For example, the question “What are the survival rates for leukemia patients?” can be answered by reporting facts. The question “Why are the survival rates for leukemia patients in one state lower than they are in a neighboring state?” must be answered with both a claim and facts.
If a list of questions appears in the assignment, be careful—instructors rarely expect you to answer all of the questions in order. Look instead for topics or themes that will help you ask your own questions.
Recognizing implied questions
When you are asked to discuss, analyze, argue, or consider, your instructor will often expect you to answer a how or why question.
| Discuss the effects of the No Child Left Behind Act on special education programs. | = | How has the No Child Left Behind Act affected special education programs? |
| Consider the recent rise of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder diagnoses. | = | Why are diagnoses of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder rising? |
Recognizing disciplinary expectations
When you are asked to write in a specific discipline, pay attention to the genre, or type of writing assigned. Each genre has agreed-upon expectations and disciplinary conventions. Look closely at the key terms of the assignment and know what kinds of evidence and citation style your instructor expects you to use.
Go to related page: Understanding an assignment