What Do They Want?

When you face a challenging or high-stakes writing assignment, your first question is likely to be, What do they want? Your instructor or your work supervisor may — or may not — provide explicit directions about your task. Either way, your first step is to gather information about the assignment.

ASSIGNMENT CHECKLIST

  • Do you have a written assignment distributed in class, posted online, provided in your syllabus, or included in your job description?
  • Have you taken notes on verbal advice or directions? Have you thoughtfully read advice posted online by your instructor?
  • Does your assignment identify or imply a purpose and an audience?
  • Does it specify the approach, activity, method, or product?
  • Does it require a standard format, perhaps based on a style guide, a sample lab report, headings in a journal article, an evaluation form, past annual reports at work, or some other model?
  • Does it use key words that you recognize from your writing class or other situations? For instance, does it ask you to explain effects, evaluate, or summarize, drawing on skills you have used recently?
  • What criteria will be used to assess the success of your writing task?