summarise.
Topic words (or keywords) are usually easy to locate. They tell you what you have to write about. Use these keywords to find information on your topic.
Restricting words are words or phrases that narrow the topic and make it more specific. Geographical location and date are both common restrictions.
Once you have analysed the question, check your understanding. Try to rewrite the question using your own words by completing the following sentence in no more than 25 words. E.g. The question is asking me to . . .
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“It is well worth the time to break down the question into its different elements.” Kathleen McMillan & Jonathan Weyers, How to Write Essays & Assignments
When you get an essay question, how do you make sure you are answering it how your tutor wants? There is a hidden code in most questions that gives you a clue about the approach you should be taking...
Here is a typical essay question:
Analyse the impact of the employability agenda on the undergraduate student experience.
Let's decode it...
Did you know that analyse means something different to discuss or evaluate ? In academic writing these have very specific and unique meanings - which you need to make sure you are aware of before you start your essay planning. For example:
Examine critically so as to bring out the essential elements; describe in detail; describe the various parts of something and explain how they work together, or whether they work together.
It is almost impossible to remember the different meanings, so download our Glossary of Instruction Words for Essay Questions to keep your own reminder of the most common ones.
Don't get thrown by other regularly used phrases such as "with reference to relevant literature" or "critically evaluate" and "critically analyse" (rather than simply "evaluate" or "analyse"). All your writing should refer to relevant literature and all writing should have an element of criticality at university level. These are just redundant phrases/words and only there as a gentle reminder.
Many students think this is the easy bit - but you can easily mistake the focus for the subject and vice versa. The subject is the general topic of the essay and the instruction word is usually referring to something you must do to that topic .
Usually, the subject is something you have had a lecture about or there are chapters about in your key texts.
There will be many aspects of the subject/topic that you will not need to include in your essay, which is why it is important to recognise and stick to the focus as shown in the next box.
Every essay has and needs a focus . If you were to write everything about a topic, even about a particular aspect of a topic, you could write a book and not an essay! The focus gives you direction about the scope of the essay. It usually does one of two things:
This could be something there were a few slides about in your lecture or a subheading in your key text.
I have to make up my own title.
If you have been asked to come up with your own title, write one like the ones described here. Include at least an instruction, a subject and a focus and it will make planning and writing the essay so much easier. The main difference would be that you write it as a description rather than a question i.e.:
An analysis of the impact of the employability agenda on the undergraduate student experience.
If you have been given assignment criteria, the question often still contains the information you need to break it down into the components on this page. For example, look at the criteria below. There are still instruction words, subjects and focus/constraints.
An understanding of learning theories is important to being an effective teacher. In this assignment you will select two learning theories and explain why they would help you in your own teaching context. You will then reflect on an experience from your teaching practice when this was, or could have been, put into practice.
Select two learning theories , referring to published literature, explain why they are relevant to your own teaching context.
Reflect on an experience from your teaching practice .
Explain why a knowledge of a learning theory was or would have been useful in the circumstances .
Think of each criterion therefore as a mini essay.
Home > Essay writing and study advice
In most subjects, understanding and answering essay questions is a key academic skill.
At an advanced level of study, this requires not merely the description or repetition of knowledge itself, but the analysis, evaluation and interpretation of knowledge.
If you do not fully understand the question however, you cannot make a full and appropriate response to it and so will not achieve the highest marks.
Therefore, interpreting questions correctly is extremely important.
Use this list of question types as a starting point to help you understand and answer questions that you encounter in exams and assessed coursework.
Top tip: whenever possible talk to tutors and fellow students to help clarify your understanding.
| |
Analyse | |
Assess | |
Clarify | |
Comment (upon critically) | |
Compare (and contrast) | |
Consider | |
Contrast | |
Criticise | |
Define | |
Describe | |
Discuss | |
Distinguish | |
Evaluate | |
Examine | |
Explain | |
How | |
Justify | |
Outline | |
State | |
Summarise | |
This is really helpful for everyone who needs help breaking down what the essay question is really asking.
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Instruction or command words indicate what your tutor wants you to do in your written assignment. It's vital that you understand exactly what these instruction words mean so you can answer all parts of the essay question and provide a complete response.
Here's a list of some of the most common instruction/command words you'll see in essay questions (and examination questions as well), together with an explanation of what they mean.
Describe: Give a detailed account of…
Outline: Give the main features/general principles; don't include minor details.
Explain, account for, interpret: Describe the facts but also give causes and reasons for them. Depending on the context, these words may also suggest that you need to make the possible implications clear as well. For example: 'Explain X and its importance for Y'.
Comment on, criticise, evaluate, critically evaluate, assess: Judge the value of something. But first, analyse, describe and explain. Then go through the arguments for and against, laying out the arguments neutrally until the section where you make your judgement clear. Judgements should be backed by reasons and evidence.
Discuss, consider: The least specific of the instruction words. Decide, first of all, what the main issues are. Then follow the same procedures for Comment on, Criticise, Evaluate, Critically Evaluate and Assess.
Analyse: Break down into component parts. Examine critically or closely.
How far, how true, to what extent: These suggest there are various views on and various aspects to the subject. Outline some of them, evaluate their strengths and weaknesses, explore alternatives and then give your judgement.
Justify: Explain, with evidence, why something is the case, answering the main objections to your view as you go along.
Refute: Give evidence to prove why something is not the case.
Compare, contrast, distinguish, differentiate, relate: All require that you discuss how things are related to each other. Compare suggests you concentrate on similarities, which may lead to a stated preference, the justification of which should be made clear. These words suggest that two situations or ideas can be compared in a number of different ways, or from a variety of viewpoints. Contrast suggests you concentrate on differences.
Define: Write down the precise meaning of a word or phrase. Sometimes several co-existing definitions may be used and, possibly, evaluated.
Illustrate: Make clear and explicit; usually requires the use of carefully chosen examples.
State: Give a concise, clear explanation or account of…
Summarise: Give a concise, clear explanation or account of… presenting the main factors and excluding minor detail or examples (see also Outline).
Trace: Outline or follow the development of something from its initiation or point of origin.
Devise: Think up, work out a plan, solve a problem etc.
Apply (to): Put something to use, show how something can be used in a particular situation.
Identify: Put a name to, list something.
Indicate: Point out. This does not usually involve giving too much detail.
List: Make a list of a number of things. This usually involves simply remembering or finding out a number of things and putting them down one after the other.
Plan: Think about how something is to be done, made, organised, etc.
Report on: Describe what you have seen or done.
Review: Write a report on something.
Specify: Give the details of something.
Work out: Find a solution to a problem.
Adapted from: Coles, M. (1995), A Student’s Guide to Coursework Writing, University of Stirling, Stirling
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So wonderful can anyone get the information
Thanks Josphat!
This is a life saver, do you have a youtube channel where you talk about all this stuff? If so I would love to know about it 🙂 Rachelle
Thanks for your comment. We don't have a YouTube channel but stay tuned for more posts. You will also find additional self-directed learning resources in MySkills .
Quite helpful. I would definitely check this before my next essay.
Thank you, Dan.
Very helpful now I understand how construct my assignments and how to answer exam questions
I have understood it clearly;)
it is very useful for us to understand many instruction word and what we need to write down
There are some define of some words,and I find that there do have many common things for some words,but not all the same.Such as compare, contrast, distinguish, differentiate, relate,they all need people to compare but foucs on different ways.
Very helpful. Listed most of the words that might be misunderstood by foreign students. Now I know why my score of writing IELTS test is always 6, I even didn't get the point of what I was supposed to write!
I have already read all of this. And it gave me a brief instruction.
There are varied instruction words in essay questions. It's a good chance for me to have a overview of these main command words because I could response to requirements of questions precisely and without the risk of wandering off the topic.
When i encounter with an essay title with these instruction words above,I should understand exactly what these words mean so that i could know what my tutor would like me to do in the assignments.Also,these words may help me make an outline and read academic articles with percific purposes.
These words are accurate and appropriate. It is really helpful for me to response some assignment questions and I can know the orientation of my answers . I can also use these words to make an outline of my essay. However, in my view, for some instruction words which are confusing and hard to understand, it is better to give an example to help us understand.
It's the first time for me to recognise these instruction words , some of them are really similar with each other.
it is very helpful to my future study. it will be better to have some examples with it.
As the University embraces the power of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), we've taken proactive steps to equip you with the knowledge and skills to navigate this rapidly evolving landscape. Over the last month, using the University of Bath Instagram account...
Artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing rapidly, and new Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Elicit, Perplexity, Bard and Bing are now easily accessible online. As university students, how can you incorporate these emerging technologies into your studies and campus...
Whether you’re writing an assignment or revising for exams, getting started can be hard. Fortunately, there’s lots you can do to turn procrastination into action.
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.
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.
Key words are the words in an assignment question that tell you the approaches to take when you answer.
Make sure you understand the meaning of key words in an essay question, especially t ask words . As Task words are verbs that direct you and tell you how to go about answering a question, understanding the meaning helps you know exactly what you to do.
Content words tell you what the topic area(s) of your assignment are and take you halfway towards narrowing down your material and selecting your answer. Content words help you to focus your research and reading on the correct area.
Limiting words make a broad topic workable. They focus the topic area further by indicating aspects you should narrowly concentrate on.
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.
Computers have had a significant impact on education in the 20th century. Discuss the changes they have made.
DISCUSS. Look up the meaning in the glossary of task words to find out what it means.
(See Glossary of task words )
EDUCATION, COMPUTERS. Content words help you to direct your research and reading towards the correct area(s), in this case on computers and on education.
CHANGES, SIGNIFICANT IMPACT, 20TH CENTURY. Limiting words further define the topic area and indicate aspects you should narrowly concentrate on. For example, in this question, do not just write about computers in education, Discuss the SIGNIFICANT IMPACT they have had and the CHANGES computers have made to education during a certain time: the 20TH CENTURY.
Essay and assignment writing guide.
When an essay title includes the word ‘Discuss’, this means that you are being asked to debate the subject of the essay. In other words, you need to be able to demonstrate that you have understood and evaluated both sides of the topic, problem, or opposing views in a theoretical perspective. At the same time, you need to be able to show, through rational evaluation of the evidence why you favour a particular view.
From this definition, it is clear that a ‘discuss’ essay is looking for balance, not bias or persuasion. In other words, the essay is not starting from one perspective and aiming to confirm this. Rather the intent of a ‘discuss’ essay is to deliver a work that clearly separates facts and opinions. The skills required for this include paraphrasing, summation, and the clear evaluation of different viewpoints. Common titles for a discuss essay include the format “AI is killing natural innovation from engineers. Discuss”, “Highlight and examine the advantages and disadvantages of home schooling for toddlers”, “Examine the arguments for and against the widespread mandatory delivery of the Covid-19 vaccine”. All of these titles require a discuss essay to be produced.
Introduction.
In all essays the best introductions are those which draw in the reader with a strong statement from the outset. The remainder of the introduction should give a brief indication of the subject being covered, the key points that will be discussed, and if you wish, anticipated conclusions. You should also incorporate any acronyms, or industry specific terms that will be covered in the essay.
The main body (or the meat of the essay) should be divided into separate paragraphs that each cover one distinct point or statement. A discuss essay requires presentation of evidence, so each paragraph should be focused on one point with both for and against perspectives, before a final summary point identifying one or the other as being justified. In all cases, any points made should be backed up by evidence, correctly cited and referenced at the end of your work.
Important point: The evidence provided, and references cited should only come from valid, credible sources, preferably peer-reviewed articles, and fully referenced. It is vital to ensure that the views expressed are not opinions but have been delivered based on evidence of wider reading in the field.
To ensure a logical flow, you should raise the main or key points of an arguments first, and then move onto sub-arguments, ensuring that all the paragraphs are well linked to deliver a cohesive, essay that flows in a logical way.
A discuss essay conclusion should contain two elements. Firstly, a summary of the core ideas, returning to the evidence presented and the points made, along with an indication of which you believe delivered the strongest arguments for or against the statement in the title.
Secondly, a discuss essay should give your opinion, which should be grounded in the presented evidence, to demonstrate your ability to draw a conclusion from the data considered. In other words, following an internal debate with yourself, evaluating the information available, you should demonstrate that you have an informed opinion on the subject under discussion.
To help you in the construction of your discussion essay, we have put together a list of key words and phrases that can be used to ensure you deliver a first-class piece of work.
When presenting evidence:.
Words such as ‘explain’, ‘evaluate’ or ‘analyse’ – typical question words used in essay titles – provide a useful indication of how your essay should be structured
No matter their nature, question words are key and must always be adhered to. And yet, many students often overlook them and therefore answer their essay questions incorrectly. You may be a font of all knowledge in your subject area, but if you misinterpret the question words in your essay title, your essay writing could be completely irrelevant and score poorly.
For example, if you are asked to compare the French and British upper houses of parliament, you won’t get many points by simply highlighting the differences between the two parliamentary systems.
So, what should you do? We’ve divided the question words either by ‘critical’ or ‘descriptive’ depending on their nature, which should help you identify the type of response your essay requires.
These are the question words that are commonly asked:
Critical question words | Descriptive question words |
---|---|
Some question words require a critical answer and there are varying degrees of how critical your answers must be according to the requirements of the question. We’ve broken these down for you below:
Essay questions that ask you to ‘analyse’ a particular topic or argument expect a thorough deconstruction of the essay subject. In other words, this word requires you to break the essay topic down into its fundamental parts.
Once you have done this, it’s also important that you critically (more on this word later) examine each part. You need to use important debates and evidence to look in depth at the arguments for and against, as well as how the parts interconnect. What does the evidence suggest? Use it to adopt a stance in your essay, ensuring you don’t simply give a narration on the key debates in the literature. Make your position known and tie this to the literature.
When answering this essay question word, the key is to provide your opinion or verdict concerning the extent to which an argument or set of research findings is accurate. You may also be required to demonstrate the extent to which you agree with a particular argument or hypothesis.
It is essential to provide information on both sides of the debate using evidence from a wide range of academic sources. Then you must state your position basing your arguments on the evidence that informed you in arriving at your position.
With ‘justify’ question words, you need to explain the basis of your argument by presenting the evidence that informed your outlook. In such answers, you need to present your evidence in a convincing way, demonstrating good reasons for adopting your position.
Also, you may want to consider arguments that are contrary to your position before stating a conclusion to your arguments. This will help present a balanced argument and demonstrate wide knowledge of the literature. Here, a critical approach becomes crucial. You need to explain why other possible arguments are unsatisfactory as well as why your own particular argument is preferable.
To ‘critically evaluate’, you must provide your opinion or verdict on whether an argument, or set of research findings, is accurate. This should be done in as critical a manner as possible. Provide your opinion on the extent to which a statement or research finding is true. A critical evaluation of a subject will warrant an assertive essay response that details the extent to which you agree with a set of findings, a theory, or an argument.
The key to tackling these question words is providing ample evidence to support your claims. Ensure that your analysis is balanced by shedding light on, and presenting a critique of, alternative perspectives. It is also important that you present extensive evidence taken from a varying range of sources.
State your conclusion clearly and state the reasons for this conclusion, drawing on factors and evidence that informed your perspective. Also try to justify your position in order to present a convincing argument to the reader.
An answer to a ‘review’ question word should demonstrate critical examination of a subject or argument. This is done by recapping or summarising the major themes or points in question, and critically discussing them while giving your opinion.
Put another way, ‘review’ questions entail offering your opinion on the validity of the essay question. For example, you may be asked to review the literature on electoral reform in Great Britain. You'll need to give an overview of the literature. and any major arguments or issues that arose from it. You then need to comment logically and analytically on this material. What do you agree or disagree with? What have other scholars said about the subject? Are there any views that contrast with yours? What evidence are you using to support your assessment? Don’t forget to state your position clearly.
Review answers should not be purely descriptive; they must demonstrate a high level of analytical skill. The aim is not simply to regurgitate the works of other scholars, but rather to critically analyse these works.
In the case of ‘assess’ question words, you are expected to consider or make an informed judgement about the value, strengths or weakness of an argument, claim or topic. ‘Assess’ questions place particular emphasis on weighing all views concerning the essay subject, as opposed to your opinion only.
However, when assessing a particular argument or topic, it is important that your thoughts on its significance are made clear. This must be supported by evidence, and secondary sources in the literature are a great start. Essentially, you need to convince the reader about the strength of your argument, using research to back up your assessment of the topic is essential. Highlight any limitations to your argument and remember to mention any counterarguments to your position.
‘Discuss’ question words typically require an in-depth answer that takes into account all aspects of the debate concerning a research topic or argument. You must demonstrate reasoning skills with this type of question, by using evidence to make a case for or against a research topic/argument.
Give a detailed examination of the topic by including knowledge of the various perspectives put forward by other scholars in relation to it. What are your thoughts on the subject based on the general debates in the literature? Remember to clearly state your position based on all the evidence you present.
A close examination of a research topic or argument requires that you establish the key facts and important issues concerning the topic or argument by looking at them in close detail. This means that you must adopt a very critical approach with 'examine' question words.
You should also try to provide some context on why the issues and facts that you have closely examined are important. Have these issues and facts been examined differently by other scholars? If so, make a note of this. How did they differ in their approach and what are the factors that account for these alternative approaches?
‘Examine’ questions are less exploratory and discursive than some other types of question. They focus instead on asking you to critically examine particular pieces of evidence or facts to inform your analysis.
In essence, this asks how far you agree with a proposition put forward in the question. This requires a very in-depth assessment of the topic, and especially of the evidence used to present your argument.
Such questions require that you display the extent of your knowledge on a given subject and that you also adopt an analytical style in stating your position. This means that you must consider both sides of the argument, by present contrasting pieces of evidence. But ultimately, you must show why a particular set of evidence, or piece of information, is more valid for supporting your answer.
In some instances, question words require mostly a descriptive response as is the case with the words below:
Here, you must outline the precise meaning of the subject of the question. If the definition you provide is a contested one then make sure you mention this. How do other scholars define the subject? Why is its meaning contested and why have you chosen to use one meaning instead of the other if this is the case?
It is important that you provide more than one meaning if there are several of them as it shows that you are very familiar with the literature.
The key to tackling ‘demonstrate’ questions is to use several examples, evidence, and logical arguments. Essentially, you are required to show how a particular research topic or argument is valid by using evidence and arguments to support your claim.
Make sure you assert your position with these types of questions. It's even more important that you support your arguments with valid evidence in order to establish a strong case.
When describing something, you must provide thorough insight into the main characteristics of a research subject in an objective manner. As answers to such questions will be inherently descriptive, it is important that you recount or characterise in narrative form.
‘Describe’ question words focus less on the basic meaning of something, therefore, and more on its particular characteristics. These characteristics should form the building blocks of your answer.
Here, you are required to provide a lot of detail and information on a research topic or argument. ‘Elaborate’ questions tend to elicit descriptive responses. Therefore. it's important to demonstrate that you have done significant research on the topic to support the information you provide.
‘Explain’ questions expect you to basically clarify a topic. When answering such questions, it helps to imagine you are writing for someone who knows absolutely nothing of the subject. And remember two things. To provide as much detail as possible, and to give definitions for any jargon or key terms when used.
In addition, always remember to back any claims with academic research. In explanatory answers it is important that you demonstrate a clear understanding of a research topic or argument. This comes across most convincingly if you present a clear interpretation of the subject or argument to the reader. Keep in mind any ‘what’, ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions as this will help you to structure a clear and logically coherent response. Coherence is extremely important in providing explanatory answers.
Needless to say, your answer must be exploratory and thus it is imperative that you adopt a questioning approach when answering such questions. Because of the exploratory nature of such essays, objectivity is key. That is, you should give an overview of all viewpoints before providing any of your own arguments.
A somewhat detached, dispassionate tone can be particularly effective, in contrast to the more assertive, argumentative tone you might adopt for other types of essay question. Just remember that the key objective here is to give a nuanced account of a research topic or argument by examining its composite parts.
Essay questions that require you to ‘identify’ something in relation to a research topic or argument require you to simply point out and describe the main ideas in a short and coherent way. A little like this paragraph.
Such an answer will generally involve the use of many examples, such as tables, figures, graphs, or concrete research statistics and evidence. The aim is to use these examples to demonstrate knowledge of the subject of the question and to further explain or clarify your answer.
outline answer requires you present an organised description of a research topic or argument. It is imperative that you provide the main points only (and any important supplementary information) as opposed to focusing on the minor details. Remember to present your answer in a systematic and coherent way.
When you are asked to summarise or present a summary of a research topic, you should give a condensed form of its main points or facts. You must omit all minor details and focus mainly on the key facts. As a result, summaries are typically brief and straight to the point. The key is to get all the main facts across to the reader in as punchy and succinct a manner as possible.
This means to provide insight into a subject, and quite literally, provide clarification. For example, this could be done by making an argument or topic more clear by explaining it in simpler terms.
Such questions require you to shed light on a topic or, in some instances, break down a complex subject into simple parts. Coherence is very important for acing such questions, remembering to present your answer in a systematic manner.
When asked to ‘compare’, you must identify any similarities between two or more subjects of discussion. You can go beyond making a basic comparison by trying to understand the roots of the similarities you identify, as well as their significance.
Furthermore, you may also want to emphasise any differences, although the focus of your essay should be on establishing similarities.
A ‘contrast’ question expects you to identify differences, not similarities, between subjects. What are the main dissimilarities between two or more subjects? What sets them apart? These are the general questions that you must keep in mind when addressing ‘contrast’ questions.
Courtesy of Oxbridge Essays : https://www.oxbridgeessays.com/blog/analyse-explain-evaluate-answer-essay-question-words/
Last updated 2 years ago
| | | Guide to pp. 311-313 concerning technology. . ." The first pages of "The Question Concerning Technology," set the terms of Heidegger's discussion. The first paragraph establishes the essay's objective: to investigate technology in order to prepare us for a "free relationship" to it. One of the fundamental questions of the essay has to do with how "we" (and who this "we" is will be part of our own discussion) currently relate to technology, how we think about it, what we imagine it to be. to technology. If we accept this formulation of the problem, then it becomes clear that our response to the various problems brought about by technology cannot be solved simply by making the technology better. It is also impossible to ignore these difficulties simply by "opting out" of technology: a strategy to shift the discussion to philosophy--a field in which Heidegger himself is the expert. Heidegger's method of "questioning" strives to expose the unexamined assumptions that shape our understanding of the world we live in. He tries to find the "blind spots" in our thinking that keep us from a more profound--and, we might say now, more "empowering"--way of conceiving the world and our place in it. In "The Question Concerning Technology," he asks, "how do we generally think about technology?" He comes up with two answers: These answers make up what Heidegger calls the current "instrumental [aimed at ] and anthropological [a activity] definition of technology" (288). He concedes that this definition is correct--that it describes technology accurately--but it does not go far enough for Heidegger's purposes. Our everyday understanding of technology, that is, has blind spots that prevent us from understanding more fully our relationship with technology. Even our attempts to maintain control over technology, to master it so that it doesn't destroy us, are informed by our "instrumental conception" of what technology is. As Heidegger observes, "The will to mastery becomes all the more urgent the more technology threatens to slip from human control" (289). For a fuller understanding of how humanity stands in relation to technology , we need to consider what we mean by the "instrumental": what assumptions lie behind our understanding of "getting things done" or "achieving our goals?" The basic idea in any attempt to "get something done" is that one thing (for example, a student in the Graphic Design Program) has an effect on something else (the paper, toner, paint, etc. that make up the student's next design project). Heidegger's pursuit of the fundamental meaning of "instrumentality" leads him to an old problem in philosophy: the question of . |
First-person, second-person, third-person, when to write in third-person point of view, third-person omniscient point of view:, third-person limited point of view:, third-person objective point of view:, how to use the third-person point of view, strong character development., narrative flexibility, an authoritative, trustworthy narrator, 1.choose the best type of third-person pov for your story, 2.use third-person pronouns, 3.understand your voice won’t always shine in your essays, 4.don’t focus on yourself or the reader — focus on the text, 5.coach yourself out of using first-person pronouns, 6.be as specific as possible, 7.write in the present tense when using third-person, 8.avoid adding your own thoughts, 9.in third-person objective, stay out of everyone’s heads., frequently asked questions about writing in third-person, we also recommend.
If your writing is for academic purposes, use third person point of view. Third person is pretty easy to master with a little practice.
If you’re new to it, we have a guide that will guide you in every step of the way
The third person point of view is one of three writing styles that can be used to explain a point of view. Even if you don’t realize it, you’ve most certainly used first, second, and third person in writing projects throughout your education.
It is a narrative in which you compose and examine the subject matter entirely on your initiative. You remain impartial. You do not attempt to change readers’ opinions. It’s a completely impartial, objective writing style that gets right to the heart of a subject or tells a story.
If you need to know how to differentiate between them three. Here’s a quick breakdown to understand the differences when you write your next paper:
See also: 10 Types of Creative Nonfiction Books and Genres and How to Write It
This is from the I/we perspective. This is where we talk about our beliefs, ourselves, and ourselves. When writing in the first person, you will use pronouns like I, me, myself, and mine.
This point of view belongs to the person you’re addressing; therefore, it is a ‘you’ perspective. You would use second-person pronouns in your work, such as you, your, and yourself.
The writing style used in stories is known as the third person point of view, and it is aimed at the person or people under discussion. In this perspective, the pronouns he, she, him, her, his, hers, himself, herself, it, them, their, and themselves are used. You may also use a name. But that tends to happen more in stories than research papers.
Can you now differentiate them?
The third-person point of view is quite common in academic writing since it tells the reader a story and is frequently used when taking an authoritative attitude in your work.
As a result, while writing academic materials such as essays and research papers, always use the third person.
The reason for this is that it will make your work less biased and more objective, thereby increasing your reputation. The third-person perspective allows you to focus on the facts and data rather than your personal opinion, which will eventually boost your grades.
You can break third-person perspectives into three other types, including omniscient, limited, and objective. Although they’re more associated with creative writing than academic work and essays, your writing is likely to fall under the third-person objective point of view.
See also: How to Write and Publish Your Poetry Book
The omniscient narrator understands the plot and the characters. This narrator can travel freely across time, enter the minds of any character, and share with the reader both their own and the character’s thoughts and observations.
For example, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice uses a third-person omniscient point of view, giving the reader complete access to the primary character, Elizabeth, and everyone around her.
Also known as a “close third,” this limited point of view happens when an author writes in the third person while focusing on a single character. The narrator can switch between characters in each chapter or portion of the book, or they can do so throughout.
With this point of view, the author can limit the reader’s perspective and control the information they are aware of. It is used to heighten tension and arouse curiosity.
In this type of narration, the narrator is objective and oblivious to any character’s emotions or ideas. The narrator tells the story with an observant approach.
Ernest Hemingway uses this third-person narrative voice in his short story “Hills Like White Elephants.” An unidentified narrator tells the story of a couple in Spain talking while waiting for a train. With this point of view, the reader becomes a voyeur, listening in on a scene or story.
See also: Do You Italicize Book Titles? Essay Secrets Revealed
Rule number one: never refer to yourself in the third person in an article. That’s not acceptable.
For example, if your essay is about virtual learning, here’s what not to include in the sentence.
“I feel like students perform better at home because they have more freedom and are more comfortable.”
It’s a simple sentence, but when addressing research papers and using a third-person narrative, there are various concerns. Why? You are making comments that sound like opinions because you are using first-person pronouns, and you are unable to back them up with facts or credible research.
Also, it isn’t very assertive. “I feel like” will not impress the person evaluating your work because it lacks authority and underlines that it originated just in your mind and is insignificant in any way.
However, if you alter the example to the third-person perspective, you can reference your sources, which is exactly what you should do to improve your essay and research paper marks.
Let’s rewrite the line in a more expansive third person point of view:
“A psychological study from Karrie Goodwin shows that students thrive in virtual classrooms as they offer flexibility. They can make their hours and take regular breaks. Another study from high school teacher, Ashlee Trip, highlighted that children enjoy freedom, the ability to work at their own pace and decide what their day will look like.”
With a third-person narrative, you can present evidence to the reader and back up the claims you make. As a result, it not only shows your knowledge but also your diligence in researching and backing up your work with credible sources and facts rather than simply your opinions.
When compared to the first and second person, the third person can highlight more characters and cover a longer narrative arc.
A reader can see the story from every perspective, and each one contributes elements that a character lacks in the other, resulting in a rich, complex narrative.
The third person allows for greater adaptability; you can help your reader see everything, be everywhere, and switch between different characters’ stories. You can go from complete omniscience to a limited or close third point of view.
This latter strategy allows readers to have a greater understanding of a character and scenario by entering the characters’ thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
See also: How to Write a Book With No Experience for Beginners in 12 Steps
Writing from the third person point of view places the narrator above the action, creating a bird’s-eye-view of the story.
Because the narrator has nothing at stake, this perspective, combined with knowledge of at least one character’s thoughts in both omniscient and limited third person, lends the story a more authoritative, trustworthy tone.
Before you begin writing your story, think about whether a third person perspective—limited, omniscient, or objective—will work best for it. Each has an advantage when it comes to narrative. Do you want the reader to remain in suspense and only learn what the main character discovers?
Next, write your story in a limited third person. Consider writing an epic narrative in the third person omniscient viewpoint, allowing your narrator to be all-knowing and featuring a big cast of people.
When using third-person pronouns such as “he,” “she,” “it,” or “they” instead of referring to specific characters by name, make sure to be consistent.
Every written work has a voice or point of view that appears to be directed specifically at the reader. This is not always possible, however, because academic writing is more objective than, example, a book.
Your academic work does not require you to “fluff” up your writing to inject your personality into it.
The purpose of academic writing is to consistently maintain a formal tone. Your next paper should be written to write in mind, rather than the writer or reader.
If you’ve only ever written in the first or second person, this is easier said than done. If you find yourself writing in the first person when writing your next paper, go back and alter it to a third-person perspective.
This is the point at which things become a little unclear. The key to writing in the third person is to use pronouns like they, it, he, or she. However, using them at the beginning of sentences can appear confusing and potentially mislead the reader, which is the last thing you want in your paper or essay.
Instead, consider using nouns at the beginning of sentences as an alternative. For example, when beginning a statement, use the actual subject—the writer or the interviewer—rather than he, she, or they.
See also: 15 Best Personal Finance Books for Freelance Writers
All academic writing, including reports, essays, and research papers, must be written in the present tense, especially when introducing new themes or discoveries.
As a result, you should write “This report analyzes” as if you are analyzing right now, rather than “This paper analyzed,” which appears to be correct because it occurred in the past and the writing is in the present.
The difference is that you should use the past tense when describing your research approach. This implies, for example, that you would use the third person to refer to “the equipment that was used” or “the results were analyzed by.”
If the topic of your report is something you are deeply interested in, it can be very tempting to include some of your own thoughts. Although you must coach yourself out of it.
In academic writing, you aren’t a commentator. You’re a reporter. It is important to let readers draw their conclusions without over-analyzing them or making the reader lean one way or another.
If you want to write from an objective point of view, see your characters as complete outsiders, keep in mind that your narrator is blind to their thoughts. As an outside observer, you can only tell the reader what you observe.
Write in a detailed style to convey emotions. Describing a character’s eyes and facial emotions can help to emphasize character growth, conflict, and plot development.
The third person uses pronouns such he, she, him, her, his, hers, himself, herself, it, them, their, and themselves. You may also use a name.
You is used in second person and is therefore not used in third person. The second person is used for the person that is being addressed.
The third-person point of view is aimed at the person or people being talked about, which is the type of writing you’d find in stories. When writing in third-person view, make sure to write in the present tense and avoid adding your own thoughts.
Writing in the third person in academic papers is easy to learn if you practice regularly and consistently. Examine and critique your work until it is regarded as the norm. Sure, it may be confusing at first, but you’ll rapidly learn the technique and be able to improve your papers and reports.
Keep in mind that the third-person narrator only knows what the character knows. Be aware of your characters’ limitations. Review your writing frequently to ensure that you haven’t given your characters information they shouldn’t have.
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In July 2017, I wrote an article about toplessness for Vogue Italia. The director, actor, and political activist Lina Esco had emerged from the world of show business to question public nudity laws in the United States with 2014’s Free the Nipple . Her film took on a life of its own and, thanks to the endorsement from the likes of Miley Cyrus, Cara Delevingne, and Willow Smith, eventually developed into a whole political movement, particularly on social media where the hashtag #FreeTheNipple spread at lightning speed. The same year as that piece, actor Alyssa Milano tweeted “me too” and encouraged others who had been sexually assaulted to do the same, building on the movement activist Tarana Burke had created more than a decade earlier. The rest is history.
In that Vogue article, I chatted with designer Alessandro Michele about a shared memory of our favorite topless beaches of our youth. Anywhere in Italy where water appeared—be it the hard-partying Riviera Romagnola, the traditionally chic Amalfi coast and Sorrento peninsula, the vertiginous cliffs and inlets of Italy’s continuation of the French Côte d’Azur or the towering volcanic rocks of Sicily’s mythological Riviera dei Ciclopi—one was bound to find bodies of all shapes and forms, naturally topless.
In the ’90s, growing up in Italy, naked breasts were everywhere and nobody thought anything about it. “When we look at our childhood photos we recognize those imperfect breasts and those bodies, each with their own story. I think of the ‘un-beauty’ of that time and feel it is actually the ultimate beauty,” Michele told me.
Indeed, I felt the same way. My relationship with toplessness was part of a very democratic cultural status quo. If every woman on the beaches of the Mediterranean—from the sexy girls tanning on the shoreline to the grandmothers eating spaghetti al pomodoro out of Tupperware containers under sun umbrellas—bore equally naked body parts, then somehow we were all on the same team. No hierarchies were established. In general, there was very little naked breast censorship. Free nipples appeared on magazine covers at newsstands, whether tabloids or art and fashion magazines. Breasts were so naturally part of the national conversation and aesthetic that Ilona Staller (also known as Cicciolina) and Moana Pozzi, two porn stars, cofounded a political party called the Love Party. I have a clear memory of my neighbor hanging their party’s banner out his window, featuring a topless Cicciolina winking.
A lot has changed since those days, but also since that initial 2017 piece. There’s been a feminist revolution, a transformation of women’s fashion and gender politics, the absurd overturning of Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction in New York, the intensely disturbing overturning of Roe v Wade and the current political battle over reproductive rights radiating from America and far beyond. One way or another, the female body is very much the site of political battles as much as it is of style and fashion tastes. And maybe for this reason naked breasts seem to populate runways and street style a lot more than they do beaches—it’s likely that being naked at a dinner party leaves more of a permanent mark than being naked on a glamorous shore. Naked “dressing” seems to be much more popular than naked “being.” It’s no coincidence that this year Saint Laurent, Chloé, Ferragamo, Tom Ford, Gucci, Ludovic de Saint Sernin, and Valentino all paid homage to sheer dressing in their collections, with lacy dresses, see-through tops, sheer silk hosiery fabric, and close-fitting silk dresses. The majority of Anthony Vaccarello’s fall 2024 collection was mostly transparent. And even off the runway, guests at the Saint Laurent show matched the mood. Olivia Wilde appeared in a stunning see-through dark bodysuit, Georgia May Jagger wore a sheer black halter top, Ebony Riley wore a breathtaking V-neck, and Elsa Hosk went for translucent polka dots.
In some strange way, it feels as if the trends of the ’90s have swapped seats with those of today. When, in 1993, a 19-year-old Kate Moss wore her (now iconic) transparent, bronze-hued Liza Bruce lamé slip dress to Elite Model Agency’s Look of the Year Awards in London, I remember seeing her picture everywhere and feeling in awe of her daring and grace. I loved her simple sexy style, with her otherworldly smile, the hair tied back in a bun. That very slip has remained in the collective unconscious for decades, populating thousands of internet pages, but in remembering that night Moss admitted that the nude look was totally unintentional: “I had no idea why everyone was so excited—in the darkness of Corinne [Day’s] Soho flat, the dress was not see-through!” That’s to say that nude dressing was usually mostly casual and not intellectualized in the context of a larger movement.
But today nudity feels loaded in different ways. In April, actor and author Julia Fox appeared in Los Angeles in a flesh-colored bra that featured hairy hyper-realist prints of breasts and nipples, and matching panties with a print of a sewn-up vagina and the words “closed” on it, as a form of feminist performance art. Breasts , an exhibition curated by Carolina Pasti, recently opened as part of the 60th Venice Biennale at Palazzo Franchetti and showcases works that span from painting and sculpture to photography and film, reflecting on themes of motherhood, empowerment, sexuality, body image, and illness. The show features work by Cindy Sherman, Robert Mapplethorpe, Louise Bourgeois, and an incredible painting by Bernardino Del Signoraccio of Madonna dell’Umiltà, circa 1460-1540. “It was fundamental for me to include a Madonna Lactans from a historical perspective. In this intimate representation, the Virgin reveals one breast while nurturing the child, the organic gesture emphasizing the profound bond between mother and child,” Pasti said when we spoke.
Through her portrayal of breasts, she delves into the delicate balance of strength and vulnerability within the female form. I spoke to Pasti about my recent musings on naked breasts, which she shared in a deep way. I asked her whether she too noticed a disparity between nudity on beaches as opposed to the one on streets and runways, and she agreed. Her main concern today is around censorship. To Pasti, social media is still far too rigid around breast exposure and she plans to discuss this issue through a podcast that she will be launching in September, together with other topics such as motherhood, breastfeeding, sexuality, and breast cancer awareness.
With summer at the door, it was my turn to see just how much of the new reread on transparency would apply to beach life. In the last few years, I noticed those beaches Michele and I reminisced about have grown more conservative and, despite being the daughter of unrepentant nudists and having a long track record of militant topless bathing, I myself have felt a bit more shy lately. Perhaps a woman in her 40s with two children is simply less prone to taking her top off, but my memories of youth are populated by visions of bare-chested mothers surveilling the coasts and shouting after their kids in the water. So when did we stop? And why? When did Michele’s era of “un-beauty” end?
In order to get back in touch with my own naked breasts I decided to revisit the nudist beaches of my youth to see what had changed. On a warm day in May, I researched some local topless beaches around Rome and asked a friend to come with me. Two moms, plus our four children, two girls and two boys of the same ages. “Let’s make an experiment of this and see what happens,” I proposed.
The kids all yawned, but my friend was up for it. These days to go topless, especially on urban beaches, you must visit properties that have an unspoken nudist tradition. One of these in Rome is the natural reserve beach at Capocotta, south of Ostia, but I felt a bit unsure revisiting those sands. In my memory, the Roman nudist beaches often equated to encounters with promiscuous strangers behind the dunes. I didn’t want to expose the kids, so, being that I am now a wise adult, I went ahead and picked a compromise. I found a nude-friendly beach on the banks of the Farfa River, in the rolling Sabina hills.
We piled into my friend’s car and drove out. The kids were all whining about the experiment. “We don’t want to see naked mums!” they complained. “Can’t you just lie and say you went to a nudist beach?”
We parked the car and walked across the medieval fairy-tale woods until we reached the path that ran along the river. All around us were huge trees and gigantic leaves. It had rained a lot recently and the vegetation had grown incredibly. We walked past the remains of a Roman road. The colors all around were bright green, the sky almost fluorescent blue. The kids got sidetracked by the presence of frogs. According to the indications, the beach was about a mile up the river. Halfway down the path, we bumped into a couple of young guys in fanny packs. I scanned them for signs of quintessential nudist attitude, but realized I actually had no idea what that was. I asked if we were headed in the right direction to go to “the beach”. They nodded and gave us a sly smile, which I immediately interpreted as a judgment about us as mothers, and more generally about our age, but I was ready to vindicate bare breasts against ageism.
We reached a small pebbled beach, secluded and bordered by a huge trunk that separated it from the path. A group of girls was there, sharing headphones and listening to music. To my dismay they were all wearing the tops and bottoms of their bikinis. One of them was in a full-piece bathing suit and shorts. “See, they are all wearing bathing suits. Please don’t be the weird mums who don’t.”
At this point, it was a matter of principle. My friend and I decided to take our bathing suits off completely, if only for a moment, and jumped into the river. The boys stayed on the beach with full clothes and shoes on, horrified. The girls went in behind us with their bathing suits. “Are you happy now? my son asked. “Did you prove your point?”
I didn’t really know what my point actually was. I think a part of me wanted to feel entitled to those long-gone decades of naturalism. Whether this was an instinct, or as Pasti said, “an act that was simply tied to the individual freedom of each woman”, it was hard to tell. At this point in history, the two things didn’t seem to cancel each other out—in fact, the opposite. Taking off a bathing suit, at least for my generation who never had to fight for it, had unexpectedly turned into a radical move and maybe I wanted to be part of the new discourse. Also, the chances of me going out in a fully sheer top were slim these days, but on the beach it was different. I would always fight for an authentic topless experience.
After our picnic on the river, we left determined to make our way—and without children—to the beaches of Capocotta. In truth, no part of me actually felt very subversive doing something I had been doing my whole life, but it still felt good. Once a free breast, always a free breast.
This article was originally published on British Vogue .
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Losing the script of family life means that some people who should have children don’t — and others don’t know what to do with a kid.
About 15 years ago, a good friend asked me how she would know she was ready to have kids. She worried at the time that she was not the kind of woman who swooned over small children. She felt none of the “baby lust” that her cohort seemed to exhibit. I assured her that you don’t have to love all children to love your own.
I was thinking about this advice recently as I read a story in The Atlantic called “To Save the World, My Mother Abandoned Me.” Xochitl Gonzalez tells the story of how her mother left her with her grandparents in order to pursue a career of union organizing and political action. It’s a heartbreaking story of a child whose mother seemed to love other people’s children but not her own.
In researching the story, Gonzalez finds a decades-old article about her mother running for school board in D.C. “The Washington Post reported that she had been ‘involved in a program to increase parent involvement in the New York City school system before coming to Washington,’ and was pushing for the D.C. board to ‘more actively involve parents in policy-making decisions.’ This was in 1981. Back in Brooklyn, I would have been starting kindergarten,” she wrote.
Much has been written about our declining fertility and more young people are questioning whether they ever want to have children. A February 2024 Pew Research Center poll found that 30% of 18- to 34-year-olds without kids aren’t sure if they want any, and 18% say they definitely don’t want any.
Should we reassure people that they will eventually feel the love when they do have kids? It seems like the most natural thing in the world, but for some people, it seems to be a struggle. A recent article in The New York Times by Miguel Macias explains how the author decided to have children even knowing that he didn’t really want any.
“Since my daughter, Olivia, was born, I have cycled through a huge range of emotions. I expect many of them would be familiar to any parent: joy, exhaustion, deep love, confusion, wonder, exasperation, happiness, sadness. But there is another, quieter, emotion that comes up every now and then. … regret.”
Macias says that when he was younger he wanted to be a famous filmmaker and that he thought having children would interfere with that dream. But now that he is in his late 40s and his career is what it is and his partner wanted a child and well, why not? He clearly loves his daughter, but is also not enjoying much of these early years.
One wonders about the wisdom of a man who can’t imagine what it would be like for his child to come across an article years from now about how maybe she was a mistake.
But perhaps there is something useful in this observation: “Allowing myself to accept that having a child may not have been ‘right’ has been humbling and comforting. It has forced me to admit to myself that I will never know if this, or any, decision was the right one.”
And maybe that is the truth. Macias seems unlikely to become anything like Gonzalez’s mother, gallavanting around the country and around the world, apparently doing anything to ensure that she’s not in the same city, let alone home, as her daughter. He seems to understand the obligations that he has to his daughter. And whether or not he finds her a little boring or annoying at the age of 18 months, he seems willing to put in the effort to care for her.
Is it possible to know ahead of time that you are going to be the wrong kind of parent, the one who abandons your child so that you can serve some greater cause? What kind of soul-searching do you need to do before you decide whether to have children? Having kids used to be the obvious choice for most human beings. And some combination of natural instinct and societal pressure used to combine to create parents who stuck by their children.
But today every aspect of child rearing is a choice. Do we want children? Do we want to have them with a partner or alone? Do we want to wait until we are older? Do we want boys or girls? Do we want to play an active role in their lives, or leave someone else in charge? Losing the script of becoming an adult and raising a family of one’s own has has meant that some people who probably shouldn’t have had children don’t. But it also means that many who should don’t, or don’t decide until too late, or don’t know how to behave once they do.
Gonzalez makes this point by noting that her mother clearly viewed child rearing like any other choice an adult might make, particularly among those who were devoted to a particular political cause: “All around my mother, people were being told to give up one life here and start another there. And they did, no questions asked. She must have seen me as just another comrade being relocated for the movement.” My friend, meanwhile, now has three children, and I don’t think she’s looked back. But that kind of clarity is getting harder and harder to come by.
Naomi Schaefer Riley is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a Deseret News contributor and the author of “ No Way to Treat a Child: How the Foster Care System, Family Courts, and Racial Activists Are Wrecking Young Lives ,” among other books.
At university you will not be asked to write down absolutely everything you know about a topic.
Instead, you are asked to interpret a question about one aspect of that topic.
You must always answer the question as it has been asked, so analysing the question is crucial to getting the essay right. Breaking the question down into several parts can help you know how to approach the question and understand what you are being asked to do.
To do this you need to know:
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CrossFit has found success as a training exercise for everyone. But the CrossFit Games may tell a different story.
By Calum Marsh
Calum Marsh reported from Fort Worth.
The atmosphere at the closing ceremony of the CrossFit Games last week at the Dickies Arena, a 14,000-seat venue in Fort Worth, was decidedly solemn.
Ordinarily a triumphant moment for the men and women named the “fittest on earth” after participating in a four-day competition involving grueling feats of physical strength and endurance, the festivities this year were overshadowed by the death of a competitor on the first day of the contest. Lazar Dukic, a 28-year-old athlete from Serbia, died during an 800-meter open-water swim in Marine Creek Lake.
Mr. Dukic’s death was the first in the 17-year history of the Games. His death has raised many concerns, some longstanding, about the safety of CrossFit as both a workout regimen and a high-level athletic competition.
When Greg Glassman, a personal trainer and a former gymnast, founded CrossFit in the mid 1990s, he took an approach to exercise that was radically different from the bench presses and dumbbell curls that prevailed at gyms at the time. His methodology combined elements of Olympic weight lifting and gymnastics with movements involving kettlebells, rowing machines and skipping ropes — a program of “constantly varied, high-intensity functional fitness,” as Mr. Glassman originally described it.
Early fans of CrossFit’s workouts included members of law enforcement and the military, associating it with grit and mental toughness. Mr. Glassman did not exactly stifle that perception: Speaking about CrossFit to The New York Times in 2005, he said, “If the notion of falling off the rings and breaking your neck is so foreign to you, then we don’t want you in our ranks.”
But part of CrossFit’s appeal was that the workouts, though sometimes extremely demanding, could be adapted to accommodate almost anyone: while one athlete might be asked to jump onto a 30-inch box, another could step onto a raised platform, achieving the same stimulus with different intensity.
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The content words are the "meat" of the question - these are things you can research. Effective communication is considered a core skill in higher education and is usually conveyed through the medium of academic papers and essays.Discuss the process of writing academic essays and critically examine the importance of structure and content.. You will often be asked to talk about "the role ...
Definition of Question Words with Examples. Words such as 'explain', 'evaluate' or 'analyse' - typical question words used in essay titles - provide a useful indication of how your essay should be structured. They often require varying degrees of critical responses. Sometimes, they may simply require a descriptive answer.
z Exercise 1. First year students were asked to write an essay on the following question: "The science of ergonomics is central to good modern design.". Discuss this statement. About half of the group wrote essays that answered this question appropriately. The other half wrote essays which really answered other questions.
Understanding the essay question is the first and most important step you will undertake with any assignment, as without fully understanding the task you cannot respond to it. Consider the key elements in the question e.g. Examine the role of women in Parliament since 1918, with reference to key Equality legislation and ask yourself:
The topic is the broad subject area of the question; the instruction tells you what, specifically, your entire essay is supposed to do; and the focus is the narrow aspect of the topic that the question asks you to address. To take the example above, an essay question may be broken up like this: Describe the five most important moments in the ...
Start with an introductory paragraph, use 3 paragraphs in the body of the article to explain different points, and finish with a concluding paragraph. It can also be really helpful to draft a quick outline of your essay before you start writing. 3. Choose relevant facts and figures to include.
2) Be as explicit as possible. Use forceful, persuasive language to show how the points you've made do answer the question. My main focus so far has been on tangential or irrelevant material - but many students lose marks even though they make great points, because they don't quite impress how relevant those points are.
Once they do read the prompt, they often find that it answers many of their questions. When you read the assignment prompt, you should do the following: • Look for action verbs. Verbs like analyze, compare, discuss, explain, make an argument, propose a solution, trace, or research can help you understand what you're being asked to do with an
Analyse the question. Use question analysis for assignments, exam essays and short answer questions. Apply the following steps to all question analysis: 1. Read the whole question twice. It is important that you interpret the question accurately and clearly.
Explain why a knowledge of a learning theory was or would have been useful in the circumstances. Instructions words = explain (twice); reflect on. Subjects = two learning theories; an experience from your teaching practice; knowledge of a learning theory. Think of each criterion therefore as a mini essay.
Essay writing help. How to write the introduction to an essay; 10 things to remember when using paragraphs within your essay; How to begin a new paragraph. Useful linking words and phrases. The use of the apostrophe: avoid using contractions within your essay; On the importance of taking a critical approach in your essay writing
Before you start an essay, you need to understand the question. To do this, you need to identify the instruction words - the words in ESSAY TERMS EXPLAINED the question telling you what to do. Below is an explanation of some common instruction words you may come across in essay questions. ESSAY TERMS EXPLAINED Instruction words Meaning
Common essay questions: The list below describes some of the most common types of essay question: Account for: Explain, clarify, give reasons. Analyse: Resolve into component parts. Examine critically and minutely. Assess: Determine the value of, weigh up (similar to evaluate). Compare: Look for similarities and differences between, perhaps ...
This guide contains key resources for analysing an essay question. Click the links below or the guide tabs above to find the following information. Learn how to analyse an essay question; Work through an example; Find additional resources; Link out to our Foundation Studies Portal
Here's a list of some of the most common instruction/command words you'll see in essay questions (and examination questions as well), together with an explanation of what they mean. Describe: Give a detailed account of…. Outline: Give the main features/general principles; don't include minor details. Explain, account for, interpret: Describe ...
Key words are the words in an assignment question that tell you the approaches to take when you answer. Make sure you understand the meaning of key words in an essay question, especially t ask words. As Task words are verbs that direct you and tell you how to go about answering a question, understanding the meaning helps you know exactly what ...
A discuss essay conclusion should contain two elements. Firstly, a summary of the core ideas, returning to the evidence presented and the points made, along with an indication of which you believe delivered the strongest arguments for or against the statement in the title. Secondly, a discuss essay should give your opinion, which should be ...
Posing thequestion.An academic guide to planning essaysWritten. ssignments are an important part of university education. They give you a chance to exercise your skills at assessing evidence, devel. ping and evaluating arguments, and expressing your views. n many courses essays are a major component of the marks.Students often find the t.
KEY-WORDS USED IN ESSAY QUESTIONS. Divide into parts and show the relationship among the parts. When you are asked to compare, you should examine qualities, or characteristics, in order to discover resemblance's. The term compare is usually stated as compare with, and it implies that you are to emphasize similarities, although differences may ...
Question words drive your essay response. Words such as 'explain', 'evaluate' or 'analyse' - typical question words used in essay titles - provide a useful indication of how your essay should be structured. No matter their nature, question words are key and must always be adhered to. And yet, many students often overlook them ...
own topic and/or question. In those cases, a useful starting point will be to come up with a strong analytical question that you will try to answer in your essay. Your answer to that question will be your essay's thesis. You may have many questions as you consider a source or set of sources, but not all of
essay questions and outcomes that are likely to be better assessed by other means. 3. Evaluating existing essay questions using criteria of effective essay questions. 4. Improving poorly written essay questions by using the criteria for effective essay ... Example B is an effective essay question. Not only do students need to compose a response ...
essays have some of the first kind, and often several of the others besides. 10. Orienting: bits of information, explanation, and summary that orient the reader who isn't expert in the subject, enabling such a reader to follow the argument. The orienting question is, what does my reader need here? The answer can take many forms: necessary
The first paragraph establishes the essay's objective: to investigate technology in order to prepare us for a "free relationship" to it. One of the fundamental questions of the essay has to do with how "we" (and who this "we" is will be part of our own discussion) currently relate to technology, how we think about it, what we imagine it to be.
See also: Do You Italicize Book Titles? Essay Secrets Revealed. How to use the third-person point of view. Rule number one: never refer to yourself in the third person in an article. That's not acceptable. For example, if your essay is about virtual learning, here's what not to include in the sentence.
The director, actor, and political activist Lina Esco had emerged from the world of show business to question public nudity laws in the United States with 2014's Free the Nipple. Her film took ...
But when people have lots of choices, sometimes they question whether they should have kids. Losing the script of family life means that some people who should have children don't — and others don't know what to do with a kid. ... But it also means that many who should don't, or don't decide until too late, or don't know how to ...
Instead, you are asked to interpret a question about one aspect of that topic. You must always answer the question as it has been asked, so analysing the question is crucial to getting the essay right. Breaking the question down into several parts can help you know how to approach the question and understand what you are being asked to do.
CrossFit has found success as a training exercise for everyone. But the CrossFit Games may tell a different story. By Calum Marsh Calum Marsh reported from Fort Worth. The atmosphere at the ...
The Kamala Harris campaign has made one of its first concrete policy proposals this week with a tax plan. The centerpiece of the plan is a series of high-end tax increases on corporations and wealthy households worth approximately $5 trillion over 10 years. Specifically, Harris has proposed enacting ...