Roane State Community College

Strong papers begin with good planning, and good planning begins with an understanding of the task at hand. Before you begin writing, you should read your assignment carefully and revisit it frequently as you work. The following is a series of steps to help you understand the textual clues within an assignment and apply those towards creating a successful paper:

• Look for information that puts the assignment in context with the course (this information is often located in the introduction to the assignment). Your instructor will likely connect your essay to material that you have been covering, concepts you have been practicing, or course objectives. This information can help you better understand the task you're being asked to complete.
• Identify key words in your prompt, verbs such as analyze, describe, summarize, explain, report, discuss, or compare, which will tell you the primary task you are being asked to complete. For example, if you are being asked to analyze something in the essay, you will be expected to examine something closely, identifying all of the ways that the individual parts work together as part of something larger. If, however, you are being asked to summarize, you will be identifying the main points or arguments in a text and putting them in your own words.
• Pay attention to signal phrases like "This assignment asks you to..." or "Your paper should cover/include..." for information that your instructor is placing special importance on.
• Look for lists of questions. It's common for instructors to pose questions to students in essay writing prompts. Sometimes the instructor expects that all questions be answered within the essay, while at other times the instructor uses questions as a jumping off point to get you to begin thinking about how you will approach the assignment. If you aren't sure whether all questions must be addressed directly in your essay, be sure to ask your professor.
• Look for other information pertinent to success, such as whether research is required and what format you should use to cite your sources.
• Pay close attention to the format your instructor expects for the essay (things like font type and size, margin size, header information, and page numbers). 
• Be sure to ask your teacher for clarification if you still need help. The only way you can know for sure is to ask! And remember, the Learning Center is here to help you at all stages of the writing process, including understanding your assignment handout or brainstorming and refining your topic. To make an appointment with a tutor, visit our homepage!