Understanding Writing Assignments

What this handout is about

The first step in any successful writing venture is reading the assignment. While this sounds like a
simple task, it can be a tough one. This handout will help you unravel your assignment and begin to
craft an effective response. Much of the following advice will involve translating typical assignment
terms and practices into meaningful clues to the type of writing your teacher expects. See our short
video for more tips.

Basic beginnings
Regardless of the assignment, department, or teacher, adopting these two habits will serve you
well:

1. Read the assignment carefully as soon as you receive it. Do not put this task off—reading
the assignment at the beginning will save you time, stress, and problems later. An assignment
can look pretty straightforward at first, particularly if the teacher has provided lots of
information. That does not mean it will not take time and effort to complete; you may even
have to learn a new skill to complete the assignment.
2. Ask the teacher about anything you do not understand. Do not hesitate to approach your
teacher. Teachers would prefer to set you straight before you hand the paper in. That’s also
when you will find their feedback most useful.

Assignment formats
Many assignments follow a basic format. Assignments often begin with an overview of the topic,
include a central verb or verbs that describe the task, and offer some additional suggestions,
questions, or prompts to get you started.

An Overview of Some Kind

The teacher might set the stage with some general discussion of the subject of the assignment,
introduce the topic, or remind you of something pertinent that you have discussed in class. For
example:

“Throughout history, gerbils have played a key role in politics,” or “In the last few weeks of
class, we have focused on the evening wear of the housefly …”

The Task of the Assignment

Pay attention; this part tells you what to do when you write the paper. Look for the key verb or verbs
in the sentence. Words like analyze, summarize, or compare direct you to think about your topic in a
certain way. Also pay attention to words such as how, what, when, where, and why; these words
guide your attention toward specific information:

“Analyze the effect that gerbils had on the Russian Revolution”, or “Suggest an interpretation of
housefly undergarments that differs from Darwin’s.”

Additional Material to Think about

Here you will find some questions to use as springboards as you begin to think about the topic.
Teachers usually include these questions as suggestions rather than requirements. Do not feel
compelled to answer every question unless the teacher asks you to do so. Pay attention to the order
of the questions. Sometimes they suggest the thinking process your teacher imagines you will need
to follow to begin thinking about the topic.

“You may wish to consider the differing views held by Communist gerbils vs. Monarchist
gerbils, or Can there be such a thing as ‘the housefly garment industry’ or is it just a home-
based craft?”

Style Tips
These are the teacher’s comments about writing expectations:

“Be concise”, “Write effectively”, or “Argue furiously.”

Technical Details
These instructions usually indicate format rules or guidelines.

“Your paper must be typed in Palatino font on gray paper and must not exceed 600 pages. It
is due on the anniversary of Mao Tse-tung’s death.”

The assignment’s parts may not appear in exactly this order, and each part may be very long or really
short. Nonetheless, being aware of this standard pattern can help you understand what your teacher
wants you to do.

Interpreting the assignment

Ask yourself a few basic questions as you read and jot down the answers on the assignment
sheet:

 Why did your teacher ask you to do this particular task?

 Who is your audience?
 What kind of evidence do you need to support your ideas?
 What kind of writing style is acceptable?
 What are the absolute rules of the paper?
Try to look at the question from the point of view of the teacher. Recognize that your teacher has a
reason for giving you this assignment and for giving it to you at a particular point in the semester. In
every assignment, the teacher has a challenge for you. This challenge could be anything from
demonstrating an ability to think clearly to demonstrating an ability to use the library. See the
assignment not as a vague suggestion of what to do but as an opportunity to show that you can
handle the course material as directed. Paper assignments give you more than a topic to discuss—
they ask you to do something with the topic. Keep reminding yourself of that. Be careful to avoid the
other extreme as well: do not read more into the assignment than what is there.

Why did your teacher ask you to do this particular task?

Of course, your teacher has given you an assignment so that he or she will be able to assess your
understanding of the course material and give you an appropriate grade. But there is more to it than
that. Your teacher has tried to design a learning experience of some kind. Your teacher wants you to
think about something in a particular way for a particular reason. If you still aren’t sure of the
assignment’s goals, try asking the teacher.

Given your teacher’s efforts, it helps to answer the question: What is my purpose in completing this
assignment? Is it to gather research from a variety of outside sources and present a coherent
picture? Is it to take material I have been learning in class and apply it to a new situation? Is it to
prove a point one way or another? Key words from the assignment can help you figure this out. Look
for key terms in the form of active verbs that tell you what to do.

Key Terms: Finding Those Active Verbs

Here are some common key words and definitions to help you think about assignment terms:

Information words
Ask you to demonstrate what you know about the subject, such as who, what, when, where, how, and
why.

 define—give the subject’s meaning (according to someone or something). Sometimes you

have to give more than one view on the subject’s meaning
 describe—provide details about the subject by answering question words (such as who, what,
when, where, how, and why); you might also give details related to the five senses (what you
see, hear, feel, taste, and smell)
 explain—give reasons why or examples of how something happened
 illustrate—give descriptive examples of the subject and show how each is connected with the
subject
 summarize—briefly list the important ideas you learned about the subject
 trace—outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current
form
 research—gather material from outside sources about the subject, often with the implication or
requirement that you will analyze what you have found

Relation words
Ask you to demonstrate how things are connected.
  compare—show how two or more things are similar (and, sometimes, different)
 contrast—show how two or more things are dissimilar
 apply—use details that you’ve been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept
works in a particular situation
 cause—show how one event or series of events made something else happen
 relate—show or describe the connections between things

Interpretation words
Ask you to defend ideas of your own about the subject. Do not see these words as requesting opinion
alone (unless the assignment specifically says so), but as requiring opinion that is supported by
concrete evidence. Remember examples, principles, definitions, or concepts from class or research
and use them in your interpretation.

 assess—summarize your opinion of the subject and measure it against something

 prove, justify—give reasons or examples to demonstrate how or why something is the truth
 evaluate, respond—state your opinion of the subject as good, bad, or some combination of
the two, with examples and reasons
 support—give reasons or evidence for something you believe (be sure to state clearly what it
is that you believe)
 synthesize —put two or more things together that have not been put together in class or in
your readings before; do not just summarize one and then the other and say that they are
similar or different—you must provide a reason for putting them together that runs all the way
through the paper
 analyze—determine how individual parts create or relate to the whole, figure out how
something works, what it might mean, or why it is important
 argue—take a side and defend it with evidence against the other side

Who is your audience?

Now, what about your reader? Most students think of their audience as the teacher. True, your
teacher is a good person to keep in mind as you write. But for the purposes of a good paper, think of
your audience as someone like your roommate: smart enough to understand a clear, logical
argument, but not someone who already knows exactly what is going on in your particular paper.
Remember, even if the teacher knows everything there is to know about your paper topic, he or she
still has to read your paper and assess your understanding. In other words, teach the material to your
reader.

Aiming a paper at your audience happens in two ways: you make decisions about the tone and the
level of information you want to convey.

 Tone means the “voice” of your paper. Should you be chatty, formal, or objective? Usually you
will find some happy medium—you do not want to alienate your reader by sounding
condescending or superior, but you do not want to, um, like, totally wig on the man, you
know? Eschew ostentatious erudition: some students think the way to sound academic is to
use big words. Be careful—you can sound ridiculous, especially if you use the wrong big
words.
  The level of information you use depends on who you think your audience is. If you imagine
your audience as your teacher and she already knows everything you have to say, you may
find yourself leaving out key information that can cause your argument to be unconvincing
and illogical. But you do not have to explain every single word or issue. If you are telling your
friend what happened on your favorite science fiction TV show last night, you do not say,
“First a dark-haired white man of average height, wearing a suit and carrying a flashlight,
walked into the room. Then a purple alien with fifteen arms and at least three eyes turned
around. Then the man smiled slightly. In the background, you could hear a clock ticking. The
room was fairly dark and had at least two windows that I saw.” You also do not say, “This guy
found some aliens. The end.” Find some balance of useful details that support your main
point.

The Grim Truth

With a few exceptions, you are probably being asked to make an argument. You must convince your
audience. It is easy to forget this aim when you are researching and writing; as you become involved
in your subject matter, you may become enmeshed in the details and focus on learning or simply
telling the information you have found. You need to do more than just repeat what you have read.
Your writing should have a point, and you should be able to say it in a sentence. Sometimes teachers
call this sentence a “thesis” or a “claim.”

So, if your teacher tells you to write about some aspect of oral hygiene, you do not want to just list:
“First, you brush your teeth with a soft brush and some peanut butter. Then, you floss with unwaxed,
bologna-flavored string. Finally, gargle with Lysterine.” Instead, you could say, “Of all the oral
cleaning methods, sandblasting removes the most plaque. Therefore it should be recommended by
the American Dental Association.” Or, “From an aesthetic perspective, moldy teeth can be quite
charming. However, their joys are short-lived.”

Convincing the reader of your argument is the goal of academic writing. It doesn’t have to say
“argument” anywhere in the assignment for you to need one. Look at the assignment and think about
what kind of argument you could make about it instead of just seeing it as a checklist of information
you have to present.

What kind of evidence do you need?

There are many kinds of evidence, and what type of evidence will work for your assignment can
depend on several factors–the class, the parameters of the assignment, and your teacher’s
preference. Should you use statistics? Historical examples? Do you need to conduct your own
experiment? Can you rely on personal experience?

Make sure you are clear about this part of the assignment, because your use of evidence will be
crucial in writing a successful paper. You are not just learning how to argue; you are learning how to
argue with specific types of materials and ideas. Ask your teacher what counts as acceptable
evidence.
What kind of writing style is acceptable?
You cannot always tell from the assignment just what sort of writing style your teacher expects. The
teacher may be really laid back in class but still expect you to sound formal in writing. Or the teacher
may be fairly formal in class and ask you to write a reflection paper where you need to use “I” and
speak from your own experience.

Try to avoid false associations of a particular course or teacher and look instead to the types of
assignements you have been given in class. No one expects you to write like Plato—just use the
readings as a guide for what is standard or preferable to your teacher. When in doubt, ask your
teacher about the level of formality she or he expects.

No matter what class you are writing for or what facts you are including, if you do not write so that
your reader can understand your main idea, you have wasted your time. So make clarity your main
goal.

Technical details about the assignment

The technical information you are given in an assignment always seems like the easy part. This
section can actually give you lots of little hints about approaching the task. Find out if elements such
as page length and citation format are negotiable. Some teachers do not have strong preferences as
long as you are consistent and fully answer the assignment. Some teachers are very specific and will
deduct big points for deviations.

Usually, the page length tells you something important: The teacher thinks the size of the paper is
appropriate to the assignment’s parameters. In plain English, your teacher is telling you how many
pages it should take for you to answer the question as fully as you are expected to. So, if an
assignment is two pages long, you cannot pad your paper with examples or reword your main idea
several times. Hit your one point early, defend it with the clearest example, and finish quickly. If an
assignment is ten pages long, you can be more complex in your main points and examples—and if
you can only produce five pages for that assignment, you need to see someone for help—as soon as
possible.

Tricks that don’t work

Your teachers are not fooled when you:

 use huge fonts, wide margins, or extra spacing to pad the page length—these tricks are
immediately obvious to the eye. Most teachers use the same word processor you do. They
know what’s possible. Such tactics are especially harming when the teacher has a stack of
25 papers to grade and yours is the only one that low-flying airplane pilots could read.
 use a paper from another class that covered “sort of similar” material. Again, the teacher
has a particular task for you to fulfill in the assignment that usually relates to course material
and lectures. Your other paper may not cover this material, and turning in the same paper for
more than once course may constitute an Honor Code violation. Ask the teacher—it can’t
hurt.
  get all wacky and “creative” before you answer the question. Showing that you are able to
think beyond the boundaries of a simple assignment can be good, but you must do what the
assignment calls for first. Again, check with your teacher. A humorous tone can be refreshing
for someone grading a stack of papers, but it will not get you a good grade if you have not
fulfilled the task.

Critical reading of assignments leads to skills in other types of reading and writing. If you get good at
figuring out what the real goals of assignments are, you are going to be better at understanding the
goals of all of your classes and fields of study.

Works consulted
“Tips & Tools.” Writing Center, writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/.