• ...is an important factor/concept/idea/ to consider because... • … will be argued/outlined in this paper.
Introducing evidence for your argument
• Smith (2014) outlines that.... • This evidence demonstrates that... • According to Smith (2014)… • For example, evidence/research provided by Smith (2014) indicates that...
Giving the reason why your point/evidence is important
• Therefore this indicates... • This evidence clearly demonstrates.... • This is important/significant because... • This data highlights...
Concluding a point
• Overall, it is clear that... • Therefore, … are reasons which should be considered because... • Consequently, this leads to.... • The research presented therefore indicates...
Editing and proofreading (reviewing)
Once you have finished writing your first draft it is recommended that you spend time revising your work. Proofreading and editing are two different stages of the revision process.
Editing considers the overall focus or bigger picture of the assignment
Proofreading considers the finer details
As can be seen in the figure above there are four main areas that you should review during the editing phase of the revision process. The main things to consider when editing include content, structure, style, and sources. It is important to check that all the content relates to the assignment task, the structure is appropriate for the purposes of the assignment, the writing is academic in style, and that sources have been adequately acknowledged. Use the checklist below when editing your work.
Editing checklist
Have I answered the question accurately?
Do I have enough credible, scholarly supporting evidence?
Is my writing tone objective and formal enough or have I used emotive and informal language?
Have I written in the third person not the first person?
Do I have appropriate in-text citations for all my information?
Have I included the full details for all my in-text citations in my reference list?
There are also several key things to look out for during the proofreading phase of the revision process. In this stage it is important to check your work for word choice, grammar and spelling, punctuation and referencing errors. It can be easy to mis-type words like ‘from’ and ‘form’ or mix up words like ‘trail’ and ‘trial’ when writing about research, apply American rather than Australian spelling, include unnecessary commas or incorrectly format your references list. The checklist below is a useful guide that you can use when proofreading your work.
Proofreading checklist
Is my spelling and grammar accurate?
Are they complete?
Do they all make sense?
Do they only contain only one idea?
Do the different elements (subject, verb, nouns, pronouns) within my sentences agree?
Are my sentences too long and complicated?
Do they contain only one idea per sentence?
Is my writing concise? Take out words that do not add meaning to your sentences.
Have I used appropriate discipline specific language but avoided words I don’t know or understand that could possibly be out of context?
Have I avoided discriminatory language and colloquial expressions (slang)?
Is my referencing formatted correctly according to my assignment guidelines? (for more information on referencing refer to the Managing Assessment feedback section).
This chapter has examined the experience of writing assignments. It began by focusing on how to read and break down an assignment question, then highlighted the key components of essays. Next, it examined some techniques for paraphrasing and summarising, and how to build an argument. It concluded with a discussion on planning and structuring your assignment and giving it that essential polish with editing and proof-reading. Combining these skills and practising them, can greatly improve your success with this very common form of assessment.
Academic writing requires clear and logical structure, critical thinking and the use of credible scholarly sources.
A thesis statement is important as it tells the reader the position or argument you have adopted in your assignment. Not all assignments will require a thesis statement.
Spending time analysing your task and planning your structure before you start to write your assignment is time well spent.
Information you use in your assignment should come from credible scholarly sources such as textbooks and peer reviewed journals. This information needs to be paraphrased and referenced appropriately.
Paraphrasing means putting something into your own words and synthesising means to bring together several ideas from sources.
Creating an argument is a four step process and can be applied to all types of academic writing.
Editing and proofreading are two separate processes.
Academic Skills Centre. (2013). Writing an introduction and conclusion . University of Canberra, accessed 13 August, 2013, http://www.canberra.edu.au/studyskills/writing/conclusions
Balkis, M., & Duru, E. (2016). Procrastination, self-regulation failure, academic life satisfaction, and affective well-being: underregulation or misregulation form. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 31 (3), 439-459.
Custer, N. (2018). Test anxiety and academic procrastination among prelicensure nursing students. Nursing education perspectives, 39 (3), 162-163.
Yerdelen, S., McCaffrey, A., & Klassen, R. M. (2016). Longitudinal examination of procrastination and anxiety, and their relation to self-efficacy for self-regulated learning: Latent growth curve modeling. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 16 (1).
These OWL resources will help you understand and complete specific types of writing assignments, such as annotated bibliographies, book reports, and research papers. This section also includes resources on writing academic proposals for conference presentations, journal articles, and books.
Understanding Writing Assignments
This resource describes some steps you can take to better understand the requirements of your writing assignments. This resource works for either in-class, teacher-led discussion or for personal use.
Argument Papers
This resource outlines the generally accepted structure for introductions, body paragraphs, and conclusions in an academic argument paper. Keep in mind that this resource contains guidelines and not strict rules about organization. Your structure needs to be flexible enough to meet the requirements of your purpose and audience.
Research Papers
This handout provides detailed information about how to write research papers including discussing research papers as a genre, choosing topics, and finding sources.
Exploratory Papers
This resource will help you with exploratory/inquiry essay assignments.
Annotated Bibliographies
This handout provides information about annotated bibliographies in MLA, APA, and CMS.
Book Report
This resource discusses book reports and how to write them.
Definitions
This handout provides suggestions and examples for writing definitions.
Essays for Exams
While most OWL resources recommend a longer writing process (start early, revise often, conduct thorough research, etc.), sometimes you just have to write quickly in test situations. However, these exam essays can be no less important pieces of writing than research papers because they can influence final grades for courses, and/or they can mean the difference between getting into an academic program (GED, SAT, GRE). To that end, this resource will help you prepare and write essays for exams.
Book Review
This resource discusses book reviews and how to write them.
Academic Proposals
This resource will help undergraduate, graduate, and professional scholars write proposals for academic conferences, articles, and books.
In this section
Subsections.
Have a language expert improve your writing
Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.
Knowledge Base
Academic writing
A step-by-step guide to the writing process
The Writing Process | 5 Steps with Examples & Tips
Published on April 24, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on December 8, 2023.
Good academic writing requires effective planning, drafting, and revision.
The writing process looks different for everyone, but there are five basic steps that will help you structure your time when writing any kind of text.
Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting
Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:
Academic style
Vague sentences
Style consistency
See an example
Table of contents
Step 1: prewriting, step 2: planning and outlining, step 3: writing a first draft, step 4: redrafting and revising, step 5: editing and proofreading, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about the writing process.
Before you start writing, you need to decide exactly what you’ll write about and do the necessary research.
Coming up with a topic
If you have to come up with your own topic for an assignment, think of what you’ve covered in class— is there a particular area that intrigued, interested, or even confused you? Topics that left you with additional questions are perfect, as these are questions you can explore in your writing.
The scope depends on what type of text you’re writing—for example, an essay or a research paper will be less in-depth than a dissertation topic . Don’t pick anything too ambitious to cover within the word count, or too limited for you to find much to say.
Narrow down your idea to a specific argument or question. For example, an appropriate topic for an essay might be narrowed down like this:
Doing the research
Once you know your topic, it’s time to search for relevant sources and gather the information you need. This process varies according to your field of study and the scope of the assignment. It might involve:
Searching for primary and secondary sources .
Reading the relevant texts closely (e.g. for literary analysis ).
Collecting data using relevant research methods (e.g. experiments , interviews or surveys )
From a writing perspective, the important thing is to take plenty of notes while you do the research. Keep track of the titles, authors, publication dates, and relevant quotations from your sources; the data you gathered; and your initial analysis or interpretation of the questions you’re addressing.
Especially in academic writing , it’s important to use a logical structure to convey information effectively. It’s far better to plan this out in advance than to try to work out your structure once you’ve already begun writing.
Creating an essay outline is a useful way to plan out your structure before you start writing. This should help you work out the main ideas you want to focus on and how you’ll organize them. The outline doesn’t have to be final—it’s okay if your structure changes throughout the writing process.
Use bullet points or numbering to make your structure clear at a glance. Even for a short text that won’t use headings, it’s useful to summarize what you’ll discuss in each paragraph.
An outline for a literary analysis essay might look something like this:
Describe the theatricality of Austen’s works
Outline the role theater plays in Mansfield Park
Introduce the research question: How does Austen use theater to express the characters’ morality in Mansfield Park ?
Discuss Austen’s depiction of the performance at the end of the first volume
Discuss how Sir Bertram reacts to the acting scheme
Introduce Austen’s use of stage direction–like details during dialogue
Explore how these are deployed to show the characters’ self-absorption
Discuss Austen’s description of Maria and Julia’s relationship as polite but affectionless
Compare Mrs. Norris’s self-conceit as charitable despite her idleness
Summarize the three themes: The acting scheme, stage directions, and the performance of morals
Answer the research question
Indicate areas for further study
Once you have a clear idea of your structure, it’s time to produce a full first draft.
This process can be quite non-linear. For example, it’s reasonable to begin writing with the main body of the text, saving the introduction for later once you have a clearer idea of the text you’re introducing.
To give structure to your writing, use your outline as a framework. Make sure that each paragraph has a clear central focus that relates to your overall argument.
Hover over the parts of the example, from a literary analysis essay on Mansfield Park , to see how a paragraph is constructed.
The character of Mrs. Norris provides another example of the performance of morals in Mansfield Park . Early in the novel, she is described in scathing terms as one who knows “how to dictate liberality to others: but her love of money was equal to her love of directing” (p. 7). This hypocrisy does not interfere with her self-conceit as “the most liberal-minded sister and aunt in the world” (p. 7). Mrs. Norris is strongly concerned with appearing charitable, but unwilling to make any personal sacrifices to accomplish this. Instead, she stage-manages the charitable actions of others, never acknowledging that her schemes do not put her own time or money on the line. In this way, Austen again shows us a character whose morally upright behavior is fundamentally a performance—for whom the goal of doing good is less important than the goal of seeming good.
When you move onto a different topic, start a new paragraph. Use appropriate transition words and phrases to show the connections between your ideas.
The goal at this stage is to get a draft completed, not to make everything perfect as you go along. Once you have a full draft in front of you, you’ll have a clearer idea of where improvement is needed.
Give yourself a first draft deadline that leaves you a reasonable length of time to revise, edit, and proofread before the final deadline. For a longer text like a dissertation, you and your supervisor might agree on deadlines for individual chapters.
Now it’s time to look critically at your first draft and find potential areas for improvement. Redrafting means substantially adding or removing content, while revising involves making changes to structure and reformulating arguments.
Evaluating the first draft
It can be difficult to look objectively at your own writing. Your perspective might be positively or negatively biased—especially if you try to assess your work shortly after finishing it.
It’s best to leave your work alone for at least a day or two after completing the first draft. Come back after a break to evaluate it with fresh eyes; you’ll spot things you wouldn’t have otherwise.
When evaluating your writing at this stage, you’re mainly looking for larger issues such as changes to your arguments or structure. Starting with bigger concerns saves you time—there’s no point perfecting the grammar of something you end up cutting out anyway.
Right now, you’re looking for:
Arguments that are unclear or illogical.
Areas where information would be better presented in a different order.
Passages where additional information or explanation is needed.
Passages that are irrelevant to your overall argument.
For example, in our paper on Mansfield Park , we might realize the argument would be stronger with more direct consideration of the protagonist Fanny Price, and decide to try to find space for this in paragraph IV.
For some assignments, you’ll receive feedback on your first draft from a supervisor or peer. Be sure to pay close attention to what they tell you, as their advice will usually give you a clearer sense of which aspects of your text need improvement.
Redrafting and revising
Once you’ve decided where changes are needed, make the big changes first, as these are likely to have knock-on effects on the rest. Depending on what your text needs, this step might involve:
Making changes to your overall argument.
Reordering the text.
Cutting parts of the text.
Adding new text.
You can go back and forth between writing, redrafting and revising several times until you have a final draft that you’re happy with.
Think about what changes you can realistically accomplish in the time you have. If you are running low on time, you don’t want to leave your text in a messy state halfway through redrafting, so make sure to prioritize the most important changes.
Editing focuses on local concerns like clarity and sentence structure. Proofreading involves reading the text closely to remove typos and ensure stylistic consistency. You can check all your drafts and texts in minutes with an AI proofreader .
Editing for grammar and clarity
When editing, you want to ensure your text is clear, concise, and grammatically correct. You’re looking out for:
Grammatical errors.
Ambiguous phrasings.
Redundancy and repetition .
In your initial draft, it’s common to end up with a lot of sentences that are poorly formulated. Look critically at where your meaning could be conveyed in a more effective way or in fewer words, and watch out for common sentence structure mistakes like run-on sentences and sentence fragments:
Austen’s style is frequently humorous, her characters are often described as “witty.” Although this is less true of Mansfield Park .
Austen’s style is frequently humorous. Her characters are often described as “witty,” although this is less true of Mansfield Park .
To make your sentences run smoothly, you can always use a paraphrasing tool to rewrite them in a clearer way.
Proofreading for small mistakes and typos
When proofreading, first look out for typos in your text:
Spelling errors.
Missing words.
Confused word choices .
Punctuation errors .
Missing or excess spaces.
Use a grammar checker , but be sure to do another manual check after. Read through your text line by line, watching out for problem areas highlighted by the software but also for any other issues it might have missed.
For example, in the following phrase we notice several errors:
Mary Crawfords character is a complicate one and her relationships with Fanny and Edmund undergoes several transformations through out the novel.
Mary Crawford’s character is a complicated one, and her relationships with both Fanny and Edmund undergo several transformations throughout the novel.
Proofreading for stylistic consistency
There are several issues in academic writing where you can choose between multiple different standards. For example:
Whether you use the serial comma .
Whether you use American or British spellings and punctuation (you can use a punctuation checker for this).
Where you use numerals vs. words for numbers.
How you capitalize your titles and headings.
Unless you’re given specific guidance on these issues, it’s your choice which standards you follow. The important thing is to consistently follow one standard for each issue. For example, don’t use a mixture of American and British spellings in your paper.
Additionally, you will probably be provided with specific guidelines for issues related to format (how your text is presented on the page) and citations (how you acknowledge your sources). Always follow these instructions carefully.
If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!
Ad hominem fallacy
Post hoc fallacy
Appeal to authority fallacy
False cause fallacy
Sunk cost fallacy
Deep learning
Generative AI
Machine learning
Reinforcement learning
Supervised vs. unsupervised learning
(AI) Tools
Grammar Checker
Paraphrasing Tool
Text Summarizer
AI Detector
Plagiarism Checker
Citation Generator
Revising, proofreading, and editing are different stages of the writing process .
Revising is making structural and logical changes to your text—reformulating arguments and reordering information.
Editing refers to making more local changes to things like sentence structure and phrasing to make sure your meaning is conveyed clearly and concisely.
Proofreading involves looking at the text closely, line by line, to spot any typos and issues with consistency and correct them.
Whether you’re publishing a blog, submitting a research paper , or even just writing an important email, there are a few techniques you can use to make sure it’s error-free:
Take a break : Set your work aside for at least a few hours so that you can look at it with fresh eyes.
Proofread a printout : Staring at a screen for too long can cause fatigue – sit down with a pen and paper to check the final version.
Use digital shortcuts : Take note of any recurring mistakes (for example, misspelling a particular word, switching between US and UK English , or inconsistently capitalizing a term), and use Find and Replace to fix it throughout the document.
If you want to be confident that an important text is error-free, it might be worth choosing a professional proofreading service instead.
If you’ve gone over the word limit set for your assignment, shorten your sentences and cut repetition and redundancy during the editing process. If you use a lot of long quotes , consider shortening them to just the essentials.
If you need to remove a lot of words, you may have to cut certain passages. Remember that everything in the text should be there to support your argument; look for any information that’s not essential to your point and remove it.
To make this process easier and faster, you can use a paraphrasing tool . With this tool, you can rewrite your text to make it simpler and shorter. If that’s not enough, you can copy-paste your paraphrased text into the summarizer . This tool will distill your text to its core message.
Cite this Scribbr article
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
Caulfield, J. (2023, December 08). The Writing Process | 5 Steps with Examples & Tips. Scribbr. Retrieved September 30, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-writing/writing-process/
Is this article helpful?
Jack Caulfield
Other students also liked, how to create a structured research paper outline | example, quick guide to proofreading | what, why and how to proofread, academic paragraph structure | step-by-step guide & examples, "i thought ai proofreading was useless but..".
I've been using Scribbr for years now and I know it's a service that won't disappoint. It does a good job spotting mistakes”
Before you start researching or writing, you need to take some time to analyse your assignment topic, interpret the question and decide how you are going to approach it. The title, brief and guidelines are the key elements for any assignment, so it is important to make sure that you clearly understand what is being asked of you.
A very common remark from lecturers is that a student has written a lot of information but failed to answer the question. So, rather than rush straight into reading and researching – give yourself time to think carefully about the assignment and understand what it is asking you to do. The assignment will generally be asking for something specific and will be closely related to the module content and the module reading.
Read the assignment guidelines in detail and make sure you understand exactly what type of assignment you are expected to write. For example, it could be an assignment, report, case study analysis, reflective journal, literature review or research proposal.
The key to success in written assignments is to understand what is expected of you. If you do not understand what is expected from the assignment brief or the marking criteria, you will not be able to produce the result that your lecturer is expecting and hoping for. Understanding the question is the first and most important step when starting your assignments and helps to ensure that your research and writing is more focused and relevant. This means understanding both the individual words, and also the general scope of the question. A common mistake students make with their assignments is to misinterpret what the assignment is asking them to do and go off-topic.
Close reading of the question and referring back to it throughout the assignment writing process is important to ensure that you are answering it properly.
Deconstructing the question is the first step in answering an assignment question. You might need to clarify the meaning of some words and work out what the brief really wants you to do. Your question will contain key words related to the assignment topic, as well as directive/instructional words that tell you what to do. Highlight, circle or underline the key words in the assignment brief. Also, mark any words or phrases that you do not understand. What does the title / question mean? What is it asking you to do? Why is this important? How are you going to answer it? What do you need to find out first, second, third in order to answer the question? This is a good way of working out what important points or issues make up the overall question which in turn helps to focus your reading and your initial writing. Asking questions early also helps you to feel more in control, as it helps you to think more critically and independently about the topic prior to doing any wider research.
An assignment is usually made up of two parts: the assignment brief and the learning outcomes/objectives.
The assignment brief will tell you what you need to produce,. Learning outcomes or objectives are a description of what you need to demonstrate to pass a module / assignment. By reading and understanding the expected learning outcomes/objectives for a module, you can help improve your grades for each assignment.
Set the question in context – how does it fit with the key issues in your module and the topic as a whole? Looking at your lecture notes, module readings and learning outcomes/objectives will help you determine how the key themes, concepts and theories you have been studying on your module are linked to the question.
One of the key components of assignment questions or criteria are – the verbs that tell you what you need to do in your assignment. There are a number of commonly used directive/instructional words, which have recognised meanings when applied to college assignments. To interpret the question accurately, you need to understand what these words mean. Recognising directive/instructional words used in your assignment titles and guidelines will help you organise your ideas appropriately and help you write more confidently. It is easy to overlook the directive/instructional words, but if you just describe something when you have been asked to analyse it, your assignment is likely to receive a lower grade.
Words commonly used in assignments can appear to have similar meanings, but there are subtle differences between them. How is analyse different to critically evaluate? These words may seem similar but do have distinct meanings. However, there are not always hard distinctions between the words and different lecturers may use them in slightly different ways. You must always go by the total meaning of the title or question in the assignment brief. Read the question carefully and do not jump to conclusions about what is required on the basis of these words only. It is always advisable to clarify an assignment with your lecturer if you do not fully understand what you are being asked to do.
Do not get put off by phrases such as "with reference to relevant literature" or "critically evaluate" and "critically analyse" (rather than simply "evaluate" or "analyse"). These phrases/words are there as a gentle reminder as it is expected that much of your writing will refer to relevant literature and have an element of criticality at college level no matter what the instructions in the assignment brief. Breaking down the assignment directive/instructional words to understand what you are being asked to do will help kickstart your critical thinking skills and help you plan the logical ordering of your ideas.
Below is a list of interpretations for some of the more common directive/instructional words. These interpretations are intended as a guide only but should help you gain a better understanding of what is required when they are used.
Account for
Explain, clarify, give reasons for something and why it happens; give evidence to support your argument.
Analyse
Examine the topic methodically. Separate the subject into parts and then discuss, examine, or interpret each part carefully and in detail, considering how they relate to each other, how the parts contribute to the whole and why they are important. Using evidence for and against, mention any strengths/weaknesses, advantages/disadvantages. Do not simply describe or summarise; question the information.
Apply
Use evidence or details that you have been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept works in a particular situation. May involve transferring evidence from your reading to real life, or to a case study, perhaps applying theory to practice.
Argue
Methodically present the case for and/or against something basing your claims/reasons on a range of appropriate evidence; aim to influence the reader to accept your view, demonstrating weaknesses in the opposing argument.
Assess
Using evidence and arguments, weigh something up and consider the value, quality or importance of it, examining the positive, negative and contestable aspects. Come to a conclusion.
Be critical
Identify what is good and bad about the information and why; probe, question, identify inaccuracies or shortcomings in the information; estimate the value of the material.
Characterise
Describe the features and qualities of a concept or phenomenon, making it different and distinguished from other things.
Clarify
Make something clearer and simplify it; identify the key components of an issue/topic/problem, removing any potential misunderstandings; if appropriate, explain the relationship between two or more variables.
Classify
Organise information into categories, groups or classes; noting the influence and importance of each, outline the difference between them, explaining why and how you classified the information.
Comment on
Identify and write about the main issues, giving your observations and interpretations based upon what you have read and researched, explaining the meaning of a situation or statement. Be critical, give your point of view, saying why something matters but avoid opinion that is not backed up or based on evidence presented in your writing.
Compare
Look at the similarities more than the differences between two or more things. Explain how they are similar, say if any similarities are more important than others and indicate the relevance or consequences of them.
Consider
Think and write about something carefully, discussing different possibilities and perspectives on a given topic. Support your comments/explanations by using appropriate evidence - include any views which are contrary to your own and how they relate to what you think.
Contrast
Look at the similarities and differences between two or more things, mainly emphasising the differences and what sets them apart – explain how different they are, indicate if this is significant and, if appropriate, give reasons why one item or argument may be preferable.
Critically
Used in combination with another directive/instructional word to get you to analyse and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of something not simply describe or state how something is.
Critically evaluate
Weigh arguments for and against something, assessing the strength of the evidence on both sides. Provide evidence taken from a wide range of sources which both agree with and contradict an argument. Based on the evidence, come to a final conclusion, basing your decision on what you judge to be the most important factors and justify how you have made your choice.
Critique
This does not mean you have to be negative, include both positive and negative points - look at any implications. Give your judgment about the value, quality and effectiveness of a theory, opinion or methodology and how it meets specific expectations; back your judgment by discussing the evidence.
Define
Describe or state clearly the meaning of something, examining the different possible or often used definitions in reputable research material. Where relevant, show the boundaries and limitations of the definition and the different interpretations that may exist, indicating how the definition distinguishes this term/concept from others.
Demonstrate
Show clearly or prove something by giving explanations, illustrations and/or supporting evidence.
Describe
Give a detailed, full account of the main characteristics, properties or qualities of a topic/issue or the sequence in which a series of things happen(ed). Explain how and why something happens.
Determine
Find out or calculate something
Differentiate
Show the difference or make a distinction between two or more things.
Discuss
Essentially this is a written debate. Supported by carefully selected evidence, examine, analyse and present both sides of the most important aspects of a topic, pointing out advantages and disadvantages, giving arguments/reasons for and against, assessing how satisfactory something is and examining the implications. Based on the evidence you have presented, state which argument is more persuasive, examine the implications and come to a conclusion.
Distinguish
Identify and describe the differences between two or more items.
Elaborate
Explain something in greater detail and at greater length, providing reasons, examples and more information.
Enumerate
List, organise or outline relevant items/ideas one by one, and concisely describe them.
Estimate
Weigh up the evidence and say by how much a theory or opinion may be preferable; calculate; predict.
Evaluate
Present a careful judgement on the worth, value, significance, relevance or usefulness of something; weighing up the arguments for and against something, show the advantages and disadvantages, strengths and weaknesses. Refer to relevant and reliable evidence and use logic and reason to argue and justify your case. Come to a conclusion.
Examine
Critically discuss, investigate or look at a subject in close detail and evaluate the key facts and important issues, giving reasons why they are the most important and explaining the different ways they could be understood/interpreted.
Explain
Make plain and clear in an understandable way; give reasons for differences of opinion or results and analyse. Clarify and interpret the topic by giving a detailed account as to how and why something happens (analysing the causes), why it is the way it is or what is meant by the use of a term in a particular context. Define key terms where appropriate and back up with evidence and examples.
Explore
Examine thoroughly, considering a variety of different viewpoints and perspectives, adopting a questioning approach. Show why there might be debate and where possible, reconcile opposing views by presenting a final line of argument.
Formulate
Use current understanding from evidence and theory to create an idea, definition or interpretation on a topic.
Give an account of
Give a detailed description of something, showing the important steps, stages or developments in the subject
Highlight
Bring attention to something or emphasise its importance (for example, highlight the main points in an argument).
Identify
Select/point out/list what you regard as the key features, problems, needs or issues in relation to something, explaining how and why they are important or relevant.
Illustrate
Make something very clear and explicit, by providing visual or written examples - use figures, diagrams, graphs, statistics, charts, tables or other visual concepts.
Indicate
Point out, show or explain something.
Infer
Conclude something from facts or reasoning.
Interpret
Demonstrate your understanding of something in a detailed and methodical way about which there may be more than one opinion. Backed by evidence, explain the meaning and significance of it, how or why it is important, giving your own judgement. Perhaps indicate how it relates to some other thing or perspective.
Investigate
Enquire into all aspects of a topic through research.
Justify
Make a case for a particular viewpoint, decision or conclusion; give convincing evidence and reasons which support this while also taking into account the opposing view, considering objections that others might make before stating your conclusion.
List
Write your answer as an itemised series of brief points in a logical order
Outline
Give a general summary of the main points, ideas or features; emphasise the structure and how they fit together or complement each other. Leaving out minor details, present the information in a logical order.
Prove
Show by argument or logic that something is true or false by presenting and evaluating adequate evidence to back up your reasoning.
Reconcile
Show how two apparently opposed or mutually exclusive ideas or propositions can be seen to be similar in important respects, if not identical.
Reflect (on)
Analyse a past experience to improve future performance. Think carefully about something, and consider different views and possibilities.
Relate
Show or describe the connections, similarities or associations between things and the extent to which they are alike or affect each other.
Review
Examine a subject critically, analysing and commenting on the main points in an organised manner, bringing together and critiquing the current evidence and understanding on a topic. Assess rather than simply describe, drawing a conclusion based on the evidence presented.
Show
Demonstrate with supporting evidence.
Specify
Give details of something.
State
Specify the main points of an idea or topic in brief, precise terms; no need to be overly descriptive – leave out minor details. Generally does not call for argument or discussion or a judgement from you, just the presentation of the facts.
Suggest
Make a proposal and support it.
Summarise
Give a concise/condensed account of the main points / ideas that are worth noting and remembering – leave out unnecessary detail, side-issues or examples, reducing your discussion to the basic essentials, the key ideas.
Support
Give reasons or evidence for something with appropriate evidence, usually academic sources promoted by your lecturer (books, academic journals or reputable websites).
Synthesise
Combine or bring together research or information from several different sources and integrate into your writing to create a single, cohesive discussion / argument which effectively presents your ideas or opinions.
To what extent
How far is something true or not true? Consider in what ways something meets the requirements of a purpose or contributes to an outcome; support with evidence. Exploring these alternative explanations, make a judgment and defend it. The answer is unlikely to be 100% true or false but somewhere in between.
Trace
Outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current form. Identify connections.
Verify
Prove something by showing evidence or information. It could also mean that you check and see to make sure certain information is correct and accurate.
Communications from the Library: Please note all communications from the library, concerning renewal of books, overdue books and reservations will be sent to your NCI student email account.
There are four kinds of analysis you need to do in order to fully understand an assignment: determining the purpose of the assignment , understanding how to answer an assignment’s questions , recognizing implied questions in the assignment , and recognizing the disciplinary expectations of the assignment .
Always make sure you fully understand an assignment before you start writing!
Determining the Purpose
The wording of an assignment should suggest its purpose. Any of the following might be expected of you in a college writing assignment:
Summarizing information
Analyzing ideas and concepts
Taking a position and defending it
Combining ideas from several sources and creating your own original argument.
Understanding How to Answer the Assignment
College writing assignments will ask you to answer a how or why question – questions that can’t be answered with just facts. For example, the question “ What are the names of the presidents of the US in the last twenty years?” needs only a list of facts to be answered. The question “ Who was the best president of the last twenty years and why?” requires you to take a position and support that position with evidence.
Sometimes, a list of prompts may appear with an assignment. Remember, your instructor will not expect you to answer all of the questions listed. They are simply offering you some ideas so that you can think of your own questions to ask.
Recognizing Implied Questions
A prompt may not include a clear ‘how’ or ‘why’ question, though one is always implied by the language of the prompt. For example:
“Discuss the effects of the No Child Left Behind Act on special education programs” is asking you to write how the act has affected special education programs. “Consider the recent rise of autism diagnoses” is asking you to write why the diagnoses of autism are on the rise.
Recognizing Disciplinary Expectations
Depending on the discipline in which you are writing, different features and formats of your writing may be expected. Always look closely at key terms and vocabulary in the writing assignment, and be sure to note what type of evidence and citations style your instructor expects.
11 Meaningful Writing Assignments Connected to the Pandemic for Middle and High School Students
Plagiarize-Proof Your Writing Assignments
Top 15 tips to Write a Perfect Assignment
Writing Assignment 2
How to Write an Assignment: Step by Step Guide
Benefits of Writing Assignments
VIDEO
How to write an effective assignment #writinginspiration #youtubeshorts
DIETITIAN GROCERY HAUL| Harris Teeter + Walmart + Sam’s Club
COMMENTS
Understanding Writing Assignments - Purdue OWL®
This resource describes some steps you can take to better understand the requirements of your writing assignments. This resource works for either in-class, teacher-led discussion or for personal use.
Understanding Assignments – The Writing Center • University ...
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 instructor expects. See our short video for more tips.
Understanding Writing Assignments - The University Writing Center
Explain. Clarify something by explaining how it functions, how to do it, or what its causes and effects are. Identify. Indicate or describe what a thing is, what it’s composed of, or when and where it occurs. Interpret. Comment upon a subject or explain its meaning and significance, i.e., how or why it is important. Illustrate.
Writing Assignments – Academic Success
Assignments are a common method ofassessment at university andrequirecarefulplanning and good quality research. Developing critical thinking and writing skills are also necessary to demonstrate your ability to understand and apply information about your topic.
Common Writing Assignments - Purdue OWL®
This handout provides information about annotatedbibliographies in MLA, APA, and CMS. These OWL resources will help you understand and complete specific types of writing assignments, such as annotated bibliographies, book reports, and research papers.
The Writing Process | 5 Steps with Examples & Tips - Scribbr
Good academic writing requires effective planning, drafting, and revision. The writing process looks different for everyone, but there are five basic steps that will help you structure your time when writing any kind of text.
Types of Writing Assignments - bartleby
This article provides a brief overview of 5 types of writing assignments that students are likely to encounter in college. 1. ReflectivePapers. These assignments typically require students to think about their own experiences that demonstrate a specific concept and/or principle.
The key to success in written assignments is tounderstandwhatisexpectedofyou. If you do not understand what is expected from the assignment brief or the marking criteria, you will not be able to produce the result that your lecturer is expecting and hoping for.
Understanding Assignments - The Writing Center
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 instructor expects. See our online demonstration for more tips. Basic beginnings.
Understanding the Assignment – About Writing: A Guide
Summarizinginformation. Analyzing ideas and concepts. Taking a position and defending it. Combining ideas from several sources and creating your own original argument. Understanding How to Answer the Assignment. College writing assignments will ask you to answer a how or why question – questions that can’t be answered with just facts.
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
This resource describes some steps you can take to better understand the requirements of your writing assignments. This resource works for either in-class, teacher-led discussion or for personal use.
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 instructor expects. See our short video for more tips.
Explain. Clarify something by explaining how it functions, how to do it, or what its causes and effects are. Identify. Indicate or describe what a thing is, what it’s composed of, or when and where it occurs. Interpret. Comment upon a subject or explain its meaning and significance, i.e., how or why it is important. Illustrate.
Assignments are a common method of assessment at university and require careful planning and good quality research. Developing critical thinking and writing skills are also necessary to demonstrate your ability to understand and apply information about your topic.
This handout provides information about annotated bibliographies in MLA, APA, and CMS. These OWL resources will help you understand and complete specific types of writing assignments, such as annotated bibliographies, book reports, and research papers.
Good academic writing requires effective planning, drafting, and revision. The writing process looks different for everyone, but there are five basic steps that will help you structure your time when writing any kind of text.
This article provides a brief overview of 5 types of writing assignments that students are likely to encounter in college. 1. Reflective Papers. These assignments typically require students to think about their own experiences that demonstrate a specific concept and/or principle.
The key to success in written assignments is to understand what is expected of you. If you do not understand what is expected from the assignment brief or the marking criteria, you will not be able to produce the result that your lecturer is expecting and hoping for.
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 instructor expects. See our online demonstration for more tips. Basic beginnings.
Summarizing information. Analyzing ideas and concepts. Taking a position and defending it. Combining ideas from several sources and creating your own original argument. Understanding How to Answer the Assignment. College writing assignments will ask you to answer a how or why question – questions that can’t be answered with just facts.