Academic skills guide: Chapter 3

Understanding the task

Clarifying the task

Before you can begin the writing process, you must make sure that you have
clearly understood what it is that you are supposed to be writing about. To do this,
you will need to break the assignment task down into its different parts.

Key words

Locating key words in a writing task will help you decide what kind of approach
you should take in your response. There are three types of key words:

• Topic words/phrases tell you what you are going to write about. They
define the topic, indicating the areas you should concentrate on. These are
generally easy to identify, as they are the topics that you have probably
studied in your Unit.

• Task words/phrases describe how you will write your assignment (what
you will need to do to complete the assignment). These words are usually
verbs, but might be question words, e.g. Why? How?

• Focus words/phrases are the aspects of the topic you are asked to pay
particular attention to.
Topic Focus

Example 1: Schoolies week is an important rite of passage for Australian

teenagers. Discuss.

Task word
Topic

Example 2: Since sustainability is a key concept of the twenty-first century, it

should be included as part of the curriculum of primary and
secondary schools throughout Australia. Do you agree?

Focus Task words

Task words

Making sense of key words, particularly task words, is a very important preliminary
step in the writing process. Following is a table of common task words.

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Academic skills guide: Chapter 3
Understanding the task

Some common task words/phrases

Account for Explain, clarify, give reasons for

Different from “give an account of”, which is more like “describe in detail”

Analyse Break an issue down into its component parts, discuss them and show how
they interrelate

Argue Make a case, based on appropriate evidence, for and/or against some given
point of view

Assess Consider the value or importance of something, paying due attention to

positive, negative, and disputable aspects, and citing the judgments of any
known authorities, as well as your own.

Comment on More than “describe” or “summarise”; implies a level of analysis and

assessment; see also “discuss”

Compare Identify the characteristics or qualities two or more things have in common (but
probably pointing out their differences as well)

Contrast Point out the differences between two things (but probably point out their
similarities as well)

Criticise Spell out your judgment as to the value or truth of something, indicating the
criteria on which you base your judgment and citing specific instances of how
the criteria apply in this case

Define Make a statement as to the meaning or interpretation of something, giving

sufficient detail so as to allow it to be distinguished from similar things

Describe Spell out the main aspects of an idea or topic or the sequence in which a series
of things happened

Discuss Develop a balanced argument by exploring, analysing and debating the range
of perspectives that apply. Research widely, sort through the available
evidence, weigh up the arguments for and against, and analyse alternatives to
arrive at an informed conclusion. One of the most common task words; similar
to “comment on” (see above)

Enumerate List some relevant items in continuous prose (rather than in note form) and
perhaps “describe” them (see above) as well

Evaluate Like “assess” (see above)

Explain Tell how things work or how they came to be the way they are, including
perhaps some need to “describe” and to “analyse” (see above)

To what extent Explore the case for a stated proposition or explanation, much in the manner of
“assess” and “criticise” (see above), probably arguing for a less than total
acceptance of the proposition

How far Similar to “to what extent” (see above)

Identify Pick out what you regard as the key features of something, perhaps making
clear the criteria you use

Illustrate Similar to “explain” (see above), but probably asking for the quoting of specific
examples or statistics or possibly the drawing of maps, graphs, sketches, etc.

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Academic skills guide: Chapter 3
Understanding the task

Interpret Clarify something or “explain” (see above), perhaps indicating how the thing
relates to some other thing or perspective

Justify Express valid reasons for accepting a particular interpretation or conclusion,

probably including the need to “argue” (see above) a case

Outline Indicate the main features of a topic or sequence of events, possibly setting
them within a clear structure or framework to show how they interrelate

Prove Demonstrate the truth of something by offering irrefutable evidence and/or

logical sequence of statements leading from evidence to conclusion

Reconcile Show how two apparently opposed or mutually exclusive ideas or propositions
can be seen to be similar in important respects, if not identical. Involves need
to “analyse” and “justify” (see above)

Relate Either “explain” (see above) how things happened or are connected in a cause-
and-effect sense, or may imply “compare” and “contrast” (see above)

Review Survey a topic, with the emphasis on “assess” rather than “describe” (see
above)

State Express the main points of an idea or topic, perhaps in the manner of
“describe” or “enumerate” (see above)

Summarise “State” (see above) the main features of an argument, omitting all superfluous
detail and side-issues

Trace Identify the connection between one thing and another either in a
developmental sense over a period of time, or else in a cause-and-effect
sense. May imply both “describe” and “explain” (see above)

Adapted from: Rowntree, D. 1998. Learn How to Study – A Realistic Approach. Warner Books: London.

Figure 12: Common task words

Question words

Sometimes the task is set by a question word instead of a verb. Some of the most
common question words are:

• What is/was? What impact/effect? In what ways? How do/did? How far?
(These are usually ‘explain’ type essays.)

• Why? How far? To what extent? How effectively? Was? Do you agree? Is
this fair comment? How important? What do you think?
(These are usually ‘argue’ or ‘discuss’ type essays.)
Of course, these question words only make sense when seen in conjunction with
the focus and topic words. However, even then, it can be difficult to identify what
you actually have to do, and you may need to clarify the task with your lecturer or
tutor before going any further.

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Academic skills guide: Chapter 3
Understanding the task

Focus words

It is also very important to look closely at the focus words. These significantly
affect what you include or exclude in your essay, and also how much space you
might devote to different areas. Let’s look again at the first essay question on
page 54:
“Schoolies week is an important rite of passage for Australian teenagers”
Discuss.
A change in the focus words of this question (in italics) would very much affect
how you write about schoolies week. Look at these examples and think about
how an essay on these topics would be quite different:
1. “Schoolies week is the most important rite of passage for Australian
teenagers” Discuss.
2. “Schoolies week may be an important rite of passage for Australian
teenagers but it is a time of great anxiety for many parents.” Discuss.
3. “Schoolies week has become an important rite of passage for Australian
teenagers, but it has now degenerated to a spectacle of excess.” Discuss.
To demonstrate the process, a sample question is analysed below:
Account for the rapid spread of HIV AIDS in Africa since the eighties.
How has HIV AIDS affected infant health?

Topic words Task words Focus words

HIV AIDS Account for rapid spread

How Africa since the eighties
affected infant health

Strategies to get started

Brainstorming

Brainstorming means writing down any ideas at all that come to mind when you
read the question. Some of the ideas may end up being irrelevant, but that does
not matter at this stage. The idea is to get you started on thinking about the essay
question. A brainstorm on the HIV AIDS question might look like this:
social factors statistics on Africa, other parts of world
role of women statistics on infant health
civil wars, conflicts availability of medicine
famine world aid – ignored problem? Why?

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Academic skills guide: Chapter 3
Understanding the task

Mind mapping

Mind mapping is a more organised kind of brainstorming. As well as writing down

ideas, you organise them in categories and sub-categories. For example, on the
HIV AIDS question you might have:

prejudice level of aid

issues
examples ignorance medicine

violence
towards world
women civil wars response
areas

Africa statistics HIV AIDS famine

statistics
in Africa

the rest of social effects

the world
men/women
/children

social
factors

education
poverty
role of
women
Figure 13: Example of mind map

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Academic skills guide: Chapter 3
Understanding the task

Research focusing questions

Another strategy is to form some questions about the topics and focus aspects.
These will serve as the basis of your research and help you to understand every
aspect of the question. In some cases, these questions might suggest a structure
for your essay as well – giving you the main focuses for your body paragraphs.
This could be the case in this essay.

General Specific

What? What factors aided the spread of HIV AIDS in Africa?

How? How are the effects on infants different from the affects on adults?

Why? Why has HIV AIDS spread more rapidly in Africa than in other places?

Who? Who is most responsible for infant health?

When? When was the extent of the potential danger from HIV AIDS first
recognised?

What if? What if the epidemic is not contained?

Figure 14: Research questions

Sometimes the question will suggest a two-part structure for your essay. The HIV
AIDS question could be dealt with in two parts – HIV AIDS in Africa in general
and the effect of this on infant health.
It is good to start thinking about the essay structure at this early stage, although
you might change your mind about the detail as you start firm planning.

Activity 3.1 Estimating word allocation

Now, let’s assume that the question below requires a response of 2,000 words.
Account for the rapid spread of HIV AIDS in Africa since the eighties.
How had HIV AIDS affected infant health?
Discuss:
1. What is a realistic allocation of words to answer each part of the question?
To the introduction? To the conclusion?
2. Why is it beneficial to plan your approximate allocation of words even
before you begin writing?

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Academic skills guide: Chapter 3
Understanding the task

Activity 3.2 Analysing an assignment question

Here is the task for the major writing assignment from the unit outline provided in
Chapter 2, Managing your writing.
“The acquisition of literacy begins early in a child’s life.” Discuss the role
of teachers in preparing children for literacy in a multicultural society.
1. Analyse this question by identifying the:
(a) Topic words ___________________________________________

(b) Task words ___________________________________________

(c) Focus words ___________________________________________

2. Formulate some questions that could guide your research

General Specific

What?

How?

Why?

Who?

When?

What if?

Figure 15: Creating research questions

Overview of strategies

Listed below are the main strategies that can help you clarify your understanding
of a writing task:

• Read the question/s (and any other supporting material) at least twice.

• Check the definitions of words or phrases you may not fully understand,
especially technical words

• Locate topic words/phrases, directive words/phrases and focus

words/phrases.

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