As an established rule of writing, you cannot be a good writer if you are a poor reader. The reason is that the power of writing stems from reading and writing the right material. When it comes to academic writing, the prompt is the first thing you need to read and understand before reading and writing any other thing. That is why at Custom writing bee, we emphasize that students should carefully read their assignment prompts if they want to excel in their academic assignment.
If you try rushing into writing your assignments without understanding their prompts, you will be like a person who listens to the first instruction “go,” and then runs to the market to buy tomatoes. As a wise person, you need to listen carefully to know where you should go, the time, with whom, and what you are supposed to go and do there. That is what a prompt is all about. You should read and understand every part of it to save yourself unnecessary hassles. This post will share out tips that will sharpen your ability to interpret your essay assignment prompts.
What is the purpose of the assignment?
The first and most important question in response to your essay prompt is deciphering the purpose of the assignment. You need to know what you are supposed to do with the assignment that is ahead of you. In addition, you have to look beyond what you are supposed to do and figure out what the instructor wants or expects from you. When you understand what the instructor expects from you, you will be in a better position to tune your assignment to meet those expectations. For example, if they are giving you the assignment to test your ability to understand a given idea, you should commit yourself to showcasing your understanding in that area.
Figure out the type of assignment it is
You need to decipher your assignment’s prompt to understand the kind of assignment it is. By understanding this part, you will confine it to that scope so that you do not digress and write three essays in one. For instance, if the prompt points in the direction of comparison and contrasting, you cannot go on giving definitions and explanations in the essay.
Figure out the audience
When analyzing the prompt of your assignment, you should not just look at what you should do or avoid. You should also read it critically to find out the kind of audience the assignment is supposed to address. This way, you can adapt it to the needs and level of your readers.
Look for the main ideas in the prompts
To understand your prompt better, look for the terms and phrases that express the main ideas and concepts of the assignment. For instance, if your prompt reads, “A bloated wage bill may not be a major economic challenge to a developed nation. But to a developing nation, maintaining a bloated public wage bill can be a crippling burden…”
In this section of the prompt, you need to examine the main ideas you will address. In this example, we have highlighted those ideas in italics. By understanding them, you will be in a better position to focus your discussion to how a bloated wage bill is a minor challenge to a developed nation and a crippling burden to a developing one. This way, you don’t just get clarity of discussion, but also the limits of the discussion.
Closing remarks
There you go with tips to help you to understand your essay prompts. By applying them, you stand better chances of excelling in your future academic assignments.
