How to Write Distinction Essays Every Time: Step 1. Analyse the Question

There are generally two types of essays: argumentative essays and explanatory essays.

In an argumentative essay, you are expected to put forward an academic argument in answer to the essay question and support your argument with academic sources (references).

In an explanatory essay, you are expected to explain or describe a process or topic in answer to an essay question and support your argument with academic sources (references).

Regardless of the type of essay you are writing, it is very important that you understand what is being asked of you before you begin researching and writing your essay.

If you are given a question:

You must be sure that you understand all parts of the question and what it is asking you to do. You must be able to recognise the ‘task words’ in the question, which tell you what you have to do (for example, ‘discuss’, ‘compare’, ‘analyse’ or ‘argue’) and the ‘key words’ in the question, which tell you what you are being asked to write about (for example, Critical Thinking, or the roles of registered nurses).

If you have to write your own question:

If you are writing an argumentative essay and you need to write your own question, you must write a question that invites (or allows) you to make an argument. For example, a question that would invite an argument would be: ‘Is Critical Thinking relevant to the role of a Registered Nurse?’ A question on the same subject that would not invite an argument, but rather an explanatory essay, would be ‘What are two definitions of Critical Thinking?’ or ‘Describe two definitions of Critical Thinking’.

If you do not understand the question, what should you do?

First, check your course information booklet or course website for more information on the assessment. Check your lecture notes, textbook, other course information and recommended readings to see if this information helps you to understand what is being asked of you. If you still do not understand the question, ask your tutor or lecturer for help straight away. If you cannot understand the question, then you will have significant problems trying to answer it. This needs to be addressed immediately, before you begin your research and writing.

How to analyse an essay question

In order to write an essay that answers the essay question effectively, you first must be able to analyse the essay question. Firstly, you should know the kind of essay you are expected to write. There are two main types of essays: explanatory essays and argumentative essays.

An explanatory essay, as its name implies, is an essay that explains or presents a certain topic in a descriptive way conveying the information in detail. This type of essay does not require the writer’s opinion, argument, ideas or criticism.

In an argumentative essay, the writer’s opinions are needed. In this type of essay, you must include information about the topic and your own argument, personal ideas or viewpoints on the topic. When writing an argumentative essay, you need to demonstrate both the knowledge you have regarding the topic, and your analytical skills.

In order to know what kind of essay you are going to write, you must be able to understand what the essay question is asking you to write about. There are usually task words in an essay question, for example, ‘explain’, ‘discuss’, ‘argue’, ‘analyse’ or ‘compare’. The essay questions will also contain key words that will help you understand more about your essay question. For example, the essay question ‘Explain the state of world politics between World War I and World War II’ is asking you to write an explanatory essay with descriptive details on world politics during that time. If the essay question asks you ‘Are there feminist aspects in Renaissance art?’, answering this question will require you to express your opinion and argue a viewpoint on the topic.

In cases when you are not given an essay question and must write your own question, you should consider which type of essay you are going to write or are being asked to write. If you will write an argumentative essay, your essay question should be one that allows you to express a point of view, i.e. it should invite or allow you to make an argument on the topic. For an explanatory essay, your question should ask you to describe or explain something, for example, ‘What are the main characteristics of Renaissance art?’

If you do not understand what the essay question is asking you to do, it is advisable to check your course information booklet or website. Textbooks, lecture notes and recommended books may help you to get some ideas of the answer for your essay question. Your tutor or lecturer can help you if you really do not understand what the question is asking you to do. Do not hesitate to consult with them right away to address the problem before you can begin researching and writing your essay.

Written by:
Amy Jindaphan
Customer Service and Marketing
Elite Editing