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Task Analysis

How to understand an essay task.
 

In order to complete an essay task satisfactorily, you need to understand exactly what the task requires. This means understanding each part of the task description (sometimes referred to as an essay promptSee the glossary definition ).
Most task descriptions contain the following three types of words:



Often a description will start with one or two sentences which describe a particular issue. This is then followed by a further sentence (or two) which gives the actual direction about what you should write. For example:


 

In the next example the description and the direction both contain content and limiting words. Drag the bubbles across to show which words or phrases belong in the instruction, content or limiter categories.


 
 

Other Task Requirements

The prompt only tells you what you must write about, but there may be other requirements you need to be aware of. For example, the description may require you to write for a particular audienceSee the audience definition or your essay or report may need to be formatted in a particular way. Make sure that you check what these requirements are and that you abide by them.

If your task is examination-based, make sure that you abide by any required word count but don't waste time by writing much more than you need to.



Task Assessment

At some point your essay or report will be assessed. It is useful to be aware of how your assignment will be assessed. Usually, the marker or markers will use a rubricSee the glossary definition and very often this will be made available to you. If it is, use it as a checklist before you submit your work. You should be aware that the rubric an examiner uses to grade you work closely matches the task description. This is why you need to perform a careful task analysis before you start writing.


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