Paper First Steps & Assignment Task Words
Step 1: Confirm the Type of Assignment
The type of assignment determines how you start, as different papers require different elements. What different types of assignments are there?
- Research papers require a lot of preparation and research. Supporting your ideas using articles, journals, books, etc. is essential, so start early to have time for revision and editing.
- Summaries demonstrate to your professor that you have absorbed and understood the required content. Usually research is not necessary, but you will want to carefully read your readings and pay attention to lectures to properly summarize afterwards.
- Critical reviews require interaction with course content that shows you thought about what you just read or watched. Analyzing a text’s strengths and weaknesses or explaining something you disagree with can prove that you have seriously considered the material.
- Reflections give you a chance to share your own opinions, growth, or thoughts about a book, course content, a retreat, etc. Sharing personal experiences (where appropriate) shows your professor that you understood the content and can apply your knowledge.
Step 2: Examine the Instructions
Look for key words and task words in your assignment instructions to determine what your professor is asking.
- Key words are those which explain the content to focus on in your assignment. These words will often be the keywords you use when researching your material.
- Task words are words that describe what kind(s) of “tasks” your essay should accomplish. There is an extensive list at the bottom of this page that explains what each word is asking for.
- Example: Critically examine the effect(s) that self-esteem can have on romantic relationships. Your essay should use at least six academic sources and be no more than 1000 words.
- The key words of these instructions are self-esteem and romantic relationships.
- The task words of these instructions are critically and examine.
Step 3: Determine the Length of the Assignment
Your professor will assign a page count and/or word count for your assignment. Be mindful of this as you begin your assignment!
- The page count includes footnotes and headings but usually not title page or bibliography.
- The word count does not include words in footnotes, bibliographies, or title pages. A general rule is you are allowed 10% above or below the word count.
- Example: A 2000-word paper can range from 1800-2200 words as needed.
- However, some professors will not read past the word count or page limit, so use caution.
Step 4: Now What?
How do you actually start the assignment, having conducted steps 1-3? How you start will depend on the type of assignment you determined earlier.
- Research papers start with researching your topic and finding sources.
- Summaries require you to find the most important points from the reading/content.
- For critical reviews or reflections, take some time to think about aspects of the material that you agreed with and aspects that you are questioning or disagree with.
- For all papers, before you start writing, consider creating an outline that divides your paper into sections and includes a draft of your thesis. (Hint: there are resource pages available for this, too!)
Task Words and Definitions
Use this list of task words and definitions to determine what your professor is asking of you.
| Task Word | Definition |
| Account (for) | Explain, clarify, or give reasons for something. |
| Analyze | Break down a subject into smaller parts and show how those parts relate to one another. |
| Argue | Defend a claim by using reason and proof. |
| Assess | Consider the value or importance of something, noting the positive, negative, and disputable aspects. |
| Classify | Divide a large group into distinguishable sub-groups or categories. |
| Comment (on) | May need clarification from your professor, but often involves analyzing or assessing. |
| Compare | Describe the similarities (and differences) between two or more things. |
| Contrast | Show the differences between two or more things. |
| Criticize | Weigh the value or truthfulness of something; citing the criteria upon which you base your judgement. |
| Define | Provide a clear, detailed explanation; identify the essential elements or meaning of something. |
| Describe | Show in detail; explain the main aspects of an idea or a sequence of events. |
| Discuss | Examine key points and possible interpretations; investigate an idea, giving reasons for and against. Draw a conclusion. |
| Evaluate | Weigh the truthfulness or worth of something (similar to assess or criticize). |
| Examine | Inspect closely and investigate the implications. |
| Explain | Make something plain and understandable or give reasons for the cause(s) of something. |
| Identify | Select the key features of something. |
| Illustrate | Demonstrate or explain by using specific examples or statistics. |
| Interpret | Explain the meaning of something in your own words. |
| Justify | Express valid reasons for accepting a particular interpretation or conclusion. |
| Outline | Indicate the main features of a topic or sequence of events and show how they interrelate. |
| Prove | Establish the truth or validity of something by presenting irrefutable evidence or a logical sequence of statements. |
| Reflect (on) | Share your thoughts on a subject. |
| Relate | Explain a cause-and-effect sequence or the connection between two things. |
| Review | Survey a topic; critically examine. |
| Summarize | Restate the main ideas in your own words. |
| Synthesize | Connect facts or ideas to create something new; combine elements or parts to create a whole. |
| Trace | Describe or portray in detail; carefully outline or explain step-by-step. |
Remember: You can always ask for help! Your professors are usually more than happy to provide clarification on assignment instructions and can provide guiding questions to help you get started. You can even run ideas by a family member, friend, or classmate if you are unsure if they make sense.
