Did you know that one of the top reasons students lose marks on essays is by not answering the question?
It may sound obvious, but to get a good mark your essay needs to answer the question. It doesn’t matter how brilliant your essay is– if you were supposed to write about the causes of WW2, and you actually write about the effects of WW2, you probably won’t get an A.
So, what are the top reasons why students sometimes don’t answer the question?
- Skim-reading the question.
- Going down the “rabbit hole” of research, without looking back at the question.
- Not checking to see if the finished essay matches the question.
So, how do you avoid these pitfalls and make sure your essay answers the question? Watch our academic skills tutors demonstrate how to break down the question and stay on topic!
[Note: If you’re in a rush, you can skip the intros by jumping straight to 06:55.]
To make sure your essay answers the question, you first have to understand the question. This may sound easy, but essay questions are more complex than they seem. Sometimes, the instructions may be short, such as, “Is Harry Potter a hero?” In other cases, you may receive a full page of instructions.
Pay attention to the exact wording of the question. An question that asks you to “Outline the causes of Brexit” is not the same as a question that asks you to “Analyse the causes of Brexit.” These words- outline, analyse, discuss, explore, evaluate- are called “Instruction Words,” and they all have their own unique meaning. To make sure you’re following the question closely, check out our Instruction Words Handout.
Alongside Instruction Words, essay questions have several other elements, including the Topic, the Aspect, and the Restrictions. You can learn more about these words in our Essay Bites resource.
Most importantly: Keep looking back at the essay question throughout the writing process.
Remember to check at these key points:
- Before you start work, read the essay question carefully and break it down (more on that in the video below)
- As you research and write, keep looking back at the question to see if what you’re reading and writing still relates to the question.
- Before you submit your essay, check to make sure you’ve covered all the essential elements of the question. Also make sure every paragraph is relevant, and you don’t have any extraneous side-notes.
We hope these tips help you stay on topic during your next essay! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email us at asc@dundee.ac.uk.