This document provides guidance on analysing assignment questions and building paragraph frameworks to structure essay responses. It recommends asking three questions about any assignment: what is the topic, focus, and task. Sample questions are analysed by identifying these elements. The document also discusses using a topic as a search term and task words to structure an essay. It encourages dividing an essay into paragraphs that each address part of the assignment, with an introduction and conclusion. Attending workshops and reviewing online resources are suggested for additional help with question analysis and essay planning.

1. ANALYSING ASSIGNMENT
QUESTIONS
• Centre for Teaching and
Learning Services
• Analysing questions
• Building a paragraph framework
This presentation can be seen at:
http://tinyurl.com/192018workshop2014

2. Centre for Teaching and
Learning Services
Open Mon – Fri 8.30 – 17.00
Library – Level 3
Email: slc-alb@massey.ac.nz
Phone: (09) 441 8143
Online resources
http://owll.massey.ac.nz Videos, APA tool, Examples
http://tinyurl.com/6xy9hy Academic English Podcast

3. 3 crucial questions to ask
about any assignment
What is it about?
What do I include?
What do I have to do?
Topic
Focus
Task

4. These questions are your weapons as you _
fight the question in your

5. Example question
analysis
Choose ONE environmental issue and examine what
the national government of ONE country is doing to
improve the situation. Evaluate the extent to which
the government has been successful and justify your
argument with evidence and examples.
Topic
Focus
Task
One environmental issue
What ONE national government is
doing to improve the situation
Evaluate (success)
& Justify (your argument)

6. Use the TOPIC as the key search term in
your research AND use it throughout the
essay itself to make sure you are
answering the question
Opening sentences from an introduction paragraph
(introducing the topic, putting it into context and
showing why it’s important)
Globalisation has led to the accidental or deliberate introduction of
species into ecologies where they had previously been absent. These
invasive species can cause not only ecological damage (for instance,
in forcing native plants into extinction), but economic hardship (by
damaging agricultural production and the tourism industry). In the US
alone, it has been estimated that invasive species caused nearly
$100bn in economic damage between 1906 and 1991 (Cook, Thomas,
Cunningham, Anderson & De Barro, 2007). Countries like New
Zealand, whose ecology has been isolated for millions of years, are
especially vulnerable to invasive species.

7. Use the FOCUS as a secondary search term
in your research, to choose relevant examples
AND use the TASK words to help you structure
the essay into different parts.
Preview sentence from an
introduction paragraph
The New Zealand Government aims to reduce the damage
caused by invasive species in three ways: Biosecurity, control
and elimination. This essay evaluates the success of each
approach in relation to three different invasive species.

8. Common Task Words
Identify
Investigate
/ Examine
Consider
Discuss
Evaluate
Give a clear definition and explanation of an
issue or concept
Present relevant facts and figures about the
causes and effects of something
Present evidence for and against a
proposal
First, define a topic or concept and refer to
a range of opinions on it, giving the
evidence or arguments for each opinion.
Identify the purpose(s) of X, describe the
actual outcome and describe how far X
achieved its purpose(s)

9. Question analysis
practice
International migration is increasing at a dramatic rate as people
seek new opportunities for themselves and their families abroad.
Some migrants try hard to maintain their culture, language and
identity in their new host country, while others believe it is better
to embrace the host country’s culture and language.
Examine the reasons why people decide to leave their home
countries for another country and how they can maintain their
own culture and language in a new country. Evaluate whether it
is better for migrants to assimilate the culture of their new
country.
Topic
Migration
Focus
Culture – maintenance or assimilation?
Task
Examine (reasons for migration; why they leave
and how they can maintain language and culture)
Evaluate (assimilation of new country’s culture)

10. Environmental research is increasingly prompting politicians to
incorporate eco-friendly alternative energy sources into political
agendas in an effort to reduce the damaging effects that fossil
fuels are having on the planet. However, opponents argue that
eco-friendly alternatives will not meet humankind’s ever
increasing energy needs. Investigate the impacts that burning
fossil fuels have on the environment. Choose an eco-friendly
alternative energy source to fossil fuels and discuss the
advantages and disadvantages of this energy source. Examine
whether your chosen energy source is a sustainable option to
meet the world’s energy needs.
Topic
Focus
Task
Eco-friendly fuels
Advantages / Disadvantages
Investigate (impacts of fossil fuels)
Discuss (+/- of one eco-fuel)
Examine (how well it meets world’s needs)

11. Innovative technologies have created new ways for people to
make friendships and build relationships. However, it is often the
case that people reveal too much information about themselves
online and many experts contend that these technologies can blur
the boundaries between private and public lives. Investigate how
social networking sites or mobile phone technologies can build
relationships. Outline how the information shared through these
media could have detrimental effects on people’s lives and
suggest some possible strategies to enable safe use of these
technologies.
Topic
Focus
Task
mobile or online social networking
benefits and risks
Investigate (how they can build relationships)
Outline (risks)
Suggest (strategies to reduce risks)

12. Multi-media branding and marketing are frequently used by
businesses in an effort to maximise their profits. Investigate how
branding and marketing experts target certain members of the
public via multi-media and identify the strategies used. Select a
specific sector of the public (e.g. female shoppers, young
children, on-line gamers, housewives, older people) and assess
how successful these strategies are. Outline the possible
advantages and disadvantages of making branding and marketing
strategies more transparent to the public.
Topic
Focus
Task
Branding and Marketing Strategies
One specific sector of the public
Investigate (how branding & marketing
targets people) & identify (strategies used)
Assess (success of strategies for one sector)
Outline (+/- of more transparency)

13. Building a paragraph
framework
First … Use your question analysis to
identify the different parts you’ll need
in your essay
…. for example, different ways NZ has tried to deal
with the problem of invasive species
Approach 1 (biosecurity): What is it?
How successful has it been
Approach 2 (control): What is it?
How successful has it been
Approach 3 (elimination): What is it?
How successful has it been

14. Then … Decide how many paragraphs to
use for each part and add on your intro
and conclusion
You’ll have to choose between writing 3
body paragraphs (one long paragraph
for each part of the question) …
… or writing 6 body paragraphs
(breaking down each part into two
paragraphs)
Discuss this with your tutors

15. Key Points
•Analyse the question: topic, focus, task
•Divide the question into parts and use 1, 2 or 3
paragraphs for each part
• Use each paragraph to focus on one part of the
question
• Come along to our Weds workshops and use our
online resources
This presentation can be seen at:
http://tinyurl.com/192018workshop2014