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Task Words

It is important for students to understand what each task word requires in the context of their specific assignment by checking all available course resources and reading marking criteria carefully.

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Ammar Nasir
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62 views2 pages

Task Words

It is important for students to understand what each task word requires in the context of their specific assignment by checking all available course resources and reading marking criteria carefully.

Uploaded by

Ammar Nasir
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Essays: Task Words

Task words are the words or phrases used in a brief that tell you what to do. Common
examples in UK higher education are “discuss”, “evaluate”, “compare and contrast” and
“critically analyse”. They are used in the marking criteria, as they are at the heart of how
well you have answered the question.

Although there is broad agreement about what these words are asking you to do, none of
them has a fixed meaning. We cannot guarantee that lecturers are using them exactly as
they are described here. In addition, there may be discipline or task-specific subtleties
regarding their usage.

It is important that you have a good idea of what they mean in your field.
Check all sources of information available for the specific assignment
requirements, and read your marking criteria carefully.

Table of Task Words and Descriptions.

Task word. Description.

Account for. Similar to “explain”, but with a heavier focus on reasons why something
is or is not the way it is.

Analyse. This term has the widest range of meanings according to the subject.
Make a justified selection of some of the essential features of an
artefact, idea or issue. Examine how these relate to each other and to
other ideas, in order to help better understand the topic. See ideas and
problems in different ways, and provide evidence for those ways of
seeing them.

Assess. This has very different meanings in different disciplines. Measure or


evaluate one or more aspect of something (for example, the
effectiveness, significance or “truth” of something). Show in detail the
outcomes of these evaluations.

Compare. Show how two or more things are similar.

Compare and Show similarities and differences between two or more things.
contrast.

Contrast. Show how two or more things are different.

Critically analyse. As with analysis, but questioning and testing the strength of your and
others’ analyses from different perspectives. This often means using
the process of analysis to make the whole essay an objective, reasoned
argument for your overall case or position.

Critically assess. As with “assess”, but emphasising your judgments made about
arguments by others, and about what you are assessing from different
perspectives. This often means making the whole essay a reasoned
argument for your overall case, based on your judgments.

Critically As with “evaluate”, but showing how judgments vary from different
evaluate. perspectives and how some judgments are stronger than others. This
often means creating an objective, reasoned argument for your overall
case, based on the evaluation from different perspectives.

Define. Present a precise meaning.

Describe. Say what something is like. Give its relevant qualities. Depending on
the nature of the task, descriptions may need to be brief or they may
need to be very detailed.

Discuss. Provide details about and evidence for or against two or more different
views or ideas, often with reference to a statement in the title.
Discussion often includes explaining which views or ideas seem
stronger.

Examine. Look closely at something. Think and write about the detail, and
question it where appropriate.

Explain. Give enough description or information to make something clear or


easy to understand.

Explore. Consider an idea or topic broadly, searching out related and/or


particularly relevant, interesting or debatable points.

Evaluate. Similar to “assess”, this often has more emphasis on an overall


judgement of something, explaining the extent to which it is, for
example, effective, useful, or true. Evaluation is therefore sometimes
more subjective and contestable than some kinds of pure assessment.

Identify. Show that you have recognised one or more key or significant piece of
evidence, thing, idea, problem, fact, theory, or example.

Illustrate. Give selected examples of something to help describe or explain it, or


use diagrams or other visual aids to help describe or explain something.

Justify. Explain the reasons, usually “good” reasons, for something being done
or believed, considering different possible views and ideas.

Outline. Provide the main points or ideas, normally without going into detail.

Summarise. This is similar to “outline”. State, or re-state, the most important parts of
something so that it is represented “in miniature”. It should be concise
and precise.

State. Express briefly and clearly.

If you would like an ASK tutorial, please contact us:

Email: [email protected].
Phone: 02392 843462.
Visit: Third Floor, Nuffield Building.
Resource revised 2019.

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