Learning Lab

It is important to understand what your assignment topic means before you start your research, otherwise it can lead to confusion, frustration and wasted time.

It is also one of the common causes of assignment failure.

Analysing the words used in the question is a good way to understand the assignment topic. The question is usually very specific and will refer to only part of the course content. There are three common types of words to look out for.

Content words

Content words identify concepts or ideas from your course that apply to the topic. To properly understand content words it is often necessary to do some research on the topic first. Think about the following:

• Which part of the course content does the question refer to?
• Which aspects of the topic are required?
• What broader context is this question part of?

Instructional words

A clear understanding of instructional words is vital for answering the question the way the lecturer expects. In an assignment, the lecturer is not only assessing what you know, but also your ability to respond to the content in a particular way. Assignments may require you to:

• Describe or give information about a topic or idea
• Show or explain the relationship between topics or ideas
• Describe or explain a process
• Argue a point of view
• Compare different ideas

and so on.

View the meanings of instructional words list

Limiting words

Limiting words narrow down the topic. They tell you what aspects of the topic should be included and the limits of your discussion, such as time or location.

Sample assignment task