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Understanding Writing Assignments: Conclusion

Summary:

This resource provides student-writers with a toolkit to help them better understand writing assignments and writing prompts at the university level. It begins with a clear overview of strategies to help with writing assignments. It also includes a number of annotated assignment sheets.

Things to Remember

Overall, remember the following steps when you start to read assignment prompts for your courses.

Identify the key aspects of the assignment, including the main goal and required parts of the essay.
Consider the rhetorical situation of the prompt—that is, consider the text, the author (that’s you!), the audience, the purposes, and the setting of your assignment, in order to gain more information about expectations. Using this knowledge can help you to figure out a specific genre to write in, which can contribute even more to your understanding of the prompt.
Ask questions of the prompt, and of your instructor.

Ultimately, if you find any part of the prompt confusing, talk to your instructor. He or she wrote the prompt, and will be able to explain their expectations for the assignment. Also, see the “Understanding Writing Assignments” page on this site, which features more in-depth examples of different types of essays you may be asked to write in your classes. To access this supplemental resource, click here.

Navigation
Purdue OWL
General Writing
- General Writing Introduction
- The Writing Process
  - The Writing Process Introduction
  - Writing Task Resource List: What Do You Need To Write?
  - Invention: Starting the Writing Process
  - Prewriting (Invention)
  - Writer's Block
    - Symptoms and Cures for Writer's Block
    - More Writer's Block Strategies
  - Stasis Theory
  - Creating a Thesis Statement, Thesis Statement Tips
  - Developing an Outline
  - Reverse Outlining
  - Proofreading
- Academic Writing
  - Academic Writing Introduction
  - The Rhetorical Situation
  - Establishing Arguments
  - Logic in Argumentative Writing
  - Historical Perspectives on Argumentation
    - Classical Argument
    - Toulmin Argument
  - Paragraphs and Paragraphing
    - On Paragraphs
    - Paragraphing
  - Essay Writing
  - Conciseness
  - Paramedic Method
  - Reverse Paramedic Method
  - Adding Emphasis
  - Sentence Variety
  - Using Appropriate Language
  - Active and Passive Voice
  - Email Etiquette
  - Email Etiquette for Students
  - Using Foreign Languages in Academic Writing in English
- Common Writing Assignments
  - Common Writing Assignments Introduction
  - Understanding Writing Assignments
  - Argument Papers
  - Research Papers
  - Exploratory Papers
    - Exploratory Papers
    - Organizing an Exploratory Essay
  - Annotated Bibliographies
  - Book Reports
  - Definitions
  - Essays for Exams
  - Book Reviews
  - Academic Proposals
- Mechanics
  - Mechanics Introduction
  - Higher, Lower Order Concerns
  - Sentence Clarity
  - Parts of Speech Overview
  - Sentence Clarity Presentation
  - Sentence Fragments
  - Transitions and Transitional Devices
    - Transitions
    - Transitional Devices
  - Dangling Modifiers and How To Correct Them
  - Parallel Structure
  - Two-Part (Phrasal) Verbs (Idioms)
  - Capitals: Help with Capitals
  - Gerunds, Participles, and Infinitives
- Grammar
  - Grammar Introduction
  - Spelling: Common Words that Sound Alike
  - Numbers: Writing Numbers
  - Adjective or Adverb
    - Adjectives and Adverbs
    - Avoiding Common Errors
  - How to Use Adjectives and Adverbs
    - Adjectives with Count and Noncount Nouns
    - Adjective or Adverb?
  - Appositives
  - Articles: A versus An
  - How to Use Articles (a/an/the)
  - Prepositions
  - Pronouns
  - Relative Pronouns
  - Count and Noncount Nouns
  - Subject/Verb Agreement
  - Verb Tenses
  - Active Verb Tenses
  - Irregular Verbs
    - Irregular Verbs
    - Commonly Confused Verbs
- Punctuation
  - Punctuation Introduction
  - Punctuation
    - Punctuation Overview
    - Punctuation in Sentences
  - Sentence Punctuation Patterns
  - Independent and Dependent Clauses
    - Independent and Dependent Clauses
    - Run On Sentences
  - Conquering the Comma Presentation
  - Commas
  - Apostrophe Introduction
  - Hyphen Use
  - Quotation Marks
- Visual Rhetoric
  - Visual Rhetoric Introduction
  - Visual Rhetoric
  - Analyzing Visual Documents
  - Using Fonts with Purpose
  - Color Theory Presentation
  - Designing Effective PowerPoint Presentations
  - Data Visualization
- Undergraduate Applications
  - Undergraduate Applications Introduction
  - Advice from Undergraduate Admissions Officers
  - Undergraduate Application Timeline and Additional Resources
- Graduate School Applications
- Personal Correspondence
- Community Engaged Writing
- Media File Index
  - Media File Index
  - Workshops and PowerPoints
  - Sample Papers
  - Sample Employment Documents
  - Purdue OWL Vidcasts
  - Purdue OWL Podcasts
  - Purdue OWL Flash Movies
- General Writing FAQs
- Writing Center Directory
- OWL Conversations
Research and Citation
- Research and Citation Resources
- Conducting Research
  - Conducting Research Introduction
  - Research Overview
  - Conducting Primary Research
  - Evaluating Sources of Information
  - Searching Online
  - Internet References
  - Archival Research
- Using Research
  - Using Research Introduction
  - Writing with Statistics
  - Strategies for Fair Use
  - Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing
  - Paraphrase Exercises
  - Avoiding Plagiarism
  - Writing Scientific Abstracts Presentation
  - Formatting in Sociology (ASA Style)
  - Resources for Documenting Sources in the Disciplines
    - Overview
    - Complete Discipline Listing
  - Citation Style Chart
- APA Style
- MLA Style
- Chicago Style
- AMA Style
- Using Citation Machines Responsibly
Teacher and Tutor Resources
- Writing Instructors
  - Writing Instructors Introduction
  - Parents
  - Grades 7-12 Instructors and Students
  - Non-Purdue Users
  - Purdue Instructors and Students
  - Adult Basic Education
  - Writing Across the Curriculum: An Introduction
  - Creative Nonfiction in Writing Courses
  - Poetry in Writing Courses
  - Teaching Detailed Writing and Procedural Transitions
  - Teaching OSDDP: A Guide for Professional Writing Instructors
  - Email Etiquette for Professors
- Writing Letters of Recommendation for Students
- Writing Tutors
  - Writing Tutors Introduction
  - Purdue Writing Lab Quick Tour
  - Meeting One-on-One with Students
  - Tutoring a Résumé
  - Tutoring Cover Letters
  - Tutoring Creative Writing Students
  - Tutoring Lab Reports
  - Tutoring Grammar
  - Tutoring Deaf Clients
- Teaching Resources
- Preventing Plagiarism
- Translingual Writing
- Writing in the Engineering Classroom
Subject-Specific Writing
- Professional, Technical Writing
  - Professional, Technical Writing Introduction
  - Workplace Writers
  - Effective Workplace Writing
  - Audience Analysis
  - Prioritizing Your Concerns for Effective Business Writing
    - Higher Order Concerns
    - Lower Order Concerns
  - Parallel Structure
  - Activity and Postmortem Reports
  - Tone in Business Writing
  - HATS: A Design Procedure for Routine Business Documents
  - Basic Business Letters
    - The Basic Business Letter
    - Sample Letters
  - Accentuating the Positives
  - Memos
  - Four Point Action Closing
  - Grant Writing
  - Donation Request Letters
  - Technical Reports & Report Abstracts
    - Writing Report Abstracts
    - Reports, Proposals, and Technical Papers
  - White Papers
  - Revision in Business Writing
  - Business Writing for Administrative and Clerical Staff
- Writing in Literature
  - Writing in Literature Introduction
  - Literary Terms
    - Literary Terms
  - Literary Theory and Schools of Criticism
    - Introduction to Literary Theory