The first step in preparing an essay is to ensure you have understood what is being asked for. Ensure that you know the required length of the essay, and the due date. Then look at the question or title: it is essential that you understand this in order to write a relevant essay.

These key words are often used in essay titles:

• Account for - explain
• Analyse - break down into parts and examine the relationship between
• Appraise or Assess - decide the importance of, judge the worth of, give the advantages and disadvantages of
• Comment - make remarks
• Contrast - set into opposition to bring out differences
• Criticise - give your judgement about the merit of theories or truth of facts - make sure you provide a reasoned argument with supporting evidence
• Define - give the precise meaning
• Describe - write about the details or characteristics of
• Discuss - examine by reasoned argument and reference to the facts; consider the implications
• Evaluate - make a judgement using specified criteria e.g. reason and/or available facts
• Examine - investigate or inquire into in detail
• Explain - make clear; give reason for; set out in detail the meaning of
• Explore - examine by going through
• Illustrate - make clear by giving examples
• Justify - present adequate grounds for
• Outline - give the main features
• Reconcile - make compatible that which is apparently in conflict
• Relate - show how things are connected to each other
• State - present clearly
• Summarise - give a concise account of the essential points, omitting details and examples
• Trace - follow the development of, from some point of origin