Every assignment, exam question and application is a small rhetorical situation with you as the writer and the prompt-setter as the audience. Rhetorical analysis taught you to read a text for its purpose; read a prompt the same way, before you plan a word.
Three things to find
- The task word: what you must do. Argue (defend, challenge or qualify), analyze, explain, compare, evaluate, synthesize.
- The subject: what you must write about, often narrower than the topic.
- The limits: use at least three sources, refer to the passage, write a single essay, the time allowed.
Key idea
Before you plan, find the task word, the subject and the limits. Answer the task, not just the topic.
Why it works
A beautiful essay that does the wrong task earns little credit. A prompt about Lincoln’s choices asks how he persuades, not whether the war was just; an essay arguing the second question, however strong, has missed the first.
| Task word | It asks you to |
|---|---|
| argue / defend, challenge or qualify | take a position and support it; qualify means agree in part |
| analyze | explain how a text’s choices work for its purpose |
| explain | make something clear, without arguing for a side |
| synthesize | combine several sources in support of your own position |
| evaluate | judge strengths and weaknesses by criteria |
Worked example: Find the task
Prompt: “Many towns debate whether to plant trees along their main streets. Write an essay that argues your position on the extent to which towns should spend money on street trees.”
- Task word: argues your position. This is an argument essay.
- Subject: how far towns should spend money on street trees, not trees in general.
- “The extent to which” invites a qualified position, not only yes or no.
Answer: Argue a position (possibly qualified) on how much towns should spend on street trees.
Common mistake
Answering the topic instead of the task: arguing when the prompt says analyze, or summarizing when it says argue. Check: circle the task word and write it at the top of your plan; reread it before your conclusion.