Writing the essay question

Academic Skills Centre (2009) 

www.trentu.ca/academicskills 

WRITING THE EXAM: ESSAY QUESTIONS 

In addition to the procedures suggested in the general guidelines, the essay exam 

demands another step: preparing the answer. Before you begin to write an essay response, 

follow these points to ensure that the answer you produce is clear and logical. 

Preparing the Answer 

Analyze each question before you answer it. We are often tempted to answer the question 

that we wish were on the exam rather than the one that is. If the question asks you to 

compare the Reagan administration to previous presidencies, and instead you do a critical 

evaluation of it, you have pitched your tent upon a bog. Pay particular attention, then, to 

words like “identify,” “explain,” “compare,” “argue,” “assess”: these words dictate the 

nature of the task before you. As a general rule, essay questions are more likely to be of 

the latter sorts than of the former, or if of the former, still directed to the bird’s eye view, 

to integrating concepts that are far afield. 

Consider the following sample essay questions: 

Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the two-party system. 

Explain the primary differences between Romanticism and post-modernism with 

reference to at least four major theorists. 

Argue for or against the feasibility of World Government as a solution to the hostilities 

between nation states. 

Compare the use of the epic form in classical and neoclassical verse. 

Assess the significance of the American civil rights movement in the struggle for social 

justice. 

These questions are not only different in kind but in escalating degree of complexity: the 

first only requires that things be correctly “identified” or named, while the last almost 

amounts to requiring the student to “identify, explain and compare in order to assess.” If 

one is to assess the significance of something, one must first know rather a lot about it: in 

the example above, one must first identify what the main characteristics of the movement 

are, explain these characteristics in some detail, compare the movement to other phases 

or events in the struggle, and assess the importance of the movement in light of what 

seem to be valid measures. Of course, if the “identify” question is worth as much as the 

“assess” question, you should interpret “identify” very broadly. 1 

1 The Ministry of Education in Ontario describes those “verbs that require [students] to generalize, analyze, 

synthesize, organize and evaluate rather than merely recall, illustrate and explain” as “higher level” because 

they involve thinking of a complex kind. And it specifically requires teachers to use these higher level 

verbs in essay exams to examine students in academic programs. See Neil Graham, “Student Evaluation in 

English,” Profile, Ontario Ministry of Education (1987): 26. 

From Making your Mark: Learning to Well on Exams. 

Catherine Taylor, Heather Avery and Lucille Strath: ASC, Trent U. (1994).



There are overlaps and crossovers, of course, but most verbs commonly encountered in 

essay questions belong primarily in one of these five categories: 

Identify Explain Compare Argue Assess 

Enumerate 

List 

Describe 

Define 

Paraphrase 

Summarize 

State 

Analyze 

Discuss 

Account for 

Illustrate 

Trace 

Outline 

Contrast 

Relate 

Distinguish 

Agree 

Disagree 

Debate 

Defend 

Justify 

Prove 

Criticize 

Evaluate 

Interpret 

Propose 

Recommend 

Review 

Identify Questions. As a general rule, verbs in the “Identify” column are perfunctory 

little staff sergeants. Neither solicitous nor tolerant of your opinions, such verbs direct 

you to hit the nail on the head, pin the butterfly to the sample board, snap the shot, not to 

philosophize for days about the subtleties of its construction: “Enumerate the varieties of 

begonia in Bulgaria”; “List the seven deadly sins”; “Summarize Kant’s argument for the 

Categorical Imperative.” Such questions are less common than the others on essay exams 

because they elicit concise paragraphs, not developed answers. 

Explain Questions. “Explain” verbs are less crude in their requests, and more 

demanding: they are the “why” to Identify’s “what.” One is often expected to establish 

cause and effect relationships in explain questions. Thus, one is not asked to 

“Enumerate the begonias of Bulgaria,” but to “Discuss the processes by which Bulgarian 

begonias variegated into their present prolificacy.” 

Compare Questions. These are popular among professors not because the detection of 

similarities and differences is particularly worthwhile in itself, but because they 

encourage students to undertake more complex analyses than they might if asked to 

discuss only one book, or play, or political system, or whatever. We see a thing more 

precisely and astutely when we have been asked to distinguish it from something else. 

The student, then, who responds by writing for the first half of the answer on 

Tweedledum, and the second half on Tweedledee, has misinterpreted the professor’s 

intent: to bring the one and the other together. 

Tweedledum 

likes chamber music 

reads Russian Novels 

looks like a jerk, wears a beanie, goes by 

"Tweedle" 

gives money to the Trotskyites 

Tweedledee 

same as L'dum 

except likes the Kazoo & Jimmy Swaggart 

The sparks are much more likely to fly if you organize by similarities and differences: 





Similarities 

A. both have intellectual interests 

- L'dum's chamber music & L'dee's kazoo 

- both read Russian novels, in Russian 

B. superficial resemblance 

- both look like jerks 

- wear beanies 

- answer to Tweedle 

Differences 

A. Political - one a Trot, the other a Jimmy 

Swaggart supporter 

B. Financial 

- L'dum's dismay at T'dee's contributions to 

religious broadcasters 

- L'dee's dismay at L'dum's contributions to 

the Party 

Argue Questions. All essays are forms of argument in the general sense of being 

developed from a premise towards a conclusion via a structure of support built on logic 

and evidence. Some, though, are argumentative in the more common sense of requiring 

that a position be defended against potential detractors. “Prove that Francis Bacon wrote 

what goes by the misnomer, the Shakespearean canon.” 

Assess Questions. Just as all essay questions require an answer in the form of an 

argument, all require that the writer exercise his judgement or powers of discrimination in 

determining what is relevant or not, significant or not, authentic or not. “Assess” 

questions require that judgement become the focus and purpose of the essay. Thus, 

“Evaluate Thought, Action and Passion in its attempt to describe the interrelationships 

among various disciplines.” One is frequently asked to measure degree, to answer, “How 

well?” To do this, sensible criteria must be established against which to judge the subject 

in question, and then one’s judgement must be defended. 

Sketch the answer. Take a few minutes at the beginning of each question to jot down 

your main ideas on the blank side of the examination booklet. Approximately five 

minutes for a half-hour question should be about right. A little sketch, remember: an 

outline that turns into a rough draft is a luxury that is normally not worth the time on an 

exam. Use whatever outlining method you are comfortable with — mind map or 

conventional hierarchical structure. 2 Don’t abandon hope if you feel your answer is 

incomplete or lacks focus. Instead, see what you can come up with, and invent a thesis 

that makes good use of it. 

Writing your response 

Once you’ve outlined your argument, you are ready to begin writing. In your essay 

answer: 

Aim to produce the Grateful Examiner. Whatever the question, try to answer it in an 

organized way. Remember that your professor is reading dozens and dozens of exam 

papers, most of which display student writing — and student handwriting — at its very 

worst. Therefore, write reasonably neatly, every other line, in visible ink, and show 

intelligence at all costs. If you can’t address the topic, come as close as possible. This 

2 For an extensive discussion of outlines, see Thinking It Through, 91-107. 





does not mean pad your answer with irrelevant bumph; you will not gain by seeming 

confused, and perhaps will lose credit for what you are sure of. Markers are desperate for 

evidence of substance, passion, imagination, and engagement with the subject, and will 

reward it. They want to see your thinking, not just a recitation of facts. 

Essential to the production of gratitude in the examiner is that you write in a style and 

tone appropriately respectful of the subject matter. Wit is welcome; flippancy flops. Do 

not dismiss the professor’s favourite political leader as an iguana-head. 

Balance Argument and Examples. Frequently, students lose marks on essay exams, not 

because they are unfamiliar with the course material, but because they do not present 

their knowledge effectively. Professors prepare examination questions with certain 

expectations in mind; they know in advance what arguments and details need to be 

discussed in order for a response to be considered satisfactory, and they grade according 

to these expectations. Hence a student may respond accurately to the question posed, but 

if the expected arguments and details are lacking, the paper will probably receive a low 

grade. 

Say an exam question reads, “Discuss the effects of American cultural influence on the 

Canadian arts scene.” A student response outlines, in general terms, the social, political 

and economic effects of American culture, but fails to provide concrete examples of any 

of these. The response earns a C because the professor cannot judge whether the student 

understands the material, and has simply neglected to provide examples of the effects, or 

whether the student never understood the issue fully, and could not provide examples. 

Another response to the same question might not discuss economic issues, but because 

the comments on social and political effects are well-detailed, the professor can better 

assess the student’s knowledge, and the answer earns a B. 

Respect the Art of Presentation. There is an art to making the best of your knowledge 

on the exam; the B student practised the art, and the C student did not. Yet it is entirely 

possible that the latter’s grasp of the material was superior to the former’s. Though the 

unfairness inherent in this unfortunate situation frustrates professors immensely, they can 

only give you marks for what you do, not for what they imagine you capable of doing. 

The well-prepared student understands what markers look for in an exam, and has learned 

how to fashion a response that provides it. 

Begin, always, by answering the question. That is, in the first paragraph of your answer, 

include one sentence that indicates the line of reasoning in the rest of your response. 

For example, in answer to the question above, you might write, “American cultural 

influence on the Canadian arts extends to many areas, and in general has had a negative 

influence on Canadian cultural growth.” Even if you write little else, this statement at 

least would provide your professor with an indication that you had considered the 

question. Think of the one sentence as a thesis statement, but do not labour over it the 

way you might for a formal essay. Simply respond to the question directly, and get on 

with your answer. The thesis will give your paper clarity and integrate the different points 





you make into a single point of view, the result being that your argument is easier to see, 

and the easier it is to see, the easier it is to festoon with checkmarks. 

Your thesis need not be passionate or controversial. If you are asked something like, 

“Identify the parts of the bull- frog,” you would be thought eccentric if you took a stand 

on what you think those parts are: “Bull-frog parts comprise the head, the body, the little 

front arms and the great hind legs for jumping, by Jove, whatever the enemies of truth 

might preach.” But you still need a thesis, in the sense of an organizational principle from 

which to develop your answer. In this case, the thesis statement might be, “The parts of 

the bull-frog may be divided by their three different functions: leaping, croaking, and 

breeding, each of which involves several parts.” It ain’t poetry, but it does answer the 

question directly and indicate the way in which you intend to organize your answer. 

If you do not have an immediate stance to take in response to the question, jot down the 

points that come to mind on the subject and then ask yourself, “What overall position do 

my ideas point towards?” For example, you must answer the question, “Evaluate the 

success of the CCF,” and you do not have a deeply felt opinion on the subject. List the 

pros and cons, since you are being asked to assess something. 

PROS 

- social programs: U.I.C., Medicare, 

Pensions, Occupational Health & Safety 

- civil rights 

- mass membership 

- popular leaders 

- support of trade unions & extra 

parliamentary groups 

- prairie strength, Western Prov's 

CONS 

regionalism 

never formed a national government 

few large donors 

ambitious goals (costly) 

lack of support from Central & Eastern 

Prov's. 

Okay. so the CCF was successful in some terms, not in others. Compose a thesis 

statement that reflects what information you are capable of presenting on the subject, 

even though it seems to be a bit of a hodge-podge: social programs, civil rights, electoral 

record, party history. Here’s one: 

The CCF did not achieve the original ambitious goals on which it was founded, and never 

formed a federal government, but it was successful in entrenching most of its social 

service and civil rights policies into Canadian government. 

The cleverly-worded thesis will constellate disparate elements into one integrated point 

of view, and thus give the Grateful Examiner a way of reading your answer as the logical 

development of a sensible thesis, not the grab-bag of isolated points that it might have 

seemed otherwise. 

Be as specific as possible. Most exam essay questions will address general course 

themes, issues that anyone who attended the lectures would be familiar with. To excel on 

an exam, therefore, you must establish that you are not merely acquainted with these 





themes, but that you have considered them carefully and are aware of their connections to 

and ramifications for the more particular material discussed in the course. In a literature 

course, this means numerous references to the texts studied (and direct quotations if you 

can manage it); in a history course, it might mean using a specific historical event to 

illustrate a broader theory. In psychology, the student might make reference to relevant 

experiments, in geography to particular landmarks. 

Such a task should not be difficult for you, if you have kept up with readings and 

attended lectures. You do not need to provide several examples; you do not need to 

remember exact details of examples. Instead, you must show that you understand a 

concept well enough to think of a situation where it applies. To return to the question on 

American cultural influence, one example might be the popularity of Viet Nam War 

movies among Canadians, despite the fact that Canada was never directly involved in this 

war. There would be no need here to provide statistics about the number of Viet Nam 

War movies, or the number of Canadians who watch them; just showing the professor 

that you can connect the general concept (American cultural influence) to a specific 

example (Viet Nam War movies in Canada) is enough. But don’t forget to make the 

connection explicit. Explain your examples and details. “An example of this would be 

Viet Nam movies” doesn’t tell the professor anything. Take up space with your details; 

far better to cover a small chunk of material well than to provide a whirlwind tour of your 

course that suggests nothing more than that you have seen the syllabus. 

Don’t worry about style. Many students worry about proper essay style in exams: are 

they losing marks by not having a formal introduction, a conclusion, well-developed 

paragraphs? Some advice: worry about something else. Provide reasonable introductions 

and conclusions as guides to your response, but do not waste time on them. Professors at 

this point are marking for content, not style. Elegantly worded introductions, indeed are 

lost on a professor who wants to finish marking exams and get on with summer research. 

They also represent a loss of valuable exam time. The twenty minutes it takes to get the 

correctly-worded introduction to the first question you tackle might better be spent 

fleshing out your response to the third question. Given this emphasis on explaining 

details, the student might ask, “Is it ever worthwhile to write a point-form answer to an 

essay question?” In certain circumstances, yes. If you are running out of time on the last 

question, or have an eleventh- hour burst of inspiration on a question that hitherto had 

you stumped, finish up in point form. Try to write complete introductory and 

concluding sentences for any section you present in this manner. 

Point-form answers will probably never earn a student As, but if they are well-detailed, 

and if the points show the connection between the issues addressed and the examples 

provided, often professors can give them better than a passing grade. Indeed, point-form 

answers frequently score quite well because the student does not waste time devising 

elaborate rhetorical structures, and thus gets more content into the exam booklet. 

A note of caution, however: if your point form is as good as your paragraphs, your 

paragraphs leave something to be desired. And while the professor may mark one pointform 

answer sympathetically, the annoying staccato effect of page after page of dashes 





would harden the heart of the most benevolent of markers. Paragraphs are commonly 

thought in academic circles to be an improvement on points. Therefore, try to observe the 

same rules for paragraphs that hold for regular essays: one main point per paragraph, that 

point stated in a sentence, that sentence supported by other sentences providing 

explanation or evidence. If you make the connection between paragraphs obvious, you 

are on your way to major scholarships. 

Final tips 

Try to establish for your professor that you have taken the course s/he has taught. All too 

often, the student answers a question very personally, making reference to details 

and issues that were never discussed in class. To a certain extent, this approach is 

acceptable; it shows an ability to apply knowledge to a broad spectrum. However, 

overdoing it can be dangerous, because you need to show that you can understand 

concepts within the framework in which they were discussed, not outside it. Try not to 

get carried away in your film course, then, making references to movies you have just 

seen; focus your answer on Godard, or Fellini, or whoever you have been studying. An 

extension of the rule about confirming that you have taken a course is establishing clearly 

that you have learned from it. Even if you may never agree with the professor’s left-wing 

political view, or his interpretation of Macbeth, acknowledge those views and give them 

their due. Show that you have considered the issues, even if —especially if — you still 

end up rejecting what you have been taught. 

You don’t have to write non-stop. Try to ignore what the student sitting next to you is 

doing. The Einstein bent over her exam booklet writing madly for the full three hours 

might be telling all she knows, but that does not make for a good essay exam, any more 

than it makes for a good term paper. 

Don’t apologize for your performance. Too many exams end, “Sorry, I ran out of time,” 

“Sorry, I don’t know what’s happened to me, I knew that stuff last night,” or some 

variation on the theme of brain-addling sickness or personal crisis. If you can’t think of a 

brilliant answer for the question, go with what you have, and state your ideas 

unapologetically. You might not get full marks for the question, but you don’t need full 

marks to pass the exam. 

Don’t waste time “rewriting in good.” Write so that you can be read at normal speed the 

first time, and leave it at that. It is perfectly acceptable to cross things out and insert 

words. If you have any extra time at the end, reread your answers to improve the rough 

bits of wording, weak transitions, and so on. 

Don’t labour over word choice, style and spelling as though you are writing the final draft 

of an essay. Do your best at the momentum you need to maintain to get through the 

exam. Don’t worry about footnotes.

Writing the essay question

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