Rhetoric and Composition/Analyzing Assignments

Snowflakes, Fingerprints, and Assignments

Writing assignments in college differ as much as instructors. There is no one guidebook, approach, or set of rules that every college teacher will consult when putting together assignments. Since each assignment is unique, it is important to devote time to thoroughly understanding your assignment before beginning. Don't wait until the night before the assignment is due to begin asking questions. The sooner you understand an assignment's requirements, the less time you will spend second-guessing (and needlessly revising) your writing.

Analyzing an Assignment

You will probably encounter many different kinds of writing assignments in college, and it would be impossible to list every single kind. However, you can approach different assignments in the same ways regardless of the genre.

• Read the assignment sheet early and thoroughly. An assignment sheet may be lengthy, but resist the temptation to skim it. Read every word. It would be unfortunate to hand in an incomplete or misguided assignment because you did not read and understand the guidelines. Since you can easily overlook details on the first reading, read the assignment sheet a second time. As you are reading, highlight areas where you have questions, and also highlight words you feel are particularly important. Ask yourself why your professor has given this assignment. How does it relate to what you are studying in class? Pay attention to key words in the assignment, such as compare, contrast, analyze, etc. Who is your audience? Should the paper be written in a formal or informal tone? Is there documentation required? If a specific number of sources are required, how many must be books vs. online sources? What type of citation is required: APA, MLA, etc.? Is there a page or word count minimum/maximum?
• Get answers to your questions. At first glance, you might not have questions right away. However, after reading the assignment sheet later, or when you try to start on your assignment, you might find that you have questions. Don't play a guessing game when it comes to tackling your assignment--ask the right person for help: your professor. Discuss your questions with your professor, either in person or via email. Visit him/her during office hours or stay after class. Do not wait until the last minute as doing so puts your grade at risk. Don't be shy about asking your professors questions. Not only will you better your understanding and outcome of your paper, but professors enjoy and benefit from student questions as questions help them rethink their assignments and improve their clarity next time around. You likely are not the only student with a question, so be the one who is assertive and responsible enough to get answers.
• Writing Centers. Many colleges and universities have a writing center. Tutors are helpful in reviewing writing assignments with you before you begin. If you feel somewhat confident about what you need to include in your writing assignment, bring your completed outline and/or your first draft of your paper together with your assignment sheet. Tutors can also review your final draft before final submission to your professor. Many writing centers allow you to make appointments online for convenience and may also have "walk-in" availability. It is a good idea to check out availability options one week in advance of when you will actually need the appointment, or longer if it will be during finals week.
• Create a timeline. Set due dates for yourself, whether it be to have a topic picked or a whole rough draft done. Procrastination rarely results in a good paper. Some school libraries offer helpful computer programs that can create an effective assignment timeline for you. This is a helpful option for new, inexperienced writers who have not yet learned the art of analyzing assignments and who are not familiar with the time that is required in the writing process.

Sample Assignments

As discussed earlier, a professor can come up with any number of assignments, none of them alike. In each section below, there are sample assignment directions and suggestions on how to proceed. What follows is not meant to be a comprehensive list of assignments, but rather a short list of the basic assignments you can expect to see in an introductory English course. Some assignments you might not see here are creative variations of a basic assignment. For example, you could approach a visual analysis the same way you would a rhetorical analysis. An argument paper is similar to a research paper, only with perhaps a shorter argument. The techniques you would use in writing your own narrative would translate into writing a short story or observational essay.

Research Paper

You will likely have to write a research paper of a significant length during college. Students are usually overwhelmed by the page count and the struggle to come up with a paper topic. Sometimes in an attempt to make sure he or she reaches the page count, students pick very broad categories like welfare or the death penalty. Believe it or not, these broad topics don't make for great papers, simply because there is too much information to cover. Narrow topics allow for more in-depth research and writing. Choosing a topic takes time and research. Don't be surprised if your instructor requires your topic ahead of time. This is to make sure you do not leave research until the last minute. Look online at topics that interest you. Jot down a few notes about what is going on in that field. Since the research paper is an argument, you must pick a topic that has two sides. One-sided arguments such as "smoking is bad for your health" are not suitable for the research paper.

Look at the assignment sheet for key words. What is the purpose of the paper? To argue. What are your requirements? Not only are there page requirements, but also source requirements. What are scholarly sources? How do you judge the credibility of a source? Are you familiar with MLA?

There is one mistake that is easy to make: confusing the research paper for a report. Don't let your research paper become an informational report where you list information on a topic. Simply put, that is not your assignment.

Narrative

Narratives are a favorite first assignment for instructors, simply because it is assumed that to ease into writing, it is easiest to talk about yourself. At the same time, the idea can be very intimidating. Most students have stories to tell, but edit themselves too early by worrying if their story is "important" enough.

However, the assignment clearly states that you should not worry about the narrative being about a large event. One of the key words is "describe." Therefore, the most important part of the assignment is your use of description (show don't tell). Brainstorm a few things you might want to talk about. Pick one of them and start writing down as many descriptive details as you can think of about the event. Who were you with? Where were you? What was the weather like? What did the building look like? What were you thinking? How did you feel? What did you learn? Recording these concrete details will help guide you through your narrative.

You still might be worried about the "importance" of the story. While it is true that your story should come to some sort of point, themes usually come naturally in a story. If you begin a story with an agenda, you'll often find yourself describing the theme and not the story. Allow the themes to develop, and do not try to force them.

Rhetorical Analysis

At first, a rhetorical analysis sounds somewhat difficult. However, analyzing just means making a conscious effort to read each word carefully and think about what the author is doing. The first step would be to read the piece, not once, but two or three times. Highlight important passages and take notes. For this assignment, the instructor wanted the student to write about ethos, logos, and pathos, which are rhetorical terms you should be familiar with. Pay attention to specific word choices that may evoke emotion or any facts the author may have put forward. Look at the background of the author as well as the time period in which it was written. Consider the tone. Is it formal/informal/serious/humorous? These are all things to keep in mind while reading. Make an ongoing list of the author's rhetorical techniques you want to discuss in your paper.

Remember to be mindful of your essay's organization. It is easy to discuss three different topics in one paragraph and jump back and forth from one idea to the next, but this makes it difficult for your reader to follow. Also, do not forget that this is not a reflection. For this assignment, the instructor isn't concerned with your reaction to the text, or your ability to summarize; he or she wants to gauge your analytical skills.

Summary/Response Paper

Before writing a summary, it is important to use your critical reading skills. First, read the article carefully. It might help to write down the main point of each paragraph in the margin next to it. Next, reread the article and look carefully for the main points the author is trying to get across. Look for things the author states explicitly, as well as what is implied by in things that are not stated. Look for any biases or missing information. Ask yourself questions while you read, such as what is the big picture here? What is the author really trying to get across with this or that example? The title will often provide a clue about the author's main point. Most of all, slow down and take the time to reread the article several times. In summarizing an article, think about how you would explain the article to someone who hasn't read it. What are the main points of the article? What is necessary to know about the article?

While writing a summary is a familiar assignment from grade school, in college, summaries are no longer enough, and instructors will frequently require a response. Writing a response is giving your opinion about the text. However, statements such as "I did/did not like it" are not sufficient. Not only must you be more descriptive with your opinions, but you need to support them. If you do not think that an author provided enough information to prove his or her point, state the specific flaws and what could be done to improve them. The same rule applies for any emotions felt while reading the text. Instead of just saying an article made you sad, point out a specific passage in the text that made you feel that way. Talk about the word choices the author used and how that affected your reading.

It is important to note the word "brief" in the assignment sheet. The instructor does not want a two-page summary and then a paragraph of reflection. Your response should take up the bulk of the paper.

Finishing the Assignment

Remember, no matter what the assignment, identifying key words in an assignment can help you determine what type of thinking and abilities the professor wants you to demonstrate. The following six areas of competencies are from Bloom's Taxonomy. To learn more, visit: http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/style/taxonomy.htm.

• Knowledge: This becomes evident in how well you remember the subject matter, such as the major ideas, dates, places, events, etc. Questions may begin with: Identify, describe, examine, when, where, who.
• Comprehension: How well you understand the information presented. Can you describe the information in your own words? Questions may begin with: Interpret, contrast, predict, discuss.
• Application: Can you use the principles learned to solve other problems in different situations? Questions may begin with: Illustrate, examine, modify, experiment, relate.
• Analysis: Can you recognize hidden meanings, see patterns, identify the underlying parts? Questions may begin with: Separate, order, connect, classify, divide, explain.
• Synthesis: Can you relate knowledge from different areas to draw conclusions? Questions may begin with: Modify, rearrange, substitute, design, invent, generalize.
• Evaluation: This involves verifying the value of the evidence when solving controversies, developing opinions, etc. Questions may begin with: Decide, convince, select, compare, summarize.

If you need clarification on what your instructor is looking for, do not hesitate to ask. After you have finished your paper, be sure to double-check that you have fulfilled all the requirements. Proofread your paper multiple times before handing it in.