Don’t ever, everbegin writing the answer to an essay question
without a little “homework” first, even if you’re the school’s prize-
winning journalist.
First, really look at the question. Are you sure you know what it’s
asking? Put it in your own words and compare it with your teacher’s.
Do they clearly mean the same thing? If not, you’ve misread it.
One way to avoid this problem is to paraphrase the question and make
it the first sentence of your essay. Even if you have misread
the teacher’s question, you have shown her how youinterpreted it.
If you answer a slightly different question than the teacher intended,
you may still get full credit for a well-written essay.
But please don’t, intentionally or otherwise, misread the question
in such a way that you answer the question you’d likerather than
the one you’ve actually been given.
Make sure you understand the meaning of the “direction verbs.”
Don’t “describe” when you’ve been told to “compare and contrast.”
Don’t “explain” when you’re supposed to “argue.” See a list of the
most-used such verbs and what each is instructing you to do later in
this chapter.
A Foolproof Action Plan
Here’s a step-by-step way to answer any essay question:
Step 1: On a blank sheet of paper, write down all the facts, ideas,
concepts, and so forth, you feel should be included in your answer.
(If you don’t have extra paper, the back of your blue book or the test
itself will work just as well.)
Step 2: Organize them in the order in which they should appear. You
don’t have to rewrite your notes into a detailed outline—just number
each note according to where you want to place it in your essay.
Chapter 8 ■ How to Study for Tests 203