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Study
Skills Handout
Notes
on Responding to Essay Questions
The
handout below is just one of the many handouts available at the
Tutoring Center. If you are having trouble with study
skills of any kind, or if you have questions about study skills
that are not addressed here, stop in the Student Commons Building,
Room 1300, at the Normal campus and talk to a tutor. He/she can
provide additional handouts, help you recognize your strengths and
weaknesses and help you formulate a plan to develop effective study
strategies. Find out when tutors for various courses are available
in Pontiac
or Lincoln
by contacting the receptionist in Pontiac (815-842-6777) or Lincoln
(217-735-1731).
Notes
on Responding to Essay Questions
Learning
how to answer test questions proves to be an effective strategy
for test taking. Test questions tend to fall under into one of the
following types:
Essay
Question Answering Strategies
-
Assess
the amount of time given for an exam. Determine how much
time you can devote to each question. If there are 50 minutes
and 5 questions, then you can spend 10 minutes per question
- 3 questions, 15 minutes or more on each.
-
Scan
all questions and deal with the easier ones first. Dispensing
with them first will allow you more time for the tough ones.
-
Study
each question carefully and make sure you understand what it
is asking before you begin answering. Look for the key parts
of the question and key instructional words (analyze, interpret,
compare, illustrate, summarize, evaluate, list causes, etc.)
- Think
through and briefly organize the answer before you begin writing.
-
Get
to the heart of the answer. Don't beat around the bush or
hedge with elaborate introductory or background material. This
wastes the grader's time and suggests you don't have enough
"real" knowledge to develop the answer. Design a good
thesis statement. The remainder of the answer will revolve around
this.
-
Provide
adequate supporting detail and illustration. Avoid vague,
unexplained generalizations. Make a generalization, support
it with concrete evidence, and move to another generalization.
Of course, the amount of time for an answer will affect the
amount of detail you can give, but the grader will be aware
of this limitation.
-
Don't
pad your answer. Wordiness, repetition, and irrelevant detail
draw attention to the fact that you have little to say and suggest
that you may be trying to cover up ignorance.
A
lengthy answer is not always a criterion for a good answer. The
general composition principle of coherence applies; transitional
markers and mature, free - flowing sentences are desirable.
Key
Words for Essay Exams
- Analyze
- Find
the main ideas and show how they are related and why they are important.
- Compare
- Examine
two or more things. Show both similarities and differences,
but concentrate on the similarities.
- Contrast
- Show differences; set in opposition.
- Classify
- Assign to a group
of objects having similar characteristics. Elaborate on qualities particular to that group.
- Define
- Give the formal meaning
specific to the course or subject) by distinguishing it from related terms. This is often a matter of giving a very specific
definition.
- Criticize
- Give your judgement or
reasoned opinions of something, showing its good and bad points. Evaluate comparative worth, remembering that
attack is unnecessary.
- Evaluate
- Give your opinion or some expert's opinion of the truth or importance
of the concept. Tell the advantages and disadvantages.
- Justify
- Give a statement of why you think it is so. Give reasons for your
statement or conclusions.
- Describe
- Write a detailed account or verbal picture in a logical sequence
or story form.
- Diagram
- Make a graph, chart or drawing. Be sure you label it and add a brief
explanation if one is necessary.
- Illustrate
- Explain or make it clear by concrete examples, comparisons or analogies.
- Discuss
- Consider and debate or argue the pros and cons of an issue. Write
about any conflict. Compare and contrast.
- Explain
- Thoroughly consider by elaborating on significant aspects.
- Elaborate
- Give the meaning using examples and personal comments to make it
clear.
- Enumerate
- Name and list the main ideas one by one.
- List
- Produce a number list of words, sentences, or comments. (Same as
enumerate.)
- Outline
- Give a general summary. It should contain a series of main ideas
supported by secondary ideas. Omit minor details. Show the organization of the ideas.
- Relate
- Show the connections between things, telling how one causes or is
like the other.
- Review
- Give a survey or summary in which you look at the important parts.
Provide criticism where needed.
- Summarize
- Give a brief, condensed account of the main ideas. Omit details.
- Trace
- Show the progress or history of the subject.
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View other Study Skills Handouts
Adapted
from materials prepared at Illinois State University's Center for
Learning Assistance.
Copyright
© 2002, Heartland Community College
All rights reserved
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