PART 3 – PROCESSING AND PRODUCING INFORMATION
Unit 6 Action words and topic analysis
Unit outcomes
At the end of this unit, students should be able to:
▪ Understand the different meanings of different action words.
▪ Interpret an assignment topic correctly in terms of the context and overall main issues.
▪ Identify and interpret key words, instruction words and delimiting words.
Words I want to understand.
While reading through this unit, underline or highlight all the words you don’t understand and look
them up in a dictionary or online. Now write down the word(s) and its definition in this block.
1. Introduction
When you are studying at university, you will need to answer questions to test your knowledge
of a subject. You will also need to answer these questions to show that you are able to
integrate information and produce a meaningful academic argument. Therefore, knowing how
to answer the question provided is very important.
Each question posed, requires of you to do some searching before you can answer it. We can
call this the process of answering questions. In this process you will need to do some
searching before you can formulate your answer. There are three main spaces for searching
for information when you want to answer an assignment question. They are:
1. Search the questions itself.
– “What is expected of me to do in order to answer appropriately (and get the
marks)?” or “How should I engage with the topic at hand”?
– We call this a topic/question analysis.
2. Search your own frame of reference.
– “What do I already know about the topic or the question?” or “What stance do
I take – what is my point of view?” “How do I feel about the topic?”
– However, as human beings we are all subjective and the idea at university is
to become objective in our point of view.
3. Search what others have said about the topic.
– “Who are the experts in the subject field?” and “What do these others (experts)
say about the same topic or question?”
– Answers to these questions will then inform your argument.
Throughout the following units we will address the process of answering an assignment
question. In this unit we specifically look at stage one of the process of answering questions.
Stage one of this process involves looking at the specific question or topic that you need to
answer. This means that before you begin to write your assignment, you need to be able to
understand the topic of the assignment correctly. This is where you will look at what the
questions asks of you to do.
2. Different action or instructions words
Action or instructions words are the words you can identify in the assignment topic or question
which will indicate what you need to do. Understanding these words will help you to correctly
answer your assignment.
Read through and study the list of action words below.
Action verb Definition and example
Analyse Identify parts or elements of a concept and describe them one by
one.
EXAMPLE: Analyse a typical lesson structure and describe each
aspect in detail.
Compare Point out the similarities (things that are the same) and the
differences between objects, ideas or points of view. The word
“contrast” can also be used. When you compare two or more objects,
you should do so systematically - completing one aspect at a time.
It is always better to do this in your own words.
EXAMPLE: Compare philosophical and empirical knowledge.
Compare the views of Piaget and Ausubel about the nature of
learning.
Criticise This means that you should indicate whether you agree or disagree
about a certain statement or view. You should then describe what
you agree/disagree about and give reasons for your view.
EXAMPLE: Write critical comments about the progressive liberal
view of education.
Define Give the precise meaning of something, very often definitions have
to be learnt word for word.
EXAMPLE: Define the concept curriculum.
Demonstrate Include and discuss examples. You have to prove that you
understand how a process works or how a concept is applied in real-
life situations.
EXAMPLE: Give a written demonstration of the application of the
procedural moments of a lesson.
Describe Say exactly what something is like; give an account of the charac-
teristics or nature of something; explain how something works. No
opinion or argument is needed.
EXAMPLE: Describe the characteristics of philosophical thought.
Discuss Comment on something in your own words. Often requires debating
two viewpoints or two different possibilities.
EXAMPLE: Discuss the differences between objectives and goals.
Distinguish Point out the differences between objects, different ideas, or points
of view. Usually requires you to use your own words.
EXAMPLE: Distinguish between a positivistic and a hermeneutic
view of science.
Essay An extensive description of a topic is required.
EXAMPLE: Write an essay about the value of Psychological
Education for the teacher.
Example A practical illustration of a concept is required.
EXAMPLE: See our examples after every definition of a task word.
Explain Clarify or give reasons for something, usually in your own words.
You must prove that you understand the content. It may be useful to
use examples or illustrations.
EXAMPLE: Briefly explain the following research methods:
Qualitative
Quantitative
Identify Give the essential characteristics or aspects of a phenomenon e.g.
a good research design.
EXAMPLE: Identify the characteristics in a text about the research
process which is indicative a good research design.
Illustrate Draw a diagram or sketch that represents a phenomenon or idea.
EXAMPLE: Explain the life cycle of a butterfly. Write a short essay
and illustrate this model.
List Simply provide a list of names, facts or items asked for. A particular
category or order may be specified.
EXAMPLE: List ten psycho-social problems associated with alcohol
abuse in high school pupils.
Motivate You should give an explanation of the reasons for your statements
or views. You should try to convince the reader of your view.
EXAMPLE: Write an essay about your own philosophical education.
Motivate your views
Name or mention Briefly describe without giving details.
EXAMPLE: Name three research methods in Nursing
Outline Emphasize the major features, structures or general principles of a
topic, omitting minor details. Slightly more detail than in the case of
naming, listing or stating of information is required.
EXAMPLE: Outline the major features of a lesson structure.
State Supply the required information without discussing it.
EXAMPLE: State three functions of a computer.
Summarise Give a structured overview of the key (most important) aspects of a
topic; must always be done in your own words.
EXAMPLE: Give a summary of the core characteristics of the con-
servative-normative oriented school of thought on education.
Formulate To set forth systematically.
3. Where do topics come from and how do we analyse them?
In an academic context an assignment topic comes either from your lecturer who has identified
a specific issue that you need to critically understand, or (later in your studies) from your own
identification of real-world problems.
When we identify real-world problems, the aim of academic enquiry is to find solutions to
these, or to describe them. It is in this identification of a problem and the pursuit of its solution,
that a possible topic lies.
To illustrate the content of this unit, let us presume that you have been provided with the topic
below, for an assignment.
Keeping in mind Jakobson’s communication model, explain in an essay of 900-1200
words, how the use of colour can influence the message. Specifically, explain how colour
can be used or adapted in cross-cultural contexts to deliver the same message to
differing audiences. Elucidate your answer with examples. Base the essay and
examples on your own field of study.
3.1. How to analyse a topic
Once you have identified the topic of the assignment, it is necessary to break it down into
digestible chunks, in order for you to fully understand each of the required elements to be
answered. This is also useful because doing so focuses your mind on the problem and helps
you not to miss out on answering any part of the assignment.
Siewierski (2015:48) identifies four stages when analysing an assignment topic and suggest
that a table is used to ‘chunk’ information together. Her table looks like this:
Stage 1:
Identify the required format
Stage 2:
Identify the main topic
Stage 3: Stage 4:
Identify each instruction word Identify delimiting words (for
(verbs) each verb)
We could also add another stage, namely the context. This would alter the table and you
would have something that looks like this:
Stage 1: In this section you need to look at the assignment topic and identify
what format your answer needs to be in. Are you required to write
Identify the required format
an essay, a paragraph, make a visual representation or answer in
short-question format for example?
Stage 2: What larger context do you need to keep in mind or base your
answer on? This would be the larger theoretical view that the topic
Identify the overarching context
talks about.
Stage 3: Stage 4: Stage 5:
Identify the main topic Identify each instruction word Identify delimiting words (for
(verbs) each verb)
What is the main idea or topic What verbs or do-words can This is where you refine and
that you need to explore? The you identify? These are the specify. Here you will look at the
general theme of the topic. This words which make clear the specific issues that you need to
is related to the context but is instruction of what you need to discuss within the broader
more specific. do. We can also call them context.
action words pp43-44 in your
workbook talks about these.
4. Test yourself
Do the activities below, to test whether you have understood and can apply all the theory in
this unit.
Activity 6.1 – Analyse the topic
Consider the topic provided below and then analyse it according to the five stages discussed
in this unit.
Topic
Keeping in mind Jakobson’s communication model, explain in an essay of 900-1200 words,
how the use of colour can influence the message. Specifically, explain how colour can be used
or adapted in cross-cultural contexts to deliver the same message to differing audiences.
Elucidate your answer with examples. Base the essay and examples on your own field of
study.
Stage 1:
Identify the required format
Stage 2:
Identify the overarching context
Stage 3:
Identify the main topic
Stage 4: Stage 5:
Identify each instruction Identify delimiting words
word (verbs) (for each verb)
Activity 6.2 – Analyse the topic
Identify one other module that you take this year and analyse an assignment topic for this
module according to the revised Siewierski table discussed in this unit. You will present this
analysis on the discussion forum on eFundi.