The components of a question
Most essay titles or examination questions contain the following components:
1. Subject matter or topic. What, in the most general terms, is the question about?
2. Aspect or focus. This is the angle or point of view on the subject matter. What aspect of the subject matter is the question about?
3. Instruction or comment. This refers to the instruction word or phrase. These instructions tell the student exactly what to do.
Some questions also contain the following components:
4. Restriction or expansion of the subject matter. This is the detailed limitation of the topic. What, in specific terms, is the question about?
5. Viewpoint. This refers to the requirement, in the question, that the writer writes from a point of view dictated by the setter of the question.
Analysing the question
To analyse the title, it is useful to follow the following steps:
1. Identify the topic.
2. If the topic has a restriction or expansion, identify it.
3. Search for the aspect. This is the angle or point of view on the subject matter. Often, the aspect is a phrase ending in 'of', e.g. 'the importance of', 'the contribution of'. Be sure you are clear about how the aspect relates to the subject matter. It can be an example of it, a stage in its sequence, the cause or effect, one of the solutions to it as a problem etc.
4. Identify the instruction (which often comes at the beginning) and decide what it means and what it requires you to do.
5. Check whether there is a viewpoint and if so, if it the same as your own.
'Analysing the question'第4条是非常关键的，因为常常一个简单的词或词组就能够清晰告诉你需要做什么，这一类的词主要以动词为主，包括：account for, analyse, compare, consider, contrast, criticise, define, describe, discuss, elucidate, evaluate/assess, explain, explore, illustrate, justify, prove/disprove, state, summarise/outline, trace, 'To what extent is X true? (means true or/and not true)'。还有很多，不一一列举。在分析题目时我们必须找到这些关键词，正确理解它的意思。