HOW TO ANSWER LITERATURE QUESTIONS
A GUIDE ON HOW TO ANSWER LITERATURE QUESTION
Things to consider Before you answer a Question
1. Read the questions carefully
It is advisable that you read the question more than once.This will make understand it.
2. Paraphrase the question
Here you have to restate it in your words in your mind.This will help you to see if you have understood the question or otherwise.
3. Pay attention to key words in the question
Questions have words that tells you what to do examples of such as discuss,list, mention.Words like these require different response
Most commonly used instructional words and what they mean
i. Evaluate
t means make a value judgment on what is said .So you are supposed to say how valuable what is said is. You make some assessment on whether it is good or not.For example. Fidelity is something useful in this era of HIV/AIDS. Evaluate the statement referring to two novels you have read’’.
Here you ar supposed to say how valid the statement is with reference to issues presented in two novels. Evaluation is supposed to be supported with evidence from the novels or other readings as appropriate.
ii. Analyse
This means you have to examine essential features, showing how they are related and why they are important. For example; Analyse the use of figures of speech in the two plays you have read. Here you will be required to talk about various figures of speech, telling how they have been used in the plays and what are their significance is.
iii. Describe
It means give a detailed account. providing features of something. For example,you can describe a character, a setting etc.
iv. Comment
It means give your views on something. These views may criticize,agree or disagree with what is said on the subject matter.
v. Criticise
It means you have to give your points in terms of good and bad points of what is said. It is expected that as you criticize you will support your jugements with evidence.
For example, criticize the use of language in two short stories you have read. Here you are supposed to show how far the authors of two short stories have succeeded or failed to use language in presenting their messages.
vi. Discuss
This means that examine in detail the argument. In the discussion you are expected to look at each side of the case and show how strong or weak the points are. In doing that evidence is needed .In a discussion essays, you may say what you think is and the right way of arguing the case.
For example, love is the source of suffering in the society. Discuss the statement referring to two plays you have read. Discuss the statement referring to two plays you have read. In a situation like this, you are expected to say how love can be the source of sufferings and how it may be the source of joy. You may totally support the statement or totally refute it. What matters are is for you to provide enough evidence that will convince your reader.
vii. Compare
This requires you to show how related the cases are.In other words you are supposes to talk about similarities of the people, things or situations. For ,example: compare two characters of two different novels you have read.Here you ought to show what makes the character look alike.
viii. Contrast
This means you have to show the differences .It is the opposite of compare.
ix Interpret
It means give the meaning using enough explanation and examples. For example, interpret any symbols used in two poems you have read. In this case, you ought to identify the symbols in the poems and to say what the symbols represents and give reasons why you say they represent what you think they represent.
xi. Justify
It means give reasons for statement, conclusion or decision. Her you are expected to show why should people believe what you say. For example ;justfy the claim that fudelity can help people to be free HIV/AIDS,referring to two NOVELS read. Here you ought to give reasons as why people should opt for fidelity as a way of preventing themselves for HIV/AIDS.
4. Write an outline of your answer
Here you supposed to frame how your essay will look like and what each part of the essay will contain.As a custom all essays has three parts :
- An introduction
- The main body and
- Conclusion
In an outline ,you just show roughly what you will include in each part of the essay.For example
An introduction will include:
– define some terms and give the direction towards which your essay will move.
The main body : You may list points the points that you will include in the main body .
Conclusion: show how you will conclude your essay. A conclusion normally provides word of departure and it may show your position about what has been discussed in the main body.
The following section provides some details on how the examination essay is supposed to be structured
STRUCTURE OF THE ESSAY
The introduction
This is the opening part of your essay. It is advisable you make it so attractive that you do not put off your. Introduction should make your reader continue reading. In an introduction we expect you to define some important terms if there are any terms that need clarification. Consider the question like
,’’….corruption is a common evil depicted reader in African literature. Discuss the statement referring to two readings……’’.
For a question like this, you are expected to define the word corruption. This is important because it will make the one who reads your essay understand your working definition. The way you define the word will determine the evidence you will give.
Sometimes there are no word to define. When this is the case, you are expected to give background information to what is being talked about. For example,
‘’…In many literary works,artists talk about various evils,one of which being corruption……..’’
This is a background kind of information to the problem you want your essay to address..
In the introduction, you also show your es say will flow and the reading that you will use: For example, in the above question you would say:
‘’…The essay attempts to provide a discussion on how corruption is depicted in two readings. In the essay reference will be made to A Man of the people and and the Beautyful ones are not yet born……’’
The main body of your essay
This is where you spend most of your time because a lot of activities are involved. Let us look at a number of things that you are expected to include in the Main body of your essay.
Organisation
You are supposed to organize your essay in paragraphs where each paragraph carries one point. So the, number of paragraphs will be determined by the number of points you have.
Each paragraph should carry the topic sentence. Topic sentence is the one which controls the argument you are making. In each question, there is a dominant idea. That dominant idea is the one you state in each paragraph the sentence of each paragraph. For example, in the question: corruption is a common evil depicted in various literary works. Discuss, making reference to two readings, the main idea could be reasons that corruption dominate literary works.
So, in each paragraph a different reason will be stated and discussed. One of the reasons could be: one of the reasons which make corruption dominate literary works is the fact it has financial impacts. A statement like this is what we call atopic sentence. It is not the end in itself. It rather needs supporting details. But the details ought to be related to the statement. These details can be examples and evidence from the literary works in which corruption has been reflected to show its financial effects.
Let us study the following paragraph which contains a topic sentence and the supporting details.
One of the reasons that make corruption to e discussed in many literary works is the fact that it has financial impact. This can be seen in A Man of the People where we see Chief Nanga swindling the government money and using it for building storey houses while ordinary people are suffering from poverty where they have no water and other social services. That money which is missed in a corrupt manner could be used to better people’s lives if it was properly used. In His Excellency the Head of State. We also see ministers in Musante’s government depositing money in foreign banks while the country is in a very bad economic situation.in both cases, financial impacts of corruption can be obviously seen. So, literary artists find it important to discuss corruption in their works intending to correct the situation.
As you can see, the above paragraph has a topic sentence and the supporting details. So, if you are to make a good paragraph, make sure it is a unit that is somewhat complete. The paragraph will appear complete if the topic sentence is well supported with details. There should be connector or cohesive devices to connect one paragraph and the other. The devices may include words like another, first, second third, furthermore, moreover, apart fro etc.
How to cite literary work in your essay
The conclusion of your essay.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON NOVELS