What should I include in my essay instructions?

Updated February 06, 2025 22:00

You should be as specific and detailed as possible when writing your essay instructions. The more specific you are, the better Khanmigo can assist your students. Below are 2 examples of essay instructions.

Weak Specificity:

Who is responsible for the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet? Friar Laurence? The two lovers themselves? Their parents? Do a number of people share the blame? To what extent can these people be held responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet? Analyze the actions of the character(s) you think are responsible for the lovers’ deaths.

Strong Specificity:

REQUIREMENTS:

Your introduction should “set the stage” for your reader by introducing the play and the specific topic above, building to a clear thesis statement that makes a claim answering the question(s) posed above.
In the body of your essay, use *at least* three specific incidents from the play (one per body paragraph) as support. Make sure to:
- Introduce each incident with enough context for your reader.
- Explain how the incident supports your claim.
- Incorporate *at least* one properly cited quotation from the text. Your quotations should clearly support your argument / explanation of the incident. Note that you may need more than one quotation from the scene you’re discussing to fully support your argument!
  - Remember, skillful essay writers incorporate quotations into their essays in a variety of ways. Try to take advantage of this variety by integrating shorter quotations seamlessly into your prose, rather than introducing every quotation with a colon!
Your conclusion should restate your thesis, summarize your argument, and leave your reader with some more “food for thought.”
Write in third person, and use literary present tense.

Bottom line:

Be as detailed as possible about the requirements for the essay, so that the system “knows” to encourage the student to meet these requirements.