Basic English Language Skills Basic English Language Skills
• Each paragraph should contain one main thought or idea, and there 
should be a logical link between each paragraph and the next.
• Make sure that you focus on answering the question – only include 
relevant information, and remember to present logical arguments in 
support of your answer.
8. Proofread your assignment before handing it in. Tip: read your 
answers out loud to make sure that they sound logical.
9. Always keep a copy or electronic backup of your assignment.
This way, you won’t have to start over if your computer crashes,  or 
redo the whole assignment if the original goes missing.
10. When you get your assignment bac k from your tutor:
Read through the feedback, and learn from your mistakes. This will 
help you to prepare for your exams (if you have to write them), as well 
as to help you achieve better marks in future assignments.
 
TYPES OF QUESTIONS THAT YOU WILL FREQUENTLY COME 
ACROSS IN ASSIGNMENTS
In your assignments, you will often be asked to write short paragraphs or 
longer essays in which you have to “explain” a particular concept, “iden -
tify” certain features, or “prove” a certain point.
It’s sometimes difficult to figure out exactly what these questions mean 
-- which is why we are providing you with the following explanations: