How to ‘Answer the Question’
One of the most common pieces of feedback teachers give on assessments are “Answer the question” or “Unpack the key words.”
But theres a big problem: What does it mean!!
You might read the question, know the text well, and still struggle to make your essay feel like it’s actually addressing what’s being asked. Or you might panic, and just chuck in your essay and pretend the question doesn’t exist.
This guide will walk you through exactly how to do it, with a real example from Macbeth. By the end, you’ll know how to break a question apart, plan strong paragraphs, and write a thesis that ticks every box.
Lets get started!
Step 1 : Identify the Key Words in the Question
The very first thing you should do when you get a question is highlight or underline the most important words. There are usually two types of key words:
1) The NESA directive term: This is the “action word” in the question. Examples are assess, explain, to what extent, evaluate, discuss, and analyse.
Each one tells you how to answer:
Assess means you weigh up both sides and come to a judgement.
Explain means you focus more on describing and showing understanding.
To what extent or evaluate means you need to make a judgement about how true the statement is, and back it up with evidence.
Here are the 5 key NESA Glossary terms for English
2) The content words : These tell you the topic you’re writing about. Sometimes they are broad and need to be made more specific. For example, if the question says human experience, you could narrow it to “the tension between individual and collective experiences” or “the human experience of hysteria.”
If you don’t understand the directive term, your essay will go off-track. If you don’t specify the content words, your essay will feel vague and generic.
Step 2 : Plan 3 Body Paragraphs
Once you understand the question, think of three different but connected points you can make about it. Each one should form the basis of a body paragraph.
Make sure each paragraph relates directly to the question.
Try to arrange them in a logical order, so your argument builds as you go.
Avoid repeating the same idea in different words.
Think of it like building a staircase - each paragraph is a step that takes the reader closer to your final argument.
Step 3: Find Your Overarching Idea (Thesis)
Once you’ve settled on the three main ideas you’ll develop in your body paragraphs, take a step back and ask yourself: What’s the big idea that ties all of these points together? That central insight becomes your thesis statement: the sentence or two in your introduction that clearly expresses the overall argument your essay will prove. Your thesis should not simply state a topic; it should make a an arguable claim.
A strong thesis statement does three important things:
Fully answers the question: ie all of the key words you’ve outlined previously. not just part of it.
Presents your own judgement - not just a summary of the text
Previews your argument (without just listing points mechanically)
The reader should be able to anticipate the direction of your argument and understand how your paragraphs will work together to prove your claim.
Step 4: Show Cause and Effect
This is where a lot of essays fall flat. A statement like “Macbeth’s ambition caused his downfall” is fine, but it’s not an argument — it’s just telling the reader what happened.
Instead, you want to show how one thing leads to another. This is called cause and effect.
Weak thesis: “Macbeth’s pride and the witches cause his downfall.”
Strong thesis: “The witches’ manipulations fuel Macbeth’s sense of invulnerability, which ultimately leads to his tragic downfall.”
Notice how the strong thesis actually explains the link between the witches and his downfall. It’s more persuasive and shows deeper thinking.
Step 5: Make It Arguable
Our thesis should make a claim someone could reasonably disagree with: that’s what makes it meaningful to argue in an essay.
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