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[ uh - sahyn -m uh nt ]

She completed the assignment and went on to other jobs.

Synonyms: job , obligation

He left for his assignment in the Middle East.

  • an act of assigning; appointment.
  • the transference of a right, interest, or title, or the instrument of transfer.
  • a transference of property to assignees for the benefit of creditors.

/ əˈsaɪnmənt /

  • something that has been assigned, such as a mission or task
  • a position or post to which a person is assigned
  • the act of assigning or state of being assigned

assignment of a lease

  • the document effecting such a transfer
  • the right, interest, or property transferred
  • law (formerly) the transfer, esp by an insolvent debtor, of property in trust for the benefit of his creditors
  • logic a function that associates specific values with each variable in a formal expression
  • history a system (1789–1841) whereby a convict could become the unpaid servant of a freeman

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Other words from.

  • misas·signment noun
  • nonas·signment noun
  • reas·signment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of assignment 1

Synonym Study

Example sentences.

Yariel Valdés González and I faced these challenges while on assignment in South Florida and the Deep South from July 21-Aug.

They’re putting time into decoration just as they would in their physical classroom, and students can interact with the space by, say, clicking on a bookshelf to get a reading assignment.

For now, if the district moves to in-person learning, instruction in Carlsbad will take place on campus five days per week and students may engage in additional independent practices and other assignments at home.

The assignments must also respect the relationships between the elements in the group.

It’s very hard, by the way, to do real random assignment studies of couples therapy.

His most recent assignment was the 84th Precinct, at the Brooklyn end of the Brooklyn Bridge.

When Lewis was shipped off to Vietnam, his son was just three months old, and the timing of the assignment worried Lewis.

When Vial got that first assignment, she was just beginning her photography career, and Cirque du Soleil was only a few years old.

“For our winter issue, we gave ourselves one assignment: Break The Internet,” wrote Paper.

By the 1950s the rapid assignment of gender to an ambiguously gendered infant had become standard.

Consent to an assignment may be given by the president of the company, without formal vote by the directors.

A transfer by the lessee of the whole or a part of his interest for a part of the time is a sublease and not an assignment.

An assignment to one who has an insurable interest as relative, creditor and the like, is always valid.

When an assignment of it is made, the assignee may sue in his own name for rent accruing after the assignment.

In some states statutes forbid the assignment of such policies for the benefit of creditors.

Related Words

  • appointment

Look up a word, learn it forever.

/əˈsaɪnmənt/.

Other forms: assignments

Whether you’re an international spy with a new mission or a high school student with math homework — when you get an assignment , you’d better do it! An assignment is a task that someone in authority has asked you to do.

The word assignment is just the noun form of the common verb assign , which you use when you want to give someone a duty or a job. When you assign something, that something is called an assignment . The word can also refer to the act of distributing something. If you are distributing new office furniture at work, you might say, “ Assignment of the new chairs will begin tomorrow.”

  • noun an undertaking that you have been assigned to do (as by an instructor) see more see less types: show 6 types... hide 6 types... school assignment , schoolwork a school task performed by a student to satisfy the teacher writing assignment , written assignment an assignment to write something classroom project a school task requiring considerable effort classwork the part of a student's work that is done in the classroom homework , prep , preparation preparatory school work done outside school (especially at home) lesson a task assigned for individual study type of: labor , project , task , undertaking any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
  • noun a duty that you are assigned to perform (especially in the armed forces) “a hazardous assignment ” synonyms: duty assignment see more see less types: show 10 types... hide 10 types... guard , guard duty , sentry duty , sentry go the duty of serving as a sentry fatigue , fatigue duty labor of a nonmilitary kind done by soldiers (cleaning or digging or draining or so on) charge , commission , mission a special assignment that is given to a person or group reassignment assignment to a different duty sea-duty , service abroad , shipboard duty naval service aboard a ship at sea shore duty naval service at land bases fool's errand a fruitless mission mission impossible an extremely dangerous or difficult mission martyr operation , sacrifice operation , suicide mission killing or injuring others while annihilating yourself; usually accomplished with a bomb secondment the detachment of a person from their regular organization for temporary assignment elsewhere type of: duty work that you are obliged to perform for moral or legal reasons
  • noun the act of putting a person into a non-elective position synonyms: appointment , designation , naming see more see less types: show 6 types... hide 6 types... nomination the act of officially naming a candidate co-optation , co-option the act of appointing summarily (with or without the appointee's consent) delegacy the appointment of a delegate ordinance , ordination the act of ordaining; the act of conferring (or receiving) holy orders recognition designation by the chair granting a person the right to speak in a deliberative body laying on of hands laying hands on a person's head to invoke spiritual blessing in Christian ordination type of: conclusion , decision , determination the act of making up your mind about something
  • noun the act of distributing something to designated places or persons “the first task is the assignment of an address to each datum” synonyms: assigning see more see less types: allocation , storage allocation (computer science) the assignment of particular areas of a magnetic disk to particular data or instructions type of: distribution the act of distributing or spreading or apportioning
  • noun (law) a transfer of property by deed of conveyance synonyms: grant see more see less types: apanage , appanage a grant (by a sovereign or a legislative body) of resources to maintain a dependent member of a ruling family land grant a grant of public land (as to a railway or college) type of: transferred possession , transferred property a possession whose ownership changes or lapses
  • noun the instrument by which a claim or right or interest or property is transferred from one person to another see more see less type of: instrument , legal document , legal instrument , official document (law) a document that states some contractual relationship or grants some right

Vocabulary lists containing assignment

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The Dawes Act, or General Allotment Act of 1887, was a law that allowed the U.S. government to take Native American tribal lands and divide them into 40 acre lots for individual Native Americans. The goal was to break up communal tribal lands and speed the assimilation of Native Americans into American society. The Dawes Act caused great suffering with much of the land winding up in the hands of white settlers.

Learn these words from the autobiography by David Lubar (Inside: Level B, Unit 4). Here are our links to the selections of "Every Body Is a Winner": The Human Machine; My Fabulous Footprint , The Beat Goes On; All Pumped Up , Two Left Feet, Two Left Hands , How Coach Told Me; Bionics Here are our links to the units of Level B: Unit 1 , Unit 2 , Unit 3 , Unit 4 , Unit 5 , Unit 6 , Unit 7 , Unit 8 Here are our links to the Inside books: Level A , Level B , Level C Here is our link to a list of academic vocabulary for Inside: Academic Vocabulary

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Prepare for the IELTS exam with this list of words related to education and academics.

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Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement..

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  • assignment (noun)
  • My assignment was to clean the equipment. = They gave me the assignment of cleaning the equipment.
  • The students were given a homework assignment .
  • The reporter's assignment is to interview the candidate.
  • The reporter is here on an assignment .
  • The reporter is here on assignment .
  • The article discusses the recent assignment of senators to some of the more powerful committees.
  • her assignment to the embassy in India
  • the computer's assignment of a number to each image
  • the assignment of blame/responsibility
  • the assignment of property
  • She asked if she could change her seating assignment .
and ?
a type of bed that consists of a piece of cloth hung between two trees, poles, etc.
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The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Understanding Assignments

What this handout is about.

The first step in any successful college writing venture is reading the assignment. While this sounds like a simple task, it can be a tough one. This handout will help you unravel your assignment and begin to craft an effective response. Much of the following advice will involve translating typical assignment terms and practices into meaningful clues to the type of writing your instructor expects. See our short video for more tips.

Basic beginnings

Regardless of the assignment, department, or instructor, adopting these two habits will serve you well :

  • Read the assignment carefully as soon as you receive it. Do not put this task off—reading the assignment at the beginning will save you time, stress, and problems later. An assignment can look pretty straightforward at first, particularly if the instructor has provided lots of information. That does not mean it will not take time and effort to complete; you may even have to learn a new skill to complete the assignment.
  • Ask the instructor about anything you do not understand. Do not hesitate to approach your instructor. Instructors would prefer to set you straight before you hand the paper in. That’s also when you will find their feedback most useful.

Assignment formats

Many assignments follow a basic format. Assignments often begin with an overview of the topic, include a central verb or verbs that describe the task, and offer some additional suggestions, questions, or prompts to get you started.

An Overview of Some Kind

The instructor might set the stage with some general discussion of the subject of the assignment, introduce the topic, or remind you of something pertinent that you have discussed in class. For example:

“Throughout history, gerbils have played a key role in politics,” or “In the last few weeks of class, we have focused on the evening wear of the housefly …”

The Task of the Assignment

Pay attention; this part tells you what to do when you write the paper. Look for the key verb or verbs in the sentence. Words like analyze, summarize, or compare direct you to think about your topic in a certain way. Also pay attention to words such as how, what, when, where, and why; these words guide your attention toward specific information. (See the section in this handout titled “Key Terms” for more information.)

“Analyze the effect that gerbils had on the Russian Revolution”, or “Suggest an interpretation of housefly undergarments that differs from Darwin’s.”

Additional Material to Think about

Here you will find some questions to use as springboards as you begin to think about the topic. Instructors usually include these questions as suggestions rather than requirements. Do not feel compelled to answer every question unless the instructor asks you to do so. Pay attention to the order of the questions. Sometimes they suggest the thinking process your instructor imagines you will need to follow to begin thinking about the topic.

“You may wish to consider the differing views held by Communist gerbils vs. Monarchist gerbils, or Can there be such a thing as ‘the housefly garment industry’ or is it just a home-based craft?”

These are the instructor’s comments about writing expectations:

“Be concise”, “Write effectively”, or “Argue furiously.”

Technical Details

These instructions usually indicate format rules or guidelines.

“Your paper must be typed in Palatino font on gray paper and must not exceed 600 pages. It is due on the anniversary of Mao Tse-tung’s death.”

The assignment’s parts may not appear in exactly this order, and each part may be very long or really short. Nonetheless, being aware of this standard pattern can help you understand what your instructor wants you to do.

Interpreting the assignment

Ask yourself a few basic questions as you read and jot down the answers on the assignment sheet:

Why did your instructor ask you to do this particular task?

Who is your audience.

  • What kind of evidence do you need to support your ideas?

What kind of writing style is acceptable?

  • What are the absolute rules of the paper?

Try to look at the question from the point of view of the instructor. Recognize that your instructor has a reason for giving you this assignment and for giving it to you at a particular point in the semester. In every assignment, the instructor has a challenge for you. This challenge could be anything from demonstrating an ability to think clearly to demonstrating an ability to use the library. See the assignment not as a vague suggestion of what to do but as an opportunity to show that you can handle the course material as directed. Paper assignments give you more than a topic to discuss—they ask you to do something with the topic. Keep reminding yourself of that. Be careful to avoid the other extreme as well: do not read more into the assignment than what is there.

Of course, your instructor has given you an assignment so that they will be able to assess your understanding of the course material and give you an appropriate grade. But there is more to it than that. Your instructor has tried to design a learning experience of some kind. Your instructor wants you to think about something in a particular way for a particular reason. If you read the course description at the beginning of your syllabus, review the assigned readings, and consider the assignment itself, you may begin to see the plan, purpose, or approach to the subject matter that your instructor has created for you. If you still aren’t sure of the assignment’s goals, try asking the instructor. For help with this, see our handout on getting feedback .

Given your instructor’s efforts, it helps to answer the question: What is my purpose in completing this assignment? Is it to gather research from a variety of outside sources and present a coherent picture? Is it to take material I have been learning in class and apply it to a new situation? Is it to prove a point one way or another? Key words from the assignment can help you figure this out. Look for key terms in the form of active verbs that tell you what to do.

Key Terms: Finding Those Active Verbs

Here are some common key words and definitions to help you think about assignment terms:

Information words Ask you to demonstrate what you know about the subject, such as who, what, when, where, how, and why.

  • define —give the subject’s meaning (according to someone or something). Sometimes you have to give more than one view on the subject’s meaning
  • describe —provide details about the subject by answering question words (such as who, what, when, where, how, and why); you might also give details related to the five senses (what you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell)
  • explain —give reasons why or examples of how something happened
  • illustrate —give descriptive examples of the subject and show how each is connected with the subject
  • summarize —briefly list the important ideas you learned about the subject
  • trace —outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current form
  • research —gather material from outside sources about the subject, often with the implication or requirement that you will analyze what you have found

Relation words Ask you to demonstrate how things are connected.

  • compare —show how two or more things are similar (and, sometimes, different)
  • contrast —show how two or more things are dissimilar
  • apply—use details that you’ve been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept works in a particular situation
  • cause —show how one event or series of events made something else happen
  • relate —show or describe the connections between things

Interpretation words Ask you to defend ideas of your own about the subject. Do not see these words as requesting opinion alone (unless the assignment specifically says so), but as requiring opinion that is supported by concrete evidence. Remember examples, principles, definitions, or concepts from class or research and use them in your interpretation.

  • assess —summarize your opinion of the subject and measure it against something
  • prove, justify —give reasons or examples to demonstrate how or why something is the truth
  • evaluate, respond —state your opinion of the subject as good, bad, or some combination of the two, with examples and reasons
  • support —give reasons or evidence for something you believe (be sure to state clearly what it is that you believe)
  • synthesize —put two or more things together that have not been put together in class or in your readings before; do not just summarize one and then the other and say that they are similar or different—you must provide a reason for putting them together that runs all the way through the paper
  • analyze —determine how individual parts create or relate to the whole, figure out how something works, what it might mean, or why it is important
  • argue —take a side and defend it with evidence against the other side

More Clues to Your Purpose As you read the assignment, think about what the teacher does in class:

  • What kinds of textbooks or coursepack did your instructor choose for the course—ones that provide background information, explain theories or perspectives, or argue a point of view?
  • In lecture, does your instructor ask your opinion, try to prove their point of view, or use keywords that show up again in the assignment?
  • What kinds of assignments are typical in this discipline? Social science classes often expect more research. Humanities classes thrive on interpretation and analysis.
  • How do the assignments, readings, and lectures work together in the course? Instructors spend time designing courses, sometimes even arguing with their peers about the most effective course materials. Figuring out the overall design to the course will help you understand what each assignment is meant to achieve.

Now, what about your reader? Most undergraduates think of their audience as the instructor. True, your instructor is a good person to keep in mind as you write. But for the purposes of a good paper, think of your audience as someone like your roommate: smart enough to understand a clear, logical argument, but not someone who already knows exactly what is going on in your particular paper. Remember, even if the instructor knows everything there is to know about your paper topic, they still have to read your paper and assess your understanding. In other words, teach the material to your reader.

Aiming a paper at your audience happens in two ways: you make decisions about the tone and the level of information you want to convey.

  • Tone means the “voice” of your paper. Should you be chatty, formal, or objective? Usually you will find some happy medium—you do not want to alienate your reader by sounding condescending or superior, but you do not want to, um, like, totally wig on the man, you know? Eschew ostentatious erudition: some students think the way to sound academic is to use big words. Be careful—you can sound ridiculous, especially if you use the wrong big words.
  • The level of information you use depends on who you think your audience is. If you imagine your audience as your instructor and they already know everything you have to say, you may find yourself leaving out key information that can cause your argument to be unconvincing and illogical. But you do not have to explain every single word or issue. If you are telling your roommate what happened on your favorite science fiction TV show last night, you do not say, “First a dark-haired white man of average height, wearing a suit and carrying a flashlight, walked into the room. Then a purple alien with fifteen arms and at least three eyes turned around. Then the man smiled slightly. In the background, you could hear a clock ticking. The room was fairly dark and had at least two windows that I saw.” You also do not say, “This guy found some aliens. The end.” Find some balance of useful details that support your main point.

You’ll find a much more detailed discussion of these concepts in our handout on audience .

The Grim Truth

With a few exceptions (including some lab and ethnography reports), you are probably being asked to make an argument. You must convince your audience. It is easy to forget this aim when you are researching and writing; as you become involved in your subject matter, you may become enmeshed in the details and focus on learning or simply telling the information you have found. You need to do more than just repeat what you have read. Your writing should have a point, and you should be able to say it in a sentence. Sometimes instructors call this sentence a “thesis” or a “claim.”

So, if your instructor tells you to write about some aspect of oral hygiene, you do not want to just list: “First, you brush your teeth with a soft brush and some peanut butter. Then, you floss with unwaxed, bologna-flavored string. Finally, gargle with bourbon.” Instead, you could say, “Of all the oral cleaning methods, sandblasting removes the most plaque. Therefore it should be recommended by the American Dental Association.” Or, “From an aesthetic perspective, moldy teeth can be quite charming. However, their joys are short-lived.”

Convincing the reader of your argument is the goal of academic writing. It doesn’t have to say “argument” anywhere in the assignment for you to need one. Look at the assignment and think about what kind of argument you could make about it instead of just seeing it as a checklist of information you have to present. For help with understanding the role of argument in academic writing, see our handout on argument .

What kind of evidence do you need?

There are many kinds of evidence, and what type of evidence will work for your assignment can depend on several factors–the discipline, the parameters of the assignment, and your instructor’s preference. Should you use statistics? Historical examples? Do you need to conduct your own experiment? Can you rely on personal experience? See our handout on evidence for suggestions on how to use evidence appropriately.

Make sure you are clear about this part of the assignment, because your use of evidence will be crucial in writing a successful paper. You are not just learning how to argue; you are learning how to argue with specific types of materials and ideas. Ask your instructor what counts as acceptable evidence. You can also ask a librarian for help. No matter what kind of evidence you use, be sure to cite it correctly—see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial .

You cannot always tell from the assignment just what sort of writing style your instructor expects. The instructor may be really laid back in class but still expect you to sound formal in writing. Or the instructor may be fairly formal in class and ask you to write a reflection paper where you need to use “I” and speak from your own experience.

Try to avoid false associations of a particular field with a style (“art historians like wacky creativity,” or “political scientists are boring and just give facts”) and look instead to the types of readings you have been given in class. No one expects you to write like Plato—just use the readings as a guide for what is standard or preferable to your instructor. When in doubt, ask your instructor about the level of formality they expect.

No matter what field you are writing for or what facts you are including, if you do not write so that your reader can understand your main idea, you have wasted your time. So make clarity your main goal. For specific help with style, see our handout on style .

Technical details about the assignment

The technical information you are given in an assignment always seems like the easy part. This section can actually give you lots of little hints about approaching the task. Find out if elements such as page length and citation format (see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial ) are negotiable. Some professors do not have strong preferences as long as you are consistent and fully answer the assignment. Some professors are very specific and will deduct big points for deviations.

Usually, the page length tells you something important: The instructor thinks the size of the paper is appropriate to the assignment’s parameters. In plain English, your instructor is telling you how many pages it should take for you to answer the question as fully as you are expected to. So if an assignment is two pages long, you cannot pad your paper with examples or reword your main idea several times. Hit your one point early, defend it with the clearest example, and finish quickly. If an assignment is ten pages long, you can be more complex in your main points and examples—and if you can only produce five pages for that assignment, you need to see someone for help—as soon as possible.

Tricks that don’t work

Your instructors are not fooled when you:

  • spend more time on the cover page than the essay —graphics, cool binders, and cute titles are no replacement for a well-written paper.
  • use huge fonts, wide margins, or extra spacing to pad the page length —these tricks are immediately obvious to the eye. Most instructors use the same word processor you do. They know what’s possible. Such tactics are especially damning when the instructor has a stack of 60 papers to grade and yours is the only one that low-flying airplane pilots could read.
  • use a paper from another class that covered “sort of similar” material . Again, the instructor has a particular task for you to fulfill in the assignment that usually relates to course material and lectures. Your other paper may not cover this material, and turning in the same paper for more than one course may constitute an Honor Code violation . Ask the instructor—it can’t hurt.
  • get all wacky and “creative” before you answer the question . Showing that you are able to think beyond the boundaries of a simple assignment can be good, but you must do what the assignment calls for first. Again, check with your instructor. A humorous tone can be refreshing for someone grading a stack of papers, but it will not get you a good grade if you have not fulfilled the task.

Critical reading of assignments leads to skills in other types of reading and writing. If you get good at figuring out what the real goals of assignments are, you are going to be better at understanding the goals of all of your classes and fields of study.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Synonyms of assignment

  • as in lesson
  • as in appointment
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Thesaurus Definition of assignment

Synonyms & Similar Words

  • responsibility
  • undertaking
  • requirement
  • designation
  • appointment
  • authorization
  • installment
  • installation
  • destination
  • emplacement
  • investiture
  • singling (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

  • dethronement

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun assignment contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of assignment are chore , duty , job , stint , and task . While all these words mean "a piece of work to be done," assignment implies a definite limited task assigned by one in authority.

When is it sensible to use chore instead of assignment ?

While the synonyms chore and assignment are close in meaning, chore implies a minor routine activity necessary for maintaining a household or farm.

When is duty a more appropriate choice than assignment ?

Although the words duty and assignment have much in common, duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance.

When might job be a better fit than assignment ?

The synonyms job and assignment are sometimes interchangeable, but job applies to a piece of work voluntarily performed; it may sometimes suggest difficulty or importance.

When could stint be used to replace assignment ?

In some situations, the words stint and assignment are roughly equivalent. However, stint implies a carefully allotted or measured quantity of assigned work or service.

When can task be used instead of assignment ?

The meanings of task and assignment largely overlap; however, task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance.

Thesaurus Entries Near assignment

assignments

Cite this Entry

“Assignment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assignment. Accessed 8 Jun. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on assignment

Nglish: Translation of assignment for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of assignment for Arabic Speakers

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Understanding Writing Assignments

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How to Decipher the Paper Assignment

Many instructors write their assignment prompts differently. By following a few steps, you can better understand the requirements for the assignment. The best way, as always, is to ask the instructor about anything confusing.

  • Read the prompt the entire way through once. This gives you an overall view of what is going on.
  • Underline or circle the portions that you absolutely must know. This information may include due date, research (source) requirements, page length, and format (MLA, APA, CMS).
  • Underline or circle important phrases. You should know your instructor at least a little by now - what phrases do they use in class? Does he repeatedly say a specific word? If these are in the prompt, you know the instructor wants you to use them in the assignment.
  • Think about how you will address the prompt. The prompt contains clues on how to write the assignment. Your instructor will often describe the ideas they want discussed either in questions, in bullet points, or in the text of the prompt. Think about each of these sentences and number them so that you can write a paragraph or section of your essay on that portion if necessary.
  • Rank ideas in descending order, from most important to least important. Instructors may include more questions or talking points than you can cover in your assignment, so rank them in the order you think is more important. One area of the prompt may be more interesting to you than another.
  • Ask your instructor questions if you have any.

After you are finished with these steps, ask yourself the following:

  • What is the purpose of this assignment? Is my purpose to provide information without forming an argument, to construct an argument based on research, or analyze a poem and discuss its imagery?
  • Who is my audience? Is my instructor my only audience? Who else might read this? Will it be posted online? What are my readers' needs and expectations?
  • What resources do I need to begin work? Do I need to conduct literature (hermeneutic or historical) research, or do I need to review important literature on the topic and then conduct empirical research, such as a survey or an observation? How many sources are required?
  • Who - beyond my instructor - can I contact to help me if I have questions? Do you have a writing lab or student service center that offers tutorials in writing?

(Notes on prompts made in blue )

Poster or Song Analysis: Poster or Song? Poster!

Goals : To systematically consider the rhetorical choices made in either a poster or a song. She says that all the time.

Things to Consider: ah- talking points

  • how the poster addresses its audience and is affected by context I'll do this first - 1.
  • general layout, use of color, contours of light and shade, etc.
  • use of contrast, alignment, repetition, and proximity C.A.R.P. They say that, too. I'll do this third - 3.
  • the point of view the viewer is invited to take, poses of figures in the poster, etc. any text that may be present
  • possible cultural ramifications or social issues that have bearing I'll cover this second - 2.
  • ethical implications
  • how the poster affects us emotionally, or what mood it evokes
  • the poster's implicit argument and its effectiveness said that was important in class, so I'll discuss this last - 4.
  • how the song addresses its audience
  • lyrics: how they rhyme, repeat, what they say
  • use of music, tempo, different instruments
  • possible cultural ramifications or social issues that have bearing
  • emotional effects
  • the implicit argument and its effectiveness

These thinking points are not a step-by-step guideline on how to write your paper; instead, they are various means through which you can approach the subject. I do expect to see at least a few of them addressed, and there are other aspects that may be pertinent to your choice that have not been included in these lists. You will want to find a central idea and base your argument around that. Additionally, you must include a copy of the poster or song that you are working with. Really important!

I will be your audience. This is a formal paper, and you should use academic conventions throughout.

Length: 4 pages Format: Typed, double-spaced, 10-12 point Times New Roman, 1 inch margins I need to remember the format stuff. I messed this up last time =(

Academic Argument Essay

5-7 pages, Times New Roman 12 pt. font, 1 inch margins.

Minimum of five cited sources: 3 must be from academic journals or books

  • Design Plan due: Thurs. 10/19
  • Rough Draft due: Monday 10/30
  • Final Draft due: Thurs. 11/9

Remember this! I missed the deadline last time

The design plan is simply a statement of purpose, as described on pages 40-41 of the book, and an outline. The outline may be formal, as we discussed in class, or a printout of an Open Mind project. It must be a minimum of 1 page typed information, plus 1 page outline.

This project is an expansion of your opinion editorial. While you should avoid repeating any of your exact phrases from Project 2, you may reuse some of the same ideas. Your topic should be similar. You must use research to support your position, and you must also demonstrate a fairly thorough knowledge of any opposing position(s). 2 things to do - my position and the opposite.

Your essay should begin with an introduction that encapsulates your topic and indicates 1 the general trajectory of your argument. You need to have a discernable thesis that appears early in your paper. Your conclusion should restate the thesis in different words, 2 and then draw some additional meaningful analysis out of the developments of your argument. Think of this as a "so what" factor. What are some implications for the future, relating to your topic? What does all this (what you have argued) mean for society, or for the section of it to which your argument pertains? A good conclusion moves outside the topic in the paper and deals with a larger issue.

You should spend at least one paragraph acknowledging and describing the opposing position in a manner that is respectful and honestly representative of the opposition’s 3 views. The counterargument does not need to occur in a certain area, but generally begins or ends your argument. Asserting and attempting to prove each aspect of your argument’s structure should comprise the majority of your paper. Ask yourself what your argument assumes and what must be proven in order to validate your claims. Then go step-by-step, paragraph-by-paragraph, addressing each facet of your position. Most important part!

Finally, pay attention to readability . Just because this is a research paper does not mean that it has to be boring. Use examples and allow your opinion to show through word choice and tone. Proofread before you turn in the paper. Your audience is generally the academic community and specifically me, as a representative of that community. Ok, They want this to be easy to read, to contain examples I find, and they want it to be grammatically correct. I can visit the tutoring center if I get stuck, or I can email the OWL Email Tutors short questions if I have any more problems.

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Home » Assignment – Types, Examples and Writing Guide

Assignment – Types, Examples and Writing Guide

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Assignment

Definition:

Assignment is a task given to students by a teacher or professor, usually as a means of assessing their understanding and application of course material. Assignments can take various forms, including essays, research papers, presentations, problem sets, lab reports, and more.

Assignments are typically designed to be completed outside of class time and may require independent research, critical thinking, and analysis. They are often graded and used as a significant component of a student’s overall course grade. The instructions for an assignment usually specify the goals, requirements, and deadlines for completion, and students are expected to meet these criteria to earn a good grade.

History of Assignment

The use of assignments as a tool for teaching and learning has been a part of education for centuries. Following is a brief history of the Assignment.

  • Ancient Times: Assignments such as writing exercises, recitations, and memorization tasks were used to reinforce learning.
  • Medieval Period : Universities began to develop the concept of the assignment, with students completing essays, commentaries, and translations to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the subject matter.
  • 19th Century : With the growth of schools and universities, assignments became more widespread and were used to assess student progress and achievement.
  • 20th Century: The rise of distance education and online learning led to the further development of assignments as an integral part of the educational process.
  • Present Day: Assignments continue to be used in a variety of educational settings and are seen as an effective way to promote student learning and assess student achievement. The nature and format of assignments continue to evolve in response to changing educational needs and technological innovations.

Types of Assignment

Here are some of the most common types of assignments:

An essay is a piece of writing that presents an argument, analysis, or interpretation of a topic or question. It usually consists of an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Essay structure:

  • Introduction : introduces the topic and thesis statement
  • Body paragraphs : each paragraph presents a different argument or idea, with evidence and analysis to support it
  • Conclusion : summarizes the key points and reiterates the thesis statement

Research paper

A research paper involves gathering and analyzing information on a particular topic, and presenting the findings in a well-structured, documented paper. It usually involves conducting original research, collecting data, and presenting it in a clear, organized manner.

Research paper structure:

  • Title page : includes the title of the paper, author’s name, date, and institution
  • Abstract : summarizes the paper’s main points and conclusions
  • Introduction : provides background information on the topic and research question
  • Literature review: summarizes previous research on the topic
  • Methodology : explains how the research was conducted
  • Results : presents the findings of the research
  • Discussion : interprets the results and draws conclusions
  • Conclusion : summarizes the key findings and implications

A case study involves analyzing a real-life situation, problem or issue, and presenting a solution or recommendations based on the analysis. It often involves extensive research, data analysis, and critical thinking.

Case study structure:

  • Introduction : introduces the case study and its purpose
  • Background : provides context and background information on the case
  • Analysis : examines the key issues and problems in the case
  • Solution/recommendations: proposes solutions or recommendations based on the analysis
  • Conclusion: Summarize the key points and implications

A lab report is a scientific document that summarizes the results of a laboratory experiment or research project. It typically includes an introduction, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion.

Lab report structure:

  • Title page : includes the title of the experiment, author’s name, date, and institution
  • Abstract : summarizes the purpose, methodology, and results of the experiment
  • Methods : explains how the experiment was conducted
  • Results : presents the findings of the experiment

Presentation

A presentation involves delivering information, data or findings to an audience, often with the use of visual aids such as slides, charts, or diagrams. It requires clear communication skills, good organization, and effective use of technology.

Presentation structure:

  • Introduction : introduces the topic and purpose of the presentation
  • Body : presents the main points, findings, or data, with the help of visual aids
  • Conclusion : summarizes the key points and provides a closing statement

Creative Project

A creative project is an assignment that requires students to produce something original, such as a painting, sculpture, video, or creative writing piece. It allows students to demonstrate their creativity and artistic skills.

Creative project structure:

  • Introduction : introduces the project and its purpose
  • Body : presents the creative work, with explanations or descriptions as needed
  • Conclusion : summarizes the key elements and reflects on the creative process.

Examples of Assignments

Following are Examples of Assignment templates samples:

Essay template:

I. Introduction

  • Hook: Grab the reader’s attention with a catchy opening sentence.
  • Background: Provide some context or background information on the topic.
  • Thesis statement: State the main argument or point of your essay.

II. Body paragraphs

  • Topic sentence: Introduce the main idea or argument of the paragraph.
  • Evidence: Provide evidence or examples to support your point.
  • Analysis: Explain how the evidence supports your argument.
  • Transition: Use a transition sentence to lead into the next paragraph.

III. Conclusion

  • Restate thesis: Summarize your main argument or point.
  • Review key points: Summarize the main points you made in your essay.
  • Concluding thoughts: End with a final thought or call to action.

Research paper template:

I. Title page

  • Title: Give your paper a descriptive title.
  • Author: Include your name and institutional affiliation.
  • Date: Provide the date the paper was submitted.

II. Abstract

  • Background: Summarize the background and purpose of your research.
  • Methodology: Describe the methods you used to conduct your research.
  • Results: Summarize the main findings of your research.
  • Conclusion: Provide a brief summary of the implications and conclusions of your research.

III. Introduction

  • Background: Provide some background information on the topic.
  • Research question: State your research question or hypothesis.
  • Purpose: Explain the purpose of your research.

IV. Literature review

  • Background: Summarize previous research on the topic.
  • Gaps in research: Identify gaps or areas that need further research.

V. Methodology

  • Participants: Describe the participants in your study.
  • Procedure: Explain the procedure you used to conduct your research.
  • Measures: Describe the measures you used to collect data.

VI. Results

  • Quantitative results: Summarize the quantitative data you collected.
  • Qualitative results: Summarize the qualitative data you collected.

VII. Discussion

  • Interpretation: Interpret the results and explain what they mean.
  • Implications: Discuss the implications of your research.
  • Limitations: Identify any limitations or weaknesses of your research.

VIII. Conclusion

  • Review key points: Summarize the main points you made in your paper.

Case study template:

  • Background: Provide background information on the case.
  • Research question: State the research question or problem you are examining.
  • Purpose: Explain the purpose of the case study.

II. Analysis

  • Problem: Identify the main problem or issue in the case.
  • Factors: Describe the factors that contributed to the problem.
  • Alternative solutions: Describe potential solutions to the problem.

III. Solution/recommendations

  • Proposed solution: Describe the solution you are proposing.
  • Rationale: Explain why this solution is the best one.
  • Implementation: Describe how the solution can be implemented.

IV. Conclusion

  • Summary: Summarize the main points of your case study.

Lab report template:

  • Title: Give your report a descriptive title.
  • Date: Provide the date the report was submitted.
  • Background: Summarize the background and purpose of the experiment.
  • Methodology: Describe the methods you used to conduct the experiment.
  • Results: Summarize the main findings of the experiment.
  • Conclusion: Provide a brief summary of the implications and conclusions
  • Background: Provide some background information on the experiment.
  • Hypothesis: State your hypothesis or research question.
  • Purpose: Explain the purpose of the experiment.

IV. Materials and methods

  • Materials: List the materials and equipment used in the experiment.
  • Procedure: Describe the procedure you followed to conduct the experiment.
  • Data: Present the data you collected in tables or graphs.
  • Analysis: Analyze the data and describe the patterns or trends you observed.

VI. Discussion

  • Implications: Discuss the implications of your findings.
  • Limitations: Identify any limitations or weaknesses of the experiment.

VII. Conclusion

  • Restate hypothesis: Summarize your hypothesis or research question.
  • Review key points: Summarize the main points you made in your report.

Presentation template:

  • Attention grabber: Grab the audience’s attention with a catchy opening.
  • Purpose: Explain the purpose of your presentation.
  • Overview: Provide an overview of what you will cover in your presentation.

II. Main points

  • Main point 1: Present the first main point of your presentation.
  • Supporting details: Provide supporting details or evidence to support your point.
  • Main point 2: Present the second main point of your presentation.
  • Main point 3: Present the third main point of your presentation.
  • Summary: Summarize the main points of your presentation.
  • Call to action: End with a final thought or call to action.

Creative writing template:

  • Setting: Describe the setting of your story.
  • Characters: Introduce the main characters of your story.
  • Rising action: Introduce the conflict or problem in your story.
  • Climax: Present the most intense moment of the story.
  • Falling action: Resolve the conflict or problem in your story.
  • Resolution: Describe how the conflict or problem was resolved.
  • Final thoughts: End with a final thought or reflection on the story.

How to Write Assignment

Here is a general guide on how to write an assignment:

  • Understand the assignment prompt: Before you begin writing, make sure you understand what the assignment requires. Read the prompt carefully and make note of any specific requirements or guidelines.
  • Research and gather information: Depending on the type of assignment, you may need to do research to gather information to support your argument or points. Use credible sources such as academic journals, books, and reputable websites.
  • Organize your ideas : Once you have gathered all the necessary information, organize your ideas into a clear and logical structure. Consider creating an outline or diagram to help you visualize your ideas.
  • Write a draft: Begin writing your assignment using your organized ideas and research. Don’t worry too much about grammar or sentence structure at this point; the goal is to get your thoughts down on paper.
  • Revise and edit: After you have written a draft, revise and edit your work. Make sure your ideas are presented in a clear and concise manner, and that your sentences and paragraphs flow smoothly.
  • Proofread: Finally, proofread your work for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. It’s a good idea to have someone else read over your assignment as well to catch any mistakes you may have missed.
  • Submit your assignment : Once you are satisfied with your work, submit your assignment according to the instructions provided by your instructor or professor.

Applications of Assignment

Assignments have many applications across different fields and industries. Here are a few examples:

  • Education : Assignments are a common tool used in education to help students learn and demonstrate their knowledge. They can be used to assess a student’s understanding of a particular topic, to develop critical thinking skills, and to improve writing and research abilities.
  • Business : Assignments can be used in the business world to assess employee skills, to evaluate job performance, and to provide training opportunities. They can also be used to develop business plans, marketing strategies, and financial projections.
  • Journalism : Assignments are often used in journalism to produce news articles, features, and investigative reports. Journalists may be assigned to cover a particular event or topic, or to research and write a story on a specific subject.
  • Research : Assignments can be used in research to collect and analyze data, to conduct experiments, and to present findings in written or oral form. Researchers may be assigned to conduct research on a specific topic, to write a research paper, or to present their findings at a conference or seminar.
  • Government : Assignments can be used in government to develop policy proposals, to conduct research, and to analyze data. Government officials may be assigned to work on a specific project or to conduct research on a particular topic.
  • Non-profit organizations: Assignments can be used in non-profit organizations to develop fundraising strategies, to plan events, and to conduct research. Volunteers may be assigned to work on a specific project or to help with a particular task.

Purpose of Assignment

The purpose of an assignment varies depending on the context in which it is given. However, some common purposes of assignments include:

  • Assessing learning: Assignments are often used to assess a student’s understanding of a particular topic or concept. This allows educators to determine if a student has mastered the material or if they need additional support.
  • Developing skills: Assignments can be used to develop a wide range of skills, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, research, and communication. Assignments that require students to analyze and synthesize information can help to build these skills.
  • Encouraging creativity: Assignments can be designed to encourage students to be creative and think outside the box. This can help to foster innovation and original thinking.
  • Providing feedback : Assignments provide an opportunity for teachers to provide feedback to students on their progress and performance. Feedback can help students to understand where they need to improve and to develop a growth mindset.
  • Meeting learning objectives : Assignments can be designed to help students meet specific learning objectives or outcomes. For example, a writing assignment may be designed to help students improve their writing skills, while a research assignment may be designed to help students develop their research skills.

When to write Assignment

Assignments are typically given by instructors or professors as part of a course or academic program. The timing of when to write an assignment will depend on the specific requirements of the course or program, but in general, assignments should be completed within the timeframe specified by the instructor or program guidelines.

It is important to begin working on assignments as soon as possible to ensure enough time for research, writing, and revisions. Waiting until the last minute can result in rushed work and lower quality output.

It is also important to prioritize assignments based on their due dates and the amount of work required. This will help to manage time effectively and ensure that all assignments are completed on time.

In addition to assignments given by instructors or professors, there may be other situations where writing an assignment is necessary. For example, in the workplace, assignments may be given to complete a specific project or task. In these situations, it is important to establish clear deadlines and expectations to ensure that the assignment is completed on time and to a high standard.

Characteristics of Assignment

Here are some common characteristics of assignments:

  • Purpose : Assignments have a specific purpose, such as assessing knowledge or developing skills. They are designed to help students learn and achieve specific learning objectives.
  • Requirements: Assignments have specific requirements that must be met, such as a word count, format, or specific content. These requirements are usually provided by the instructor or professor.
  • Deadline: Assignments have a specific deadline for completion, which is usually set by the instructor or professor. It is important to meet the deadline to avoid penalties or lower grades.
  • Individual or group work: Assignments can be completed individually or as part of a group. Group assignments may require collaboration and communication with other group members.
  • Feedback : Assignments provide an opportunity for feedback from the instructor or professor. This feedback can help students to identify areas of improvement and to develop their skills.
  • Academic integrity: Assignments require academic integrity, which means that students must submit original work and avoid plagiarism. This includes citing sources properly and following ethical guidelines.
  • Learning outcomes : Assignments are designed to help students achieve specific learning outcomes. These outcomes are usually related to the course objectives and may include developing critical thinking skills, writing abilities, or subject-specific knowledge.

Advantages of Assignment

There are several advantages of assignment, including:

  • Helps in learning: Assignments help students to reinforce their learning and understanding of a particular topic. By completing assignments, students get to apply the concepts learned in class, which helps them to better understand and retain the information.
  • Develops critical thinking skills: Assignments often require students to think critically and analyze information in order to come up with a solution or answer. This helps to develop their critical thinking skills, which are important for success in many areas of life.
  • Encourages creativity: Assignments that require students to create something, such as a piece of writing or a project, can encourage creativity and innovation. This can help students to develop new ideas and perspectives, which can be beneficial in many areas of life.
  • Builds time-management skills: Assignments often come with deadlines, which can help students to develop time-management skills. Learning how to manage time effectively is an important skill that can help students to succeed in many areas of life.
  • Provides feedback: Assignments provide an opportunity for students to receive feedback on their work. This feedback can help students to identify areas where they need to improve and can help them to grow and develop.

Limitations of Assignment

There are also some limitations of assignments that should be considered, including:

  • Limited scope: Assignments are often limited in scope, and may not provide a comprehensive understanding of a particular topic. They may only cover a specific aspect of a topic, and may not provide a full picture of the subject matter.
  • Lack of engagement: Some assignments may not engage students in the learning process, particularly if they are repetitive or not challenging enough. This can lead to a lack of motivation and interest in the subject matter.
  • Time-consuming: Assignments can be time-consuming, particularly if they require a lot of research or writing. This can be a disadvantage for students who have other commitments, such as work or extracurricular activities.
  • Unreliable assessment: The assessment of assignments can be subjective and may not always accurately reflect a student’s understanding or abilities. The grading may be influenced by factors such as the instructor’s personal biases or the student’s writing style.
  • Lack of feedback : Although assignments can provide feedback, this feedback may not always be detailed or useful. Instructors may not have the time or resources to provide detailed feedback on every assignment, which can limit the value of the feedback that students receive.

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Understanding instruction words in academic essay titles

Posted in: essay-writing

what do you mean by a assignment

Instruction or command words indicate what your tutor wants you to do in your written assignment. It's vital that you understand exactly what these instruction words mean so you can answer all parts of the essay question and provide a complete response.

Here's a list of some of the most common instruction/command words you'll see in essay questions (and examination questions as well), together with an explanation of what they mean.

Describe: Give a detailed account of…

Outline: Give the main features/general principles; don't include minor details.

Explain, account for, interpret: Describe the facts but also give causes and reasons for them. Depending on the context, these words may also suggest that you need to make the possible implications clear as well. For example: 'Explain X and its importance for Y'.

Comment on, criticise, evaluate, critically evaluate, assess: Judge the value of something. But first, analyse, describe and explain. Then go through the arguments for and against, laying out the arguments neutrally until the section where you make your judgement clear. Judgements should be backed by reasons and evidence.

Discuss, consider: The least specific of the instruction words. Decide, first of all, what the main issues are. Then follow the same procedures for Comment on, Criticise, Evaluate, Critically Evaluate and Assess.

Analyse: Break down into component parts. Examine critically or closely.

How far, how true, to what extent: These suggest there are various views on and various aspects to the subject. Outline some of them, evaluate their strengths and weaknesses, explore alternatives and then give your judgement.

Justify: Explain, with evidence, why something is the case, answering the main objections to your view as you go along.

Refute: Give evidence to prove why something is not the case.

Compare, contrast, distinguish, differentiate, relate: All require that you discuss how things are related to each other.  Compare suggests you concentrate on similarities, which may lead to a stated preference, the justification of which should be made clear. These words suggest that two situations or ideas can be compared in a number of different ways, or from a variety of viewpoints. Contrast suggests you concentrate on differences.

Define: Write down the precise meaning of a word or phrase. Sometimes several co-existing definitions may be used and, possibly, evaluated.

Illustrate: Make clear and explicit; usually requires the use of carefully chosen examples.

State: Give a concise, clear explanation or account of…

Summarise: Give a concise, clear explanation or account of… presenting the main factors and excluding minor detail or examples (see also Outline).

Trace: Outline or follow the development of something from its initiation or point of origin.

Devise: Think up, work out a plan, solve a problem etc.

Apply (to): Put something to use, show how something can be used in a particular situation.

Identify: Put a name to, list something.

Indicate: Point out. This does not usually involve giving too much detail.

List: Make a list of a number of things. This usually involves simply remembering or finding out a number of things and putting them down one after the other.

Plan: Think about how something is to be done, made, organised, etc.

Report on: Describe what you have seen or done.

Review: Write a report on something.

Specify: Give the details of something.

Work out: Find a solution to a problem.

Adapted from: Coles, M. (1995), A Student’s Guide to Coursework Writing,   University of Stirling, Stirling 

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Write a response

So wonderful can anyone get the information

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Thanks Josphat!

This is a life saver, do you have a youtube channel where you talk about all this stuff? If so I would love to know about it 🙂 Rachelle

Thanks for your comment. We don't have a YouTube channel but stay tuned for more posts. You will also find additional self-directed learning resources in MySkills .

Quite helpful. I would definitely check this before my next essay.

Thank you, Dan.

Very helpful now I understand how construct my assignments and how to answer exam questions

I have understood it clearly;)

it is very useful for us to understand many instruction word and what we need to write down

There are some define of some words,and I find that there do have many common things for some words,but not all the same.Such as compare, contrast, distinguish, differentiate, relate,they all need people to compare but foucs on different ways.

Very helpful. Listed most of the words that might be misunderstood by foreign students. Now I know why my score of writing IELTS test is always 6, I even didn't get the point of what I was supposed to write!

I have already read all of this. And it gave me a brief instruction.

There are varied instruction words in essay questions. It's a good chance for me to have a overview of these main command words because I could response to requirements of questions precisely and without the risk of wandering off the topic.

When i encounter with an essay title with these instruction words above,I should understand exactly what these words mean so that i could know what my tutor would like me to do in the assignments.Also,these words may help me make an outline and read academic articles with percific purposes.

These words are accurate and appropriate. It is really helpful for me to response some assignment questions and I can know the orientation of my answers . I can also use these words to make an outline of my essay. However, in my view, for some instruction words which are confusing and hard to understand, it is better to give an example to help us understand.

It's the first time for me to recognise these instruction words , some of them are really similar with each other.

it is very helpful to my future study. it will be better to have some examples with it.

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Academic writing skills guide: understanding assignments.

  • Key Features of Academic Writing
  • The Writing Process
  • Understanding Assignments
  • Brainstorming Techniques
  • Planning Your Assignments
  • Thesis Statements
  • Writing Drafts
  • Structuring Your Assignment
  • How to Deal With Writer's Block
  • Using Paragraphs
  • Conclusions
  • Introductions
  • Revising & Editing
  • Proofreading
  • Grammar & Punctuation
  • Reporting Verbs
  • Signposting, Transitions & Linking Words/Phrases
  • Using Lecturers' Feedback

Before you start researching or writing, you need to take some time to analyse your assignment topic, interpret the question and decide how you are going to approach it. The title, brief and guidelines are the key elements for any assignment, so it is important to make sure that you clearly understand what is being asked of you.

A very common remark from lecturers is that a student has written a lot of information but failed to answer the question. So, rather than rush straight into reading and researching – give yourself time to think carefully about the assignment and understand what it is asking you to do. The assignment will generally be asking for something specific and will be closely related to the module content and the module reading.

Read the assignment guidelines in detail and make sure you understand exactly what type of assignment you are expected to write. For example, it could be an assignment, report, case study analysis, reflective journal, literature review or research proposal.  

The key to success in written assignments is to understand what is expected of you. If you do not understand what is expected from the assignment brief or the marking criteria, you will not be able to produce the result that your lecturer is expecting and hoping for. Understanding the question is the first and most important step when starting your assignments and helps to ensure that your research and writing is more focused and relevant. This means understanding both the individual words, and also the general scope of the question. A common mistake students make with their assignments is to misinterpret what the assignment is asking them to do and go off-topic.

 Close reading of the question and referring back to it throughout the assignment writing process is important to ensure that you are answering it properly.  

Deconstructing the question is the first step in answering an assignment question. You might need to clarify the meaning of some words and work out what the brief really wants you to do. Your question will contain key words related to the assignment topic, as well as directive/instructional words that tell you what to do. Highlight, circle or underline the key words in the assignment brief. Also, mark any words or phrases that you do not understand. What does the title / question mean? What is it asking you to do? Why is this important? How are you going to answer it? What do you need to find out first, second, third in order to answer the question? This is a good way of working out what important points or issues make up the overall question which in turn helps to focus your reading and your initial writing. Asking questions early also helps you to feel more in control, as it helps you to think more critically and independently about the topic prior to doing any wider research.

An assignment is usually made up of two parts: the assignment brief and the learning outcomes/objectives.

The assignment brief will tell you what you need to produce,. Learning outcomes or objectives are a description of what you need to demonstrate to pass a module / assignment. By reading and understanding the expected learning outcomes/objectives for a module, you can help improve your grades for each assignment.
Set the question in context – how does it fit with the key issues in your module and the topic as a whole? Looking at your lecture notes, module readings and learning outcomes/objectives will help you determine how the key themes, concepts and theories you have been studying on your module are linked to the question.  

One of the key components of assignment questions or criteria are – the verbs that tell you what you need to do in your assignment. There are a number of commonly used directive/instructional words, which have recognised meanings when applied to college assignments. To interpret the question accurately, you need to understand what these words mean. Recognising directive/instructional words used in your assignment titles and guidelines will help you organise your ideas appropriately and help you write more confidently. It is easy to overlook the directive/instructional words, but if you just describe something when you have been asked to analyse it, your assignment is likely to receive a lower grade. 

Words commonly used in assignments can appear to have similar meanings, but there are subtle differences between them. How is analyse different to critically evaluate? These words may seem similar but do have distinct meanings. However, there are not always hard distinctions between the words and different lecturers may use them in slightly different ways. You must always go by the total meaning of the title or question in the assignment brief. Read the question carefully and do not jump to conclusions about what is required on the basis of these words only. It is always advisable to clarify an assignment with your lecturer if you do not fully understand what you are being asked to do.  

Do not get put off by phrases such as "with reference to relevant literature" or "critically evaluate" and "critically analyse" (rather than simply "evaluate" or "analyse"). These phrases/words are there as a gentle reminder as it is expected that much of your writing will refer to relevant literature and have an element of criticality at college level no matter what the instructions in the assignment brief. Breaking down the assignment directive/instructional words to understand what you are being asked to do will help kickstart your critical thinking skills and help you plan the logical ordering of your ideas. 

Below is a list of interpretations for some of the more common directive/instructional words. These interpretations are intended as a guide only but should help you gain a better understanding of what is required when they are used. 

Account for Explain, clarify, give reasons for something and why it happens; give evidence to support your argument.
Analyse  Examine the topic methodically. Separate the subject into parts and then discuss, examine, or interpret each part carefully and in detail, considering how they relate to each other, how the parts contribute to the whole and why they are important. Using evidence for and against, mention any strengths/weaknesses, advantages/disadvantages. Do not simply describe or summarise; question the information.
Apply  Use evidence or details that you have been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept works in a particular situation. May involve transferring evidence from your reading to real life, or to a case study, perhaps applying theory to practice.
Argue  Methodically present the case for and/or against something basing your claims/reasons on a range of appropriate evidence; aim to influence the reader to accept your view, demonstrating weaknesses in the opposing argument.
Assess  Using evidence and arguments, weigh something up and consider the value, quality or importance of it, examining the positive, negative and contestable aspects. Come to a conclusion.
Be critical Identify what is good and bad about the information and why; probe, question, identify inaccuracies or shortcomings in the information; estimate the value of the material. 
Characterise  Describe the features and qualities of a concept or phenomenon, making it different and distinguished from other things.
Clarify  Make something clearer and simplify it; identify the key components of an issue/topic/problem, removing any potential misunderstandings; if appropriate, explain the relationship between two or more variables. 
Classify  Organise information into categories, groups or classes; noting the influence and importance of each, outline the difference between them, explaining why and how you classified the information.  
Comment on Identify and write about the main issues, giving your observations and interpretations based upon what you have read and researched, explaining the meaning of a situation or statement. Be critical, give your point of view, saying why something matters but avoid opinion that is not backed up or based on evidence presented in your writing.  
Compare  Look at the similarities more than the differences between two or more things. Explain how they are similar, say if any similarities are more important than others and indicate the relevance or consequences of them.  
Consider  Think and write about something carefully, discussing different possibilities and perspectives on a given topic. Support your comments/explanations by using appropriate evidence - include any views which are contrary to your own and how they relate to what you think.  
Contrast  Look at the similarities and differences between two or more things, mainly emphasising the differences and what sets them apart – explain how different they are, indicate if this is significant and, if appropriate, give reasons why one item or argument may be preferable.  
Critically  Used in combination with another directive/instructional word to get you to analyse and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of something not simply describe or state how something is.  
Critically evaluate Weigh arguments for and against something, assessing the strength of the evidence on both sides. Provide evidence taken from a wide range of sources which both agree with and contradict an argument. Based on the evidence, come to a final conclusion, basing your decision on what you judge to be the most important factors and justify how you have made your choice.  
Critique This does not mean you have to be negative, include both positive and negative points - look at any implications. Give your judgment about the value, quality and effectiveness of a theory, opinion or methodology and how it meets specific expectations; back your judgment by discussing the evidence.    
Define  Describe or state clearly the meaning of something, examining the different possible or often used definitions in reputable research material. Where relevant, show the boundaries and limitations of the definition and the different interpretations that may exist, indicating how the definition distinguishes this term/concept from others.  
Demonstrate  Show clearly or prove something by giving explanations, illustrations and/or supporting evidence.  
Describe  Give a detailed, full account of the main characteristics, properties or qualities of a topic/issue or the sequence in which a series of things happen(ed). Explain how and why something happens. 
Determine  Find out or calculate something 
Differentiate  Show the difference or make a distinction between two or more things.  
Discuss  Essentially this is a written debate. Supported by carefully selected evidence, examine, analyse and present both sides of the most important aspects of a topic, pointing out advantages and disadvantages, giving arguments/reasons for and against, assessing how satisfactory something is and examining the implications. Based on the evidence you have presented, state which argument is more persuasive, examine the implications and come to a conclusion.  
Distinguish  Identify and describe the differences between two or more items. 
Elaborate  Explain something in greater detail and at greater length, providing reasons, examples and more information.  
Enumerate  List, organise or outline relevant items/ideas one by one, and concisely describe them. 
Estimate  Weigh up the evidence and say by how much a theory or opinion may be preferable; calculate; predict. 
Evaluate  Present a careful judgement on the worth, value, significance, relevance or usefulness of something; weighing up the arguments for and against something, show the advantages and disadvantages, strengths and weaknesses. Refer to relevant and reliable evidence and use logic and reason to argue and justify your case. Come to a conclusion.  
Examine  Critically discuss, investigate or look at a subject in close detail and evaluate the key facts and important issues, giving reasons why they are the most important and explaining the different ways they could be understood/interpreted. 
Explain  Make plain and clear in an understandable way; give reasons for differences of opinion or results and analyse. Clarify and interpret the topic by giving a detailed account as to how and why something happens (analysing the causes), why it is the way it is or what is meant by the use of a term in a particular context. Define key terms where appropriate and back up with evidence and examples.  
Explore  Examine thoroughly, considering a variety of different viewpoints and perspectives, adopting a questioning approach. Show why there might be debate and where possible, reconcile opposing views by presenting a final line of argument.  
Formulate  Use current understanding from evidence and theory to create an idea, definition or interpretation on a topic. 
Give an account of  Give a detailed description of something, showing the important steps, stages or developments in the subject 
Highlight  Bring attention to something or emphasise its importance (for example, highlight the main points in an argument). 
Identify  Select/point out/list what you regard as the key features, problems, needs or issues in relation to something, explaining how and why they are important or relevant. 
Illustrate  Make something very clear and explicit, by providing visual or written examples - use figures, diagrams, graphs, statistics, charts, tables or other visual concepts. 
Indicate  Point out, show or explain something. 
Infer  Conclude something from facts or reasoning. 
Interpret  Demonstrate your understanding of something in a detailed and methodical way about which there may be more than one opinion. Backed by evidence, explain the meaning and significance of it, how or why it is important, giving your own judgement. Perhaps indicate how it relates to some other thing or perspective.  
Investigate  Enquire into all aspects of a topic through research. 
Justify  Make a case for a particular viewpoint, decision or conclusion; give convincing evidence and reasons which support this while also taking into account the opposing view, considering objections that others might make before stating your conclusion.  
List  Write your answer as an itemised series of brief points in a logical order 
Outline  Give a general summary of the main points, ideas or features; emphasise the structure and how they fit together or complement each other. Leaving out minor details, present the information in a logical order. 
Prove  Show by argument or logic that something is true or false by presenting and evaluating adequate evidence to back up your reasoning.  
Reconcile  Show how two apparently opposed or mutually exclusive ideas or propositions can be seen to be similar in important respects, if not identical. 
Reflect (on)  Analyse a past experience to improve future performance. Think carefully about something, and consider different views and possibilities. 
Relate  Show or describe the connections, similarities or associations between things and the extent to which they are alike or affect each other.  
Review  Examine a subject critically, analysing and commenting on the main points in an organised manner, bringing together and critiquing the current evidence and understanding on a topic. Assess rather than simply describe, drawing a conclusion based on the evidence presented.  
Show  Demonstrate with supporting evidence. 
Specify  Give details of something. 
State  Specify the main points of an idea or topic in brief, precise terms; no need to be overly descriptive – leave out minor details. Generally does not call for argument or discussion or a judgement from you, just the presentation of the facts. 
Suggest  Make a proposal and support it. 
Summarise  Give a concise/condensed account of the main points / ideas that are worth noting and remembering – leave out unnecessary detail, side-issues or examples, reducing your discussion to the basic essentials, the key ideas.  
Support  Give reasons or evidence for something with appropriate evidence, usually academic sources promoted by your lecturer (books, academic journals or reputable websites).  
Synthesise  Combine or bring together research or information from several different sources and integrate into your writing to create a single, cohesive discussion / argument which effectively presents your ideas or opinions.  
To what extent  How far is something true or not true? Consider in what ways something meets the requirements of a purpose or contributes to an outcome; support with evidence. Exploring these alternative explanations, make a judgment and defend it. The answer is unlikely to be 100% true or false but somewhere in between.  
Trace  Outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current form. Identify connections.  
Verify  Prove something by showing evidence or information. It could also mean that you check and see to make sure certain information is correct and accurate. 

what do you mean by a assignment

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Assignments usually ask you to demonstrate that you have immersed yourself in the course material and that you've done some thinking on your own; questions not treated at length in class often serve as assignments. Fortunately, if you've put the time into getting to know the material, then you've almost certainly begun thinking independently. In responding to assignments, keep in mind the following advice.

  • Beware of straying.  Especially in the draft stage, "discussion" and "analysis" can lead you from one intrinsically interesting problem to another, then another, and then ... You may wind up following a garden of forking paths and lose your way. To prevent this, stop periodically while drafting your essay and reread the assignment. Its purposes are likely to become clearer.
  • Consider the assignment in relation to previous and upcoming assignments.  Ask yourself what is new about the task you're setting out to do. Instructors often design assignments to build in complexity. Knowing where an assignment falls in this progression can help you concentrate on the specific, fresh challenges at hand.

Understanding some key words commonly used in assignments also may simplify your task. Toward this end, let's take a look at two seemingly impenetrable instructions: "discuss" and "analyze."

1. Discuss the role of gender in bringing about the French Revolution.

  • "Discuss" is easy to misunderstand because the word calls to mind the oral/spoken dimension of communication. "Discuss" suggests conversation, which often is casual and undirected. In the context of an assignment, however, discussion entails fulfilling a defined and organized task: to construct an argument that considers and responds to an ample range of materials. To "discuss," in assignment language, means to make a broad argument about a set of arguments you have studied. In the case above, you can do this by
  • pointing to consistencies and inconsistencies in the evidence of gendered causes of the Revolution;
  • raising the implications of these consistencies and/or inconsistencies (perhaps they suggest a limited role for gender as catalyst);
  • evaluating different claims about the role of gender; and
  • asking what is gained and what is lost by focusing on gendered symbols, icons and events.

A weak discussion essay in response to the question above might simply list a few aspects of the Revolution—the image of Liberty, the executions of the King and Marie Antoinette, the cry "Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite!" —and make separate comments about how each, being "gendered," is therefore a powerful political force. Such an essay would offer no original thesis, but instead restate the question asked in the assignment (i.e., "The role of gender was very important in the French Revolution" or "Gender did not play a large role in the French Revolution").

In a strong discussion essay, the thesis would go beyond a basic restatement of the assignment question. You might test the similarities and differences of the revolutionary aspects being discussed. You might draw on fresh or unexpected evidence, perhaps using as a source an intriguing reading that was only briefly touched upon in lecture.

2. Analyze two of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, including one not discussed in class, as literary works and in terms of sources/analogues.

The words "analyze" and "analysis" may seem to denote highly advanced, even arcane skills, possessed in virtual monopoly by mathematicians and scientists. Happily, the terms refer to mental activity we all perform regularly; the terms just need decoding. "Analyze" means two things in this specific assignment prompt.

  • First, you need to divide the two tales into parts, elements, or features. You might start with a basic approach: looking at the beginning, middle, and end. These structural features of literary works—and of historical events and many other subjects of academic study—may seem simple or even simplistic, but they can yield surprising insights when examined closely.
  • Alternatively, you might begin at a more complex level of analysis. For example, you might search for and distinguish between kinds of humor in the two tales and their sources in Boccaccio or the Roman de la Rose: banter, wordplay, bawdy jokes, pranks, burlesque, satire, etc.

Second, you need to consider the two tales critically to arrive at some reward for having observed how the tales are made and where they came from (their sources/analogues). In the course of your essay, you might work your way to investigating Chaucer's broader attitude toward his sources, which alternates between playful variation and strict adherence. Your complex analysis of kinds of humor might reveal differing conceptions of masculine and feminine between Chaucer and his literary sources, or some other important cultural distinction.

Analysis involves both a set of observations about the composition or workings of your subject and a critical approach that keeps you from noticing just anything—from excessive listing or summarizing—and instead leads you to construct an interpretation, using textual evidence to support your ideas.

Some Final Advice

If, having read the assignment carefully, you're still confused by it, don't hesitate to ask for clarification from your instructor. He or she may be able to elucidate the question or to furnish some sample responses to the assignment. Knowing the expectations of an assignment can help when you're feeling puzzled. Conversely, knowing the boundaries can head off trouble if you're contemplating an unorthodox approach. In either case, before you go to your instructor, it's a good idea to list, underline or circle the specific places in the assignment where the language makes you feel uncertain.

William C. Rice, for the Writing Center at Harvard University

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  • / What can I do if I don’t completely understand the writing assignment?

Sometimes the hardest part about writing a paper is understanding the assignment. You may not understand what you’re being asked to write or how you’re supposed to write about it. But don’t worry: although the prompt may seem confusing at first, there are strategies you can use to understand your assignment.

First, try taking a break from the assignment.

Take a walk, clean your room, get coffee with a friend. Then come back and read the prompt again, keeping any of your instructor’s in-class comments in mind. Looking at your assignment with fresh eyes will often help you either finally understand the assignment or identify what specifically is confusing to you.

If your assignment still seems unclear, ask yourself the following questions:

What is the purpose of your assignment? (What are you being asked to do?)

To understand what the assignment is asking you to do, pay special attention to the verbs that your instructor used. These verbs often function as keywords that signal the purpose of an assignment. Argue, summarize, and compare/contrast are just a few keywords to look for. These verbs can tell you whether you are developing your own argument, describing a plot, or analyzing the similarities or differences between artifacts. Visit our blog or take a look at this handout to find a list of more keywords and their meanings.

Another way to understand the assignment is to see if your instructor has asked you to follow a specific format. Is there a length requirement? Are there a certain number of sources required? Shorter papers are often a thesis-driven analysis with fewer sources. A longer paper with more sources may signal a research assignment. Again, pay attention to any verbs you see; these verbs will often tell you how to approach writing your assignment.

Who is your audience?

Part of the context of any writing situation will include your audience, or who you’re writing to. Since your audience includes your instructor, keep in mind any expectations she or he may have. What concepts have been emphasized in class? You may find these same concepts in your prompt. How is the assignment structured? Understanding the structure may help you decipher how you are being asked to approach the prompt.

Your instructor may not be the only audience member to consider. Are you being asked to communicate with a general audience (who can follow a logical argument but doesn’t know anything about your chosen topic) or an informed one (an audience familiar with the material, but not your chosen angle)? Knowing who your audience is will help you decipher what kind of information will best support your thesis. If you have any questions about who your audience should be, ask your instructor for clarification.

What evidence are you being asked to provide?

Evidence, or the information you use to support your thesis , can come from in-class texts or outside sources like academic journals, scientific studies, or government websites. The type(s) of evidence that you use and how you present it will differ depending on the requirements of your assignment. Is your instructor asking you to draw on readings from class to make an argument? Chances are, this signals a textual analysis in which you develop a thesis and use quotes from your chosen text(s) to support your argument. Alternatively, are you being asked to use outside sources? If so, how many? This may signal a longer project, possibly a research paper in which you generate a thesis and present information on a given topic to either inform or persuade your audience.

Understanding the type of evidence your instructor requires may help you work backwards to determine the format and, ultimately, the purpose of your assignment. Remember: evidence will be presented differently depending on your audience and purpose, so again, look for keywords to help.

If you still find that you don’t fully understand the assignment, don’t panic: you aren’t required to tackle the prompt alone.

Email your instructor and explain your confusion.

Try to be as specific as possible. Are you confused about what you are being asked to do? Is it unclear how you are being asked to structure your paper? Or what kind of evidence you’re supposed to use? Ask them, even if you can’t be specific. They want to help.

Collaborate.

Come to the Writing Center! Talk to a friend or someone you know from class. Being able to talk to someone about your assignment may help you finally decode the prompt.

What can the Writing Center do to help?

Some questions about the assignment can only be answered by instructors, so you should be prepared to discuss the assignment with them. However, consultants at the Writing Center are experienced in reading and interpreting assignments. When you attend a Writing Center session, we ask that you bring a copy of the assignment with you (if you have one), and we will read through the assignment sheet together. We will then help you decipher keywords, look for hints about structure, and finally come to an understanding of the prompt. We can also help you begin brainstorming for the assignment and transition to other steps of the writing process.

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Meaning of assignment in English

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  • It was a plum assignment - more of a vacation really.
  • He took this award-winning photograph while on assignment in the Middle East .
  • His two-year assignment to the Mexico office starts in September .
  • She first visited Norway on assignment for the winter Olympics ten years ago.
  • He fell in love with the area after being there on assignment for National Geographic in the 1950s.
  • act as something
  • all work and no play (makes Jack a dull boy) idiom
  • be at work idiom
  • be in work idiom
  • housekeeping
  • in the line of duty idiom
  • join duty idiom
  • undertaking

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

assignment | Intermediate English

Assignment | business english, examples of assignment, collocations with assignment.

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to move the pedals (= parts you operate with your feet) backwards on a bicycle

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what do you mean by a assignment

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Assignment: Definition in Finance, How It Works, and Examples

Adam Hayes, Ph.D., CFA, is a financial writer with 15+ years Wall Street experience as a derivatives trader. Besides his extensive derivative trading expertise, Adam is an expert in economics and behavioral finance. Adam received his master's in economics from The New School for Social Research and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in sociology. He is a CFA charterholder as well as holding FINRA Series 7, 55 & 63 licenses. He currently researches and teaches economic sociology and the social studies of finance at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

what do you mean by a assignment

Yarilet Perez is an experienced multimedia journalist and fact-checker with a Master of Science in Journalism. She has worked in multiple cities covering breaking news, politics, education, and more. Her expertise is in personal finance and investing, and real estate.

what do you mean by a assignment

What Is an Assignment?

Assignment most often refers to one of two definitions in the financial world:

  • The transfer of an individual's rights or property to another person or business. This concept exists in a variety of business transactions and is often spelled out contractually.
  • In trading, assignment occurs when an option contract is exercised. The owner of the contract exercises the contract and assigns the option writer to an obligation to complete the requirements of the contract.

Key Takeaways

  • Assignment is a transfer of rights or property from one party to another.
  • Options assignments occur when option buyers exercise their rights to a position in a security.
  • Other examples of assignments can be found in wages, mortgages, and leases.

Uses For Assignments

Assignment refers to the transfer of some or all property rights and obligations associated with an asset, property, contract, or other asset of value. to another entity through a written agreement.

Assignment rights happen every day in many different situations. A payee, like a utility or a merchant, assigns the right to collect payment from a written check to a bank. A merchant can assign the funds from a line of credit to a manufacturing third party that makes a product that the merchant will eventually sell. A trademark owner can transfer, sell, or give another person interest in the trademark or logo. A homeowner who sells their house assigns the deed to the new buyer.

To be effective, an assignment must involve parties with legal capacity, consideration, consent, and legality of the object.

A wage assignment is a forced payment of an obligation by automatic withholding from an employee’s pay. Courts issue wage assignments for people late with child or spousal support, taxes, loans, or other obligations. Money is automatically subtracted from a worker's paycheck without consent if they have a history of nonpayment. For example, a person delinquent on $100 monthly loan payments has a wage assignment deducting the money from their paycheck and sent to the lender. Wage assignments are helpful in paying back long-term debts.

Another instance can be found in a mortgage assignment. This is where a mortgage deed gives a lender interest in a mortgaged property in return for payments received. Lenders often sell mortgages to third parties, such as other lenders. A mortgage assignment document clarifies the assignment of contract and instructs the borrower in making future mortgage payments, and potentially modifies the mortgage terms.

A final example involves a lease assignment. This benefits a relocating tenant wanting to end a lease early or a landlord looking for rent payments to pay creditors. Once the new tenant signs the lease, taking over responsibility for rent payments and other obligations, the previous tenant is released from those responsibilities. In a separate lease assignment, a landlord agrees to pay a creditor through an assignment of rent due under rental property leases. The agreement is used to pay a mortgage lender if the landlord defaults on the loan or files for bankruptcy . Any rental income would then be paid directly to the lender.

Options Assignment

Options can be assigned when a buyer decides to exercise their right to buy (or sell) stock at a particular strike price . The corresponding seller of the option is not determined when a buyer opens an option trade, but only at the time that an option holder decides to exercise their right to buy stock. So an option seller with open positions is matched with the exercising buyer via automated lottery. The randomly selected seller is then assigned to fulfill the buyer's rights. This is known as an option assignment.

Once assigned, the writer (seller) of the option will have the obligation to sell (if a call option ) or buy (if a put option ) the designated number of shares of stock at the agreed-upon price (the strike price). For instance, if the writer sold calls they would be obligated to sell the stock, and the process is often referred to as having the stock called away . For puts, the buyer of the option sells stock (puts stock shares) to the writer in the form of a short-sold position.

Suppose a trader owns 100 call options on company ABC's stock with a strike price of $10 per share. The stock is now trading at $30 and ABC is due to pay a dividend shortly. As a result, the trader exercises the options early and receives 10,000 shares of ABC paid at $10. At the same time, the other side of the long call (the short call) is assigned the contract and must deliver the shares to the long.

what do you mean by a assignment

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Definition of assignment noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

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A man with a large hat rides a bike a on street with heat rising, creating a wavy view.

Heat index warnings can save lives on dangerously hot days − if people understand what they mean

what do you mean by a assignment

Senior Researcher in Emergency and Risk Communication, University at Albany, State University of New York

Disclosure statement

Micki Olson receives funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

University at Albany, State University of New York provides funding as a member of The Conversation US.

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You’ve probably heard people say, “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.” There’s a lot of truth to that phrase, and it’s important to understand it as summer temperatures rise.

Humidity doesn’t just make you feel sticky and uncomfortable – it also creates extra dangerous conditions on hot days . Together, too much heat and humidity can make you sick. And in severe cases, it can cause your body to shut down.

Meteorologists talk about the risk of heat and humidity using the heat index , but it can be confusing.

I’m a risk communication researcher. Here’s what you need to know about the heat index and some better ways meteorologists can talk about the risks of extreme heat.

A construction worker in reflective gear holds a jacket over his head against the sun.

What is the heat index, and how is it measured?

Heat index is the combination of the actual air temperature and relative humidity :

Air temperature is how hot or cold the air is, which depends on factors such as the time of day, season of the year and local weather conditions. It is what your thermometer reads in degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit.

Relative humidity compares how much water vapor is in the air with how much water vapor the air could hold at that temperature. It’s expressed as a percentage.

The heat index tells you what it “feels like” outside when you factor in the humidity. For example, if it’s 98 degrees Fahrenheit (36.7 Celsius) with 55% relative humidity, it might feel more like a scorching 117 F (47.2 C).

A chart with a grid showing heat and humidity risks.

But there’s a catch: Heat index is measured in shady conditions to prevent the sun’s angle from affecting its calculation. This means if you’re in direct sunlight, it will feel even hotter.

Apparent temperature, alerts and wet bulb

“Apparent temperature” is another term you might hear this summer.

Apparent temperature is the “feels like” temperature. It considers not only temperature and humidity but also wind speed. This means it can tell us both the heat index and wind chill – or the combination of the temperature and wind speed. When conditions are humid, it feels hotter, and when it’s windy, it feels colder.

We found that apparent temperature is even less well understood than the heat index, possibly due to the word apparent having various interpretations.

There are a few other ways you may hear meteorologists talk about heat.

Wet bulb globe temperature considers temperature, humidity, wind and sunlight. It’s especially useful for those who spend time outdoors, such as workers and athletes, because it reflects conditions in direct sunlight.

HeatRisk is a new tool developed by the National Weather Service that uses colors and numbers to indicate heat risks for various groups. More research is needed, however, to know whether this type of information helps people make decisions.

In many places, the National Weather Service also issues alerts such as excessive heat watches, warnings and advisories .

The risk is getting lost in translation

Knowing about heat and humidity is important, but my colleagues and I have found that the term heat index is not well understood.

We recently conducted 16 focus groups across the United States, including areas with dry heat, like Phoenix, and more humid areas, like Houston. Many of the people involved didn’t know what the heat index was. Some confused it with the actual air temperature. Most also didn’t understand what the alerts meant, how serious they were or when they should protect themselves.

In our discussions with these groups, we found that meteorologists could get across the risk more clearly if, instead of using terms like heat index, they focus on explaining what it feels like outside and why those conditions are dangerous.

Watches, warnings and advisories could be improved by telling people what temperatures to expect, when and steps they can take to stay safe.

A woman holds a baby at an open window with a fan blowing in.

Climate change is exacerbating heat risks by making extreme heat more common , intense and long-lasting. This means clear communication is necessary to help people understand their risk and how they can protect themselves.

What you can do to protect yourself

With both hot and humid conditions, extra precautions are necessary to protect your health. When you get hot, you sweat. When sweat evaporates, this helps the body cool down. But humidity prevents the sweat from evaporating. If sweat cannot evaporate, the body has trouble lowering or regulating its temperature.

Although everyone is at risk of health issues in high heat, people over 65, pregnant women, infants and young children can have trouble cooling their bodies down or may run a higher risk of becoming dehydrated . Certain health conditions or medications can also increase a person’s risk of heat-related illness, so it’s important to talk to your doctor about your risk.

Heat illnesses, such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke, are preventable if you take the right steps. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention focuses on staying cool, hydrated and informed .

Stay cool: Use air conditioning in your home, or spend time in air-conditioned spaces, such as a shopping mall or public library. Limit or reschedule your exercise and other outdoor plans that occur in the middle of the day when it is hottest.

Stay hydrated: Drink more water than you might otherwise, even if you don’t feel thirsty, so your body can regulate its temperature by sweating. But avoid sugary drinks, caffeine or drinks with alcohol, because these can cause you to become dehydrated.

Stay informed: Know the signs of heat illness and symptoms that can occur, such as dizziness, weakness, thirst, heavy sweating and nausea. Know what to do and when to get help, because heat illnesses can be deadly.

Heat exaustion includes dizziness, thirst, heavy sweating, nausea and weakness. Move to cooler area, loosen clothing, sip cool water and get medical help if no improvement. If heat stroke, including confusion, dizziness and unconsciousness, also call 911.

  • Climate change
  • Global warming
  • Extreme weather
  • Extreme heat

what do you mean by a assignment

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What does LGBTQ stand for? Breaking down the meaning of each letter in the acronym.

Pride Month is about more than parades and “rainbow capitalism.” It’s also a month for allies to educate themselves on the issues impacting the LGBTQ+ community . 

At a minimum, it's important to understand the identities within the community. Each identity is different and experiences different marginalization because of their gender identity or sexuality

The LGBTQ acronym has gone through many makeovers in recent decades and holds important meaning that most are unaware of. For example, the reason the “L” comes first is an homage to lesbian health care workers who assisted gay men in the early days of the HIV/AIDS outbreak when many medical professionals refused to even be in the same room as patients with the disease.

What does LGBTQ stand for?

LGBTQ is an acronym that describes various identities in the queer community. It stands for “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer.” 

Some letters refer to sexual orientation while others signify gender identity. The “+” symbol is often added to recognize other , diverse sexualities and gender identities within the community, like nonbinary, asexual , intersex , genderqueer and more.

Here’s what each letter in the acronym means:

The “L” in LGBTQ

The “L” in LGBTQ stands for lesbian, or a woman who is attracted to other women. Some nonbinary people, whose gender identities are outside of the gender binary, may also identify with this term.

Read more here about the word’s origins and how the colors of the lesbian flag reflect this community.

The “G” in LGBTQ

The “G” is for gay, or any person who is attracted to members of the same gender . This doesn’t have to fit exclusively within the gender binary either – men, women, nonbinary people and other gender non-conforming individuals can identify as gay.

The “B” in LGBTQ

Someone who is bisexual is attracted to more than one gender, but the term is often used to describe a wide spectrum of identities. Often, the community refers to the duality in “bi” as attraction to genders similar to and different from their own. 

Read more to discover where this term comes from and the difference between bisexuality and pansexuality.

The “T” in LGBTQ

While the first three letters refer to sexual orientation, the “T” in LGBTQ is about gender identity – it stands for transgender. Someone who is transgender has a gender identity different from the sex they were assigned at birth. They may undergo a transition process to align better with their gender expression and identity, or they may not. There is no one way to be transgender.

Read more to understand the issues impacting the trans community.

The “Q” in LGBTQ

" Queer" is an adjective used by those who are not exclusively heterosexual. It can also stand for questioning.

The word is often used as a self-identifier for those who don't feel their sexuality fits into other terms like lesbian, gay or bisexual. Someone who is queer may feel the other terms are “too limiting” or don’t apply exclusively to their experiences. 

For more than a century, the term was used against the LGBTQ community as a slur. Here, we dive further into how and why the queer community reclaimed this word.

What does LGBTQIA+ stand for?

LGBTQIA+ is an updated acronym that many use because it is more inclusive of gender identities and sexual orientations not represented in the first five letters. The “I” in LGBTQIA+ refers to intersex and the “A” stands for asexual.

"Intersex" is an umbrella term for variations in reproductive or sex anatomy in someone’s chromosomes, genitals, testes or ovaries. Read more about what the intersex community wishes you knew here .

"Asexuality" is also an umbrella term. It describes a spectrum of those who may have little to no interest in sex, although they may desire emotionally intimate relationships. Other identities on the asexuality spectrum include demisexual, gray ace or queerplatonic. Here’s what those mean .

The + can include a variety of other identities that are outside of heterosexual- and cisgender-dominant society like pansexual , demisexual , genderfluid and others. Some prefer the acronym 2SLGBTQIA+, which emphasizes Two-Spirit Indigenous identities.

It's important to remember that identities within the LGBTQ community are entirely personal. Everyone has a different relationship with labeling. Some may even choose not to. The best practice is to ask someone how they identify and respect it.

Learn about each pride flag

Pride Flag | Progress Pride Flag | Lesbian Pride Flag | Transgender Pride Flag | Bisexual Pride Flag | Pansexual Pride Flag | Asexual Pride Flag | Intersex Pride Flag

Just Curious for more? We've got you covered.

USA TODAY is exploring the questions you and others ask every day. From "Who was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize?" to "What is the best children's book?" to "Is peppermint tea good for you?" – we're striving to find answers to the most common questions you ask every day. Head to our Just Curious section to see what else we can answer for you.

A Guide to Angel Numbers and What They Mean

By Aliza Kelly

Numerology numbers on pink background

Have you ever looked at your phone, only to discover the time is exactly 11:11? Or perhaps you noticed your favorite song is two minutes and twenty-two seconds long, and moments later ordered a cup of coffee that totaled $2.22? These are referred to as angel numbers and, in the metaphysical realms where practitioners such as myself operate, there are no coincidences (in fact, I coined this term's acronym — TANC — back in 2019, and it's become somewhat of a catchphrase in my work). Angel numbers are the perfect example of this TANC phenomenon. You can find references to angel numbers all over Instagram, Witchtok (and Astrologytok and Manifestationtok, for that matter). So what do they mean? What do they tell us? And how can we work with them? Let's dive in!

What are angel numbers?  

Within numerology , angel numbers are number sequences (usually three or four numbers) that contain repetition (such as 111 or 4444) and/or patterns (such as 321 or 8787). Although they may appear in the most ordinary places, these digits usually grab our attention and — even if for only a moment — evoke a sense of wonder. The reason we're enchanted by these sequences, however, is an extension of their symbolism: It is believed that these numbers are messages from the spiritual universe that offer insight, wisdom, and directionality. Whether you assign them to angels, guides, ancestors, spirits, or simply a higher state of your own consciousness, angel numbers can confirm you're on the right path, shed invaluable insight on a complicated situation, or even illuminate the powerful, mystical meaning behind recurring themes you experience throughout your life.

Believe it or not, the power and significance of repeating integers has actually been around for hundreds of years. The ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras was a brilliant mathematician, but — in addition to inventing unique quantitative solutions — Pythagoras believed that our reality is a physical manifestation of the energetic vibration of numbers. Fast-forward a few thousand years, and an author named Doreen Virtue published dozens of books in the early 2000s on "angel numbers," coining the term and exploring the unique, mystical messages baked into number sequences. And, over the past two decades, this concept has taken the metaphysical community by storm. Whether you believe that angels are sending you hyper-specific messages or that your subconscious is affirming your consciousness, angel numbers have made a lasting impression on our psyche. 

What makes angel numbers special?

One of the ways angel numbers differ from other esoteric practices is that they're not linked to your birth information. Unlike the zodiac signs , astrology birth charts , or even calculating your life path number in numerology, Angel Numbers aren't determined by your date, time, and/or location of birth. While zodiac sign personality traits offer insight on your likes, dislikes, tastes, and preferences, angel numbers don't shed light on your identity, but rather the ways in which you're moving through the world. Another important characteristic of angel numbers is that they're extremely fluid: You may be followed by an angel number for years, or you may experience an angel number as a singular occurrence. There's no hierarchy in the way you encounter this mystical signature (in other words, a long-term connection isn't more meaningful than a one-time observation) — the most important thing is that you're paying attention. 

Of course, like all things in the metaphysical space (astrology, tarot, palm reading, etc.), numerology is also subjective. One of my favorite things about being a metaphysical practitioner in this era is that all practices emphasize agency, free will, and autonomy. Resources shouldn't be prescriptive, but rather, perspective — the more you learn, the more comfortable you are cultivating your own ideas, impressions, and interpretations. The way you understand and experience mysticism is totally unique to your own reality, so don't be afraid to tap into your individual truths as you fortify your relationship with spirituality.

Where can you find angel numbers?

Part of what makes angel numbers so magical is that they appear in the most ordinary places. Angel numbers show up on clocks, timestamps, and alarms. They appear in addresses, phone numbers, and license plates. Angel numbers may even show up in receipts, price tags, and travel itineraries. You could chalk this up to frequency illusion or you could consider TANC: The reason angel numbers appear in the most mundane environments is because the spiritual universe is intentionally offering a gentle reminder that you're moving through something greater than any day-to-day circumstance could ever express. You're on a mission. There's a purpose. And, especially when the road ahead feels foggy and unknown, the presence of an angel number can feel like a warm embrace. To quote Kris Jenner (who may or may not be the guardian angel of Calabasas, California), the appearance of angel numbers is basically saying "you're doing amazing, sweetie!"

What do angel numbers mean?

One of my favorite aspects of angel numbers is that their meaning is personal. For example, one person may see "333" as a sign they're on the right track, whereas someone else may experience "333" as a validation of intuition. When you observe an angel number, my recommendation is to stop, grab a pen and paper (or the notes app on your phone), and jot down whatever thoughts, ideas, or impressions come to mind. That way, you can cultivate a unique relationship with that angel number and, anytime it shows up in the future, you have already defined what that sequence means in your life.

In numerology, however, different numbers carry different symbolism, so as you're beginning to develop your unique relationship with angel numbers, you can work with the powerful spiritual interpretations of digits to understand the meaning behind certain sequences.

Zero is associated with new opportunities. When you witness zero in a sequence (either within a set of three, four, or within a pattern), this could signify a fresh start. You're at the very beginning of a brand new cycle, which means you can create whatever your heart desires. Don't be afraid to make big, bold decisions at this point in your journey.

One is a powerful manifestation figure. If you encounter one as an angel number (either within a set of three, four, or within a pattern), relish the opportunity to make a wish, set an intention, or plant a seed, as this is believed to indicate a "greenlight" from the universe. You are working with extraordinary support from your angels, guides, or ancestors, so — at that moment — the present and future are dynamically connected. 

Two suggests balance, trust, and alignment. Experiencing two in a sequence (either within a set of three, four, or within a pattern) could mean that someone — either in the physical realm or spiritual domain — is helping you get where you need to go. Seeing twos could indicate that it's an excellent time to reach out to your most trusted companion to see if divine collaboration is possible. 

Three is an indication of magnetic creativity. Noticing three as an angel number (either within a set of three, four, or within a pattern) could mean that you have the opportunity to add your unique talents and abilities to a situation. Moreover, the presence of three indicates that by leaning into your innate gifts, you'll find more value and abundance in whatever circumstances you are navigating. Your artistic expression is critical!

Four symbolizes stabilization. Observing four as an angel number (either within a set of three, four, or within a pattern) suggests that you are in the process of grounding, rooting, and cultivating an infrastructure that's truly built to last. When interacting with four, don't be afraid to ask for help or assistance, especially if you're navigating long-term projects that require specific expertise. Fundamentally, this is about establishing trust that will empower you to reach new heights.

The presence of five suggests that major changes could be on the horizon. If you've been feeling stuck, stifled, or inspired, observing five as an angel number (either within a set of three, four, or within a pattern) reveals that massive shifts might be in the works. For now, these transformations may be occurring behind-the-scenes — in other words, key decision-makers are still weighing options — but five appear as an angel number suggests you’re on the right path. 

Although some may fear six (especially in a triplet) because of religious associations with the Devil or demon figures, within angel numbers, six (either within a set of three, four, or within a pattern) has a supportive, compassionate, and empathetic nature. Six can be a gentle, much-needed reminder to treat yourself with kindness and understanding. Sure, things may not always go according to plan, but with angel number six on your side, you know that you can choose how you want to interpret a situation, remembering that everything happens for a reason.

Seven is as lucky in angel numbers as it is at the casino! Experiencing seven as an angel number (either within a set of three, four, or within a pattern) means that good fortune — especially finance-wise — could be on the way. New monetary opportunities may arise, so seven invites you to branch out and explore possibilities beyond your comfort zone. Short-term gigs may become lucrative, consistent income streams, so integrating your spirituality with your values is the perfect expression of this energy.

One of the most divine numbers in numerology is eight, and observing this digit as an angel number (either within a set of three, four, or within a pattern) could reflect a connection to the spiritual universe in a powerful way. Those who believe in an afterlife may see eights as a sign that they're receiving supernatural support from loved ones who've crossed on.  Fundamentally, eight is the symbol of infinity — the endless loop that transcends any singular lifetime — so don't be afraid to dive into your intuition when this angel number appears. 

As the final digit in numerology, the presence of nine suggests a chapter may be coming to an end. Witnessing nine as an angel number (either within a set of three, four, or within a pattern) is sign that a meaningful cycle could come to a close, and you'll soon be beginning a brand new journey. Likewise, this is an excellent time to step outside your comfort zone, expand your horizons, and explore new territory. Whether you're interested in venturing into a new career or going back to school, the spiritual universe will be sure to support your courageous choices.

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By Marci Robin

Aliza Kelly is a celebrity astrologer, columnist, author, and host. Referred to as a "rising star" in modern spirituality, Aliza has been featured in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vogue, The Cut, and many other publications. She's the author of three books: The Mixology of Astrology: Cosmic Cocktail Recipes for Every Sign; Starring You: A Guided Journey Through Astrology; and This Is Your Destiny: Using Astrology to Manifest Your Best Life.

Beginning your own spiritual journey? Start here:  

  • A Beginner's Guide to Reading Palms
  • Therapists Say Gratitude Journals May Live Up to the TikTok Hype
  • Numerology 101: How to Find Your Life Path Number

Now, see the signs you're most compatible with romantically:

Find Aliza on Instagram.

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IMAGES

  1. Outline of An Assignment

    what do you mean by a assignment

  2. How to Write an Assignment: Step by Step Guide

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  3. ASSIGNMENT PROMPTS What do you really mean?

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  1. What’s the assignment?

  2. ASSIGNMENT WORK? SUBMISSION DATE II WHY IS IMPORTANT FOR US? IGNOU BREAKING

  3. Assignment (law)

  4. "What Do You Mean You Hid Them" Hidden Achievement 4.6 Genshin Impact

  5. C++ Variables, Literals, an Assignment Statements [2]

  6. How to write an assignment

COMMENTS

  1. Assignment Definition & Meaning

    How to use assignment in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Assignment. the act of assigning something; a position, post, or office to which one is assigned… See the full definition ... stint, assignment mean a piece of work to be done. task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance. charged with a variety ...

  2. ASSIGNMENT

    ASSIGNMENT definition: 1. a piece of work given to someone, typically as part of their studies or job: 2. a job that…. Learn more.

  3. ASSIGNMENT Definition & Meaning

    Assignment definition: something assigned, as a particular task or duty. See examples of ASSIGNMENT used in a sentence.

  4. ASSIGNMENT definition and meaning

    7 meanings: 1. something that has been assigned, such as a mission or task 2. a position or post to which a person is assigned.... Click for more definitions.

  5. Assignment

    assignment: 1 n an undertaking that you have been assigned to do (as by an instructor) Types: show 6 types... hide 6 types... school assignment , schoolwork a school task performed by a student to satisfy the teacher writing assignment , written assignment an assignment to write something classroom project a school task requiring considerable ...

  6. assignment noun

    You will need to complete three written assignments per semester. a business/special assignment ; I had set myself a tough assignment. on an assignment She is in Greece on an assignment for one of the Sunday newspapers. on assignment one of our reporters on assignment in China

  7. Assignment Definition & Meaning

    Assignment definition: The act of assigning. True to my assignment, I recorded movements and time until Quinn's voice from below broke the silence.

  8. Assignment Definition & Meaning

    1. : a job or duty that is given to someone : a task someone is required to do. [count] My assignment was to clean the equipment. = They gave me the assignment of cleaning the equipment. The students were given a homework assignment. The reporter's assignment is to interview the candidate. The reporter is here on an assignment.

  9. Understanding Assignments

    An assignment can look pretty straightforward at first, particularly if the instructor has provided lots of information. That does not mean it will not take time and effort to complete; you may even have to learn a new skill to complete the assignment. Ask the instructor about anything you do not understand.

  10. ASSIGNMENT Synonyms: 97 Similar and Opposite Words

    Synonyms for ASSIGNMENT: task, job, duty, project, mission, chore, responsibility, function; Antonyms of ASSIGNMENT: dismissal, discharge, firing, expulsion ...

  11. Understanding Writing Assignments

    Many instructors write their assignment prompts differently. By following a few steps, you can better understand the requirements for the assignment. The best way, as always, is to ask the instructor about anything confusing. Read the prompt the entire way through once. This gives you an overall view of what is going on.

  12. Assignment

    Assignment is a task given to students by a teacher or professor, usually as a means of assessing their understanding and application of course material. Assignments can take various forms, including essays, research papers, presentations, problem sets, lab reports, and more. Assignments are typically designed to be completed outside of class ...

  13. Understanding instruction words in academic essay titles

    Here's a list of some of the most common instruction/command words you'll see in essay questions (and examination questions as well), together with an explanation of what they mean. Describe: Give a detailed account of…. Outline: Give the main features/general principles; don't include minor details. Explain, account for, interpret: Describe ...

  14. Academic Writing Skills Guide: Understanding Assignments

    Understanding the question is the first and most important step when starting your assignments and helps to ensure that your research and writing is more focused and relevant. This means understanding both the individual words, and also the general scope of the question. A common mistake students make with their assignments is to misinterpret ...

  15. Thinking About Your Assignment

    Rhetoric can be simply defined as figuring out what you need to do to be effective, no matter the writing situation. Thinking rhetorically is an important part of any writing process because every writing assignment has different expectations. There is no such thing as right, when it comes to writing; instead, try to think about good writing as ...

  16. How to Read an Assignment

    In the context of an assignment, however, discussion entails fulfilling a defined and organized task: to construct an argument that considers and responds to an ample range of materials. To "discuss," in assignment language, means to make a broad argument about a set of arguments you have studied. In the case above, you can do this by

  17. What can I do if I don't completely understand the writing assignment?

    When you attend a Writing Center session, we ask that you bring a copy of the assignment with you (if you have one), and we will read through the assignment sheet together. We will then help you decipher keywords, look for hints about structure, and finally come to an understanding of the prompt.

  18. assign verb

    1 to give someone something that they can use, or some work or responsibility assign something (to somebody) The two large classrooms have been assigned to us. The teacher assigned a different task to each of the children. assign somebody something We have been assigned the two large classrooms. The teacher assigned each of the children a different task.

  19. ASSIGNMENT

    ASSIGNMENT meaning: 1. a piece of work given to someone, typically as part of their studies or job: 2. a job that…. Learn more.

  20. Assignment: Definition in Finance, How It Works, and Examples

    Assignment: An assignment is the transfer of an individual's rights or property to another person or business. For example, when an option contract is assigned, an option writer has an obligation ...

  21. assignment noun

    1 [countable, uncountable] a task or piece of work that someone is given to do, usually as part of their job or studies You will need to complete three written assignments per semester. She is in Greece on an assignment for one of the Sunday newspapers. one of our reporters on assignment in China I had given myself a tough assignment. a business/special assignment

  22. What does Understood the Assignment mean?

    For example, if someone shows up to the party in a great outfit in this context, saying they "Understood the assignment" means that the person is at the top of their game and pulled up in a great look. The phrase can also be used sarcastically to criticize someone who has failed to meet expectations or has done a poor job. Overall ...

  23. What do you mean by Understood the Assignment?

    What do you mean by Understood the Assignment? ... In summary, "Understood the assignment" is a phrase that acknowledges someone's efforts or accomplishments and has become a prevalent slang expression to convey praise or criticism. Explore More Social Media Glossary Words.

  24. "Getting that kind of support was unreal." KP talks ...

    "Getting that kind of support was unreal." 濾 KP talks about his return to the floor, and the cheers he received from the crowd starting at warmups...

  25. Understanding Tracking Status

    We've delivered the shipment to its final destination, with a timestamp of the delivery recorded. If the shipment doesn't require a signature, our driver will try and find a safe place to leave the shipment to keep it out of plain sight or harmful weather.

  26. What rights does Trump lose as a felon? And more of your ...

    But Trump is no longer a New York resident. Ad Feedback. In Florida, felons lose civil rights, including the ability to hold public office and serve on a jury. While he can't hold office in ...

  27. What does 444 mean? The angel number that brings transformative energy

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  28. Heat index warnings can save lives on dangerously hot days − if people

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  29. LGBTQ meaning: Here's what the acronym stands for

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  30. A Guide to Angel Numbers and What They Mean

    Within numerology, angel numbers are number sequences (usually three or four numbers) that contain repetition (such as 111 or 4444) and/or patterns (such as 321 or 8787). Although they may appear ...