Read the essay question carefully
Highlight key words.
Use the dictionary to check the meaning of any unfamiliar words.
Identify the task words that indicate what needs to be done, eg ‘discuss', ‘explain', ‘compare'.
Identify the topic words that indicate the particular subject of the essay, eg the character of ‘Juliet' in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the ‘causes' of World War 1.
Identify any limiting words that restrict the discussion to a particular area, eg in ‘Chapters 1-3', during the ‘nineteenth century'.