By Dr Augustine Tirivangana

IN our previous discussions we analysed different tools of literary analysis.
You will remember that we observed that different genres have different elements or characteristics peculiar to these forms.
You will remember too that we said there are elements that are shared between genres and others that are universal.
Knowledge of these is compulsory.
There is no question about that because without them you cannot analyse literature or any other discipline for that matter without falling into the risk of being pedestrian.
The elements ground you into the language (the appropriate discourse) of the discipline.
That said today we would like to examine how we interpret the questions in the first place.
The point is that without interpreting the question accurately you risk three things: Going off topic, violating the principle against overload and thus prejudicing yourself of the much precious time and under-stating your answer, thus presenting an unbalanced response.
All these militate against desired grades.
This then pushes us to designing a systematic approach interpretation.
The importance of interpretation can never be over-emphasised.
It provides you with the road map which becomes the basis for preparing your essay outline.
The essay outline is essentially your plan.
Remember as we said before, the actual act of writing is not a random affair.
It is a scientific process.
But first let us be clear about what interpretation means.
The Standard College Dictionary says to interpret is “to give the meaning of; explain or make clear; or judge in a personal or particular way.”
The same source defines interpretation as the “act or process of explanation, elucidation or the (art) of criticism.”
Central to all these definitions is meaning; that is getting the meaning right or understanding the exact command of the question.
I will simplify all this by saying that interpretation is the act or process of getting the full sense of the question.
Having said so let me hasten to state, and state categorically, that every question has at least three parts all of which must come out in the interpretation.
If interpretation identifies only one or two requirements, the resultant response will punish itself by its inadequacy.
Any well-framed question must have the following parts: The instruction word(s); Content words; and Special conditions.
Instruction words instruct you on what to do.
To instruct is to give specific orders.
Let’s underline the word specific for our purpose here.
If you are commanded to jump you don’t run, do you?
Certainly correct compliance is demonstrated by jumping; and doing so is the correct interpretation of the command.
The first step in interpretation is all about understanding the instruction word or words; to know, for instance, the difference between describe and compare and contrast; to know that describing requires you to demonstrate your knowledge of the characteristics of a phenomenon and to state so in appropriately descriptive language, on one hand and on the other to demonstrate your knowledge of similarities (compare) and differences (contrast) and to state using the appropriate discourse markers.
Discourse markers are signpost words which mark the direction of argument, in the process bringing about both coherence and cohesion in your writing.
For instance, words such as in addition to, furthermore and also show cumulative addition, suggesting that you are still building on the same argument.
Similarly, words such as similarly and likewise show comparison (similarities) but words such as but, however, nevertheless and on the other hand demonstrate shift of argument (contrast).
In my next submission expect a long list of both instruction words and discourse markers explained.
The second step deals with identifying the subject content.
All the subjects you pursue now have syllabuses.
A syllabus is a carefully arranged concise statement of the main units and skills of a particular course.
Your examination ideally tests your understanding of these pockets of knowledge.
Content words delimit the kind of content your essay is addressing. It deals with the subject matter.
For clarity let us examine the following ideal question:
In not more than 600 words, discuss the main causes of the first European war.
Note that I have deliberately avoided saying ‘First World War’ as the entire world is often duped into believing.
There was never a world war.
There are two European wars recorded so far and in both Africa did not take part save through conscription.
That aside, however, let us proceed to examine the question in terms of the three constituents hitherto described.
The instruction word here is discuss.
It requires you not only to look at pros and cons but also to weigh these arguments against your own opinion.
The content words are the main causes of the first European war.
This is the focus of your question and your answer.
Anything outside the first European war is irrelevant to your answer.
And in dealing with the subject content you need to be sensitive to the boundaries drawn by the special conditions.
This constitutes the third step in your interpretation process.
In the question above, the first part of the question provides the boundary.
In not more than 600 words gives you the limit.
This means if you exceed the length limit, you are violating an important rubric which is punishable by the examiner.
In fact, you punish yourself by being too mean or exceeding the required length.
In the final analysis once you have satisfied yourself in these areas your interpretation is complete.
And once you have done so you can then proceed to designing the essay outline. In fact, interpretation is the first part of the planning process.
And remember planning is integral to successful essay writing.