The first step is to understand what an assignment is asking you to do https://assignmentmaster.com/. This can be done by paying close attention to the verbs in the assignment instructions. These words will signal the purpose of the essay and the type of essay you are asked to write. For example, you may see words such as argue, summarize, or compare and contrast. These are often the keywords for an argumentative or research essay, where you will need to take a position on the topic and support that position with evidence.