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The Difference Between ‘Task’ and ‘Assignment’

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This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Ramiro, who is in Brazil.

Could you tell me the difference between a task and an assignment? And how do we use them in our daily life?

Ramiro, Brazil

Dear Ramiro,

As you may know, both task and assignment are nouns describing an activity that you must complete.

A task is something you have to do. An assignment is usually a task that someone gives you to do.

Ways to use ‘task’

A task describes an activity that can be done in your daily life. But you can give a task to yourself, or someone else can give you a task to complete.

Any activity you want to finish can become a task. Think about a day in your life and the responsibilities you have. What are the tasks you must do during your day?

You can have one task or many tasks. For example:

My task today is to feed the cats before leaving for school.

Tasks are often connected to a bigger goal. Here is an example:

Although learning a computer programming language is a difficult task, I will do my best to study it for my future career.

Ways to use ‘assignment’

An assignment means someone is giving you an activity or task to complete.

For example, imagine your teacher says:

Our test is on Friday, so your assignment tonight is to study everything we learned this past month.

Teachers give students assignments every day. But students need to know how to take a big assignment and separate it into smaller tasks. Students might understand this example:

My assignment is to read the whole book. But luckily, I only need to read 10 pages a day.

Ways to use ‘task’ and ‘assignment’ together

Both tasks and assignments are often related to time. For example, we make lists of tasks to better organize our time. For example:

By 12 p.m. today, I need to do the following tasks: take out the garbage, walk my dog and go shopping.

“Task ” and “Assignment” are often used in work situations too. If you ever worked in a job, the boss may say:

Your assignment is to finish all three tasks before the end of the day.

Well, Ramiro, we hope this helps to answer your question.

And to our listeners everywhere, what question do you have about American English? Send us an email at [email protected] .

And that’s Ask a Teacher !

I’m Armen Kassabian.

Armen Kasabian wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. Practice using the words ‘task’ and ‘assignment’ in the comments below

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What is the difference between assignment and task?

Definitions.

- Referring to a specific task or project given to someone to complete. - Talking about a piece of work or homework that needs to be done for a class or job. - Describing a task or duty that is assigned to someone as part of their responsibilities.

- Referring to a specific job or duty that needs to be accomplished. - Talking about a particular activity or work that needs to be completed. - Describing a responsibility or chore that needs to be done.

List of Similarities

• 1 Both assignment and task refer to a specific job or duty.
• 2 Both involve work that needs to be completed.
• 3 Both can be given by someone in a position of authority.
• 4 Both require effort and completion.
• 5 Both can be part of one's responsibilities.

What is the difference?

• 1 Scope: Assignment often refers to a larger and more complex piece of work, while task can be smaller and more straightforward.
• 2 Complexity: Assignment can involve multiple steps or components, while task is usually a single action or duty.
• 3 Formality: Assignment is generally more formal than task , which can be used in both formal and informal settings.
• 4 Specificity: Assignment implies a specific goal or objective, while task can be more general and open-ended.

What context can I use each word in?

Good things to know

Remember this!

Assignment and task are synonyms that both refer to a specific job or duty that needs to be completed. However, there are some differences between the two words. Assignment is often used in educational or professional contexts and can refer to a larger and more complex piece of work. On the other hand, task has a broader usage and can be applied to various situations, and is usually a smaller and more straightforward duty. Additionally, assignment tends to be more formal, while task can be used in both formal and informal settings.

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The Difference Between ‘Task’ and ‘Assignment’

This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Ramiro, who is in Brazil.

Could you tell me the difference between a task and an assignment? And how do we use them in our daily life?

Ramiro, Brazil

Dear Ramiro,

As you may know, both task and assignment are nouns describing an activity that you must complete.

A task is something you have to do. An assignment is usually a task that someone gives you to do.

Ways to use ‘task'

A task describes an activity that can be done in your daily life. But you can give a task to yourself, or someone else can give you a task to complete.

Any activity you want to finish can become a task. Think about a day in your life and the responsibilities you have. What are the tasks you must do during your day?

You can have one task or many tasks. For example:

My task today is to feed the cats before leaving for school.

Tasks are often connected to a bigger goal. Here is an example:

Although learning a computer programming language is a difficult task, I will do my best to study it for my future career.

Ways to use ‘assignment'

An assignment means someone is giving you an activity or task to complete.

For example, imagine your teacher says:

Our test is on Friday, so your assignment tonight is to study everything we learned this past month.

Teachers give students assignments every day. But students need to know how to take a big assignment and separate it into smaller tasks. Students might understand this example:

My assignment is to read the whole book. But luckily, I only need to read 10 pages a day.

Ways to use ‘task' and ‘assignment' together

Both tasks and assignments are often related to time. For example, we make lists of tasks to better organize our time. For example:

By 12 p.m. today, I need to do the following tasks: take out the garbage, walk my dog and go shopping.

"Task " and "Assignment" are often used in work situations too. If you ever worked in a job, the boss may say:

Your assignment is to finish all three tasks before the end of the day.

Well, Ramiro, we hope this helps to answer your question.

And to our listeners everywhere, what question do you have about American English? Send us an email at [email protected] .

And that's Ask a Teacher !

I'm Armen Kassabian.

Armen Kasabian wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. Practice using the words ‘task' and ‘assignment' in the comments below

Quality Point(s): 57

• English (US)

What is the difference between task and assignment and duty ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.

• Report copyright infringement

Quality Point(s): 229

Hi there! A task is something that needs to be done in general. It can refer to many things. An assignment is usually a task given to somebody by another person. However, you could “give yourself an assignment,” it’s just less common. A duty can be an important task, but it is usually more like a moral obligation. Here are some examples: “I have a lot of tasks to finish before I can relax.” “I think grocery shopping is a pretty easy task, compared to meal planning.” “I have an assignment to complete for work.” (Their boss gave them a task, which makes it more natural to call it an assignment.) “Which task did you complete for our school assignment?” (They received a group assignment from their teacher.) “I have a duty to work hard so that my children can have a good life.” (This person feels a moral obligation to provide for their family.) “It’s my duty as a chef to make sure every customer is satisfied with their meal.” (This chef feels a moral obligation to provide a good experience to people who pay to eat at his restaurant.) I hope that helps!

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