Evaluate: Give an overall assessment of value with a justification of conclusions or viewpoints Here's a definition of this command term: Therefore it’s good to know exactly how to tackle this kind of question. But it does crop up quite a bit in exam questions. Of all the command terms, I feel that ‘evaluate’ is the trickiest to decipher. Sometimes, depending on the marks, a bit of analysis within your answer might enhance your response. Often this can be a clue as to how much detail is expected in your explanation. Remember to think about the marks on offer. So as I said, here you want to describe how skeletal muscle contracts, providing details and reasons as to why certain elements within this process occur. Let's take a look at an old Biology HL Paper 2 question to see this command term in action: "Explain how skeletal muscle contracts." Explain: Provide details and give reasons to support what you’re describing Here's a quick definition of this command term: You just want to outline a process, to demonstrate how it works. Remember, you might not be expected to reach an ‘overall conclusion’ with this type of question. Give details regarding the mechanism/process of the catalytic activity of an enzyme. With this question, you simply want to focus on the second sentence. Describe the mechanism of the catalytic activity of an enzyme." Let’s take a look at a past Chemistry HL Paper 3 question: "Pepsin is a protein which functions as an enzyme in human stomachs. It’s almost like writing instructions as to why something might occur. So think of describing as giving details of a process. Describe: Give a detailed, factual account in words Let's firstly look at a definition to understand this command term: Again, you want to evaluate how these similarities and differences impact the interpretation of these ‘possible meanings’. But this is exactly what you need to do! You want to compare and contrast poems by at least two different authors which demonstrate repetition of language and/or content in order to reinforce and shape possible meanings. In what ways has this technique been employed in the work of at least two poets you have studied?"Ĭan you spot the difference between this question and the former? Well, this one does not explicitly tell you to compare and contrast. This one is from the November 2017 English A Literature HL Paper 2: "Some poems use repetition of language and/or content in order to reinforce and shape possible meanings. Now let’s take a different past exam question. You could link this back to the ideas of context, audience, purpose etc. Remember to consider why these similarities and differences might occur. So try to identify the main features in both texts, and examine in what ways they are similar, and how they differ. You want to identify similarities and differences in the two texts. Helpfully, the question tells you exactly how to compare and contrast. Here it is clear that comparing and contrasting the two texts through detailed analysis of context, audience, purpose etc. Include comments on the similarities and differences between the texts and the significance of context, audience, purpose and formal and stylistic features.” Here’s one from the May 2018 English A Language and Literature HL Paper 1: “Analyse, compare and contrast the following two texts. Let’s take two past paper questions for analysis. Whether you’re taking Language and Literature, or simply Literature for your Group 1 subject, you’ll probably have to tackle a compare and contrast style question. Starting off with the basics, what do these terms actually mean? I hope this will help those of you who are about to tackle the revision period! It’s key to getting as many marks in the bag from your examiner! So, in this week’s blog, I’m going to break down some common command words in exam questions. Understanding command terms and knowing exactly what exam questions want from you is crucial.
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