Key words used in examination questions

Advise/recommend - present information, opinions or recommendations to someone to enable the recipient to take action.
Amplify - Expand or enlarge upon the meaning of (a statement or quotation)
Analyse - Determine and explain the constituent parts of.
Appraise/assess/evaluate - Judge the importance or value of.
Assess - See ‘appraise’
Clarify - Explain more clearly the meaning of.
Comment (critically) - Explain.
Compare (with) - Explain similarities and differences between.
Contrast - Place in opposition to bring out difference(s)
Criticise - Present the faults in a theory or policy or opinion
Demonstrate - Show by reasoning the truth of.
Describe - Present the details and characteristics of.
Discuss - Explain the opposing arguments
Distinguish - Specify the difference between
Evaluate - See ‘appraise’
Explain/interpret - Set out in detail the meaning of.
Illustrate - Use an example-chart, diagram, graph or figure as appropriate.
Interpret - See ‘explain’
Justify - State adequate grounds for.
List (an explain) - Itemise (and detail the meaning of)
Prove - Show by testing the accuracy of.
Recommend - See ‘advise’
Reconcile - make compatible apparently conflicting statements or theories.
Relate - Show connections between separate matters.
State - Express.
Summarise - State briefly the essential points (dispensing with examples and details).
Tabulate - Set out facts or figures

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