Why Command Words Matter in Exams

Sometimes a learner knows the topic.

They revise it.

They remember the information.

They can explain it in conversation.

Then they lose marks because they answered the wrong type of question.

This is where command words matter.

Words such as describe, explain, compare, analyse and evaluate tell the learner what they need to do with their knowledge.

The topic tells you what to think about.

The command word tells you what to do with it.

For dyslexic learners, identifying that command word before writing can be particularly helpful because it reduces some of the decision-making that otherwise happens while they are trying to construct an answer.

What is a command word?

A command word is the word in a question that tells you what type of response is expected.

For example:

• •Describe two features of…
• •Explain why…
• •Compare…
• •Analyse the impact of…
• •Evaluate the view that…

These questions may all be about the same subject.

However, they require very different answers.

Why can this be difficult?

A learner may read a question and focus almost entirely on the topic.

Imagine they see:

Explain why coastal erosion happens more quickly in some locations than others.

They recognise coastal erosion.

Immediately, everything they know about coastal erosion begins coming to mind.

They start writing.

The problem is that the question did not ask: What is coastal erosion?

It asked them to explain why it happens more quickly in some places.

Start with the command word

Before thinking about the content, identify the command word.

Ask:

What am I being asked to do?

A learner can circle it, underline it or highlight it.

Then pause.

Do not start writing yet.

Translate the command word into an instruction that makes sense.

For example:

• •Describe → What is it like?
• •Explain → Why does this happen?
• •Compare → What is similar and what is different?
• •Analyse → What does the evidence show and why does it matter?
• •Evaluate → What are the different arguments and what judgement can I make?

Translate the command word into an instruction that makes sense.

Describe

Describe usually asks the learner to give relevant features, characteristics or details.

A useful question is:

What can I see, identify or say about it?

Explain

Explain usually requires more than stating a fact.

The learner needs to show why or how something happens.

A useful prompt is:

Why? How? What does this lead to?

Compare

Compare requires the learner to consider more than one thing.

They should usually identify similarities, differences or both, depending on the question.

Useful language can include:

• •similarly;
• •whereas;
• •in contrast;
• •both;
• •compared with;
• •higher than;
• •lower than.

Analyse

Analyse generally means breaking information down and exploring relationships, patterns or significance.

A learner might ask:

• •What does this show?
• •What is the relationship?
• •Why is this important?
• •What can I infer from the evidence?

Evaluate

Evaluate often requires the learner to consider evidence, strengths, weaknesses or different viewpoints before reaching a supported judgement.

A learner might think:

• •What supports this idea?
• •What challenges it?
• •Which evidence is strongest?
• •Are there limitations?
• •What is my overall judgement based on the evidence?

Discuss

Discuss usually asks the learner to explore an issue in some depth.

This may involve:

• •different viewpoints;
• •different causes;
• •advantages and disadvantages;
• •competing explanations;
• •supporting evidence.

The exact demand can vary by subject and examination board, so learners should always be taught the expectations used in their own course.

Identify

Identify is usually much more direct.

It may ask the learner to name, recognise or select something.

The learner may not need a long explanation unless the question asks for one.

The same topic can require completely different answers

Imagine the topic is flooding.

A paper could ask:

• •Identify one cause of flooding.
• •Describe one effect of flooding.
• •Explain why flooding can occur after prolonged rainfall.
• •Compare the impacts of flooding in two locations.
• •Evaluate the effectiveness of different flood-management strategies.

The topic is still flooding.

But each question requires a different type of thinking.

Why might this be particularly useful for a dyslexic learner?

For some dyslexic learners, reading a question, retrieving knowledge, organising an answer and writing can place considerable demands on working memory.

If the learner begins writing before deciding what the command word requires, they may have to make that decision while also managing everything else.

Identifying the command word first removes one decision from the writing stage.

Do not teach command words as definitions alone

It can be useful to learn what common command words mean.

However, simply memorising definitions is not always enough.

Learners also need to see what the command word changes in an answer.

Model the thinking aloud

Teachers can make the process visible.

For example:

• •“The question says compare. That means I need to talk about both places together.”
• •“This one says explain, so I cannot just list the causes. I need to show why each cause leads to the outcome.”
• •“Evaluate means I need more than one side and I need to reach a supported judgement.”

Build a command-word routine

• •Find the command word.
• •Translate it.
• •Look at the instruction.
• •Identify the key term.
• •Plan the answer.

This links directly with the wider routine:

READ → BREAK IT DOWN → PLAN → WRITE → CHECK

A command-word reference can help

Different subjects use command words differently

The exact expectations attached to a command word can vary between subjects, qualifications and examination boards.

An evaluate question in geography may not look exactly the same as an evaluate question in English literature, business or science.

Learners therefore need to understand both the general meaning of the command word and what that command word looks like in their particular subject.

Do not forget the rest of the question

Finding the command word is only the first step.

The learner still needs to identify:

• •What is the instruction?
• •What are the key terms?

Breaking down a question covers all three steps together.

From question to answer

A useful sequence is:

COMMAND WORD → INSTRUCTION → KEY TERM → PLAN → WRITE

That gives the learner a route through the task.

The goal is purposeful writing

Exam technique should not be about teaching learners tricks.

The aim is to help them communicate their knowledge accurately.

A learner who understands command words is better able to decide what information is relevant, how much development is needed, how to structure the answer and where to spend their time.