Many Secondary 2 students know the topic but answer the wrong question because they misread the command word. Explain is not the same as describe. Infer is not the same as quote. Evaluate is not the same as list advantages.
This article extends the Secondary 2 Essential 100 Vocabulary into task vocabulary: the words that tell students what kind of thinking an English question requires.
Quick Read: Command Words Are Instructions for Thought
| Command | Main job |
|---|---|
| identify | locate or name |
| describe | state relevant features |
| explain | show how or why |
| infer | derive a supported conclusion from clues |
| analyse | break down relationships and explain how parts work |
| compare | show relevant similarities and differences |
| evaluate | judge using criteria and evidence |
| justify | give reasons or evidence for a claim or choice |
| summarise | compress required meaning |
| synthesise | combine sources into a new relational understanding |
Identify: Find the Required Information
If the question asks students to identify a reason, the answer may be short. Do not turn a one-mark location task into a paragraph of analysis unless the question requires it.
Describe: State What Is There
Description focuses on features, sequence or characteristics. “Describe the writer’s change in attitude” requires the student to state what the change is. A later question may ask why the change occurs.
Explain: Reveal the Middle
Weak explanation: “The queue caused frustration because it was frustrating.”
Stronger explanation: “The long queue increased frustration because students lost time while remaining uncertain about how long the delay would continue.”
Explanation requires the mechanism or relationship in the middle.
Infer: Move Beyond What Is Directly Stated
An inference combines textual evidence into a conclusion. If a character repeatedly checks the exit and answers in short phrases, a student may infer unease or impatience—but should still support the inference with the clues.
Useful answer language includes suggests, implies, indicates, can infer. These words make the reasoning mode visible.
Analyse: Break the Relationship Open
Analysis asks how the parts create an effect. “Analyse how the writer creates urgency” may involve verb choice, sentence length, repetition, layout or contrast. Naming a feature is not enough; the student must explain what it contributes.
Feature → function → effect is a useful analytical pattern.
Compare: Hold the Criterion Still
Comparison needs a shared criterion. “Text A is formal while Text B uses humour” compares register with technique. A better comparison holds the dimension stable: “Text A uses a formal, measured register, whereas Text B uses a conversational register to appear more approachable.”
Evaluate: Judge Against a Criterion
Evaluation requires a standard. Is the evidence sufficient? Is the proposal feasible? Is the argument convincing? Is the source credible?
A strong evaluation states the criterion, applies evidence and reaches a proportionate judgement.
Justify: Make the Support Explicit
“I chose Option A because I prefer it” is a reason, but not necessarily a strong justification. A better answer links the choice to relevant evidence or criteria: “Option A is more feasible because it uses existing facilities and requires less initial funding.”
Summarise: Preserve Required Meaning While Reducing Length
Summary is not simply shortening. The student must preserve agency, causality, certainty, scope and degree where they matter. Examples and repetition can often go; essential relationships cannot.
S synthesise: Build the Relationship Between Sources
Synthesis goes beyond “Source A says X and Source B says Y.” It identifies how the sources converge, qualify, contradict or complement one another and then writes a new joint statement.
Command Words Change the Evidence You Need
| Question | Evidence needed |
|---|---|
| What does the writer state? | direct wording |
| What can you infer? | several clues supporting a conclusion |
| How does the writer create tension? | language or structural features plus explanation of effect |
| How convincing is the claim? | claim, evidence quality and evaluation criterion |
| Which option is more feasible? | comparison under the same practical criteria |
The Wrong-Mode Problem
A student may answer an inferential question literally, an evaluative question descriptively, or an analytical question by listing techniques. The vocabulary can be accurate while the task remains unanswered.
Before writing, translate the command word into a plain-language operation: “I need to show why,” “I need to judge using evidence,” “I need to derive something not directly stated.”
A Command-Word Decision Tree
- Is the answer directly stated? → identify / describe.
- Do I need to derive meaning from clues? → infer.
- Do I need to show a mechanism? → explain.
- Do I need to break down how parts create an effect? → analyse.
- Do I need to judge? → evaluate.
- Do I need to defend a choice? → justify.
- Do I need to reduce source material? → summarise.
- Do I need to combine sources relationally? → synthesise.
Worked Question Set
Text: “The writer describes a new school programme as ‘promising’ but later notes that participation remains uneven.”
- Identify: Which word shows initial approval? → promising.
- Infer: What can you infer about the writer’s final attitude? → cautiously supportive or qualified.
- Analyse: How does the contrast shape the writer’s stance? → initial approval is limited by later evidence.
- Evaluate: Is the programme clearly successful? → not yet; uneven participation limits the conclusion.
Use Command Words Across Subjects
The same academic verbs appear in Science and Humanities, although subject conventions differ. Analyse, evaluate, infer, justify are therefore high-value vocabulary because they describe transferable thinking operations.
The Command-Word Notebook
- Write the command word.
- Translate it into plain English.
- Record the evidence type required.
- Write one good answer opening.
- Write one common wrong-mode response.
- Explain why the wrong response fails.
For Parents and Teachers
When a response is weak, ask whether the knowledge failed or the operation failed. A student may understand the passage but not know what evaluate requires. Teaching the command vocabulary can therefore unlock performance without reteaching the whole topic.
The Question Verb Is Part of the Question
Secondary 2 students often focus on the topic noun and rush past the command verb. But the verb tells the student what to do with the topic. Strong examination vocabulary includes the language of the answer and the language that instructs the thinking.
Connect this article to Claims, Evidence and Reasoning, Implication and Inference and Summary Writing.