Why can a child know the subject of a question yet give the wrong kind of answer? A prompt asking students to identify a feature is not doing the same job as one asking them to explain its cause. A request to compare two examples is not identical to an instruction to evaluate which is most suitable. The crucial vocabulary may be the task verb at the beginning of the question, rather than the familiar nouns and numbers that follow.
Parents can teach these academic verbs without turning a family discussion into an examination drill. Begin with one short passage or simple picture, ask several different questions about the same information, and show what a complete response to each question looks like. When the child notices that identifying requires a name, describing requires characteristics, and justifying requires relevant support, they become better equipped to read instructions across subjects and school systems.
This fifty-seventh volume includes an original paper-bridge reading passage, twenty commonly used instruction verbs, a complete worked set of answers, the difference between information located directly in text and information inferred from clues, common mistakes, age-sensitive practice and a parent routine. Different schools and assessment boards may define command words somewhat differently, so the actual task and official subject guidance remain important.
Quick answer: the verb tells you what kind of response to make
Underline the instruction verb, ask what type of evidence or response it requires, and then answer only that task with enough relevant detail. A child who can explain the difference among name, describe, explain, compare, infer and justify has a usable reading strategy, not merely six extra definitions.
- Find the command: identify, list, describe, explain, compare, predict or another verb.
- Find the target: which event, object, pattern or decision does the question concern?
- Find the source: does the answer come from the text, data, prior knowledge or a reasoned inference?
- Match the response: name, describe features, supply reasons or make a supported judgement as requested.
- Check scope: do not invent details or answer a different question.
- Review: show how a slightly different verb would change the answer.
Jump to: Complete bridge-passage lesson · Twenty academic question verbs · Identify versus describe · Explain versus describe · Compare versus contrast · Inference versus stated fact · Justify and evaluate · Answer-repair workshop · Home routine · Parent FAQs.
1. Instruction words are vocabulary, not just directions from a teacher
A student may understand every word in a story about a lost bag and still struggle if a question asks what can be inferred about the main character. An inference is a reasoned interpretation based on clues, not simply a sentence copied from the text. The child must recognise that the verb changes the requested mental task.
In another question, ‘Identify the speaker’ asks for the person speaking. ‘Describe the speaker’ asks for characteristics or details. ‘Explain the speaker’s decision’ asks for reasons or relationships. The nouns remain similar while the answer type changes.
Parents should avoid teaching command words as a universal one-word code detached from context. Cambridge International, for example, supplies broadly applicable command-word definitions while noting that subject-specific guidance in the syllabus may be relevant. The wording of the real task and local conventions still control the required response.
2. Complete worked lesson: two paper bridges in a short report
Read this fictional investigation passage: ‘A class placed the same lightweight toy on two flat pieces of identical card, each supported at its ends. In Trial A, the supports were 12 cm apart, and the card visibly bent at the centre. In Trial B, the supports were 8 cm apart, and the card bent less under the toy. The class repeated neither setup. The teacher asked the children to record what they saw before proposing an explanation.’ These are illustrative observations, not a validated engineering test.
Question 1: Identify what was changed
‘Identify the variable that differed between the two trials.’ A suitable answer is ‘The distance between the supports.’ The child needs to name the changing feature. A full essay about the toy’s colour would not answer the question.
Question 2: Describe what happened
‘Describe how the card behaved in each trial.’ A suitable answer is ‘The card bent at the centre when the supports were 12 cm apart and bent less when they were 8 cm apart.’ This accurately reports the observed difference without claiming its cause has been conclusively proved.
Question 3: Compare the setups
‘Compare Trial A with Trial B.’ A stronger answer includes a meaningful similarity and difference: ‘Both trials used identical card and the same toy. Trial A had a longer unsupported span and showed more bending than Trial B.’ Compare commonly invites consideration of similarities as well as differences where relevant.
Question 4: Explain a plausible reason
‘Explain why the card may have bent less in Trial B.’ The answer should connect the changed span with a relevant structural idea: ‘With the supports closer together, less length of card was unsupported, which may have reduced its bending under the same load.’ Because the description reports one trial of each setup, it does not establish an exact universal relationship or rule out all experimental errors.
Question 5: Predict a further result
‘Predict what may happen if the supports are moved closer again.’ A child might predict ‘The card may bend even less under the same toy,’ explaining that the shorter span provided more support in the observed comparison. This is a prediction to test, not a guarantee.
Question 6: Evaluate the available evidence
‘Evaluate whether the passage proves all closer-supported card bridges bend less.’ A good answer is ‘No. The passage describes only two setups and one trial of each; other materials, loads and conditions were not tested.’ Evaluation requires considering the strength and limits of evidence, not merely saying that Trial B looked better.
Question 7: Suggest an improvement
‘Suggest one change to improve confidence in the finding.’ A suitable proposal is ‘Repeat both trials several times using the same card type and toy, with the distance between supports controlled and bending measured consistently.’ This is a reasonable improvement proposal, not a claim that the new investigation was actually performed.
| Command | What the response should do | Example from the bridge passage |
|---|---|---|
| Identify | Name the relevant feature | Distance between supports |
| Describe | State observable characteristics | Card bent less in Trial B |
| Compare | Discuss similarities and differences | Same toy, different span and bending |
| Explain | Connect causes or reasons carefully | Shorter unsupported span may reduce bending |
| Predict | State a possible future outcome with reason | Closer supports may bend less |
| Evaluate | Judge the evidence using criteria | Two single trials do not prove universality |
| Suggest | Offer an appropriate action | Repeat trials and measure bending |
Parents can make the task easier by first giving the child two picture cards representing the trials. An older student can analyse the written passage. The central principle remains the same: the command verb asks for a particular kind of answer.
3. Twenty useful command words for schoolwork and reading
These definitions are practical introductions. School systems and subjects may give more precise instructions for particular assessments, and parents should check the original question’s context. The list is not a promise that every verb always demands the same number of sentences.
| Command word | Usual task in a suitable context | Parent question |
|---|---|---|
| identify | name or select something | Which one? |
| name | give the name | What is it called? |
| list | provide relevant items | Which items belong? |
| state | express a fact clearly | What is the stated answer? |
| define | give the meaning of a term | What does it mean here? |
| label | place names on a diagram | Which part is this? |
| describe | give relevant features or events | What happened or what is it like? |
| outline | present main points without every detail | What are the principal points? |
| summarise | select and express key information concisely | What matters most? |
| explain | give reasons or make relations clear | Why or how does it happen? |
| compare | consider similarities and differences | What is alike and different? |
| contrast | focus on differences | What differs? |
| classify | sort by meaningful criteria | What rule defines each group? |
| infer | reach a supported interpretation from clues | What does the evidence suggest? |
| predict | propose a possible future result from information | What might happen next? |
| justify | support a choice or claim with reasons or evidence | Why is the answer defensible? |
| analyse | examine elements and relationships in detail | How do the parts work together? |
| evaluate | judge using criteria and evidence | How strong or suitable is it? |
| discuss | explore an issue in a reasoned way | What relevant aspects matter? |
| suggest | offer a proposal grounded in the task | What could be done? |
A child may meet other verbs such as calculate, sketch, assess, interpret and estimate. The method is the same: determine what product the task requires, and check any subject-specific usage. For instance, calculate normally requires a numerical answer derived from given information and suitable working where requested.
4. Identify and describe are not equivalent
Suppose a Science page shows a picture with a labelled root and leaf. ‘Identify the root’ asks the child to point to or name the correct part. ‘Describe the root’ asks for relevant characteristics or a suitable account of it. A child who adds ten unrelated plant facts may not be addressing either question efficiently.
An effective teaching routine is to ask the two questions about the same picture and compare the responses. The child may answer ‘The lower branching structure’ for identification and ‘The roots spread into the soil’ for description. Appropriate vocabulary should follow what the picture and task actually support.
For younger readers, a pointing answer can be a legitimate response to an oral identify task even when they cannot yet write a complete explanatory sentence. Match expectations to the question and the learner’s current skills.
5. Explain requires a relationship, not just a sequence
A student might answer ‘First the soil became wet, then the plant grew taller’ to a question asking why a plant grew. The sentence describes sequence. It does not by itself establish a causal explanation, and the plant’s growth may depend on several additional factors.
To explain, the learner may need relevant concepts such as water uptake, light or growing conditions, depending on what the passage provides. Teach children that a connector like because must link a reason that actually makes sense. A formal-looking sentence is not enough if the supporting idea is missing.
When the source does not provide adequate causal information, saying ‘The passage does not establish the cause’ can be more accurate than inventing a scientific explanation. This is an important distinction from simply failing to answer.
6. Compare and contrast need a declared comparison property
‘Compare these two maps’ may be a broad instruction; a thoughtful response can identify shared features and differences relevant to the task. ‘Contrast these two maps’ typically focuses on differences. In some assessments the scope may be narrowed further: compare their scales, symbols or uses.
Ask your child to identify the property first. Two maps may cover the same region but use different symbols, scales or purposes. Saying one is ‘better’ without stating for what use is an evaluation, not a complete comparison.
| Task | Suitable focus | Weak response |
|---|---|---|
| Compare two posters | Relevant similarities and differences | They are both posters, full stop |
| Contrast two materials | Relevant differences in properties | Both are objects |
| Explain which poster is clearer | Reasons connected to its layout or wording | It is nice |
| Evaluate a design for a specific goal | Criteria, strengths and limitations | I like blue |
| Summarise a report | Major supported points | Every sentence copied |
7. Infer does not mean invent
A story says: ‘Maya reached the room holding a dripping umbrella. She placed it in the stand and wiped her shoes.’ The child may reasonably infer that Maya has come through wet conditions, but the precise weather, location and time are not necessarily given. The important skill is combining the clues with relevant knowledge while maintaining appropriate uncertainty.
Ask ‘Which words gave you that idea?’ The child might point to dripping umbrella and wiped her shoes. Then ask what the text did not say. This stops a plausible inference from becoming an invented statement about a thunderstorm or a particular journey.
Reading comprehension includes both directly stated information and reasoned inference. Teach children to distinguish the two in their answer by using expressions such as ‘The text states…’ and ‘This suggests…’ when appropriate.
8. Justify asks for support, not merely agreement
Suppose a child selects the wider container for storing a large paper model. ‘Justify your choice’ asks for a reason: the model’s width fits within the container’s usable space, under the given measurements. ‘Because I chose it’ is circular and does not provide evidence that the option suits the task.
A child who disagrees with the expected choice may still offer a relevant justification if the question allows competing responses. Evaluate the actual constraints and evidence instead of rewarding a memorised preference.
The word justify does not mean finding an excuse for something unsafe or harmful. In academic tasks it commonly means supporting a claim or choice with relevant reasons.
9. Evaluate requires criteria and judgement
A learner says ‘The book was excellent.’ The word excellent is an evaluation, but the sentence alone does not explain the basis for the judgement. If asked to evaluate the book as an introduction to volcanoes for a beginner, the child might discuss clear illustrations, accurate explanations and whether important terms were explained.
When comparing a science diagram with a decorative image, the most suitable choice may depend on the purpose. An evaluation should consider relevant features and limitations rather than rely on which picture the child likes most.
For younger children, evaluation can begin simply: ‘Which of these two instructions is easier for someone new to follow, and why?’ Older learners can use multiple criteria and weigh the evidence.
10. Outline and summarise are different from copying everything
A summary selects the most important points in relation to its purpose, while an outline sets out main points or structure without the full detail. Neither should become a verbatim reproduction of every sentence of a source. The child should understand what the original material is about before trying to shorten it.
In a short story about a missing map, the main events might be the loss, search and discovery. Names of every object on the desk may not be necessary unless they explain the outcome. Let the child compare a concise accurate retell with an overlong list of disconnected details.
For a fuller lesson on preserving meaning while shortening or restating text, see Vol 24: Paraphrasing and Summarising.
11. Predict is not the same as report
‘Predict what happens if we move the support’ asks what may happen next based on the information available. ‘Report what happened after moving the support’ asks for an observed result. Children sometimes answer both with the same sentence without noticing whether the event has already occurred.
Teach the time of the evidence. A prediction should be checked after a suitable test when it is safe to do so. If the result differs, the child can revise the idea instead of treating the error as a failure of vocabulary.
12. A written question can contain two commands
‘Identify one important change and explain its effect’ contains two tasks. First the child names the change; then they explain the consequence. Answering only ‘The temperature increased’ completes the identification but may leave the effect unexplained.
Ask your child to circle each task verb and number the required response parts in the margin. This can be a valuable habit when tasks become longer, but it should be used to clarify meaning rather than to substitute for subject knowledge.
13. The source may not provide enough information
A fictional paragraph says, ‘Four children visited the museum, and a guide showed them a fossil.’ If a question asks ‘Explain why the museum was built in that city’, the text supplies no answer. A child should not manufacture a history of the museum merely because the command word is explain.
Distinguish questions that explicitly invite outside knowledge from questions that ask only what a given passage supports. When the text is the basis, preserve that boundary. In a general research assignment, seek suitable additional sources instead of pretending the paragraph answered everything.
14. Academic language across subjects
| Subject setting | Question verb | What changes in the response |
|---|---|---|
| Story reading | Identify the speaker | Name the person speaking |
| Story reading | Infer a feeling | Use clues and remain appropriately cautious |
| Science | Describe the observation | Record what was observed |
| Science | Explain the process | Connect relevant mechanisms or causes |
| Mathematics | Calculate the area | Use the required quantitative method |
| Mathematics | Justify the method | Show why the method applies |
| Geography | Compare two maps | Identify meaningful similarities and differences |
| History | Evaluate a source | Discuss relevance, context and limitations |
The general meanings transfer between subjects, but teachers may require specific evidence, diagram conventions, calculation steps or citations. International families should refer to the child’s actual syllabus and question instructions rather than treat this table as universal examination policy.
15. The child’s answer may be too long or too short
An identification question may need only a word or short phrase; a complex discussion may need several connected points. Length alone does not determine correctness. A long answer can still be irrelevant, and a short answer can be complete when the command asks only for a name.
Teach the child to ask ‘Have I done what the verb requested?’ rather than ‘Have I written enough difficult words?’ If a question contains several parts or a specific word limit, those constraints also matter.
16. A complete response-repair workshop
Original prompt: ‘Compare the two paper bridges and explain why their bending differed.’ Weak answer: ‘Bridge B was better. It is nice and strong.’ This gives an unexplained opinion and lacks the requested comparison.
Improved answer: ‘Both setups used the same lightweight toy and identical card. The supports were 12 cm apart in Trial A and 8 cm apart in Trial B. The card bent less in Trial B, possibly because the shorter unsupported span reduced bending under the same load.’ This responds to comparison and explanation while making the proposed cause appropriately cautious.
Even the improved answer should not claim that every card bridge behaves the same way. It is an interpretation of the fictional observations under the stated conditions, not universal proof.
17. A practical four-card command-word game
- Write four task verbs on paper: identify, describe, explain and compare.
- Choose one short story or a picture that contains enough information to answer each task.
- Ask your child to match a question to the verb’s job.
- Demonstrate a suitable answer for one question.
- Let the child produce an answer to a different command about the same source.
- Change the command word and ask what must be added, removed or justified.
- Finish by introducing one unfamiliar task verb with a clear example.
Younger children can begin orally with name versus tell me about before moving to more abstract verbs. Older learners can examine justify, infer, analyse and evaluate in a school reading passage.
18. Support different levels of readiness
| Stage | Useful entry point | Next challenge |
|---|---|---|
| Young child | Point to and name an object | Describe one feature |
| Beginning reader | Identify versus describe in a picture book | Give a short reason |
| Growing primary reader | Compare two story events | Explain a cause using clues |
| Confident primary learner | Distinguish explain, infer, justify and predict | Check evidence for each answer |
| Older learner | Analyse and evaluate a passage or data display | Judge the strength and limits of support |
These stages are illustrative rather than universal ages or syllabus levels. A child may know the subject concept but need the task verb explained orally, particularly when learning English alongside another language.
19. A flexible ten-minute parent routine
- Two minutes: read a short passage and identify its main idea.
- Two minutes: ask an identify question and demonstrate a complete short answer.
- Two minutes: ask a describe or compare question about the same source.
- Two minutes: ask why, infer or justify with evidence appropriate to the text.
- Two minutes: let the child explain how the required response changed with the command.
The timetable is an illustrative family activity, not a guaranteed intervention. One well-modelled difference between identify and explain is often more useful than a list of twenty verbs copied without context.
20. What progress should parents notice?
- The child can locate the main command word before answering.
- They distinguish naming something from describing its characteristics.
- They supply a relevant relationship when asked to explain.
- They understand that an inference must connect to clues.
- They compare the intended properties rather than list unrelated facts.
- They provide reasons when asked to justify.
- They recognise the difference between a prediction and an observed result.
- They can identify when a passage does not support the requested claim.
21. Common mistakes adults can avoid
- Teaching command words as identical synonyms: each asks for a different response.
- Using answers copied from a model without explanation: change the question and context.
- Rewarding length over relevance: match answer depth to the actual task.
- Asking for an inference with no clues: use a source that supports reasoning.
- Allowing unsupported causal claims: separate observation from explanation.
- Applying one board’s definitions to every exam: check local subject guidance.
- Correcting grammar without teaching the subject concept: both matter.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between identify and describe?
Identify asks the child to name or select something. Describe asks for relevant features, events or characteristics. The exact expected detail depends on the task.
Why is explain different from describe?
Describe commonly states what something is like or what happened; explain connects reasons, processes or relationships. An explanation needs suitable knowledge and evidence.
Is compare the same as contrast?
Compare usually considers similarities and/or differences relevant to the question, whereas contrast focuses on differences. Read the subject instructions for any narrower requirement.
Does infer mean guess?
An inference should be grounded in clues or knowledge and remain proportionate to the evidence. It is not merely a random guess.
What does justify require?
It asks for relevant reasons or evidence supporting a claim, answer or choice, not simply a statement of preference.
How is evaluate different from explain?
Evaluate involves making a judgement against relevant criteria and evidence. Explain typically focuses on causes, processes or how relationships work.
Should children memorise a command-word chart?
A short reference can help, but practice with real passages is essential. Children should learn what each word asks them to do and how to check the response.
What if the question asks for information missing from the passage?
If the task is text-based, say what is unsupported instead of inventing a fact. If outside research is requested, consult suitable additional sources and distinguish those from the original passage.
Evidence and parent reading
The Cambridge International command-word reference explains commonly used task verbs such as identify, compare, explain, justify, analyse and evaluate, while noting subject-specific definitions. The Education Endowment Foundation reading-comprehension review discusses explicit modelling, questioning, inference, paraphrasing and summarising. These sources support broad teaching principles; the paper-bridge exercises are original parent examples, not an official assessment.
One useful question to ask tonight
Read a short paragraph with your child, then ask them to identify one event and explain one relationship. Do the answers look different? Ask why. Children who can explain what a question is asking have made an important step towards understanding, not simply responding.
Related guides: Vol 6: Reasons and Evidence · Vol 7: Academic Subject Vocabulary · Vol 12: Independent Word Learning · Vol 16: Reading Nonfiction · Vol 24: Paraphrasing and Summarising · Vol 33: Reading Data and Charts · Vocabulary in Real English Hub.
This batch of parent vocabulary guides: Vol 55: A, An, The and Referencing Nouns · Vol 56: Measurement Properties and Units · Vol 58: Part–Whole, Materials and Contents. Review Vol 54 · Vocabulary in Real English Hub.