A command word tells you what kind of answer the question wants. Some students lose marks not because they lack content, but because they give a description when the question asked for an explanation.
What does each command ask for?
Use this table as a reference. Each row has an example question from a different subject.
| Command | What it asks for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| State | One short fact, no reason | State the unit of force. (Newton) |
| Name | The word or term only | Name the organ that produces bile. (Liver) |
| Describe | What happens, step by step, no reason | Describe the trend in the graph of rainfall by month. |
| Explain | What happens and why | Explain why iron rusts faster near the sea. |
| Compare | Similarities and differences, both sides | Compare the roles of a sole trader and a partnership. |
| Calculate | Working shown, answer with unit | Calculate the speed of a car that travels 90 km in 1.5 hours. |
| Suggest | A reasonable idea using given information | Suggest why a village market is busiest on Friday morning. |
| Justify | A decision with reasons | Justify the choice of a longer loan term for a small business. |
How does one topic change with the command?
Take a heated metal rod that expands. The same content can answer three different commands.
- State: Metals expand when heated.
- Describe: The rod becomes longer as its temperature rises, and shrinks back when cooled.
- Explain: The particles gain kinetic energy, vibrate more widely and push further apart, so the rod expands.
The third answer earns marks the first two cannot, because it gives the reason. A student who writes the “state” answer for an “explain” question loses the marks for the why.
What is the thirty-second habit?
Before you write, do three things.
- Underline the command word.
- Circle the mark allocation.
- Write the number of points you need, for example “3 points”.
If the command is “explain” for three marks, you need about three linked ideas, each with a reason. This takes thirty seconds and stops wrong-command answers before you write them.
What are common command traps?
- Compare answered as two descriptions. You must link them with words such as “whereas” or “both”.
- Calculate without units. The working may earn marks, but the missing unit can cost one.
- Suggest answered from memory. The question expects you to use the information given.
The command-word practice coach gives you questions to practise matching answer to command, and structured answer self-review helps you check your own answers afterwards.
Where does a teacher help?
A teacher can look at one of your written answers, tell you which command you answered, and show the same content rewritten for the correct command. One before-and-after comparison is clearer than a long list of rules.
The one-hour trial class (from RM50) is one way to try this. Go back to the free resources page for other guides to use with this one.