TeachAI IBExam technique · All subjects
Command terms: what “outline”, “explain”, “evaluate” and “discuss” ask you to write
Two answers can contain the same facts and earn very different marks. The difference is often the command term: the verb that tells you whether to list, give reasons, or weigh up and reach a judgement.
Why the verb matters
Mark schemes reward the kind of thinking the command term asks for. An excellent description earns little when the question asks you to explain, because the marks are attached to reasons and causes, not to more detail.
The number of marks is your second clue. A two-mark outline needs two clear points; a fifteen-mark discussion needs an argument with a conclusion.
Common command terms in plain English
Your subject guide has the definitive glossary for your course. In everyday terms, the most common verbs ask for this:
| Command term | What it asks for | A shape that works |
|---|---|---|
| Define | The precise meaning of a term | One accurate sentence, using the key words of the definition |
| Outline | A brief account or summary | Short points, one per mark |
| Describe | A detailed account of what something is or what happens | Features or steps in order, without reasons |
| Explain | A detailed account including reasons or causes | Point, then “because” or “so”, then the result |
| Analyse | Break something down to show its parts and how they connect | Separate the factors, then link each to the effect |
| Evaluate | Weigh strengths and limitations to reach a judgement | Arguments for, arguments against, then a justified verdict |
| Discuss | A balanced review of a range of arguments or factors | Several viewpoints with evidence, then a supported conclusion |
| To what extent | Judge how far a claim holds | Where it holds, where it does not, then how far overall |
Planning a short explain answer
Take a four-mark question: Explain why a tariff raises the price that domestic consumers pay. A strong answer links each step to the next instead of listing facts: the tariff is a tax on imports, so the price of imported goods rises to the world price plus the tariff; domestic consumers can now buy imports only at that higher price; so domestic producers can also sell at the higher price; so the price consumers pay rises.
Check the explanation
Marks go to the chain of reasoning, not to the word “tariff”. Each “so” is a link an examiner can credit. Drawing and labelling a diagram (world price, world price plus tariff) usually strengthens the answer.
Planning a long evaluate or discuss answer
- Open by defining the key terms in the question.
- Make two or three developed arguments for, each with an example or evidence.
- Make two or three developed arguments against, in the same way.
- Weigh them: which matters most, for whom, in the short run or the long run, and under what conditions?
- End with a judgement that answers the question as it was asked.
A judgement that appears only in the last line, with no weighing before it, usually earns less than one that has been built throughout the answer.
Check your own course
Assessment details and command-term definitions are set by your subject guide and can change between guide editions. Check the guide for your examination session and follow your teacher’s advice. The methods and examples above are written by TeachAI IB.
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