Instructional Words

It is important you understand assignment and examination instructions before you start work on them.
If the instruction requires you to discuss a topic, but you describe it instead, you will lose marks.
Also make sure you understand the instructional words in the Learning Outcomes of your courses, as they are a valuable guide to your study.
Definitions of instructional words can vary.
If you are unsure, check with your tutor.

Analyse

Break down and carefully examine the most important parts showing how they are related, whether they work together and why they are important.

Compare

Focus on similarities between qualities, subjects and other things. Check with your tutor whether differences are to be considered.

Contrast

Focus on the differences between qualities, subjects and other
things.

Compare and contrast

Describe the major similarities, and then the major differences between two or more things.

Critically analyse

Break down the topic or argument and examine the parts in terms of its strengths and weaknesses.

Critically evaluate

Give an in-depth and logical judgement of something. Support your judgement with reliable evidence and/or authoritative views. Examine in detail. Explore alternatives, challenging and questioning. Discuss strengths and weaknesses (for and against).
Check with your tutor about the exact requirements and/or faculty guidelines.

Define

Give the exact meaning of a word or phrase. Be clear and concise. Check with your tutor whether you need to show how the things being defined differ from other ideas or things.

Demonstrate

Use clear thinking to either:

• prove by using statistics and reliable evidence etc. or
• explain to show you understand, by using examples and/or experience.
  

Describe

Write in detail the main points or characteristics in a logical sequence without interpreting the information.

Discuss

Examine carefully and completely. Give reasons for and against, or examine a range of views. Come to a conclusion.

Evaluate

Carefully assess advantages and limitations. Emphasize evidence and authoritative views. Check with your tutor about giving personal opinions.

Examine

Break down into parts and describe each part in a careful way.

Explain

Clarify and interpret something. Examine the reasons, causes and results. Check with your tutor whether drawings and diagrams can be used to support the answer.

Illustrate

Use real life examples to explain and clarify the topic. Check with your tutor whether drawings and diagrams can be used to support the answer.

Interpret

Explain the meaning of something in a clear way. Give examples or comment on a subject. Check with your tutor whether you need to give a reaction, judgement or examples.

Justify

Give reasons for decisions, conclusions or opinions. The use of reliable evidence is usually expected.

List

Give a series of brief ideas. Lists may be numbered.

Outline

Give the main features or general principles of a subject, leaving out minor details, and using logical arrangement.

Prove

Show clearly that something is true and/or certain, by evaluating and stating factual evidence and/or logical reasoning.

Relate

Show how things are connected to each other, to what extent they are similar. Show any cause and effect, or how they affect each other.

Review

Critically evaluate the important statements about a subject, by authoritative sources.

State

Give main points clearly and briefly. Usually leave out details and examples.

Suggest

Propose an idea, solution or theory and show how it could work.

Summarise

Give the main points briefly, leaving out details & examples.