Command Terms and the Shape of a Question

The wording of a research question quietly dictates what your essay must do. The verb or command term at the heart of the question signals whether you will describe, compare, evaluate, or measure, and that in turn determines how analytical the essay can be. This lesson examines how to shape a question so that it demands analysis rather than description.

Command terms set the task

Words such as "to what extent," "how far," "evaluate," "compare," "analyse," and "assess" ask for judgment and weighing of evidence. Words such as "describe," "outline," "list," and "summarize" ask only for reporting. Because the higher marks in every EE criteria set reward analysis and evaluation, the safest questions use command terms that require you to reach a reasoned judgment. Even a modest topic becomes ana