Factsheet (Year 11 and 12) - Essay terms explained - Instruction words meanings

Oct 1, 2026

A Year 11 and 12 factsheet explaining common essay instruction words used in essay questions. It defines key verbs such as analyse, assess, compare, contrast, evaluate, define, describe, discuss, elaborate, explore, interpret, justify, and review, outlining what each answer should include. It also provides guidance for the “summarise” response, emphasizing condensed main facts and omitting irrelevant information, with an included example resource link.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Instruction words

Analyse, Assess, Compare, Contrast

Critically evaluate, Define, Describe

Discuss, Elaborate, Explore

Interpret, Justify, Review

Summarise

YEAR 11 AND 12 ESSAY TERMS EXPLAINED Before you start an essay, you need to understand the question. To do this, you need to identify the instruction words – the words in the question telling you what to do. Below is an explanation of some common instruction words you may come across in essay questions. Instruction words Meaning | Analyse | Find the main ideas, how they are related and why they are important. | | --- | --- | | Assess | Weigh up to what extent something is true. Point out any flaws and counter-arguments. Conclude by stating whether you are in agreement with the original position. | | Compare | Identify similarities and differences between two objects, concepts or ideas. Include what similarities and differences are more important than others. | | Contrast | Identify dissimilarities, differences, unique or distinguishing characteristics. | | Critically evaluate or evaluate | Provide an opinion about whether a statement in a piece of research is true and whether you agree with it. Include evidence that agrees and disagrees with the statement. Conclude by listing the most important factors and justify why you agree/disagree. | | Define | Clearly state the meaning, and list the qualities, traits and characteristics. | | Describe | Provide a detailed explanation about how and why something happens. | | Discuss | Make a case for or against an argument and reach a conclusion. Point out the advantages and disadvantages. | | Elaborate | Give more detail and provide more information on a topic. | | Explore | Adopt a questioning approach and consider a variety of different viewpoints. | | Interpret | Demonstrate your understanding of an issue or topic. | | Justify | Provide a statement of why you think something is so. Give reasons and provide a balanced argument by considering opinions that are contrary to your own before stating your conclusion. | | Review | Summarise important points and criticise if necessary. | Summarise Give a condensed version that includes the main facts and omits irrelevant information. Brief and general examples normally suffice for this kind of answer. [education.wa.edu.au](education.wa.edu.au) . © Department of Education, Western Australia, 2015

FAQs

What does “analyse” mean in an essay question?

It means finding the main ideas, showing how they relate, and explaining why they are important.

How should you answer an essay question that asks you to “assess”?

You should weigh how far something is true, point out flaws and counter-arguments, and conclude with whether you agree with the original position.

What does “summarise” require in terms of length and content?

It requires a condensed version with the main facts, omitting irrelevant information; brief and general examples are usually sufficient.

Oct 1, 2026

Uploaded by River Wang