Both subjects
Leaving Cert command words: what the question is asking
The command word tells you what kind of answer earns marks. “Discuss” wants more than one side, “explain” wants reasons, and “to what extent” wants a judgement of how far.
The common ones
| Word | What it wants | A paragraph that answers it |
|---|---|---|
| Describe | What happened or what something is like. | Gives accurate detail in a clear order. |
| Explain | Why or how something happened. | Gives a reason and shows how it led to the result. |
| Discuss | A considered look at more than one side. | Makes a point, tests it, and says where it stands. |
| Evaluate or assess | A judgement of how important, successful or effective something was. | Weighs evidence and reaches a verdict. |
| To what extent | How far something is true. | Says how far, with evidence on both sides, and commits to an answer. |
| Compare | Similarities, and often differences too. | Deals with both things in the same paragraph. |
| Contrast | Differences. | Shows exactly where two things part ways. |
An example
Take “To what extent did Parnell advance the cause of Home Rule?” A list of what Parnell did describes. An answer that says how far he got, what he achieved and where he fell short answers the question.
What this tells you
- Read the command word before you plan. It decides what every paragraph has to do.
- Answer the question that was set. A strong “describe” answer to a “to what extent” question still misses the task.
How somalc uses thisIMark checks whether each line answers the question it was written for, which is where a misread command word shows up.