Written

assignments Essays: task words

Task words are the words or phrases used in assignment titles that tell you what to do. (These
words are also used in marking criteria.) Common examples in UK higher education include discuss,
evaluate, compare and contrast and critically analyse. It is important, of course, to have a
reasonably clear idea of what these words and phrases mean.

It is extremely important, however, to note that none of the following task words has a fixed
meaning. Whilst there is broad agreement about the general idea behind each term, we cannot
guarantee that lecturers using them mean exactly what is written here. There are differences
between subjects (in Maths, in particular, many of these terms have quite different meanings), so
use the following as a rough guide. Always read task instructions and marking criteria closely.
If in doubt, check with your lecturer or tutor.

State Express briefly and clearly

Identify Select one or more particular examples of whatever is specified

Define Present a precise meaning

Describe Say or write what something is like (its relevant qualities); depending on the
nature of the task, descriptions may need to be brief or they may need to be
very detailed

Outline Provide the main points or ideas, normally without going into detail

Examine Look closely at something, thinking and writing about the detail, and
questioning it where appropriate

Explore Consider an idea or topic broadly, hunting for related and/or particularly
relevant, interesting or debatable points

Illustrate Give selected examples of something to help describe or explain it, or

use diagrams or other visuals to help describe or explain something

Summarise Similar to outline: state (or re-state) the most important parts of something
so that it is represented in miniature

Compare Used alone: show the similarities and differences between two (or more)
things
Used together with contrast (compare and contrast): show how two
(or more) things are similar
Contrast Show how two (or more) things are different

Explain Give reasons for; show why something is the way it is

Account for Similar to explain

Justify Explain the reasons for something (usually a choice), considering different
possible views and ideas when giving these reasons

Discuss Provide detail about and evidence for and against two or more different
views or ideas (often with reference to a statement in the title); often includes
explaining which views or ideas seem stronger

Analyse Make a justified selection of some of the essential features of an artefact, idea
(note: this is the or issue, and examine how these relate to each other and to other ideas, in
term with the widest order to help better understand the artefact, idea or issue. See something in
range of meanings different ways and provide evidence for those ways of seeing it
according to subject)

Critically analyse As per analysis, but questioning and testing the strength of your and others
analyses from different perspectives; often means using the process of
analysis to make the whole essay an objective, reasoned argument (an overall
case)

Assess Measure one or more aspects of something (for example the effectiveness,
(note: also has very significance or truth of something); show in detail the outcomes of this
different meanings in measuring
different subjects)

Critically assess As per assess but emphasising the scrutiny from different perspectives of
arguments made by others about the assessed quality; often means making
the whole essay an objective, reasoned argument (an overall case), based on
your assessment

Evaluate Similar to assess, often with more emphasis on overall judgement of

something i.e. explaining the extent to which something is effective / useful /
true etc. Evaluation is thus sometimes more subjective and contestable than
some kinds of pure assessment

Critically evaluate As per evaluate but showing how judgements vary from different
perspectives and how some judgements are stronger than others; often
means creating an objective, reasoned argument (an overall case) based on
the evaluation from different perspectives

DCQE
Martin Hampton
email: academicskills@port.ac.uk
www.port.ac.uk/ask
Department for Curriculum
09/15 and Quality Enhancement