Science Vocabulary/Words that often confuse students in exams and assignments

Analyze: Critically take apart a statement and examine it in detail, or find the meaning in a set of data by applying statistical tests to it. Not a brief response that only provides an outline of your thinking.

Assess: Consider the strength of an argument or statement. This will require taking a balanced view and looking at both sides. Not a brief response or one that only justifies one side of a stance (e.g. you are not assessing the likely success of a new drug properly if you only consider the possible benefits).

Criticize: Use evidence and strong, logical reasoning to point out the weaknesses attached to an argument or interpretation. Not a brief response or a simple list of weaknesses/beliefs (your logic in explaining your criticisms is the key requirement).

Critique: Similar to assess, this prompt requires considering the strength of both sides of an argument or statement. Not to be confused by the similarity to criticize.

Describe: Give details of something as though you are telling someone wearing a blindfold exactly what you see. Not a brief response, but one that links key pieces together so that someone knows exactly what you are referring to.

Explain: Provide (likely) reasons for why something is the way it is, or why you might expect something to happen under a certain set of circumstances. Not a list of reasons that are not linked together (e.g. you must say A happens because of B…)

Illustrate: Provide examples of something. Generally not in pictures or in sketches/drawings, but in words.

State: Provide a brief answer to the prompt. Not a long response, or detailed reasoning.