Struggling to Understand What Your Teacher Wants? Download This Free Tool to Boost Your Marks!

If you’ve ever been uncertain about what your teacher wants in an assignment, you’re not alone. Many students lose marks because they’re not clear on what words like evaluate, justify, or analyse actually mean.

Knowing how to approach each type of question can make a huge difference in your marks. When you understand what your teacher wants, you can tailor your responses to meet those expectations precisely, improving both the quality of your work and your results.

Why Understanding Task Words is Key

Teachers use specific words, often called “task words,” to tell you exactly what they’re looking for. These words set the tone for how you should approach your answer. Misinterpreting them can lead to wasted effort and missed marks, even if your content is strong.

To help, we’ve put together a simple breakdown of common task words and what they mean:

• Analyse: Break the topic into parts, examine each part closely, and explain how they relate to each other.
• Evaluate: Give your opinion on the value or importance of the topic, backed up with reasons and evidence.
• Justify: Provide reasons or evidence to support your answer or argument.
• Compare: Highlight similarities and differences between two or more elements.
• Discuss: Present a balanced view, covering both sides of the topic or argument.
• Describe: Give detailed information about the topic or idea.

Enhance Your Responses with ALARM

If you’re looking for even more support in composing high-quality responses, try using the ALARM framework (A Learning and Response Matrix). ALARM is a powerful tool that breaks down the process of writing into clear steps, guiding you in analysing, structuring, and composing responses for assessment tasks and exams. By using ALARM alongside this task word guide, you can boost your literacy skills, strengthen your answers, and approach every assignment with confidence.

Boost Your Marks

Save this guide and refer to it when working on your next assignment! Understanding what each task word requires will not only save you time but also give you a clear advantage in hitting the mark with your responses.

Tip: Print this tool or keep a digital copy handy so you’re ready to nail each assignment!