ACADEMIC VOCABULARY

Analyze: examine the parts of an item and discuss how they are related.

Compare: look at two or more items and show how they are the same of different

Contrast: compare two or more items to show differences between them

Criticize: give your opinion or judgment about the positive and negative points

Define: give the meaning of

Describe: write about it, “paint a picture with words.” Do so in a logical sequence.

Diagram: Make a drawing, graph, or chart and label its parts.

Discuss: talk something over, looking at positive and negative points

Enumerate: list facts using numbers

Evaluate: give your opinion of the importance of something; give advantages and disadvantages

Explain: make something clear that is not understood; tell how something happened or how to do something

Hypothesize: think about what would happen if…

Illustrate: explain your answer in writing and make it clear using examples, stories, pictures, charts, diagrams

Interpret: explain your answer in writing and make it clear

Justify: give a reason for or defend something; give evidence

List: produce answers in words or sentences and number them

Outline: list a plan that gives only the main ideas; summarize showing how the ideas are organized

Prove: give evidence or argue that something is true

Relate: show how one thing is connected to or similar to another

Review: examine and talk about the important parts of something; discuss positive and negative points

State: tell; express precisely; sentences should be brief and should omit details

Summarize: give only the main points of a thing or event, not details or examples

Trace: follow the development of (the history of) something from beginning to end