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The command word at the start of a question is the single most important word on the paper. It tells you exactly what the examiner wants you to do. Students who misread a command word will write a good answer to the wrong question and score low marks despite their effort. This lesson demystifies every command word you will meet across the four boards.
| Command word | What it demands | Typical tariff | Verbs you should use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Describe | Set out key features with specific detail | 4 marks | Include, show, consist of |
| Explain | Give reasons with causal connections | 8–12 marks | Because, as a result, this led to |
| Analyse | Break down and examine relationships | Higher-tariff | Shows that, reveals, interacts with |
| Evaluate | Weigh strengths and weaknesses, reach a judgement | 8–16 marks | More/less significant, stronger/weaker |
| How far do you agree? | Assess a claim, with support and challenge, judge overall | 16 marks | Partly convincing, on balance, ultimately |
| To what extent…? | Judge the degree to which a claim holds | 16 marks | Largely, partly, mainly, chiefly |
| Why…? | Explain causes | 8–12 marks | Because, since, in part because |
| How useful…? | Evaluate source utility for a specific enquiry | 8–12 marks | Useful for, limited for, particularly valuable because |
| How convincing…? | Evaluate an interpretation's argument | 8–16 marks | Convincing because, less convincing where, on balance |
| Compare / Which was more…? | Measure two things against each other | Various | More, less, equally, respectively |
Underline the command word on the paper before you start writing. It is the cheapest grade-protection habit you can develop.
These two commands are tested on every board and confused by most mid-band students.
| Describe | Explain | |
|---|---|---|
| Asks | What happened? What were the features? | Why did it happen? |
| Typical marks | 4 | 8–12 |
| Structure | Two or three developed features, each with specific detail | Two or three reasons, each with causal connection + evidence |
| Common mistake | Adding "why" (over-answering) | Forgetting "why" (under-answering) |
Question: Describe two features of the Treaty of Versailles. (4 marks)
One feature of the Treaty of Versailles was the territorial settlement. Germany lost around 13% of its territory, including Alsace-Lorraine to France, Eupen-Malmedy to Belgium and West Prussia to the new Poland, along with all of its colonies.
A second feature was the reparations clause. Article 231 assigned war guilt to Germany, and a reparations commission in 1921 set the total bill at £6.6 billion, payable over decades.
Two developed features with specific evidence. No reasoning about why they were imposed — that is not the question.
Question: Explain why the Treaty of Versailles was resented in Germany. (8 marks)
The Treaty was resented firstly because Germans had not expected such harsh terms. Armistice in November 1918 had been signed on the basis of Wilson's Fourteen Points, which promised self-determination and a just peace. When the actual terms emerged in June 1919, the gap between expectation and reality produced shock and a sense of betrayal — hence the "stab-in-the-back" myth that Germany had been tricked.
Secondly, Germans resented the diktat nature of the Treaty. The German delegation was excluded from negotiation and told to sign or face invasion. This humiliation — reinforced by Article 231 assigning sole war guilt — was felt more sharply than the material losses, and it remained a rallying point for nationalist politics throughout the 1920s.
Two reasons, each with evidence and causal reasoning.
| Analyse | Evaluate | |
|---|---|---|
| Asks | How does it work? How do parts relate? | What is its value, strength, importance? |
| Typical use | Narrative accounts; interpretation analysis | Significance; "how far"; judgement essays |
| Mode | Dissecting | Weighing |
"Analyse" asks you to take something apart; "evaluate" asks you to rate it.
These two are the workhorses of the 16-mark essay across all four boards. They mean the same thing: judge the claim in degrees, not yes/no.
Your answer should fall somewhere on this spectrum:
flowchart LR
A[Completely agree] --> B[Largely agree]
B --> C[Partly agree]
C --> D[Partly disagree]
D --> E[Largely disagree]
E --> F[Completely disagree]
The middle four answers (largely agree, partly agree, partly disagree, largely disagree) are usually the strongest, because complete agreement or disagreement usually flattens historical complexity.
Different boards test the same underlying skills in slightly different question formats. Knowing the map lets you read past papers from any board and still benefit.
| Skill tested | AQA | Edexcel | OCR | Eduqas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Describe features | "Describe two features…" (4 marks) | Embedded in thematic | "Describe…" (low tariff) | Embedded |
| Explain causes | "Explain why…" (12 marks) | "Explain why…" (12 marks) | "Explain why…" (10 marks) | "Explain why…" |
| Source utility | "How useful are Sources A and B…?" (12 marks) | "How useful is the source…?" (8 marks) | "Use the source and your own knowledge…" | "How useful is the source…?" |
| Interpretations — difference | — | "Two differences" (4 marks) | "What can you learn from…" | "Compare…" |
| Interpretations — evaluate | "How far do you agree with Interpretation…?" (16+4 marks) | "How convincing is Interpretation…?" (8 marks) | "Which interpretation is more convincing?" | "Analyse and evaluate…" |
| Significance | "Explain the significance of…" (8 marks) | Thematic embedded | "Which was more significant?" | "To what extent was… significant?" |
| Analytical narrative | "Write an account of…" (8 marks) | — | — | — |
| Similarity / difference | "Explain two ways… similar / different" (8 marks) | "Explain one similarity / difference" (4 marks) | Embedded | Embedded |
| 16-mark judgement essay | "How far do you agree…?" (16+4 marks) | "How far do you agree…?" (16+4 marks) | "Which was more important…?" (18 marks) | "To what extent…?" (16 marks) |
"Significance of the 1833 Factory Act":
The underlying skill — judging significance with evidence — is identical. The shape of the answer shifts: AQA wants a focused 8-mark significance answer; OCR wants a comparative judgement essay; Eduqas wants an extended argument.
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