Why command words matter
Most lost explanation marks come from answering a different question than the one asked. The command word is the instruction, and each one has a defined job. Underline it before you start writing.
The short-answer verbs
- State: give a fact, value or relationship in one line, with no reasoning.
- Define: give the exact meaning, often as a word equation or precise sentence.
- Name or list: give the specific term or items, nothing more.
- Sketch: draw the shape of a graph or diagram, labelled, without exact plotting.
The longer verbs
- Describe: say what happens or what you observe, in order, without needing the reason.
- Explain: give the reason, using cause and effect. Make the link explicit: because X, therefore Y, naming the law or principle.
- Compare: address both cases on the same feature in each sentence, using words like whereas or higher than, and include a similarity if asked.
- Suggest: apply physics to an unfamiliar situation with a sensible, reasoned answer; there may be more than one acceptable response.
The calculation verbs
- Calculate and determine: reach a numerical answer with full working, formula, substitution and unit. Determine sometimes means read from a graph or table first.
Practising with command words
When you review past papers, note the command word for each part and check that your answer did its specific job. A "describe" that drifts into "explain" wastes time; an "explain" that only describes loses marks. If this trips you up often, a one-to-one review of your written answers against the command words sharpens it quickly.
Written by the spmphysics.com.my editorial team.· Updated 5 Sept 2026