POWER WORDS

To come to a conclusion based on detailed information or to make an educated guess. Example: If your friend goes into his house to ask his dad if he can go to the movies with you, and he comes out with a frown on his face, you can infer that his dad said ‘no.’ INFER

To separate something into parts to understand how all the parts make sense as a whole. Example: crime scene investigators analyze evidence when they look at clues left behind and figure out what happened. ANALYZE

SYNTHESIZE When you SYNTHESIZE, you bring together facts from a number of sources to form a complete and thorough response to a question.

When you’re asked what something signifies, they’re asking what it shows, why it matters, or what’s important Example: “What is the significance of” a certain word or event. They are asking why it is IMPORTANT. SIGNIFY

TRACE If a question asks you to trace the events leading up to something, you need to look for an answer that lists the order of events that led up to it. This is similar to putting things in chronological order, or in sequence.

EVALUATE This means you are asked to determine the value or quality of given information. If the quality is high on a report you turn in, you get an A or B; if it’s not high quality, you’ll get a lower grade. This is an opinion, so be sure to base it on evidence in what you have read.

This word means to come up with an idea or a plan. Example: You want to go to the movies on Friday but your parents need chores done. You try to formulate a plan to get your work done and still go to the movies with friends. FORMULATE

Telling a story while leaving all the details out – you focus only on the main points. Example: “Putting things in a nutshell” is an idiom that means to summarize because a shell of a pecan or walnut is pretty darn small! SUMMARIZE

EXPLAIN You have to explain something with details if someone is going to understand you exactly. Unlike summarizing where you just hit on the main idea, when you explain you need to give the finer points.

COMPARE In order to compare two objects or characters, you focus on how they are alike.

CONTRAST To explain the differences between two people or things, you will contrast them.

PREDICT When you predict, you take a guess at what you think will happen next. Predictions can be based on information you already know about a person or a situation.

When someone asks you to support your position, they are asking you to give valid (true, logical) reasons for why you have that opinion. In other words, you argue for it. Look for statements in text that agree with your opinion. SUPPORT

A conclusion is a determination you make based on evidence. Example: You left your markers on the dining room table. Your little sister loves markers. Your markers are missing. Your little sister’s arms are covered with new “art work.” CONCLUSION

To use details so as to give the reader or listener a clear image of what you’re saying is to describe. Description shows your reader exactly what you see, hear, feel, or understand about something. DESCRIBE