C LUE W ORDS FOR T EST Q UESTIONS

C LUE W ORDS When taking a test, look for specific clue words to that you know exactly what the question is asking for Understanding the clue words will help you to know immediately what type of answer they want Looking at the question prior to reading the passage or the problem gives you a hint as to what you’ll be finding in the passage or the problem

C LUE W ORD : A NALYZE Analyze : When you analyze something, you look at it very closely. You look at all the parts or ideas and explain how they are related Question : “Analyze the information contained in the following document… When you’re analyzing something, you’re breaking down the parts to make something large or bulky more understandable Rather than looking at an entire passage, you’re breaking the passage into parts – maybe based on a related topic or by paragraphs

C LUE W ORD : C OMPARE Compare : When you compare things, you look at them very closely and find all the similarities between them. Question : “Compare life in the United States with life in Great Britain during the Revolutionary War.” When you’re comparing, you are looking for anything that is similar or the same Look for synonyms, or key words such as “like” “During the Revolutionary war, money was tight in the U.S., just like it was in Great Britain.”

C LUE W ORD : C ONTRAST Contrast : When you contrast things, you look at them very closely and find all the differences between them. Question: “Contrast life in the United States with life in Great Britain during the Revolutionary War.” When you’re contrasting, you’re looking for differences or opposites Look for antonyms Frequently an essay question will ask you to compare AND contrast two things; you must be prepared to identify all similarities and differences

C LUE W ORD : D ESCRIBE Describe : When you describe something, you really work hard to paint a picture with words so that the reader can really see what you are saying. Question : “Using the documents attached, describe the importance of…” Descriptive language is rich with adjectives and utilizes imagery – you want your reader to be able to picture exactly what you’re describing A good way to practice is to “draw” something you’re familiar with using words. Try to “draw” your bedroom or describe your journey to school.

C LUE W ORD : D ISCUSS Discuss : When you discuss something, you look at it very closely and examine the subject in detail. Question : “Discuss the importance of the Erie Canal during New York State’s early history.” Think about how subjects are discussed in class – we all have the opportunity to say what we think about the topic For an essay question, you want to give every detail you remember about the topic – you’ll never have points taken away for having too much information

C LUE W ORD : E XPLAIN Explain : When you explain something, you give reasons why things happened or how you got your answer. Question : “Explain how the Native Americans used natural resources to…” Explaining something is very similar to discussing it You may want to think of it as a step-by-step process: imagine what happens first, second, etc. Again, there’s no such thing as too much information. The more you write, the more proof you have that you know and understand the topic.

C LUE W ORD : I NTERPRET Interpret : When you interpret something, you look at it very closely, and then give the meaning or significance of it. Question : “Interpret the meaning of the following dates located on the graph…” Interpreting something is very similar to defining it – you want to tell why the data or information is important When you interpret something, you’re decoding it. In other words, you are like a detective who is trying to find out why those dates or that information is significant

C LUE W ORD : L IST List : When you list something, you look at it very closely, and you provide all of the details or all of the steps in order about that event or thing. Question : “List the events that led to the creation of the Declaration of Independence…” Again, you want to provide a step-by-step series of events beginning with what occurred first It’s important to remember that if this is an essay question, you still have to respond in complete sentences. You do not want to just create a numbered list. Be more formal: “First….and then…”

C LUE W ORD : M AIN I DEA Main Idea : When you look at the main idea or the main reason for something happening, you are looking for a BIG idea/reason or the central part of the information. Question : “What is the main reason for the Boston Tea Party?” The main idea will probably be mentioned or referred to multiple times in the passage or paragraph OR, the rest of the information will have to do with the main idea Your job is to identify what is the MOST IMPORTANT part of the paragraph or passage

C LUE W ORD : S UMMARY Summary : When you give a summary or summarize something, you are giving just a brief description of what happened. Question : “Give a summary of the events leading up to the creation of the Bill of Rights.” When you summarize, you are NOT re-telling the entire story. It is your job to determine the information that is most important to the topic. A person reading the summary should have a general idea of what happened without any background information of what you are summarizing

C LUE W ORD : C ATEGORY Category : When you categorize something, you group, classify, and/or sort items with common or similar characteristics. Question : “Categorize the following items using common characteristics.” When you categorize, you are looking for items that are alike, words or things that are described the same way, etc. As with “list,” if you’re writing an essay response, make sure that you use complete sentences Everything in the group will have something in common

C LUE W ORD : D EBATE Debate : When you debate something, you research the topic, analyze both sides and viewpoints closely and then select whether you are for or against the topic. Evidence to support your position must be provided. Question : “Write a debate about single-gender education.” This should remind you of the work you did with our persuasive unit: you MUST select one side to agree with, but still be familiar with the opposing viewpoint Incorporating support or evidence backing up your argument makes your argument more valid

C LUE W ORD : D IFFERENTIATE Differentiate : When you differentiate, you look very closely at the information, items, or things and determine all characteristics which set them apart and illustrate the differences. Question : “The author used the following statements to differentiate life in the New World versus life in England.” This is essentially the same thing as contrasting information You are looking for and identifying the differences between the topics, places, etc.

C LUE W ORD : D ISTINGUISH Distinguish : When you distinguish between two or more items and/or things, you are able to identify similarities and differences by analyzing the characteristics of each. Question : “Distinguish if the following statements are based on fact or the author’s opinion on the subject.” This is very similar to comparing and contrasting information Again, it’s important to remember to write complete sentences, not create a bulleted list

C LUE W ORD : I NFERENCE Inference : When you are asked to make an inference, you are really making an assumption or drawing a conclusion using the information provided. Question: “After reading the newspaper headline, what can you infer the article will be about?” When you infer, you’re making an educated guess what the article is about. An educated guess means that you are using whatever information is provided and determining what will come next, or what is important about it.

C LUE W ORD : S UPPORTING D ETAILS Supporting Details : When you are asked to identify the supporting details, you are searching for the statement(s) or sentence(s) which support the BIG IDEA or MAIN IDEA of the paragraph, essay, and/or passage. Question : “Which of the following choices exemplify the supporting details of the passage?” The supporting details back-up the central idea of the passage or paragraph They are proving why that idea is important or providing background information

C LUE W ORD : V ALIDITY Validity : When you are asked to validate something or show the validity, you are providing evidence based on research and/or evaluation of the information justifying the claim, outcome, or end result. Question : “Which statement illustrates the validity of the company’s claim?” When something is valid, that means that it’s true or justified When you are looking for the validity, you want to discover why that statement is true, what information supports the truthfulness of the claim, and why it is important.

C LUE W ORD : V IEWPOINT OR P OINT OF V IEW Viewpoint or POV : When you determine the point of view or viewpoint of a story, speech, essay, editorial, debate, paragraph, article, or other writing format, you are able to identify the attitudes, thoughts, and opinions of author or narrator. Question : “Which of the following statements best describes the author’s point of view ?” Identifying the POV begins when you are able to tell who is telling the story, or whose opinion the passage is based on You should be able to tell what side of a debate the writer is on, what their opinions are, or what they are trying to persuade the reader to believe