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,Science Verbs
The first word in an exam question. These dictate how much effort, energy and detail you
should put in a response.
The most important verbs in science are:
● Assess
● Justify
● Outline
● Identify
● List
● Explain ***
● Evaluate
● Describe
● Compare
● Compare and contrast
These can classified/thought of in different mark values (the lower the mark, the less effort
you need to put in):
Low efforts (1-3 marks):
● Outline
○ Tell me the answer in 1 sentence - a short overview (doesn’t go into much
detail)
○ I.e. Outline the process of making cookies (2 marks)
○ To make cookies, you have to mix the dry and wet ingredients in a bowl.
Once the batter is formed, shape the batter into small balls. Put these small
balls into the oven at 180 degrees for 12 minutes.
● Identify
○ Tell me the answer in one word (minimal words)
○ I.e. identity the ingredients in cookie dough.
■ Butter, sugar, flour and chocolate chips are ingredients in cookie
dough.
● List
○ Dotpoints - (0.5 marks per dotpoint)
○ I.e List the colours of a rainbow (3 marks)
■ Red,
■ Yellow,
■ green,
■ pink,
■ blue,
■ purple,
■ orange
, Medium effort (3-5 marks)
● Describe
Students need to answer the question in deep and thorough manner - describe questions
that usually speak to the characteristics and qualities of the subject. It needs to be in full
sentences and create an image of the person.
Describe the following person: Lana Nguyen (4 marks)
Lana is a 25 year old female who lives in Bankstown with her pet cat, Dumpling. She is
east-asian, vietnamese and works as an english tutor, who focuses on year 11 and 12. She
has long dark hair and brown eyes, and usually wears comfortable sundresses to class. She
enjoys reading literary fiction in her spare time and goes to pilates.
Outlines what Abeer’s room looks like (2 marks)
Abeer’s room has a soft pink and white rug matching the aesthetic of her desk. Her bed lays
in the center back with 2 white bed side tables and a beige couch opposite to the door back
towards a window
Abeer’s room is rectangular (3x4m) and has a built-in wardrobe with a mirror. She has a
large queen size bed in the centre, and a bookshelf, sofa and study desk around the sides.
Describe what Abeer’s room looks like (4 marks)
The main colours of Abeer’s room are a soft baby pink, with a warm shade of beige. This is
seen through the shaggy rug that lies underneath her bed to her built-in cupboards with
floor to ceiling mirrors. The bedding on her bed matches this theme as the pink pillows on
her sofa adjacent to the door. The desk next to the door is white with built- in shelves going
across it. The white bookshelf falls right in the corner between her bed and the sofa.
Abeer’s room has a soft pink and white rug matching the aesthetic of her desk. Her bed lays
in the center back with 2 white bed side tables and a beige couch opposite to the door back
towards a window
● Explain *** (3-4 marks) What is the easiest way to list it out
Describing the cause and effect in a phenomena / in a relationship.
Mark breakdown
1 - mark (identifying the aspects/outline the phenomena)
1 - mark (cause) → science/phenomena
1 - mark (effect) → result
1 - mark (example)
Use of words:
● Because of
● As a result
● Therefore
● Thus
,Science Verbs
The first word in an exam question. These dictate how much effort, energy and detail you
should put in a response.
The most important verbs in science are:
● Assess
● Justify
● Outline
● Identify
● List
● Explain ***
● Evaluate
● Describe
● Compare
● Compare and contrast
These can classified/thought of in different mark values (the lower the mark, the less effort
you need to put in):
Low efforts (1-3 marks):
● Outline
○ Tell me the answer in 1 sentence - a short overview (doesn’t go into much
detail)
○ I.e. Outline the process of making cookies (2 marks)
○ To make cookies, you have to mix the dry and wet ingredients in a bowl.
Once the batter is formed, shape the batter into small balls. Put these small
balls into the oven at 180 degrees for 12 minutes.
● Identify
○ Tell me the answer in one word (minimal words)
○ I.e. identity the ingredients in cookie dough.
■ Butter, sugar, flour and chocolate chips are ingredients in cookie
dough.
● List
○ Dotpoints - (0.5 marks per dotpoint)
○ I.e List the colours of a rainbow (3 marks)
■ Red,
■ Yellow,
■ green,
■ pink,
■ blue,
■ purple,
■ orange
, Medium effort (3-5 marks)
● Describe
Students need to answer the question in deep and thorough manner - describe questions
that usually speak to the characteristics and qualities of the subject. It needs to be in full
sentences and create an image of the person.
Describe the following person: Lana Nguyen (4 marks)
Lana is a 25 year old female who lives in Bankstown with her pet cat, Dumpling. She is
east-asian, vietnamese and works as an english tutor, who focuses on year 11 and 12. She
has long dark hair and brown eyes, and usually wears comfortable sundresses to class. She
enjoys reading literary fiction in her spare time and goes to pilates.
Outlines what Abeer’s room looks like (2 marks)
Abeer’s room has a soft pink and white rug matching the aesthetic of her desk. Her bed lays
in the center back with 2 white bed side tables and a beige couch opposite to the door back
towards a window
Abeer’s room is rectangular (3x4m) and has a built-in wardrobe with a mirror. She has a
large queen size bed in the centre, and a bookshelf, sofa and study desk around the sides.
Describe what Abeer’s room looks like (4 marks)
The main colours of Abeer’s room are a soft baby pink, with a warm shade of beige. This is
seen through the shaggy rug that lies underneath her bed to her built-in cupboards with
floor to ceiling mirrors. The bedding on her bed matches this theme as the pink pillows on
her sofa adjacent to the door. The desk next to the door is white with built- in shelves going
across it. The white bookshelf falls right in the corner between her bed and the sofa.
Abeer’s room has a soft pink and white rug matching the aesthetic of her desk. Her bed lays
in the center back with 2 white bed side tables and a beige couch opposite to the door back
towards a window
● Explain *** (3-4 marks) What is the easiest way to list it out
Describing the cause and effect in a phenomena / in a relationship.
Mark breakdown
1 - mark (identifying the aspects/outline the phenomena)
1 - mark (cause) → science/phenomena
1 - mark (effect) → result
1 - mark (example)
Use of words:
● Because of
● As a result
● Therefore
● Thus
