The following is typed out by Wen Shih. You can access his website from my useful links.
There are many key words you often encounter in mathematics exam questions.
Some examples of process words (or key words) and their implied meanings are:
1. 'Write down', 'State', 'Give', 'Express/Express briefly', 'List', 'Specify' mean write down without justification, i.e. no working need be shown (although you may include appropriate working if it helps you).
2. 'Find', 'Calculate', 'Determine', 'Simplify', 'Derive', 'Solve', 'Evaluate' 'Transform', 'Expand', 'Factorise', 'Differentiate', 'Integrate' mean work out and show your working, using standard results and techniques.
3. 'Prove', 'Show', 'Deduce', 'Explain', 'Indicate', 'Justify', 'Demonstrate', 'Determine', 'Decide (if, whether ...)', 'Verify', 'Confirm', 'Test', 'Predict', 'Illustrate', 'Identify' mean you must justify each step and provide a convincing argument.
4. 'Assume', 'Consider', 'Suppose', 'Apply', 'Use', 'Define (in terms of ...)', 'Sketch', 'Draw', 'Plot', 'Graph', 'Compile (a table ...)', 'Make (a table, list, ...)' indicate you must answer the question in a particular way indicated by whatever words immediately follow each of these cueing terms.
5. 'Explore', 'Investigate', 'Devise', 'Design', 'Obtain', 'Find', 'Adapt', 'Construct', 'Produce (an algorithm, argument, diagram, ...)', 'Translate (from, into, ...)' indicate doing a mathematical activity and then reporting on the process and result.
Source: Success with Mathematics by Heather Cooke, pp. 49
Please familiarise yourself with these words, and share them with your friends. Thanks!
Glossary of terms used in mathematics
Singapore's first free online short to
medium questions and solutions database
