4.1 Command Words and Their Meanings

Cambridge O Level English Language (1123)

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What Are Command Words?

When you sit an exam, every question begins with a specific command word — this is the word (or short phrase) that tells you exactly what to do in your answer.

Think of command words as instructions. If a teacher says "draw a circle," you don't write a description of a circle — you draw one. The same idea applies in exams. If the question says "identify," you name something. If it says "explain," you give reasons and evidence.

Understanding command words is one of the most important exam skills you can have. Getting them wrong means you lose marks even if you know the subject well. Getting them right means your answer is focused, relevant, and worth full marks.

Command Word 1: Consider

What it means: Look carefully at the information you have been given, think about it, and write a response that shows you have thought it through.

When a question says consider, you are being asked to:

• Read or look at something carefully
• Think about what it means or what it shows
• Respond in a way that reflects your thinking

In simple terms: "Consider" means think about this and tell me what you think.

Example of what it looks like in a question: "Consider the writer's use of language in this paragraph. What effect does it create?"

Here, you would look at the language carefully, think about the effect it has on the reader, and write a response based on what you notice.

Common mistake to avoid: Students sometimes just re-read the information and repeat it back. "Consider" asks for a response — you must show that you have actually thought about it and formed a view or observation.