Deconstruct the Question Review

Deconstruct the Question Review

by Brandon DeLoach

Practice identifying command words​

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​Command Words

​Command words are terms or phrases that indicate how you are expected to respond to a question.

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• ​​Discuss

• ​Assess

• ​Evaluate

• ​Explain

• ​State

• ​Summarize

• ​Do you agree

• ​Should/Can/Is

• ​To what extent

• ​Consider

• ​How far

• ​What/Why/Which

• ​Analyze

• ​In what ways

Multiple Choice

To what extent can individuals today function effectively without modern conveniences such as the internet?

• can

• extent

• such as

• to what extent

Multiple Choice

Evaluate the impact of one social activist, one scientist or one religious leader in your society.

• impact

• your society

• evaluate

• social activist

Multiple Choice

What is more important for your society to spend its money on: education, research or technological progress?

• what

• your society

• spend

• or

Multiple Select

How far do you agree that women enjoy the same rights as men in today's world?

• enjoy

• today's world

• how far

• do you agree

Multiple Choice

Should computer education such as coding be compulsory in schools?

• such as

• should

• be

• in schools

​Broad terms

Broad terms are any words or phrases in an essay question that can be broken down into specific subcategories or subtopics; these terms

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• ​broaden the possibilities of the essay's scope

• ​are usually the noun(s) and noun phrases in the question

• ​describe the main issue or topic of the essay question

• ​can be broken down into specific subcategories or subtopics

• ​must be deconstructed and analyzed to produce an effective written response to the question which is specific and concise.

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Practice identifying broad terms in the following prompts​

Multiple Select

BROAD TERM?

To what extent can individuals today function effectively without modern conveniences such as the internet?

• to what extent

• individuals

• function

• modern conveniences

• today

Multiple Select

BROAD TERM?

Evaluate the impact of one social activist, one scientist or one religious leader in your society.

• impact

• your society

• evaluate

• social activist

• religious leader

Multiple Select

BROAD TERM?

What is more important for your society to spend its money on: education, research or technological progress?

• what

• education

• spend

• technological progress

• your society

Multiple Select

BROAD TERM?

How far do you agree that women enjoy the same rights as men in today's world?

• women

• today's world

• how far

• men

• rights

Multiple Select

BROAD TERM?

Should computer education such as coding be compulsory in schools?

• such as

• should

• compulsory

• computer education

• schools

​Determine the main issue or topic of the question

​Deconstructing the essay prompt helps you generate ideas to use in your response to the question. Broad terms reveal the main issue or topic of the question.

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By breaking down the broad term into subcategories or subtopics, you can produce a specific and targeted written communication that effectively responds to the essay question.

Practice determining the topic next...​

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Multiple Select

What is theTOPIC?

To what extent can individuals today function effectively without modern conveniences such as the internet?

• to what extent

• individuals

• function

• modern conveniences

• today