Cognitive verbs

What is the cognitive verb, identify, asking you to do?

• to tell how something looks, smells, sounds or feels; to provide more details about something.

• to recognise or find and name the correct information.

• to make something clearer by providing more information; to answer the question how and why.

• to suggest what is likely to happen, based on the available information.

What is the cognitive verb, describe, asking you to do?

• to provide more detail about how something looks, smells, sounds or feels; answers the questions what, when, where and who.

• to find and name the correct information.

• to suggest what is likely to happen, based on the available information.

• to make something clearer by providing more information; to answer the question how and why.

What is the cognitive verb, explain, asking you to do?

• to make something clearer by providing more information; to answer the question how and why.

• to think about something deeply and carefully.

• to provide more detail about how something looks, smells, sounds or feels; answers the questions what, when, where and who.

• to find and name the correct information.

What is the cognitive verb, predict, asking you to do?

• to find and name the correct information.

• to provide more detail about how something looks, smells, sounds or feels; answers the questions what, when, where and who.

• to think about something deeply and carefully.

• to suggest what is likely to happen, based on the available information.

What is the cognitive verb, reflect, asking you to do?

• to make something clearer by providing more information; to answer the question how and why.

• to think about something deeply and carefully.

• to suggest what is likely to happen, based on the available information.

• to find and name the correct information.

Read the sentence below and select the cognitive verb that bests describes what the writer is doing:

In the text, the writer uses a bold headline, followed by an image and several paragraphs of written text.

• explaining

• identifying

• describing

• determining

Read the sentence below and select the cognitive verb that bests describes what the writer is doing:

The most salient feature of the text is the image.

• identifying

• explaining

• describing

• applying

Read the sentence below and select the cognitive verb that bests describes what the writer is doing:

The reporter uses the word, 'disgusting' in the headline because she wants the audience to view the young people's behaviour negatively.

• identifying

• describing

• explaining

• recalling

Read the sentence below and select the cognitive verb that bests describes what the writer is doing:

Another way that the filmmaker positions the viewer to see the central character as the villain is by always filming them using dark lighting. This encourages the audience to believe that their motives are not particularly good.

• explaining

• identifying

• describing

• distinguishing

Read the sentence below and select the cognitive verb that bests describes what the writer is doing:

The central character is strong-willed; she has long dark hair, brown eyes and always seems to be having some sort of argument.

• identifying

• explaining

• describing

• discussing