APUSH Unit #0 Common Essay Terms/Verbs 2025

Analyze

• Take Apart and look at something

• Place persons or things in groups because they are alike or similar

• Find similarities and differences but stress the similarities.

• Find differences and similarities but stress the differences.

Classify

• Take Apart and look at something

• Place persons or things in groups because they are alike or similar

• Find similarities and differences but stress the similarities.

• Find differences and similarities but stress the differences.

Compare

• Take Apart and look at something

• Place persons or things in groups because they are alike or similar

• Find similarities and differences but stress the similarities.

• Find differences and similarities but stress the differences.

Contrast

• Take Apart and look at something

• Place persons or things in groups because they are alike or similar

• Find similarities and differences but stress the similarities.

• Find differences and similarities but stress the differences.

Criticize

• Find both good points and bad points of a situation or idea.

• Give a clear, concise meaning for a term or idea.

• Tell something in sequence or story form.

• Organize in some pictorial way with labels.

Define

• Find both good points and bad points of a situation or idea.

• Give a clear, concise meaning for a term or idea.

• Tell something in sequence or story form.

• Organize in some pictorial way with labels.

Describe

• Find both good points and bad points of a situation or idea.

• Give a clear, concise meaning for a term or idea.

• Tell something in sequence or story form.

• Organize in some pictorial way with labels.

Diagram

• Find both good points and bad points of a situation or idea.

• Give a clear, concise meaning for a term or idea.

• Tell something in sequence or story form.

• Organize in some pictorial way with labels.

Discuss

• Explore an issue from all sides; usually fairly long and carefully organized.

• Write in a list or outline form a set of related facts, ideas, objectives or issues.

• Make a value judgement (statement of negative and/or positive worth according to some specified criteria.

• Clarify how something works or happens.

Enumerate

• Explore an issue from all sides; usually fairly long and carefully organized.

• Write in a list or outline form a set of related facts, ideas, objectives or issues.

• Make a value judgement (statement of negative and/or positive worth according to some specified criteria.

• Clarify how something works or happens.