I understand that the above are basic questions but my teacher
told us that it's because over the years students are getting more
and more "exam-smart" so the determining factor lies in whether the
students understand the meaning of evaluate and give the answer
in exact form, etc.
Hi,
There are many key words you often encounter in
mathematics exam questions. Please familiarise yourself with these
words, and share them with your friends and even your teachers.
Thanks!
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
Thanks!
Cheers,
Wen Shih