Centre for English Teaching Specialization

Communication Skills for University Success 3.2c

Understanding the question

Using key words

What is a key word?

There are two different types of key words: content words and function words.

Content words tell you “what” Function words tell you

you have to write about. “how” to write something.

Content words are the main words in a Function words are the words in sentence
sentence. They give you the topic and any that give instructions. See page 2 for a list of
key ideas you should address. They are different function words and their general
usually nouns or adjectives, but can be verbs descriptions.
as well.
In the examples below, function words
In the examples below, content words have been underlined.
have been highlighted.
Note: not all questions have function words, which is
why looking at your assessment criteria is important.

1. In 2006, Mt Red High School, a public school in Sydney’s inner-west, ranked 1st in NSW for HSC
Physics and Biology. Since 2013, however, there has been a sharp decline in Physics scores and
this year only 3 students signed up for the course. A study was done that indicates students are
losing interest in Science during year 9. Design a curriculum outline with the aim of increasing
interest in Science. Your curriculum outline should include a rationale, the sequence of units,
descriptions of each unit, and all assessments for the course.

2. In what ways will Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) fundamentally

change the nature of how we learn?

3. Ildal, a Korean electronics manufacturer, has developed a new virtual and augmented reality enabled
mobile phone. You are part of the marketing department, and are responsible for taking the phone to
market in your country. Identify which parts of the market you will target, and explain how you will
market the item.
 Common Function WordsZ
Descriptive
 Summarize: Explain the main ideas and connections between those ideas in brief without going into
too much detail.
 Illustrate: Give an example to help clarify an idea.

 Define: Explain the meaning of something.

 State: Write the main points or factors clearly.

 Outline: Explain key points but do not give examples or evidence.

 Calculate: Use mathematics to provide an answer.

 List: write down main ideas or factors in a list.

 Explain: Make something clear by detailing the features and the reasons for it.

Analytical
Compare: Take two things and explain the similarities and differences between

them. Analyse: Detailing features and reasons and critiquing them.

Contrast: Similar to compare, but focus much more on the differences.

Criticise: Generate and express your own opinion or judgement on a topic or theory.

Discuss: Explore an issue or idea by writing about the advantages and disadvantages or by
comparing/contrasting multiple different views of the issue or idea.

Examine: Closely explore something; investigate it by looking specifically at small elements or features.

Describe: Report on something by recounting details, relating a sequence, outlining etc and in doing so
give your own view on the phenomena being reported about.

Evaluate: Make a decision about the validity or plausibility of something using a particular objective
or theoretical framework.

Account for: Give reasons for the occurrence of something, or for selecting or using some process.

Examine: Investigate something closely, and possibly identify good and bad points of a theory or

idea.

Consider: Write and examine your observations and thoughts on a particular subject or issue.

Comment on: Present ideas for and against a certain point, and clearly state your position with reference
to evidence and examples.
Argue: Present the case for an idea, and defend it against possible counter-arguments.

Justify: Provide reasons for a conclusion or statement, and support your position with

evidence

Clarify: Make something clearer, and show the relationships between items and ideas.

Trace: Chronologically set out the historical development of a theory or practice, and in doing so give
reasons for its emergence, decline or trajectory

Interpret: Translate or solve a problem or issue, or make its meaning clear.

Relate: Show the relationships, similarities and differences between ideas, facts or statements.

To what extent: Consider and/or compare both sides of an argument or issue, and give your own opinion.
Assessment Criteria
Assessment criteria are designed to make the marking clear for both Assessment
students and markers. criteria are also
known as assessment
They can be as simple as the instruction to “show your working” on a maths rubrics, marking criteria
test to a complex table of the different requirements for each section of an or marking rubrics.

assignment.

When understanding a problem, assessment criteria become very useful in order to define what you are
going to be marked on and therefore what you need to include.

Take, for example, the following group assignment task:

In a group of 3 students, create a poster for a year 7 science classroom explaining Newtown’s
laws of motion.

Assessment Criteria

- All three laws of motion clearly stated and explained

- Graphics and explanations are targeted at a year 7 audience
- Graphics and explanations clearly reflect Mallet’s principles of poster design.
- Graphics are professional
- Poster is A2 in size

From this assessment criteria and the question, we can see that the students
If you are unsure
how something will be
are required to create an A2 poster that: states and explains the three laws of
marked, always ask your motion, includes professional graphics, and is aimed at a year 7 audience.
lecturer or tutor. Criterion 3 is the most interesting, as it specifically states that the poster
should reflect “Mallet’s principles of poster design” – an element that is not
mentioned
at all in the question statement. Moreover, three of the four criteria mention the need for graphics –
meaning that students cannot simply explain the problem in words, but would need to include images as
well.

These might seem like relatively minor things, but when it comes to assessment they are often a great place
to start.