Glossary of Essay Terms...

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Glossary of Essay Terms

Essay titles may at times seem ambiguous, the following glossary of terms may help you put into the content what is required when answering the question.

What they say. What they (perhaps) mean.

Account for	Explain, clarify, give the reasons for. Quite different from 'Give and account of'' which is more like 'Describe in detail'
Analye	Break an issue down into its component parts, discuss them and show how they interrelate.
Argue	Make a case, based on appropriate evidence and logically structured, for and/or against some given point of view.
Assess	Consider the value or importance of something, paying due attention to positive, negative and disputable aspects, and citing the judgements of any known authorities as well as your own.
Comment on	Too vague to be sure, but safe to assume it means something more than 'describe' or 'summarize' andmore likely implies 'analyze' or 'assess'.
Compare	Identify the characteristics or qualities two or more things have in common (but probably pointing out their differences as well).
Contrast	Point out the differences between two things (but probably identifying their similarities as well).
Criticize	Spell out your judgements as to the value or truth of something, indicating the criteria on which you base your judgements and citing specific instances of how the criteria apply in this case.
Define	Make a statement as to the meaning or interpretation of something, giving sufficient detail as to allow it to be distinguished from similar things.
Describe	Say what a thing looks, tastes, smells, sounds or feels, like, or spell out the main aspects of any idea or topic or the sequence in which a series of things happened.
Discuss	Much the same as 'comment on' (see above).
Enumerat	List some relevant items, possibly in continuous prose (rather than note form) - and perhaps 'describe them (see above) as well.
Evaluate	Like 'assess' (see above).
Explain	Tell how things work or how they came to be the way they are, including perhaps some need to 'describe' and to 'analyze' (see above).
To What Extent...?	Explore the case for the stated proposition or explanation, much in the manner of 'assess' and 'criticize' (see above), probably arguing for less than total acceptance of the proposition.
How Far...?	Similar to 'To what extent...?' (See above).
Identify	Pick out what you regard as the key features, perhaps making clear the criteria you use in doing so.
Illustrate	Similar to 'explain' (see above) but probably asking for the quoting of specific examples or statistics or the drawing of maps, graphs, sketches, etc.
Interpret	Clarify something or 'explain' (see above), perhaps indicating how the thing relates to some other thing or way of looking at things.
Justify	Express the valid reasons for accepting a particular interpretation or conclusion, probably including the need to 'argue' (see above) a case.
List	Like 'enumerate' (see above), but possibly even in note form and probably without any need to describe.
Outline	Indicate the main features of the topic or sequence of events, events, possibly setting them within a clear structure or framework to show how they interrelate.
Prove	Demonstrate the truth of something by offering irrefutable evidence and/or a logical sequence of statements leading from evidence to conclusion.
Reconcile	Show how two apparently opposed or mutually exclusive ideas or propositions can be seen to be similar in important respects, if not identical.Involves need to 'analyze' and 'justify' (see above).
Relate	Either 'explain' (see above) how things happened or are connection a cause-and-effect sense, or may imply 'compare' and 'contrast' (see above).
Review	Survey a topic, with the emphasis on 'assess' rather than 'describe' (see above).
State	Express the main points of an idea or topic, perhaps in the manner of 'describe' or enumerate (see above).
Summarize	'State' (see above) the main features of an argument, omitting all superfluous detail and side-issues.
Trace	Identify the connection between one thing and another either in a developmental sense over a period of time, or else in a cause-and-effect sense. May imply both 'describe' and 'explain' (see above).