Sixteen+Words+for+the+Wise


 * **Analyze**: Write obvious as well as hidden characteristics or meanings. Explain how each part functions of fits into the whole.


 * **Argue**: Take a stand and defend one side of an issue. Give facts, beliefs, opinions, and your personal view. Show your passion!


 * **Compare**: Comparisons provide common characteristics or attributes, identifying how things are alike or similar. Write the many ways they are the same.


 * **Contrast**: Contrasts provide the characteristics or attributes that are not alike. Write how the people, events, or objects are different.


 * **Define**: Give meanings of the term in your own words.


 * **Demonstrate**: Write a step-by-step procedure to show how to do something.


 * **Describe**: Help the reader visualize and understand the object, concept, or event with your words. Use adjectives to stimulate the senses and provide attributes such as the size, shape, characteristics, color, and use. Include comparisons and contrasts.


 * **Discuss**: Talk about the topic as if you were sharing your knowledge with other people. Use details and examples to explain the topic.


 * **Explain**: Tell me more! Make it clear! Provide the meaning, give your interpretation, and make it simple so the reader will undersand. Create examples with details, procedures, or attributes. Give clear descriptions of the event, object, concept, or idea based on what you know.


 * **Identify**: Give definitions and attributes of a person, place, event, or thing that make it unique. Describe the shape, size, solor, and other defining characteristics.


 * **Interpret**: Write your understanding of the passage in your own words. Give a view from your experiences and the information you find. Analyze the passage and report your opinoin of the data.


 * **List**: Write each iten that applies to the topic or subject. This is a way to get your thoughts down quickly, to gather and group information.


 * **Outline**: Outlines organize important data or information in a logical way using sequential steps. A formal outlinging pattern uses roman numerals for major topics.


 * **Plot**: Place the information on an organizer. Use a graphis design, a grid, a picture, a chart, or a matrix. These activites organize thoughts, consolidate, information, and simplify topics.


 * **Summarize**: Give the meaning in a concise way using as few words as possible.


 * **Trace**: Place events, experiences, or thoughts in the order they occurred. A mental or written timeline is useful to see the chain of events.