Responding to exam questions
Beryl Clarke, Contributor

In paper two of your external examination you will be writing THREE responses to questions and I think that it is time for us to look at some of the terms which are frequently used to ask questions. In fact, I regret that you were not given these before.

COMMENT: This means that you should give a judgment or opinion about something. You could be asked to comment on justice in The Merchant of Venice, in which case you would write about whether fairness obtains in the handling of all legal matters.

COMPARE: This tells you to examine (look closely at) or judge one thing against another to show how they are the same or how they are different, for instance, you may be asked to - choose TWO books and compare how a major character in EACH is affected by his upbringing.

CONSIDER: This advises you to think about a situation carefully; that is, to examine all the facts of a situation before coming to conclusions.

CONTRAST: Here, the question requires that you examine or judge two people or things in such a way that their differences are made clear.

DESCRIBE: This wants you to say what someone or something is like. You would explain and give illustrations. For example, describe the opening scene of the play would demand that you say what the setting is, what is on the stage, how the characters dress, how they relate to each other, what their physical appearance is and so on.

DISCUSS: This is to talk or write about details of something with someone else; that is, to share your ideas about something or anything in an organised manner. A question such as, Discuss what these difficulties reveal about the characters involved in the relationship requires you to align the action or reaction of the one facing the difficulty with the difficulty in order to see whether the person panics or the person deals calmly with the situation. This is how you can decide on the person's character.

EXPLAIN: This is to make something clear and easy to understand. In explaining, you must organise your 'facts' logically. If you are asked to explain how the relationship between Toycie and Emilio, affected Toycie, you should recount what you know and then give the 'facts'on how what happened between them caused certain results in her life.

GIVE: This is simply asking you to supply or share information as required.

HOW: Used when you are stating the way in which something happens.

IDENTIFY: Recognise and name someone or something.

OUTLINE: Share the main ideas or facts of something with no details.

REFER: This requires that you give an example or make a remark mentioning or giving information about someone or something. You must, in other words, supply direct and precise information. If you are asked to make close references or refer closely, you are to give examples directly from the text.

PRESENT: Give information or show someone's character to people in a formal way.

SAY: Express something about someone or something.

SHOW: This is to allow or cause something to be seen.

STATE: To say or express.

SUGGEST: Give someone an idea to consider.

Please familiarise yourselves with the above so that you can use your knowledge to write good essays. Remember to plan your

answers, identifying suitable supporting points and relevant quotations to use. Do not itemise, number points or skip lines as you move from idea to idea in your essay, just start new paragraphs. You should write in Standard English and get into the habit of reading over your work, making the necessary corrections and additions. Please sharpen your essay-writing skills!

Have you yet identified the themes that occur in The Merchant of Venice? I believe that there is one that you must have identified easily enough. Once you consider the 'lottery' devised by Portia's father to choose her husband, you will clearly see the theme of Appearance versus Reality. As is obvious, her suitors are to make their choice based on the appearance of the casket that seems most likely to represent her. You know the outcome, which reveals that 'all that glisters is not gold'. Do think of supporting arguments for this theme and try to identify the others.

Remember always to do your best regardless of circumstances. God bless!

From left: In the foreground, Captain Lincoln Thaxter, principal, Calabar High School; Ruel Reid, principal, Jamaica College; Everton Burrell, acting principal, Kingston College; with students from Mona High School, The Queen's School, Jamaica College, Kingston College, St Hugh's High School and Calabar High School, hold hands to signify the launch of the Schools' Peace Initiative for the 2009 ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys' and Girls' Championships at Jamaica College, Thursday, March 26. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

Beryl Clarke teaches at Glenmuir High School.