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Home · KS3 · iLowerSecondary English · Reference · Command words
Every question in Section A: Reading is built around a command or question word that tells you exactly what the examiner wants. This glossary decodes each one: what is really being asked, the shape of answer it demands, the marks at stake, and a short original model.
Each entry is mapped to the canonical question type it appears as, so the typical marks, assessment objective and format come straight from the specification reference rather than being repeated here. Match the command word in front of you, then deliver the response shape it expects - nothing more, nothing less. Every model answer below is an original example written by The English Hub and is not taken from any past paper.
Maps to: Circle / select the synonym
Do
Test your choice by reading it back into the original sentence to check the meaning is unchanged.
Don’t
Do not circle two options "to be safe" - a second mark cancels the answer.
Original model
In "the path narrowed", the closest meaning of narrowed is tightened, so that single word is circled.
Maps to: Underline the word / verb class
Do
Apply the grammatical label strictly: an imperative commands, a modal signals possibility or obligation.
Don’t
Do not underline a whole phrase when only one word is requested - clarity of the indication matters.
Original model
In "Pack your bag before dawn", the imperative verb Pack is the word underlined.
Maps to: Tick which text uses a feature
Do
Hunt for the specific mark named in each row (a dash, a possessive apostrophe, a question mark) before deciding.
Don’t
Do not leave rows blank hoping the others carry you - partial credit depends on rows you actually attempt.
Original model
Dashes appear only in Text 2, so the tick goes in the Text 2 column for that row.
Maps to: Short retrieval / "Why…?"
Do
Pin the answer to the exact detail the text gives, not a general impression of the paragraph.
Don’t
Do not pad with everything around the answer; a loose gist is not credited.
Original model
The lighthouse keeper left because the lamp had finally been made automatic and his post was closed.
Maps to: Inference ("Why…?")
Do
Base the inference on a specific clue, then state the unstated reason plainly.
Don’t
Do not simply copy a literal line; that shows no inference and earns nothing.
Original model
She kept glancing at the door, which suggests she was expecting someone she did not want the others to see.
Maps to: How does the writer show…? (language / structure)
Do
For each point, name the choice, quote briefly, then explain what it makes the reader feel or think.
Don’t
Do not feature-spot ("there is a simile") without explaining why it works here.
Original model
The short sentence "The water rose." isolates the danger, jolting the reader into the same sudden alarm the boy feels.
Maps to: "What did the writer mean…?" / explain the impact
Do
Move from what the phrase literally says to what it suggests and why the writer chose it.
Don’t
Do not lift the phrase back unchanged; an unexplained quotation is not credited.
Original model
"A city holding its breath" suggests the streets are tense and unnaturally still, building dread before the storm.
Maps to: "What did the writer mean…?" / explain the impact
Do
State the meaning clearly first, then add the impact the writer is aiming for.
Don’t
Do not stop at a one-word gloss; the second mark needs the effect explained.
Original model
Calling the harbour "a graveyard of boats" means it is full of wrecks, making the place feel abandoned and sad.
Maps to: Compare how two quotations reflect each writer’s purpose
Do
Use explicit comparative links ("whereas", "by contrast") and address both texts in balance.
Don’t
Do not write about one text then the other with no connection - implicit contrast stays at the lowest level.
Original model
Text 1 urges the reader with the command "Act now", whereas Text 2 reflects quietly with "Perhaps it was always too late", so one drives action while the other invites regret.
Maps to: Which text is more appealing - with evidence
Do
Commit to one text and back the choice with a specific, well-chosen piece of evidence.
Don’t
Do not sit on the fence or give a preference with no textual support.
Original model
Text 2 is more appealing because its vivid promise "you will taste the salt on the wind" makes the journey feel real and inviting.
The command words above test the reading objectives below. Knowing which objective a question targets tells you what the marker is looking for.
RAO1
Identify and retrieve ideas and information from a range of texts.
RAO2
Deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas from texts.
RAO3
Identify and comment on the structure and organisation of texts.
RAO4
Explore writers' use of grammatical and literary language at word and sentence level.
RAO5
Consider writers' purposes and viewpoints, and the overall effect of the text on the reader.