The Skill of Geographical Writing for Exam Success
Contents Page
1) RCKA
2) Deconstructing Questions
3) What Do Command Words Mean?
4) Avoiding Absolutes and Hollows
5) Developing Points
6) Top Level Answers: The Geography SUPER6
7) How to Structure Your Answers’
8) How to Write…’Describe’ Answers
9) How to Write…’Discuss’ Answers
10) How to Write…’Case Study’ Answers
11) How to Write…’Formation’ Answers
12) How to Write…’With the Help of’ Answers
13) How to Write…’Distribution’ Answers
14) How to Write…’Contrast’ and ‘Compare’ Answers
RCKA
When you are faced with a series of questions in an exam paper, what is it you actually have to do to answer the question properly? In fact, it is a trickier process than you might think but you can break it down into roughly four areas that you have to go through to get the right answer.
Read: Can you mechanically read the questions? Research shows that 70% of pupils’ when faced with a word they can’t read, ignore it completely! Action: Practise reading questions and check with your teacher any words you can’t read!
Comprehend: Do you understand what the question is asking? There are certain key words that occur frequently in exam questions; distribution, location, frequency, effects, impacts, responses, strategies etc. Action: Do you know what they mean? Go through the 8 mark questions. Are there any words you don’t understand the meaning of?
Knowledge: Do you have the knowledge to be able to answer the question? Action: Ensure your revising been detailed enough to allow you to answer?
Articulate: Do you know how to write the answer down clearly and precisely? Do you employ the skills you have developed in your English lessons? Do you express yourself in your writing? Action: Practise writing answers to questions in the correct style
Deconstructing the Question
The second strand of RCKA is COMPREHEND. Comprehend means do you understand what the question is asking you? There is a simple equation:
You don’t understand the question = confusion + low marks
One way to overcome this problem is to DECONSTRUCT THE QUESTION. This means to break it down, try to simplify it and make it easier to understand. Let’s take a classic geography question…
Describe the effects of a volcanic eruption you have studied
When deconstructing a question, you have to look for three areas to ensure you understand the question clearly. These are:
COMMAND WORD: This is the word that is telling you to do something
THEME: This is the subject of the answer
RESTRICTIONS: This is anything that is going to limit/focus your answer
Let’s look at the question again and begin to deconstruct it. Firstly, let’s try to identify the command word…
Describe the effects of a volcanic eruption you have studied
The command word is ‘describe’. This means the answer wants the main points (you will need to learn what each command word means!). Now make a note of what the command word means above the word.
Now we need to identify the theme so we know what to write about!
Describe the effects of a volcanic eruption you have studied
The theme of this question is a volcanic eruption. This should act as a reminder not to write about other natural hazards (you’d be surprised how many do in an exam!) and definitely a reminder not to write about a super volcanic eruption!
Finally, we need to identify any restrictions in the question.
Describe the effects of a volcanic eruption you have studied
In this question there are two restrictions. Firstly, we can only write about effects and secondly it has to be a case study. Above the two restriction we can write some notes as reminders.
What we have done is break down this question into its smaller parts, to try and help us understand it more clearly. It is a good habit to get into and can keep you focused to what the question is asking you to do.
On the next page is a series of questions. Try deconstructing them by looking for the command word, theme and restriction. Remember to write some notes above the words that would help you understand and answer the question properly.
TASK TIME
Describe the formation of fold mountains
Using a case study, discuss the responses of a tsunami
Describe the formation of a granite tor
Describe, using named examples, the attempts made to manage the extraction and the use of the land after extraction in a quarry
Explain, using an example you have studied, why some coastal areas are susceptible to erosion
Using a diagram, describe the formation of a spit
Describe the impacts of refugee movements in an EU country
Using fig 1, describe the change in world population between 1850 and 2020
What is global interdependence?
Discuss the economic impacts of increasing demands for food in a place you have studied
Outline the contribution tourism makes to the UK economy
Using a case study, discuss the strategies for maintaining the importance of tourism in tropical tourist area which attracts large numbers of tourists
What Do Command Words Mean?
Do you know your describe from your explain? Your contrast from your compare? Your evaluate from your justify? If the answer is no…you need to find out!
The command word is one of the most important words in any question. It gives us a direct order in how the answer needs to be articulated (written). If we describe in an explain question or explain in a describe question, then we are going to lose marks. Are we really going to lose out on higher grades because we don’t know what command words mean?
So it’s simple really…
GET TO KNOW YOUR COMMAND WORDS!
Exam boards publish a list of command words and believe it or not there are over 60…YES 60 command words!
The good news is there is definitely a select number of command words that are used far more frequently than others and these are the ones to concentrate on!
Task Time
Look at the table below. The left hand column has a list of the most common command words. Firstly, fill in the table with what you think the command word is asking you to do.
Command Word / What I Think this Command Word Means?Describe
Explain
Discuss
Compare
Contrast
Illustrate
Outline
Name
Justify
Complete
Now compare your answer to the official command word definition on the next page
Command Word / What the Command Word Actually Means?Describe / Give the main characteristics of something or an account in words
Explain / Give reasons why something happens
Discuss / Bring forward the important points of or set out both sides of an argument, for and against, and come to a conclusion. There should be some evidence of balance, though not necessarily of equal weighting.
Compare / Describe the similarities and differences
Contrast / Point out the differences between
Illustrate / Use specific examples or diagrams to clarify your points
Outline / Provide a brief account of relevant information/summarise the main points of something.
Name / Answers are usually expected to give a specific example of something
Justify / Give reasons for offering an opinion or reaching a conclusion / support a case with evidence
Complete / To fill the gaps or details in a diagram, table or cloze exercise to show understanding. Finish a task by adding to given information
Avoiding Absolutes and Hollows
The curse of every geography teacher and the killer of pupils’ grades…the dreaded ABSOLUTES AND HOLLOWS.
Absolutes are those words and phrases that are used which are a generalisation/stereotypical view of somewhere. Hollows are words that are used that don’t mean anything…they are hollow. In geography we need to avoid them at all costs.
Some absolutes…
Africa is a poor continent … / All the buildings were destroyed by the earthquake…The volcanic eruption killed everyone … / Every female was forced to have abortions because of the One Child Policy…
Some hollows…
USA have better healthcare so the death rate is lower… / India has lots more wealth because of TNCs…People in Brazil are less educated… / Many people migrate to the EU…
Task Time
Read the following extracts of exam answers that have absolutes or hollows within them. Highlight the absolute or hollow and then rephrase so they are more accurate. The first one has been done for you
Developing Points
Detailed developed points are ESSENTIAL to achieving an A-A*. These are points that you make in your writing, that have an added bit of information that shows the examiner your knowledge or understanding. Below is an example of the same point for a question on the formation of a spit. One is an undeveloped (basic) point, one is a developed point at C grade, one is a detailed developed point at A-A* grade. What is the difference?
BASIC POINT (D Grade): “A spit forms at the coast”
DEVELOPED POINT (C Grade): “A spit forms at the coast, usually on a headland”
DETAILED DEVELOPED POINT (A-A* Grade): “A spit forms at the coast, usually on a headland, where the coastline changes direction”
DON’T JUST DEFAULT TO A FULL STOP AT THE END OF YOUR POINT. IF APPROPRIATE PUT A COMMA, THEN EXPAND YOUR POINT WITH SOME EXTRA INFORMATION, EXAMPLE, and/or STATISTIC ETC…
Task Time
Try to turn these basic points into developed points and then into detailed developed points.
Question / Basic Point / Developed Point / Detailed Developed Point1 / Outline the contribution tourism makes to the UK economy / Tourism contributes a lot of money to the UK economy
2 / Using a case study, discuss the responses of a tsunami / Many people ran for high ground when the tsunami struck
4 / Describe the formation of fold mountains / Plates move together and push up layers of sediment
5 / Describe the impacts of refugee movements in an EU country / One impact is that refugees take jobs from people
6 / Describe the impacts of a natural disaster on development. / One impact is reduced quality of life.
Top Level Answers: The Geography SUPER6
The extended writing questions (6/8 mark questions) are the biggest key to getting one of the upper grades. It is important that these questions are thought about carefully and written just as carefully!
So How Do You Write a Top Level Answer?
There are 4 vital components to writing a great top level answer. These characteristics will let you access the highest level in a 6 or 8-mark answer so at worse you will drop 1-mark max.
- USE GEOGRAPHICAL TERMS (BLUE)
- DEVELOP THE POINTS YOU MAKE (UNDERLINED)
- USE CASE STUDIES/EXAMPLES (THROUGHOUT THE ANSWER) (RED)
- USE PRECISE DETAILS; FACTS/FIGURES/PLACE (GREEN)
Let’s analyse an 8-mark question and pick out the characteristics and writing style. The colours on the answer relate to one of the 4 key characteristics above.
How to Structure Your Answers
The structure of your written answers is very important. The more fluent your writing, the better chance you have of getting a high number of marks and in turn, gaining a higher grade. There is a good acronym to follow:
KISS: Keep It Simple Silly
The type of question will dictate the style of writing and the language devices you need to use to help the fluency of your writing. Unfortunately, there isn’t a one size fits all style!
Avoid the Waffle
In all answers you need to keep the writing ‘punchy’ and simple. Don’t waffle and pad out the answer just so it looks like a lot of writing! So remember…
Can You Use the Question to Help You Structure the Answer?
Some questions you will encounter will give you an idea of how to structure your answer. For example, …
Describe, using named examples, the attempts made to manage the extraction and the use of the land after extraction in a quarry (8)
This question gives you a clear idea of how to structure your answer…
Paragraph 1: describe, using an example, the attempts made to manage the extraction
Paragraph 2: describe, using an example, the use of land after the extraction
BEWARE: NOT ALL QUESTION DO THIS!!!
How to Write…’Describe’ Answers
Describe questions are very common in a geography exam. They are testing whether you know the main points or can give an account of something. Describe questions can crop up in ANY topic area in both the physical and human papers.
What Does the Command Word Describe Mean?
It all depends on the type of question! Below is the official definition of the command word describe. Let’s highlight the most important bits:
Give the main characteristics of something or an account in words of a phenomenon which may be an entity, an event, a feature, a pattern, a distribution or a process. For example, if describing a landform say what it looks like, give some indication of size or scale, what it is made of, and where it is in relation to something else (field relationship). Set out characteristics /’what are the features of…”
So if the question is…
- Describe the coastal features in figure 1: Give the main characteristics. Say what it looks like, give some indication of size or scale, what it is made of, and where it is in relation to something else
- Describe the formation of a tor: Give an account in words of the process
- Describe the effects of a tsunami you have studied: Give an account in words of the event
What Connectives and Sentence Starters Do You Need to Use?
…and…alsofor example…for instance…such as…according to…as shown by…
How Do I Write a Describe Answer?
The key is to keep describe answers very straight forward, very factual and keep focused to the question. A good approach could be to use one simple sentence to set up your point and then one or two complex/compound sentences to develop the point being made.
Example: Describe the responses of a tsunami you have studies (8)
(simple sentence to set up the effect) One of the immediate responses was people rushing for high ground. (complex/compound sentence to develop) In coastal resorts like Patong and Phuket foreign holiday makers and workers in the hotels rushed to get to the upper floors or the roof of the hotels to avoid the 20m surge of water that swept in from the Indian Ocean
How to Write…’Discuss’ Answers
Discuss questions are becoming more popular in the geography exam and are usually used for the extended writing questions for 8 marks.
What Does the Command Word Discuss Mean?
Again it all depends on the question! Below is the official definition, again let’s highlight the central bits:
Bring forward the important points of or set out both sides of an argument, for and against, and come to a conclusion. There should be some evidence of balance, though not necessarily of equal weighting. (Where use of a case study is expected, then specifics from the case study should be given to support the important points.) Present key points.
So if the question is…
- Using a case study, discuss the responses to a tsunami: Bring forward the important points
- Discuss the impact of a rapidly eroding coastline on its people and the environment: Bring forward the important points
- Discuss whether hard engineering or soft engineering is the better option to protect a coastline: Set out both sides of an argument and come to a conclusion
- Discuss, using named examples, how quarries manage their impacts and also the land use after extraction: Bring forward the main points
What Connectives and Sentence Starters Do You Need to Use?
…and…also…To begin with…An interesting point…In the first place…Primarily…Lastly…specifically…
After this it can be seen…According to…A point of note…Due to…As a result of……howeverin conclusion…
How Do I Write a Discuss Answer?
The key is to keep discuss answers clearly focused on the discussion and NOT TO DRIFT INTO A DESCRIBE STYLE! Ensure you are giving balance and stressing the important points. You can use the same type of approach of simple sentence to set up a point, followed by a complex/compound sentence(s) to develop. This type of question leans heavily on your style of writing! For example, …
Example: Discuss the problems an ageing population can bring to a country in the EU that you have studied (8)
According to the British government one of the biggest problems faced from an ageing population is the increased pressure on the NHS. As a result of the average life expectancy increasing in the UK to 80 years, due to the improvements in healthcare e.g. vaccination programmes in schools, it is feared the NHS will not cope with the increasing number of people requiring medical treatment.
How to Write…’Case Study’ Answers
Case study questions are extremely important in a geography exam. A case study is an ‘in depth study’ of a place or event from somewhere around the world. Again case study questions can crop up in ANY topic area in both the physical and human papers.
What Does ‘Case Study’ Mean?
A case study is a restriction that often pops up in questions, that usually come with a command word like describe or discuss. Sometimes a different phrase is used, but you can interpret it as ‘case study’ e.g. a named example, a place you have studied. Let’s look at the official advice on ‘case study’: