Primary Science — Answering Technique
The command word tells you how much to write
Read the command word first. It decides the shape of your answer, and it is where most marks are lost.
| Command word | What the examiner wants |
|---|---|
| Name / State / Give | A word or a short phrase only. No explanation, no sentence needed. |
| List | Separate points, one per line. No sentences needed. |
| Describe | What you observe — what it looks like, what happens. No reason. |
| Explain / Why | The reason, joined with because. Say how it causes what happens, not just the reason. |
| Compare | Both things, and the difference between them (“A is more… than B”). |
| Predict | What will happen next. Add the reason only if it says “explain”. |
| Suggest | A sensible idea you can support with science, then why. |
| Calculate | The working, then the answer with its unit. |
| Explain how you know / Give evidence | Quote the figures or observation from the table or graph that support your answer. |
Six things that quietly cost marks
1. Using the everyday word instead of the scientific one
2. Explaining without a link
3. Comparing only one thing
4. Repeating the question instead of answering it
“Why does the ice melt?” — “Because the ice melts when it is hot” says nothing new. Answer the question, then stop: an extra wrong answer can cancel a right one, because the marker marks what you wrote.
5. Not naming the three variables in a fair test
Say plainly what you change, what you keep the same, and what you measure. “It must be fair” scores nothing on its own.
6. Missing units, or no working on a one-mark calculation
Every number needs its unit (cm, g, ml, °C, s). On a calculation, write the working line first — the working mark is often the mark, even if the arithmetic slips.
Worked answers — what the marks are for
1. A potted plant left in a hot room became floppy. Explain why. [1]
“It had no water” — no marks: it does not say what happened to the plant.
“The plant lost water through its leaves faster than the roots could absorb it, so its cells lost water and it became floppy.” — full marks. The mark is on the comparison of the two rates.
2. Two circuits have identical batteries. Compare the brightness of the bulbs. [1]
“Bulb A is brighter than bulb B, because circuit A has only one bulb, so a larger current flows through it.” Both bulbs are named, the difference is stated, and the reason is given.
3. Water was left in an open dish. After three days the level had fallen. Explain why. [2]
Two points, so two ideas: (i) the water evaporated, (ii) it gained heat from the surroundings and became water vapour, which escaped into the air.
4. Using the table, explain how you know the plant grew fastest in sunlight. [2]
Quote the figures: “The plant in sunlight grew 12 cm in two weeks, while the plant in the shade grew only 4 cm. The difference is 8 cm, so sunlight made it grow faster.” Numbers with units, then the comparison.
5. A magnet attracted a paper clip but not a plastic ruler. Explain why. [1]
Name both materials and both behaviours: “The paper clip is made of a magnetic material (iron or steel), so the magnet attracts it; the ruler is not magnetic, so it is not attracted.”
The 60-second check before you hand in
Use the scientific word
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| “the seed grows” | the seed germinates, then the seedling develops |
| “the plant drinks water” | water is absorbed by the roots |
| “the plant makes food” | the plant photosynthesises |
| “the water disappears” | the water evaporates and becomes water vapour |
| “steam on the glass” | water vapour condenses into water droplets |
| “it is hot / cold” | heat is gained / heat is lost to the surroundings |
| “the air we breathe out” | air containing more carbon dioxide and less oxygen |
| “the heart pumps blood around” | the heart pumps blood to all parts of the body through the blood vessels |