UPSC Exams

Directives For Mains Answer Writing

Directives For Mains Answer Writing

Discuss:

  • Most commonly asked, ambiguous, depends on question.
  • Write anything you want about the topic, various perspectives, include examples and opinions.
  • It demands a logical answer
  • Writing the answer as if we are talking to Examiner

Describe < Explain < Elaborate:

  • Apply theoretical knowledge, Why/How something is happening in detail.

Elucidate/Exemplify:

  • To make it clear with examples and evidences

Comment/Views:

  • Asking your opinion/ reaction, take a optimistic or neutral stance, substantiate with Examples/Facts/Case studies

Evaluate < Examine < Analyse:

  • Getting into details and dimensions of the topic, Favour and Against, Pro and Cons with implications and also Examples or Data/Facts to substantiate.

Enumerate: Making a list of points

Discuss:

    • Most commonly asked, ambiguous, depends on question.
    • Write anything you want about the topic, various perspectives, include examples and opinions.
    • It demands a logical answer
    • Writing the answer as if we are talking to Examiner

Describe < Explain < Elaborate:

    • Apply theoretical knowledge, Why/How something is happening in detail.

Elucidate/Exemplify:

    • To make it clear with examples and evidences

Comment/Views:

    • Asking your opinion/ reaction, take a optimistic or neutral stance, substantiate with Examples/Facts/Case studies

Evaluate < Examine < Analyse:

    • Getting into details and dimensions of the topic, Favour and Against, Pro and Cons with implications and also Examples or Data/Facts to substantiate.

Enumerate: Making a list of points

Consequences-Implications-Outcomes-Results: Impact or a possible scenario

Contrast/ Distinguish/ Differentiate: Mention Differences

Compare & Contrast: Write similarities as well as differences

Significance/ Importance: What happens because it exists or what happen if it doesn’t exist.

Justify / Advocate:

    •  It means you have to argue in favor and write favorable comments as far as possible.

Illustrate: 

    • it means use examples; data, diagrams and charts to make it clearer (clarify by giving an example).

Critically:

    • Used as a prefix, write about positives and negatives but make a fair unbiased judgment for a strong cause, no scope of ambiguity. Examiner should get a closure feeling while reading the answer.
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