Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy of Cognitive Skills
Category
REMEMBER
Recognising/ Identifying
Locating knowledge in
memory that is consistent
with presented material
Recalling/ Retrieving/
Naming
Retrieving relevant
knowledge from longterm memory
UNDERSTAND
Interpreting
Changing from one form
of representation to
another
Exemplifying
Finding a specific
example or illustration of
a concept or principle
Classifying
Determining that
something belongs to a
category (e.g. concept or
principle)
Summarising
Drawing a logical
conclusion from
presented information
Learning Verbs
Acquire
count
define
distinguish
draw
identify
indicate
recognize
label
list
match
reproduce
tabulate
outline
point
quote
read
recall
recite
select
state
record
repeat
write
name
trace
Example
Give
List
Name
Describe
Describe
the
distribution
of
Explain
Interpolate
fill in
Associate
Conclude
generalize
Change
Compare
give egs
Contrast
illustrate
Convert
interpret
Paraphrase reorder
Determine
predict
Differentiate prepare
discuss
read
distinguish
rearrange
summarize
draw
estimate
represent
explain
rewrite
extend
infer
extrapolate
restate
transform
translate
give in own words
Describe
Illustrate
Account for
outline
Distinguish
Explanation
State the factors, with no
explanation or elaboration
See give
See give


Say what something is like
Write the characteristics of
something
Length of answer depends on
marks allocated
 Refers to directions,
distances, proportions,
locations. E.g. 2/3 of the total
area, western coast of…, etc
Example of question
Give two coastal erosional
processes.
List the way a river erodes.
Name two light industrial areas in
Singapore.
Describe the formation of
convectional rain.
Describe the distribution of fold
mountains in the world.
Give reasons why something
happens
 Use specific egs to support a
statement, or
 Use a diagram or figure to
explain or make clear
Explain the distribution of
earthquakes in the world.
Illustrate the ways debt makes
development difficult in some
LEDCs.

Account for the distribution of oil
palm plantations in Peninsular
Malaysia.
Explain the reasons for a
particular pattern or event
Marks are given for explanation
rather than description.
Describe & explain, with greater
emphasis on description
Pay attention to the difference(s)
between
Compare
Identify similarities & differences
bet. two or more things
contrast
Identify the differences bet. two or
more things
Outline the effects of urbanization
on a rural village in India.
Distinguish between the
characteristics of tropical
rainforests and temperate
coniferous forests.
Compare the impact of
urbanization between LEDCs &
MEDCs.
Contrast the effects of earthquakes
& volcanoes on the developed &
developing countries.
Other sample sentences
What happened after…?
How many…?
What is…?
Who was that…?
Can you name…?
Find the meaning of…
Describe what happened
after…
Who spoke to…?
Which is true or false…?
Identify who…
Name all the…
Can you write in your own
words…?
How would you explain…?
Can you write a brief
outline…?
What do you think could have
happened next…?
Who do you think…?
What was the main idea…?
Clarify why…
Illustrate the…
Does everyone act in the way
that…does?
1
Inferring
Abstracting a general
theme or major point
Summarize
Give a short & clear account of
the main points, leaving out
details & egs
Use specific
information
from data…
To pick out something from the
data to support the statement one
has made
Calculate
Find out using numbers
Sketch/
draw

Comparing
Detecting
correspondences bet two
ideas, objects
Explaining
Constructing a causeand-effect model of a
system
APPLY
Executing
Applying knowledge
(often procedural) to a
routine task
Implementing
Applying knowledge
(often procedural) to a
non-routine task
ANALYSE
Differentiating
Distinguishing relevant
from irrelevant parts or
important from
unimportant parts of
presented material
Apply
calculate
choose
classify
complete
compute
demonstrate
develop
discover
employ
examine
generalize
illustrate
manipulate
practice
predict
prepare
produce
relate
restructure
show
solve
transfer
use
modify
operate
organize
utilize
Examine/
explore
Analyse
Analyze
break down
categorize
classify
compare
contrast
deduce
detect
diagram
subdivide
identify
group
illustrate
infer
order
outline
point out
recognize
select
transform
How…
To illustrate/ further illustrate
a point
Include a frame and give a title to
sketch
Both description & explanation
Identify the characteristics &
rate the factors with respect to
importance
In what way, by what means,
to what extent
With reference to/making use of
information from the figure,
describe the natural growth in
1991.
Calculate the annual temperature
range for Shangi-La in June.
With the help of a well-labelled
diagram, describe the formation of
Mt. Cotopaxi.
Examine the attempts by
governments to control population
growth.
Analyse the economic effect of
ERP in Singapore.
How is rhyolite different from
granite?
Do you know of another
instance where…?
Can you group by
characteristics such as…?
Which factors would you
change if…?
What questions would you ask
of…?
From the information given,
can you develop a set of
instructions about…?
Which events could not have
happened?
If…happened, what might the
ending have been?
How is…similar to…?
What do you see as other
possible outcomes?
Why did…changes occur?
Can you explain what must
have happened when…?
2
Organising
Determining how
elements fit or function
within a structure.
distinguish
differentiate
discriminate
separate
relate
relate
To show how things are
connected to each other, and to
what extent they are alike or
affect each other
Appraise
Argue
Assess
Compare
Conclude
Consider
Criticize
Critique
Decide
Describe
determine
standardize
summarize
Discriminate
Recommend
grade
judge
justify
interpret
measure
rank
rate
relate
select
evaluate
test
validate
verify
support
Distinguish
Justify
Give evidence to support one’s
statements
Assess
Examine closely, measuring or
‘weighing up’ a particular
situation – strengths, weaknesses,
for and against
 Calls for a statement to be
assessed
Need to put both sides of
argument
Similar to assess – usually comes
at the end of a quote
See assess
What are some of the
problems of…?
Can you distinguish
between…?
What were some of the
motives behind…?
What was the turning point?
What was the problem with…?
Attributing
Determining the point of
view, bias, values, or
intent underlying
presented material
EVALUATE
Checking
Detecting inconsistencies
or fallacies within a
process or product
Determining whether a
process or product has
internal consistency
Critiquing
Detecting the
appropriateness of a
procedure for a given
task or problem
Comment
on/upon
discuss
Evaluate
Argue the
case for
Examine one’s thoughts &
observations
Give one’s judgement about the
truth of facts or merits of theories
or opinions, and support one’s
judgement by a discussion of the
evidence
Support one’s opinion by
reasoning in favour of it
How far…

Consider
criticize
Calls for one to put forward
both sides of an argument
Need to state a stand – ‘agree to a
larger/smaller extent’
What is the most important factor
influencing the location of heavy
industries? Justify your answer.
Assess the success of Green
Revolution using one named case
study.
Comment on the view that
desertification is caused by human
rather than physical factors.
‘global warming is a myth’.
Discuss.
Evaluate the success of land
reclamation in Singapore.
Is there a better solution to…?
Judge the value of…what do
you think about…
Can you defend your position
about…?
Do you think…is a good or bad
thing?
How would you have
handled…?
What changes to…would you
recommend?
Do you believe…? How would
you feel if…?
How effective are…?
Argue the case for implementing
hi-tech market gardening in
Singapore.
How far is it true to say that arable
land increases with increasing
population?
3
CREATE
Generating
Coming up with
alternatives or
hypotheses based on
criteria
Planning
Devising a procedure for
accomplishing some task
Arrange
Combine
Compile
Compose
reconstruct
Construct
reorganize
Create
Devise
Develop
Formulate
Generate
synthesize
produce
propose
rearrange
revise
rewrite
write
Derive
Design
modify
prescribe
prepare
plan
Design
Plan
Combines a new concept with
what one already knows in order
to construct new knowledge
As above
Design a rain gauge that can show
the intensity of the rainfall.
Plan a two hours fieldtrip for Sec
Two students on light industries in
Singapore.
Producing
Inventing a product
Can you design a …to…?
Can you see a possible
solution to…?
If you had access to all
resources, how would you deal
with…?
Why don’t you devise your own
way to…?
What would happen if…?
How many ways can you…?
Can you create new and
unusual uses for…?
Can you develop a proposal
which would…?
Keywords that can be used in Geography essays
To add to a point:
And, in addition, moreover, furthermore, indeed, again, similarly, likewise, also, next, first…last, finally, subsequently, too, in addition, what is more, as well as, at this
stage, at the same time, on the one hand
Drawing conclusions:
So, thus, therefore, then, hence, generally, consequently, because, since, to this extent, at most, in conclusion,, as a result, because of this, in this way, due to, in the case
of, nevertheless
Compare and contrast:
Thus, however, whereas, although, on the other hand, by contrast, an exception to this, even though, instead of, in spite of
Giving examples:
For example, when, in particular, for instance, such as
References: Adapted from different cources
4