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FRQ Command Verbs Cheat Sheet

What each verb wants — and how long your answer should be

Eight pages on what each FRQ command verb actually wants — and how long your answer should be. Many points are lost to verb mismatches, not knowledge gaps. Read this the morning of the exam.

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Exam Weight
All FRQs · 14 verbs
MCQs
n/a
FRQ Appearance
Every FRQ
Sprint Time
~20 min

Quick Glance — all topics in this unit

Priority, exam format, and the trap that most often costs the point. Transcribed from page 1 so this content is searchable.

TopicPriorityFormatKey trap / must-know
P1 Why Verbs Are a Failure Mode★★★All FRQsVerb mismatches lose more points than knowledge gaps.
P2 Verbs 1–4 (basic)★★★All FRQsIdentify · Describe · Explain · Predict — knowing the response length matters.
P3 Verbs 5–8 (analytical)★★★All FRQsJustify · Calculate · Determine · Construct — each demands a specific structure.
P4 Verbs 9–14 (reasoning)★★★All FRQsDraw · Represent · Evaluate · Make/Support a claim · State a null hypothesis.
P5 Verb Stacking★★All FRQsMultiple verbs in one stem — answer each, in order.
P6 Time & Length Proportional to Verb★★All FRQsIdentify = 1 sentence; Justify = 4-6 sentences with reasoning.
P7 5 Most-Confused Verbs★★All FRQsDescribe vs. Explain, Justify vs. Support, Predict vs. Determine.
P8 Pre-Writing 15-Sec Check + Cheat★★All FRQsUnderline the verb; sketch the response shape before writing prose.

Topic-by-topic visual review

Nine pages, one topic each. Open the PDF for print quality, or scroll to study on screen.

Cover for AP Biology FRQ command verbs cheat sheet. Subtitle: what each verb actually wants and how long your answer should be. Tags: all FRQs, 14 verbs, four-point and nine-point questions, time management. Read this the morning of the exam.
Cover  ·  Command verbs cheat sheet — what each FRQ verb actually wants and how long your answer should be.
Why command verbs are a major FRQ failure mode. Many FRQ points are lost to verb mismatches, not knowledge gaps. A student who writes a full mechanism for an identify prompt wastes time without earning extra points. A student who writes a one-word answer to explain may leave multiple points on the table. This module is a fast visual reference.
Why Command Verbs Are a Major FRQ Failure Mode  ·  More points lost to verb mismatches than to knowledge gaps. Writing a mechanism for 'identify' wastes time without earning more points.
Command verbs one through four. Identify: name or pick one item, one short phrase. Describe: state what something is or does without mechanism, two to three sentences. Explain: provide the mechanism or reasoning, three to five sentences. Predict: state a likely outcome and minimal supporting reason, two to three sentences.
Verbs 1–4 — Identify · Describe · Explain · Predict  ·  The basic verbs every Q1-Q6 stem uses. Each pairs with a specific response length and structure.
Command verbs five through eight. Justify: support a claim with explicit reasoning and evidence, four to six sentences. Calculate: show the numeric work, label units, box the final answer. Determine: arrive at a specific value or choice via reasoning. Construct (a graph or diagram): draw it with all labels, units, conventions.
Verbs 5–8 — Justify · Calculate · Determine · Construct  ·  Analytical verbs that demand structure: justification clauses, numeric work shown, decision trees, drawings or graphs.
Command verbs nine through fourteen. Draw: produce a labeled diagram. Represent (relationships in a model): construct a visual model showing connections. Evaluate: judge with both for and against. Make a claim: state a specific assertion. Support a claim: provide evidence backing an existing claim. State the null hypothesis: 'there is no significant difference between groups,' specific format.
Verbs 9–14 — Draw · Represent · Evaluate · Claim · Support · Null  ·  Reasoning and modeling verbs. Each has a specific rubric-language structure that earns the point.
Verb stacking plus time and length proportional to verb. Verb stacking: when multiple verbs appear in one stem, answer each in order — do not skip the small verb to focus on the big one. Time and length: identify equals one short phrase, describe equals two to three sentences, explain equals three to five sentences, justify equals four to six sentences with explicit reasoning.
Verb Stacking + Time & Length Proportional  ·  When multiple verbs appear in one stem, answer each in order. Identify = 1 sentence; Justify = 4-6 sentences.
Five most-confused verb pairs. Describe versus explain: describe is what something is or does, explain is the mechanism. Justify versus support: justify is full reasoning, support is providing evidence. Predict versus determine: predict is likely outcome, determine is arriving at a specific value or choice. Construct versus draw: construct implies more elements (a graph or diagram with labels and conventions), draw is a labeled diagram. Identify versus make a claim: identify is naming, claim is asserting.
5 Most-Confused Verbs  ·  Describe vs. Explain. Justify vs. Support. Predict vs. Determine. Construct vs. Draw. Identify vs. Make a claim.
Pre-writing 15-second verb check and one-page cheat card. Pre-writing protocol: read the stem, underline the command verb, sketch the response shape (sentence count, structure), then write. Cheat card: all 14 verbs with their definition, expected length, and one example sentence each. Final reminder: writing more than the verb requires wastes time; writing less leaves points on the table.
Pre-Writing 15-Second Check + One-Page Cheat Card  ·  Underline the verb. Sketch the response shape. Then write. Plus the full 14-verb cheat card on one page.

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