Quick Answer
'Analyse' means break something into parts and examine relationships. 'Evaluate' means make a judgment about value or effectiveness. Analysis is about understanding; evaluation is about judging. Many evaluate questions require analysis first, but analysis alone won't score full marks on evaluate questions.
What You'll Learn
- Analyse = break down and examine relationships
- Evaluate = make a judgment based on evidence
- Evaluation often builds on analysis
- Check the command term to know what's required
Why This Distinction Matters
Students often confuse these command terms, which costs marks. An answer that only analyses when asked to evaluate will miss the judgment component. Understanding the difference helps you structure responses correctly and hit all the assessment criteria.
Pro Tip
A quick test: if you haven't made a judgment or taken a position, you haven't evaluated. If you've only described without explaining relationships, you haven't analysed.
What 'Analyse' Requires
When asked to analyse, you should:
- Break the topic into component parts
- Examine relationships between parts
- Explain how elements work together
- Identify causes, effects, and connections
- Go beyond description to show understanding
What 'Evaluate' Requires
When asked to evaluate, you should:
- Consider multiple perspectives or criteria
- Weigh evidence for and against
- Make a judgment or reach a conclusion
- Justify your position with evidence
- Acknowledge limitations or counterarguments
Practical Examples
Here's how the same topic would be approached differently:
- Analyse the causes of WWI: Break down contributing factors, explain how they connected, show how each led to war
- Evaluate the significance of WWI: Judge how important WWI was, consider different criteria of significance, reach a conclusion about its overall importance
- Analyse a poem's imagery: Identify images, explain what they represent, show how they create meaning
- Evaluate a poem's effectiveness: Judge how well the poem achieves its purpose, consider multiple criteria, conclude on its quality