What Does “Discuss” Mean as an MYP Command Term?
The MYP command term: discuss means examining an issue through relevant arguments, factors, or perspectives before reaching a balanced, reasoned conclusion. A strong discussion does not simply list information or present one opinion. It explains evidence, considers alternatives, and judges which points matter most.
For example, if asked, “Discuss whether tourism benefits local communities,” you should examine benefits such as employment and infrastructure alongside disadvantages such as environmental damage and rising prices. You should then decide how significant these factors are overall, using specific evidence.
What “Discuss” Requires
A response using discuss should normally include:
- A clear understanding of the issue
- More than one relevant argument, factor, or perspective
- Specific evidence or examples
- Explanation of how the evidence affects the issue
- A balanced conclusion with a justified judgment
“Discuss” does not mean “write everything you know.” Select information that directly answers the question and explain its significance. Depending on the subject, discussion may involve advantages and disadvantages, causes and consequences, competing interpretations, or different viewpoints.
The balance does not have to be perfectly equal. Some evidence may be more convincing than other evidence, but important alternatives should still be acknowledged and considered.
A Reliable Structure
A useful structure is:
- Introduction: Define the issue and establish the direction of your response.
- First developed point: Explain one important factor or perspective and support it with evidence.
- Contrasting point: Present another factor or perspective and explain its significance.
- Further consideration: Compare the evidence and identify which points matter most.
- Conclusion: Give a direct, justified answer to the question.
This is a flexible framework, not a compulsory paragraph formula. A history response might compare economic improvements with social costs. A science response might discuss variables affecting an investigation. A language and literature response might examine interpretations of a character’s decision. In each case, the essential feature is reasoning and judgment rather than a fixed number of paragraphs.
How to Use Evidence
Evidence makes a discussion convincing, but evidence alone is not analysis. After giving a fact, quotation, result, statistic, or example, explain what it shows and how it supports, challenges, or qualifies your answer.
A useful paragraph pattern is Point -> Evidence -> Explanation -> Link to the question.
One benefit of tourism is that it can create employment. In the case study, visitor spending supported new jobs in transport and hospitality. This suggests that tourism can improve household income, although the benefit may be limited if most businesses are owned by external companies.
The final clause adds a limitation and makes the reasoning more balanced. A paragraph of unexamined facts, or separate lists of advantages and disadvantages, will not demonstrate genuine discussion.
“Discuss” Compared with Other Terms
| Command term | Main requirement | Common weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Describe | Give a detailed account of what something is like or what happened | Adding unsupported opinions |
| Explain | Give reasons, causes, or consequences | Stating facts without showing why they matter |
| Analyse | Examine parts and relationships between them | Identifying features without explaining connections |
| Discuss | Consider arguments or perspectives and reach a balanced conclusion | Giving a one-sided list with no judgment |
| Evaluate | Weigh strengths and limitations to judge value or effectiveness | Listing positives and negatives without deciding |
| Justify | Give valid reasons or evidence for a choice or conclusion | Making an unsupported assertion |
A discussion can include description, explanation, and analysis, but it must go beyond them. Evaluate is similar because both terms require judgment, but evaluation places more emphasis on judging value, effectiveness, strengths, or limitations.
Connection to MYP Assessment Criteria
The command term tells you what intellectual action to perform. The MYP assessment criteria identify the subject-specific skills being assessed. They are related, but they are not interchangeable.
A task using “discuss” might assess critical thinking, communication, interpretation of sources, or subject knowledge, depending on the subject and task. Read the task sheet and criterion descriptors before planning. If the criterion rewards analysis, show relationships between ideas. If it rewards source use, refer to specific evidence and consider its relevance or limitations. If it rewards communication, organize your response so the reasoning is easy to follow.
Common Mistakes and Final Checklist
Students often write only one side, list points without connecting them, treat every factor as equally important, or stop without a judgment. You can favor one position, but your conclusion should reflect genuine consideration of alternatives and explain why your preferred interpretation is stronger.
Before submitting, check that you have:
- Addressed the exact issue in the question
- Included a relevant range of arguments, factors, or perspectives
- Used specific evidence and explained why it matters
- Considered limitations or counterarguments
- Weighed the relative importance of the evidence
- Reached a clear conclusion
- Followed the relevant MYP criterion and task instructions
Understanding the MYP command term: discuss helps you control the depth and direction of an answer. For targeted practice, RevisionDojo’s MYP assessment criteria guidance, MYP command-term resources, and MYP revision guide can help turn rubric language into repeatable answering habits.
