Based on a sample question
Mark points shown after marking
State what is meant by the term gene.
(1)Total for this question: 1 mark
COMMAND WORD · BIOLOGY
State what is meant by
Give the meaning of the term, in any wording that still includes the features that make it that term.
Writing frame
The term means these features.
What the parts mean
- Termthe word the question named
- Featuresthe parts a correct meaning cannot omit
- Wordingyour own sentence, not an example standing in for the meaning
How to build your answer
- 1List the features the meaning has to include.
- 2Write them in a sentence you can defend.
- 3Add an example only if the meaning is already complete without it.
Biology exemplar
Original question
State what is meant by the term osmosis.
Annotated answer
TermOsmosis. FeaturesNet movement of water, a partially permeable membrane, and a direction from higher to lower water potential. WordingOsmosis is the net movement of water molecules across a partially permeable membrane from a higher water potential to a lower water potential.
The labels match the frame. Read them in order. This is one accurate route, not the only one.
Exam habit
Delete any example and check that the meaning is still there.
Common pitfall
Writing “osmosis is how plants drink”.
Exam-style question
Answer discussion
A meaning needs a sequence of DNA that codes for a polypeptide or a functional product. “Something inherited” fits many other ideas.
Where this comes from
Unit 1 sample paper. Question 5 (a) asks what is meant by the term gene. Sample assessment, not a live paper.
Sample paper WBI11/01, question 5 (a) (1 marks), 2017 sample assessment. Question page · Mark scheme page