The lists below are adapted from the University of Worcester’s “Principles for course design: Guide to writing learning outcomes and developing assessment criteria“ . Keep them to hand when you are writing learning objectives and outcomes in English and when you need to be precise about exactly what skills will be assessed in exams and coursework.

• Verbs giving evidence of knowing
  
  

  define	list	outline	relate
  describe	match	present	reproduce
  extract	measure	recall	select
  identify	name	record	state
  label	organize	recount	write

  
  
  
• Verbs giving evidence of comprehension
  
  

  clarify	estimate	indicate	recognize
  classify	exemplify	infer	report
  compare	explain	interpret	represent
  contrast	express	justify	rewrite
  defend	find	perform	summarize
  discuss	formulate	predict	translate
  distinguish	generalize	present

  
  
  
• Verbs giving evidence of application of knowledge or understanding
  
  

  apply	demonstrate	modify	relate
  assess	employ	operate	select
  change	explicate	predict	show
  choose	illustrate	produce	solve
  compute	manipulate	prove	use

  
  
  
• Verbs giving evidence of analysis
  
  

  analyse	diagnose	identify	recognize
  break down	differentiate	illustrate	relate
  categorize	distinguish	infer	resolve
  compare	divide	justify	select
  conclude	elucidate	outline	separate
  contrast	evaluate	point out
  criticize	examine	question

  
  
  
• Verbs giving evidence of synthesis
  
  

  account for	enlarge	plan	revise
  alter	explain	prepare	select
  argue	formulate	present	suggest
  arrange	generalize	propose	summarize
  assemble	manage	reconstruct	synthesize
  construct	modify	relate	write
  derive	order	reorganize
  design	organize	report

  
  
  
• Verbs giving evidence of creativity
  
  

  begin	devise	imagine	pattern
  create	elaborate	initiate	plan
  design	engender	invent	produce
  develop	generate	make	state

  
  
  
• Verbs giving evidence of evaluation
  
  

  appraise	conclude	determine	justify
  assess	contrast	discriminate	question
  choose	criticize	evaluate	rate
  compare	defend	judge	rationalize