Factual language states what happened, while evaluative language judges it. An SPM answer needs both, but every judgement must sit next to the fact that supports it.
This lesson follows explaining participation using sourced examples. Having found an example, you now describe it without letting opinion take over.
How do I recognise evaluative words?
Watch for words that say good, bad or large without saying why: successful, failed, strong, weak, great, important, unfair.
Each can stay, but only with a reason right beside it. “The agreement was successful” is an opinion. “The agreement was successful because waste levels in the river fell” adds the fact.
Worked example with an adapted passage
The passage is adapted from published figures and mixed with opinion on purpose, to practise sorting 1.
“Malaysia’s record in UN peacekeeping is great. The government did a wonderful job. It sent its first deployment to Congo in October 1960, and has since joined 38 operations with nearly 40,000 personnel.”
Question: Rewrite the passage so that every claim is supported.
- “The record is great”: evaluative, no evidence. Replace it with the action: “Malaysia sent its first deployment to Congo in October 1960.”
- “A wonderful job”: evaluative, no evidence. Hold it until you attach the outcome.
- “Joined 38 operations with nearly 40,000 personnel”: this is the fact that supports a judgement.
Rewrite: “Malaysia sent its first peacekeeping deployment to Congo in October 1960 and has since joined 38 UN operations with nearly 40,000 personnel, which suggests a sustained commitment to UN missions.”
The word “sustained” is a judgement, and the figures support it. The word “suggests” is honest, because the figures show the scale of involvement, not the success of each mission.
The mistake that loses marks
The common slip is a chain of judgements with no fact: “Malaysia’s role in the UN was a great success and very important.” A marker cannot award marks for opinions.
| Sentence | Type | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| “It was a great record” | Evaluation only | Add the outcome |
| “Malaysia joined 38 operations” | Fact | Keep |
| “So the commitment was sustained” | Supported judgement | Keep |
The fix is to ask “what did I see that made me say this?” and write that sentence first.
A routine for each sentence
- Circle any judging word.
- Find the fact that made you use it.
- Write the fact first, then the judgement with “so” or “which suggests”.
- If you cannot find a fact, cut the sentence.
If you log the judgement words you keep reaching for, the mistake log and paper-error review shows which habits repeat.
Check yourself
Sentence: “ASEAN was a huge success from the start.” The source says: “ASEAN was founded on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok by five states: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.” Rewrite with a fact and a supported judgement.
Answer
“ASEAN was founded on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok by five states, including Malaysia 2, which shows that neighbouring states were ready to form a regional organisation.”
The fact is the date, place and founders. The judgement, “ready to form”, follows from the founding itself, while “huge success” would need further evidence.
What to study next
Put the skills together in answering a contemporary-link question with verified evidence. For a related habit in general answers, see using evidence in KBAT responses.
If you want a teacher to check your wording, see online one-to-one Sejarah tuition.