Argue means “use a series of logical statements to prove a position.”

Analyze means “break a topic into its parts, explain what each part does, and show how the parts fit together.”

Categorize or classify means “sort or group ideas.” When you categorize, you tell which type of something you are dealing with and explain how it relates to other types.

Compare means “tell how these things are alike.”

Contrast means “tell how these things are different.” Some prompts ask you to compare and contrast.