How do 'explain' and 'describe' differ?

How do 'explain' and 'describe' differ?

• A. Describe provides details about what something is like.
• B. Explain clarifies why or how.
• C. Explain clarifies why or how; describe provides details about what something is like.
• D. Explain and describe refer to the same concept.

Answer: (C)

Explain is about giving reasons, causes, or the way something works—the steps behind why something happens or how a process unfolds. Describe is about painting a picture with details about what something is like—the appearance, features, and characteristics you can observe. This option fits best because it clearly assigns explain to clarifying why or how, and describe to providing details about what something is like. In other words, you would explain why a plant grows toward light or how a machine operates, while you would describe the plant’s height, leaf shape, and color. The other ways of phrasing the idea mix up or omit these distinct purposes, suggesting they’re the same thing or that describe alone covers the reasons and processes, which isn’t accurate.

Explain is about giving reasons, causes, or the way something works—the steps behind why something happens or how a process unfolds. Describe is about painting a picture with details about what something is like—the appearance, features, and characteristics you can observe.

This option fits best because it clearly assigns explain to clarifying why or how, and describe to providing details about what something is like. In other words, you would explain why a plant grows toward light or how a machine operates, while you would describe the plant’s height, leaf shape, and color. The other ways of phrasing the idea mix up or omit these distinct purposes, suggesting they’re the same thing or that describe alone covers the reasons and processes, which isn’t accurate.