Qualifier Words

Qualifier words are words that give a very specific meaning to a statement, and this can be so important on a test! Qualifiers are words such as all, never, none, sometimes, every, and always.

Qualifiers can make or break you on a multiple choice or a true/false questionnaire. Think about facing the following statements on an true/false exam:

• Cytokinesis follows mitosis.
• Cytokinesis always follows mitosis.

See how the qualifier word "always" affects the statements? In fact, cytokineses usually follows mitosis--but not always. The qualifier really could trip you up if you didn't notice it.

The next time you sit down to a multiple choice or a true/false test, go over the statements and circle all of the qualifier words before you answer, just to prevent a careless mistake.