HOW TO WRITE WELL-ELABORATED RESPONSES

1. HOW TO WRITE WELL-ELABORATED RESPONSES

2. BASIC ELEMENTS OF WELL-WRITTEN RESPONSES: • C.M.= Clarity of Meaning: the response must be clear and address the prompt/question • D.D.= Descriptive Details: the response must contain elaboration/details, examples, etc • S.V.= Sentence Variety: the response must “flow” and conventions (grammar, punctuation, capital letters, etc) must be used properly. Sentences must be well-structured.

3. HOW DO YOU DO THAT?

4. 1) RESTATEimportant or relevant information from the QUESTION(you do not have to rewrite the entire question) • Example:Question: What does the author imply about the people who kill leopards? Support your answer with details from the passage. • Restatement: The author implies that…

5. 2) Write in COMPLETE SENTENCES (your thoughts must be clearly expressed) • Example: Question: What does the author imply about the people who kill leopards? Support your answer with details from the passage. Answer: The author implies that killing leopards is not a wise choice. The author spends a lot of time telling the reader about leopards, placing major emphasis on how important they are to the “ecological balance” (lines 17-28). The author also uses the word “endangered” which makes the reader feel sorry for the animals because they’ve been killed almost to the point of extinction.

6. 3) Write the CHARACTERS’ NAMES instead of pronouns (he, she, it, they, etc – pronouns should only be used once reference has been made to the characters or topic being discussed) • Example: Question: What reasons does the author give to support why Susan Jenkins and her friends would be successful in persuading people to becoming vegetarians? Use details from the passage to support your answer. Answer: Susan Jenkins and her friendswould be successful in persuading others to become vegetarians because they practice what they preach. They give talks to the other students telling them what the benefits of the vegetarian diet are. They also give several alternatives to eating meat and explain how to have a successful diet of vegetables.

7. 4) Be sure to ELABORATE your response. Some elaboration techniques include: using evidence/support from the text, having specific details, using descriptions, making personal connections, giving examples, comparing/contrasting= SHOW vs. TELL • Example: Question: What organizational pattern does the author use throughout the passage to support the main idea and supporting details? Use details and examples from the passage to show how they are supported. Answer: The organizational pattern the author uses is cause and effect or argument/support. The author tells what causes people to become vegetarians and what effects it has on their health. The author also uses the argument that it is beneficial and supports it with examples.

8. ANOTHER GREAT EXAMPLE • This writing sample below was based on a text entitled Zoo, by Edward Hoch (if you’d like to read it, just Google: Zoo by Edward Hoch) • Question: (INFERENCE)Explain what Professor Hugo was probably telling the horse-spider creatures while citizens of Earth were viewing them? Use specific details and information in the text to support your response. • A top-score response will include at least three or four text-based examples of something the professor would most likely say to the creatures from Kaan and will provide text-based support for that response using KEY WORDS or TERMS. The response answers the question that was asked and is written with good organization. See a sample TOP response on the NEXT SLIDE ->

9. Professor Hugo was probably saying some of the same things to the creatures that he had been saying to the people on Earth. He was probably telling the Kaan people, as they watched with awe, that they were seeing the strange, two-legged creatures called Earthlings. He might also have told them not to worry because the bars would protect them from the Earthlings. He also must have collected some form ofmoneyfrom them that is about the same as one dollar Professor Hugo would have told them to tell their friends when they got home and reminded them to return next year on this same date to see the strange Interplanetary Zoo creatures who were kept in barred cages. • The above response indicates that the student has a thorough understanding of the reading concept embodied in the task. The student has provided a response that is accurate, complete, and fulfills all the requirements of the task. Necessary support and/or examples are included, and the information is clearly text-based.

10. 5) BeNEATand ORGANIZED by follow the tips below as you compose your response: • Indent when beginning a new paragraph. • Read and answer the prompt in FULL. • DO NOT use emoticons such as :( or :) within your writing. • DO NOT use texting lingo such as “lol”, “gonna”, “wanna”, “gotta”. • DO NOT use hashtags in your writing (Example:#thishomeworksucks). • Make sure to CAPITALIZE the names of people, places and the first letter of each sentence.

11. DO NOT retell the story in your response; instead give a briefing within your introduction. • When responding about the reading always use: “According to the text…”rather than retelling the entire story by using quotations. • DO NOT write like you speak (example: It’s like a really cool thing that I really enjoy doing like all the time). • Refrain from using words multiple times to show emphasis (Example: He ran and ran and ran far, far away.). • Use Spell Check on Microsoft Word to check your spelling before submitting your work.

12. Refrain from using contractions such as “didn’t”, “won’t”, can’t”, etc. • Always write in third person unless the prompt asks about YOUR opinion. • Stick to the topic and only use factual information from the text unless asked otherwise. • DO NOT copy and paste information from a website in your response. • Use transition words in your writing (Example: In addition, moreover, also, to sum it all up).

13. 6) Last but not least: useCONVENTIONS properly, by paying attention to your: • Grammar • Spelling • Punctuation ARE YOU READY TO IMPRESS? A QUIZ IS NEXT…

14. 1. Read the following question that was extracted from an article about bats and wind turbines: What are some reasons scientists give for bats hitting the wind turbines? Use details from the passage to support your answer. 2. Read the answers below: A) According to the article, bats are usually attracted to the slow-moving blades on calm evenings when there are low winds. This means that there are more insects flying, and a good time for bats to hunt. Arnett said, “We’re still trying to understand if bats are attracted to the blades themselves or if they are just hunting and are unable to keep track of the blades.” At the same time, Arnett believes that bats may be searching to build a nest like they normally do in “large dead trees” and find the 200-foot-tall wind turbines instead. But “some scientists wonder if these bats run into windmill blades as the bats travel from one place to another.” B) They like them because they are helpful. 3. Based on your knowledge of how to elaborate great responses, which of the answers above was BEST WRITTEN: A or B? Explain your choice.

15. Another practice example: Question: Why does the author believe box turtles are becoming extinct? Support your answer with details from the passage. Answers: A) Because they are being killed by cars. B) The author believes box turtles are becoming extinct due to Florida roads. The passage states that as the sun warms up the roads, these turtles are drawn to them seeking this heat and that is when they are hit by cars. The author is hoping to persuade people to help save these turtles, which is another reason why he or she believes the turtles are becoming extinct. The author would not be listing ways to save the turtles if he or she did not believe them to be on the verge of extinction. • Write down all the reasons why “A” is not a well-written response.

16. Now that you know the secrets to writing well-elaborated responses, I hope that you will use them in ALL OF YOUR CLASSES! 