OpenEnded Response Questions Bodine When answering openended response

Open-Ended Response Questions Bodine

When answering open-ended response questions, keep the following in mind: • You must assume your reader doesn’t know anything about the topic you are writing about. • Your responses will be complex- they will have multiple sentences and points/ideas. (Sometimes they will even have multiple paragraphs. ) • Lack of development means loss in points and/or credit.

Compare • Look at the characteristics, or parts, to find similarities. • When asked to compare two things, you must mention both when showing their similarities.

Contrast • Look at the characteristics, or parts, to find differences. • When asked to contrast two things, you must walk your reader through how they are dissimilar. You must show your reader what is different about the two. (You cannot assume they know. )

Criticize • Look at the plan/work/argument in question • Locate good parts of it • Locate weak parts of it • When asked to criticize a work/plan/argument, you must mention the good parts and tell why they are good/strong. Then you must mention the weak parts and tell why they are weak/bad.

Describe • Look at all of the parts of the work and take note of the details, explanations, appearances, etc. • When you are asked to describe a work, you must point out as many of the important details as you can in order to show your reader what you noticed in the text/work.

Discuss • When you are asked to discuss, you must look at the work, analyze it, and mention the pros and cons. You must also walk your reader through why you labeled each pro and each con.

Evaluate • Look at the work and note the benefits and the drawbacks of the problem. • When you are asked to evaluate a problem or a work, you must ‘tell’ your reader what you consider benefits and why. Then you must ‘tell’ your reader what you consider drawbacks and why.

Explain • Look at the deeper meaning of the text and find understanding about what you are reading/looking at. • When you are asked to explain in an open-ended question, you must ‘tell’ the reader the ‘how’ and the ‘why’. You must share what you understood from the text/work, and then you must share the deeper meaning you found. • You must make it clear what it is about the work/text you are examining that makes it so important.

Interpret • When you are asked to interpret something, you must look at the deeper meaning and share your feelings about it with your reader. • It is like an explanation question. • You must comment on the topic and provide your personal feedback. You will use what you read/saw to support your view.

List • When you are asked to create a list, you must include MULTIPLE responses. These responses should short/to the point/concise. • You cannot give a single answer.

Relate • Look at both parts and include examples. • When you are asked to relate to something, or to show the relationship between multiple somethings, you must show the connections between those things. You must ‘tell’ about the good and the bad about the connections. You must be descriptive.

State • Look at only the important points. • When you are asked to state, give, specify, etc. you may eliminate details and examples. You may provide a direct, to-the-point response.

Summarize • When you are asked to summarize something, you must eliminate the details and examples. ‘Tell’ the reader the most important information only (the main idea/the focus).