Writing Explanations and Elaborating

The purpose of an explanation sentence is to describe why the evidence is important to the claim or reason.

• True

• False

Where should the explanation sentences be placed in your paragraph?

• At the start so that it introduces the main idea.

• after the sentence that cites the evidence from the text.

• At the end of the paragraph

• Before you introduce the evidence.

All of the following should be followed when writing an explanation EXCEPT

• Write the explanation sentence in your own words.

• Write the explanation sentence so that it shows why the evidence matters or is important.

• Write the explanation sentence so that the statistic from the evidence is included again.

• Write the explanation sentence so that it connects back to the claim or reason.

Which of the following is an example of how an explanation sentence should start in a paragraph?

• This demonstrates that...

• First,

• To conclude,

• The author states, ...

When writing an explanation, you should not ______ the quotation word for word in your explanation sentence.

Look at the example below. What is wrong with the explanation sentence?

The desert tortoise needs to be protected from local ravens. According to the text, the desert tortoise population has declined 40% since the raven population has increased, (Tarshis, 1). This shows that the desert tortoises have gone down 40%.

• It is in the wrong spot.

• It is repeating the statistic.

• It only changes 1-2 words from the evidence.

• It is saying exactly the same thing.

Does the explanation sentence below follow all of the rules of explanations or not?

Many people want to rid Instagram of the "likes" option. In the article, the author states, the goal of removing likes is to help followers focus on the photos and videos [they] share, not how many likes they get", (Whitte, 1). This demonstrates that the focus of whether one likes a post now shifts to the actual content and not how many likes are already in place.

• Yes, the explanation follows the rules.

• No, the explanation does not follow the rules.

Look at the example below. What is wrong with the explanation sentence? Choose more than one option.

There is an argument brewing about whether paper money should be eliminated. One reason people want to eliminate it is because they say money is dirty. The text states, "But every banknote you have is teeming with bacteria and traces of other nasty things that were passed on to you and when notes go forward they take stuff from you as well," ("Four Reasons to Get Rid of Paper Money"). This means that banknotes are teeming with bacteria and traces of other nasty things that go forward with you.

• It is only changing one or 2 words stated in the evidence.

• It is using a statistic which should be in the evidence.

• It is not explaining why the evidence is important to the reason/claim.

• It is repeating the evidence word for word essentially.

Which of the following would be an acceptable explanation sentence to insert into this paragraph about why paper money should be eliminated?

There is an argument brewing about whether paper money should be eliminated. Critics argue that people want to eliminate paper money because it is costly for the US government to produce. The text states, "coins and notes are money, but also cost money to print and circulate," ("Four Reasons to Get Rid of Paper Money"). _____________.

• For example, the government has to spend money to make money and therefore isn't really helping taxpayers in the country.

• It is cheaper for the government.

• This shows that paper money is dirty.

• As a result, paper money would cost the government less to print and circulate.

Which explanation below best fits this claim and evidence?

Claim: Taylor Bisbee became a hero overnight for her quick thinking.

Evidence: "The day after Paris’s collapse was strange for Taylor. Overnight, she had gone from being the shy new girl to being called a hero."

• This means that Taylor was no longer going to be the shy girl.

• By including the story of Taylor and Paris, the author highlights the importance of knowing CPR.

• This proves that the split second decision making of Taylor saved her teammate's life and caused her to become well known for knowing how to administer CPR at such a young age.