Responding to Texts: notes

Context questions

• Read the extract slowly and say where it comes from in the book.
• Answer the exact question: who, what, why or how.
• Use words from the extract as evidence, but keep the quotes short.

Essay answers

• Plan first: list three or four main points in order.
• Introduction: answer the question in one or two sentences.
• Paragraph pattern: point, evidence, explanation. Make a claim, give a short quote or example, then say what it shows.
• Conclusion: sum up your answer, without adding new points.

Good habits

• Do not retell the plot: use events only to prove a point.
• Paraphrase: put an idea in your own words. Summary: a short version of the main points.
• Comparison: say how two characters or events are alike and how they differ.
• Personal response: give your own view and back it with the text.
• Keep to the time: spend a few minutes planning.