How to see it
Some schools set their own English papers, and some ask for written answers. There are no letters to choose. Answer in a full sentence. Make a point. Quote the words that show it. Then explain how they show it. If the question shows its marks, let them guide how much you write.
A worked example
Point: Jonah is frightened. Quote: his knees trembled. Explain: he is so scared that he cannot keep his legs still. Put together, that is one full answer.
The common mistake: quoting the passage without explaining it
The trap is a quote on its own. His knees trembled. It is the right evidence, and it is not yet an answer. The explanation is where you show you understood it. Every quote needs a which shows.
Try one
Mira read the letter twice, then hugged it to her chest and spun round the kitchen.
Which answer makes a point, quotes and explains?
- AMira feels happy.
- B'hugged it to her chest'
- CMira feels happy because she got a letter.
- DMira is delighted: she 'spun round the kitchen', which shows she is too happy to keep still.
- EMira is worried: she 'read the letter twice'.
Show the answerHide the answer
Right: D, Mira is delighted: she 'spun round the kitchen', which shows she is too happy to keep still.
Its point is delighted. It quotes spun round the kitchen. Then it explains what that shows. E quotes, and never explains.