1. Guidelines for Strong Answers
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Guidelines for Strong Answers

2. What is a focus question?
Focus questions are critical thinking questions about a reading assignment
They require:
thoughtful analysis
Support from the book

3. Guidelines 1. BE NEAT! Write legibly. Use ink or type your work.
NO PENCIL!
Use appropriate margins and indentions.
Use good spelling and grammar.

4. Guidelines 2. BE THOROUGH! Address the question in your answer
Be sure to answer ALL parts of each question

5. Guidelines 3. BE CLEAR and SPECIFIC!
Give specific examples from the book to support your answers
Provide page numbers for your examples

6. Where do the page numbers go?
Page numbers go directly after your example from the book
Place them in parentheses before the period
Example:
Cole Matthews anger is likely related to the awful home life he has. Both of his parents are alcoholics and his father is physically and verbally abusive (p ).

7. How do I begin? Your topic sentence should Example:
Address the question directly
what is the questions asking you?
Include the author and title name
ONLY in the very first question in a set
Example:
In the novel Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen, Cole Matthews is a troubled teenager.

8. How do I include an example?
1. First, introduce the context for the example.
Context refers to the surrounding details of your example, such as
WHO said it
WHERE it came from
WHAT was happening
Example:
Garvey tells Cole, “you can’t own at’oow. You are only its caretaker for a time” (p. 19).

9. How do I include an example?
2. Next, provide your example.
It’s best to paraphrase
That means to put it into your own words only giving the most important details
OR include a quote when appropriate
Don’t forget to include quotation marks!
Provide the page number after your example!
Example:
Both of Cole’s parents are alcoholics and his father is physically and verbally abusive (p ).

10. How do I include an example?
3. Finally, follow your example with commentary.
Commentary refers to your explanation of the significance of the quote. Why is this important?
Be sure to explain your reasoning. It’s good to use the word "because" (just not at the beginning of the sentence).
Example:
Garvey tells Cole, “you can’t own at’oow. You are only its caretaker for a time” (p. 19). These words demonstrate the nature of the at’oow and its symbol of not only trust, but community and ancestry. It was a shared symbol that transcended time.

11. DETAIL SANDWICH o After hearing that Peter ratted on him, CONTEXT
DETAIL with pg#
Cole brutally attacks Peter (p.8).
COMMENTARY
Cole’s anger drives him to violence.