Sentence Starters for Explanation/Elaboration

Once you cite your textual evidence you need to explain how the quote(s) you pointed out
supports your idea, opinion, or answer. In other words, your explanation should describe your
interpretation of the evidence. It might tell the reader what the author of the text means or
how the textual evidence proves your topic sentence (stated idea).

(Note: When choosing textual evidence, be sure to choose quotes or passages that can be
analyzed. In other words, choose pieces of evidence that are worthy of an explanation).

Sentence Starters for Explanation/Elaboration:

Use sentence starters as prompts when you don’t know how to begin explaining your textual
evidence.

Sentence Starters for Elaboration:

This means…
This shows…
This illustrates…
This reveals…
This highlights…
This exemplifies…
This proves…
This is because…

Examples using “sentence starters”:

This means the doctors knew all along that the surgery would not be permanent, yet they chose
to hide this important fact from Charlie and Miss Kinnian.
This shows that the doctors are selfish and unethical in their medical practices; they are willing
to risk Charlie’s life for personal gain.
This illustrates the difference between Miss Kinnian and the doctors. She truly believes the
operation will benefit Charlie, and the doctors know it will not.
This reveals that T.J. is a dishonest character and a poor choice of friends for Stacie.
This highlights the difference between T.J. and Stacie.
This exemplifies the importance of the land to the Logan family.
 Explanation (Elaboration) Practice Activity
Directions: Read each fairytale passage and complete the directions that follow.
It is important that you only use the excerpt given for these exercises and not your
prior knowledge of each story.

1. The Big Bad Wolf knocked lightly on the first pig’s door and said nicely, “Little Pig,
Little Pig, won’t you let me come in?”

a) What can you say about the Big Bad Wolf’s behavior? What does this passage
tell you about him or his motives?

b) Now, turn your ideas into a single, thoughtful statement using one of the
“sentence starters” listed in the box of examples.

2. Although the first and second pig finished building their houses in two days, “the third
pig worked for an entire month and built his house of solid brick.”

a) What can you say about the pigs’ behavior? What does this passage tell you?

b) Now, turn your ideas into a single, thoughtful statement using one of the
“sentence starters” listed in the box of examples.
3. For example, Little Red Riding Hood looked at her grandmother and said, “My, what
big teeth you have!”

a) What can you say about Little Red Riding Hood’s comment? What does this
passage tell you?

b) Now, turn your ideas into a single, thoughtful statement using one of the
“sentence starters” listed in the box of examples.

4. Goldilocks tasted Baby Bear’s porridge and said, “This one tastes just right,” and then
she wandered off to find a comfortable place to rest.

a) What can you say about Goldilocks’s behavior? What does this passage tell you?

b) Now, turn your ideas into a single, thoughtful statement using one of the
sentence starters.
 ADVANCED Level:

After using sentence starters, try stripping away the starter and revising your elaboration/
commentary. Notice that this often forces you to say even more, as in the last two
examples!) Compare the examples to the ones with sentence starters.

Examples of commentary without sentence starters:

The doctors knew all along that the surgery would not be permanent, yet they chose to hide
this important fact from Charlie and Miss Kinnian.

The doctors are selfish and unethical in their medical practices; they are willing to risk Charlie’s
life for personal gain.

Miss Kinnian is different from the doctors because she truly believes the operation will benefit
Charlie, and the doctors know it will not.

T. J. is a dishonest character and a poor choice of friends for Stacie.

The difference between T. J. and Stacie is highlighted by the different ways they treat their
siblings.

The importance of the land to the Logan family is exemplified by the multiple jobs the adults
take to raise money to pay the property taxes.

Now it’s your turn. Look at the sentences you wrote about the characters in the fairytales.
Reword your statement without using the sentence starter.

1.

2.

3.

4.