This document provides strategies for successfully answering open-ended questions about reading passages: 1) Read the question before reading the passage to understand what to look for. Underline key details. 2) Restate the question in your answer so the grader knows you understood what was being asked. 3) Answer the question in your own words while keeping it simple and concise. Do not directly copy from the passage. 4) Support your answer with a direct quote from the passage to prove your answer is grounded in evidence from the text.

1. Strategies for Success on Answering Open-Ended Questions

7. Step 4: Support your Answer (Continued) For example: One conflict faced by Newt and Catharine in “Long Walk to Forever” is that Newt loves Catharine, but she is about to get married to someone else. Newt told her, “Remember how much I love you.” She said, “What a crazy time to tell me you love me…My wedding is in one week.”