OER Sentence Starters…
Use these sentence starters to begin the different parts of your open ended response answer. You have three options for
each part of your answer. Choose the one you think fits your material best. Remember these are suggestions only. You
do not have to use them and they’re not a “fill in the blank” answers. You should vary your sentence structures so
your answer doesn’t seem too formulaic.
Answer: Answer/ Assertion Sentence Starters:
 To start your claim, simply answer the question. You may try re-phrasing part of the
question in your answer. For example…
 The theme of To Kill a Mockingbird is…
 The major conflict in the story is...
Prove: Evidence Sentence Starters
 In the story it says, _______(insert quote)____________________
(Author’s Last Name pg. #).
 Author’s Last Name writes, _______(insert quote)____________________
(Author’s Last Name pg. #).
 For example, when the authors describes ____________________, it says, _______(insert
quote)____________________
(Author’s Last Name pg. #).
Explain: Explanation Sentence Starters
 This quote shows
how___________________________________________________________.
 From ______________________________, we see
that_____________________________________________________________.
 By using _______________________________________, the reader
understands_______________________________________________________.
Cross Over Open Ended Response Step by Step
Step 1:
Answer the question. A good idea is to rephrase the question in the answer. Sometimes your answer
will include a “because”
For example…
Antigone and the “daughter” in the poem are similar because…
The speaker in “A Sunday Morning Early” and “I Wish I Were a Poet” are both
trying to convey the message that even though time slips away from us, love does
not.
Step 2:
Make sure you’ve answered the question for the first story.*
For example, Antigone is a _______________ because…
*(This part might not be necessary like if it’s a common theme, then one answer should do it.)
Step 3:
Insert your evidence. You have two choices. You can embed the quotes into your analysis or at the
very least use one of these…
In the story, it says “QUOTE” (AUTHOR’S LAST NAME PARAGRAPH #)
The author states, “QUOTE” (AUTHOR’S LAST NAME PARAGRAPH #)
In paragraph _______, it says “QUOTE” (AUTHOR’S LAST NAME
PARAGRAPH #)
Step 4:
Explain HOW your evidence proves your CLAIM.
This quote shows __________________ because ________________.
From __________________, the reader sees ____________________.
Step 5:
Repeat steps 2-4 for the second story.
What does it look like when it’s done?
Antigone and the “daughter” in the poem are similar because they are both rebels. The daughter is a rebel
because she doesn’t always go along with her mother. In the poem it says, “A lot like you, I say. And for once,
she doesn’t argue.” (Knafo 2). This shows that usually the daughter argues, revealing her rebellious nature. On
the other hand, Antigone is a rebel because she defies the law of the king. In the play it says, “I’m going now to
make a burial mound for my dear brother” (Sophocles 80). This quote shows how Antigone rebelled against
Creon’s law and buried the brother she loved.
But what if you want to get a 3? Well, then it should look more like this…
The speaker in “Sunday Morning Early” and the narrator of “I wish I Were A Poet” are both trying to
convey a message about taking the time to enjoy life while you still have the opportunity. The speaker reflects upon
his realization that “everything is a metaphor for how/ short a time we are granted on earth” in a way that directly
conveys the message to the reader. On the contrary, the narrator chooses to imply the message by including details
about the elderly woman deciding to smell the roses, describing this as, “the sight of a lifetime.” Both selections
demonstrate the importance of slowing down and truly enjoying life while you are fortunate enough to still be living
it.