How to Answer and Elaborate on Open-Ended Questions Effectively (Page 4)
(A-Level, Basic Writing Skill)
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Combining Multiple Techniques
You do not have to choose only one technique to answer and elaborate on a question. You can use one or many technique.
It all depends on the question, so you must use your judgment.
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Example combining multiple techniques
Question: What makes your national flag beautiful? Describe it.
Simple answer:
I think my country’s flag is beautiful because it is very simple. It is blue and has five white stars in the top left corner.
Elaboration framing the issue first:
In my country, we display our country flag in front of buildings, schools, and offices. We do that to remember where we live. I think my country’s flag is beautiful because it is very simple. It is blue and has five white stars in the top left corner.
Elaboration including definition of terms:
In my country, we display our country flag in front of buildings, schools, and offices. We do that to remember where we live. I think my country’s flag is beautiful because it is very simple. It is blue and has five white stars in the top left corner. A national flag represents a whole country. People are proud of their national flags because they represent the people, culture, and history of the country. That is why everyone thinks their flag is beautiful.
Elaboration including an anecdote
In my country, we display our country flag in front of buildings, schools, and offices. We do that to remember where we live. I think my country’s flag is beautiful because it is very simple. It is blue and has five white stars in the top left corner. A national flag represents a whole country. People are proud of their national flags because they represent the people, culture, and history of the country. That is why everyone thinks their flag is beautiful. When I was a child, we learned about my country and practiced drawing our country’s flag in school. I used a lot of blue paint to make my flag beautiful. At the end of the class, the children’s hands and faces were blue. We looked like our flag.
As you can see, a simple answer is often not very informative. When you apply these techniques to answer and elaborate on the answer, you end up with a richer answer.
How long should the answer be?
It all depends on the situation. You should use your judgment.
When people ask you, for example, “What time are you leaving today?” they probably only want to know the time.
When your instructors or teachers ask you questions in the language classroom, they probably want you to elaborate on your answers.
In a social situations, if someone asks you questions about you, they are trying to learn who you are, so your answers should be a little longer. If your answers are very short, they may think you do not want to talk to them. If your answers are too long, you will bore them and they will think you are are only interested in yourself and not in them.
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Practice as Much as Possible
Finally, the best way to get better at elaborating on your open-ended answers is to practice. Look for opportunities to practice your writing or speaking skills, whether it's through journaling, participating in discussions, or taking language classes. The more you practice, the more confident you'll become in your ability to express your thoughts and ideas.
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