How to Respond Effectively to Quiz Questions

1. Take appropriate steps to carefully formulate your response before you begin writing. Begin by looking at the specific language of the question to make sure that you identify the key issues.

When responding to the question, “Why does Yamamoto send Kiku away at the crucial moment so that the end of the story can only come indirectly?”, for example, you are obliged to explain where Kiku went, what was “crucial” about her absence or about what happened during her absence, and what “indirectly” means. To cover the third issue, of course, you should provide examples of how the indirect information was presented and acquired. Mrs. Sasaki, Elsie’s summaries, and the poem should have been mentioned for a top score.

When responding to the question, “Why does Yamamoto end the story with a summary of Miss Sasagawara’s poem?”, you are obliged, of course, to summarize the content of the poem and to discuss the significance of the summary. Certainly no answer to that question could be complete without discussing both the indirect nature of a “summary” and the poet’s comments on the role of the father in producing her mental illness.

2. Make sure that your opening sentence directly states your interpretation or judgment. Do not simply repeat the question. Here are examples of strong and weak opening sentences:

“It was important for Yamamoto to send Kiku away to college during a crucial moment of the story.” [Weak: This merely repeats the question, adding only the word, “college.” As a result, it wastes time and space.]

“In the story, ‘Legend of Miss Sasagawara,’ Yamamoto sends Kiku away to college during this crucial moment because after the war that was what people had a tendency of wanting to do.” [Weak: This comment, except for the word “college,” does not initiate discussion of any issue or conflict in the story. It steps outside the story to speculate about the student writer’s expectations of that time period.]

“I believe that Yamamoto sends Kiku away to allow the story to be classified as a legend.” [Stronger: This response identifies a specific interpretation that requires discussion and development through examples.]

“”I believe that Yamamoto ended the story with a summary of Miss Sasagawara’s poem for two reasons: to make the ending parallel to the beginning and to let the audience view her in a different light.” [Very Strong: this opening informs the reader of the student writer’s perspective and predicts the order of the discussion that will follow. It would have been better if the sentence directly characterized “different light.” 3. Be prepared to use character names. Spend time recording character names in your memory. Be prepared to write “Elsie” instead of “Kiku’s friend.” Using the character’s names emphasizes your careful reading and thoughtful response to the assigned work.

4. Avoid wordy delay structures and write in active voice; make your subjects act through your verbs in sentence openings. Here is some more detailed advice:

Avoid “There is,” “There were,” “There are,” “It happens that,” “One thing that I want to discuss is that…”, “Another example is…” and other wordy delay openings.

Avoid “I think that,” “I feel that…” and similar openings.

Avoid weak verbs as your main verbs: to be, to do, to make, to get, to have.

Avoid vague, imprecise language like “things,” “different and similar,” etc… Name the “thing”; characterize the difference or similarity.