A self-review checklist lets you mark your own answer before anyone else does. This lesson gives a five-question version for passage-based answers.
It belongs to answer construction and recall in the SPM Bible Knowledge learning guide. The passage and answers are original practice material.
The five questions
| # | Question | What a pass looks like |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Does the first sentence answer the question word? | A reason, a method or a fact, not a story opening |
| 2 | Is there at least one piece of evidence from the passage? | A short quotation or a close paraphrase |
| 3 | Does the evidence match the point? | The quotation shows the point itself, not a different idea |
| 4 | Is there an explanation, not just a quotation? | A sentence that says what the evidence shows |
| 5 | Is every sentence needed? | Delete any sentence that adds nothing to the answer |
The original passage and question
Passage: “Sana saw that the youngest child had no seat at the long table. She moved her own bowl and made room.”
Question: “Explain how Sana showed kindness.”
A flawed answer
“Sana was at a table. The table was long and there were many people at it. Sana is a kind girl. She moved her bowl.”
Run the checklist.
- First sentence: describes the table, so it fails.
- Evidence: “moved her bowl” is present but thin.
- Match: the table sentences do not support the point.
- Explanation: missing.
- Every sentence needed: the table sentences are not.
The rebuilt answer
“Sana showed kindness by making room for the youngest child. The passage says she ‘moved her own bowl and made room’ when he had no seat. She gave up her own space so that he could join the others.”
Run the checklist again. Each question now passes: the first sentence answers, the quotation is exact, the explanation says what the quotation shows, and there is nothing extra.
Where learners slip
A common slip is to pass questions 1 and 2 and fail question 4. The writer quotes, then stops. A quotation is a clue, and the marker wants to see what you think it proves.
A simple fix is to begin the explanation with “This shows…” or “This means…”. If you cannot finish that sentence, the evidence may not be the best choice.
Check yourself
Mark this answer against the five questions: “The youngest child had no seat. Sana is very nice. The passage says ‘moved her own bowl and made room’.”
Answer
- Fails: the first sentence describes the child and does not answer how Sana showed kindness.
- Passes: the quotation is exact.
- Partly passes: the quotation supports kindness, but the claim “very nice” is vague.
- Fails: there is no explanation of what the quotation shows.
- Fails: the second sentence is opinion without support.
A repaired version: “Sana showed kindness by making room. The passage says she ‘moved her own bowl and made room’, which shows she gave up space for the child.”
What to study next
Put the checklist to work on a full set of questions in completing an original recall-and-response practice set. You can also revisit turning a retelling into an answer.
If you want a teacher to run the checklist with you on your own answers, see online one-to-one Bible Knowledge tuition, starting with a one-hour trial class (from RM50).