Elaboration

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Elaboration
When your writing lacks details, your readers may
not fully understand your ideas.
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Elaboration
When your writing lacks details, your readers may
not fully understand your ideas.
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Elaboration
When your writing lacks details, your readers may
not fully understand your ideas.
Notice how adding details makes these sentences
clearer.
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Elaboration
Elaboration is the process of adding details to
your writing to provide information and to
clarify your ideas.
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Elaboration
Elaboration is the process of adding details to
your writing to provide information and to
clarify your ideas.
You can add details and explanations in a variety
of ways. Click on the strategy you want to
explore.
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• Facts and Statistics

• Sensory Details

• Similes and Metaphors

• Visuals

• Definitions

• Reasons

• Examples

• Expert Testimony

• Analogies

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Elaboration
Sensory Details
black storm clouds
mottled
shiny
Sight
the wail of a siren
whisper
screech
Sound
greasy as motor oil
gritty
silky
Touch
fiery Tabasco
lemony
creamy
Taste
rotting garbage
gardenia
smoky
Smell
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Elaboration
Sensory Details
Sight
shiny
mottled
black storm clouds
Sound
screech
whisper
the wail of a siren
Touch
silky
gritty
greasy as motor oil
Taste
creamy
lemony
fiery Tabasco
Smell
smoky
gardenia
rotting garbage
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Elaboration
Sensory Details
Can you spot the sensory details in this
paragraph?
sight
sound
touch
taste
smell
It looked like vegetable soup. It smelled like
vegetable soup. But when I took my first mouthful
of gumbo, a spicy Cajun soup, I realized this was
not your average meal. My mouth was full of fire,
and my eyes dripped tears. I felt as if
industrial chemicals were in my nose. I grabbed a
tissue, blew my nose with a loud honk, and yelled
to the world, This is delicious!
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Elaboration
Sensory Details
Can you spot the sensory details in this
paragraph?
sight
sound
touch
taste
smell
It looked like vegetable soup. It smelled like
vegetable soup. But when I took my first mouthful
of gumbo, a spicy Cajun soup, I realized this was
not your average meal. My mouth was full of fire,
and my eyes dripped tears. I felt as if
industrial chemicals were in my nose. I grabbed a
tissue, blew my nose with a loud honk, and yelled
to the world, This is delicious!
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Elaboration
Sensory Details
Can you spot the sensory details in this
paragraph?
sight
sound
touch
taste
smell
It looked like vegetable soup. It smelled like
vegetable soup. But when I took my first mouthful
of gumbo, a spicy Cajun soup, I realized this was
not your average meal. My mouth was full of fire,
and my eyes dripped tears. I felt as if
industrial chemicals were in my nose. I grabbed a
tissue, blew my nose with a loud honk, and yelled
to the world, This is delicious!
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Elaboration
Sensory Details
Can you spot the sensory details in this
paragraph?
sight
sound
touch
taste
smell
It looked like vegetable soup. It smelled like
vegetable soup. But when I took my first mouthful
of gumbo, a spicy Cajun soup, I realized this was
not your average meal. My mouth was full of fire,
and my eyes dripped tears. I felt as if
industrial chemicals were in my nose. I grabbed a
tissue, blew my nose with a loud honk, and yelled
to the world, This is delicious!
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MENU
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Elaboration
Sensory Details
Can you spot the sensory details in this
paragraph?
sight
sound
touch
taste
smell
It looked like vegetable soup. It smelled like
vegetable soup. But when I took my first mouthful
of gumbo, a spicy Cajun soup, I realized this was
not your average meal. My mouth was full of fire,
and my eyes dripped tears. I felt as if
industrial chemicals were in my nose. I grabbed a
tissue, blew my nose with a loud honk, and yelled
to the world, This is delicious!
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MENU
EXIT
Elaboration
Sensory Details
Can you spot the sensory details in this
paragraph?
sight
sound
touch
taste
smell
It looked like vegetable soup. It smelled like
vegetable soup. But when I took my first mouthful
of gumbo, a spicy Cajun soup, I realized this was
not your average meal. My mouth was full of fire,
and my eyes dripped tears. I felt as if
industrial chemicals were in my nose. I grabbed a
tissue, blew my nose with a loud honk, and yelled
to the world, This is delicious!
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Elaboration
Similes and Metaphors
A simile compares two things using either like or
as. The comparison extends the description, adds
detail, provides explanations, or expresses
meaning or emotion.
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Elaboration
Similes and Metaphors
A simile compares two things using either like or
as. The comparison extends the description, adds
detail, provides explanations, or expresses
meaning or emotion.
My heart is like a singing bird. Christina
Rossetti, A Birthday
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Elaboration
Similes and Metaphors
A simile compares two things using either like or
as. The comparison extends the description, adds
detail, provides explanations, or expresses
meaning or emotion.
My heart is like a singing bird. Christina
Rossetti, A Birthday
A metaphor describes one thing in terms of
another, without using like or as.
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Elaboration
Similes and Metaphors
A simile compares two things using either like or
as. The comparison extends the description, adds
detail, provides explanations, or expresses
meaning or emotion.
My heart is like a singing bird. Christina
Rossetti, A Birthday
A metaphor describes one thing in terms of
another, without using like or as.
These words are razors to my wounded heart.
William Shakespeare, The Comedy of Errors
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Elaboration
Similes and Metaphors
What are the simile and metaphor in this
paragraph?
simile
metaphor
Mama had unpacked all our clothes and heaped them
on our beds for warmth. Now our cubicle looked as
if a great laundry bag had exploded and then been
sprayed with fine dust. A skin of sand covered
the floor. I looked over Mamas shoulder
Jeanne Wakatsuke Houston and James D. Houston
Farewell to Manzanar
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Elaboration
Similes and Metaphors
What are the simile and metaphor in this
paragraph?
simile
metaphor
Mama had unpacked all our clothes and heaped them
on our beds for warmth. Now our cubicle looked as
if a great laundry bag had exploded and then been
sprayed with fine dust. A skin of sand covered
the floor. I looked over Mamas shoulder
Jeanne Wakatsuke Houston and James D. Houston
Farewell to Manzanar
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Elaboration
Similes and Metaphors
What are the simile and metaphor in this
paragraph?
simile
metaphor
Mama had unpacked all our clothes and heaped them
on our beds for warmth. Now our cubicle looked as
if a great laundry bag had exploded and then been
sprayed with fine dust. A skin of sand covered
the floor. I looked over Mamas shoulder
Jeanne Wakatsuke Houston and James D. Houston
Farewell to Manzanar
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Elaboration
Similes and Metaphors
What are the simile and metaphor in this
paragraph?
simile
metaphor
Mama had unpacked all our clothes and heaped them
on our beds for warmth. Now our cubicle looked as
if a great laundry bag had exploded and then been
sprayed with fine dust. A skin of sand covered
the floor. I looked over Mamas shoulder
Jeanne Wakatsuke Houston and James D. Houston
Farewell to Manzanar
CLOSE
Notice that skin of sand also creates a
comparison but does not use like or as.
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Elaboration
Definitions
Always define any potentially unfamiliar words
for your readers. The simplest way to define a
word is to explain its meaning in context that
is, in the sentence in which you use it.
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Elaboration
Definitions
Always define any potentially unfamiliar words
for your readers. The simplest way to define a
word is to explain its meaning in context that
is, in the sentence in which you use it.
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Elaboration
Definitions
Always define any potentially unfamiliar words
for your readers. The simplest way to define a
word is to explain its meaning in context that
is, in the sentence in which you use it.
What words should be defined in this sentence?
Astronomers speak of direct motion and retrograde
motion.
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Elaboration
Definitions
Always define any potentially unfamiliar words
for your readers. The simplest way to define a
word is to explain its meaning in context that
is, in the sentence in which you use it.
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Elaboration
Definitions
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Elaboration
Definitions
Where would definitions help clarify this
description?
There are five layers of tissues in the abdominal
wall skin, fat, fascia, muscle, and peritoneum.
I cut down into the fat. Another sixteenth of an
inch.
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Elaboration
Definitions
There are five layers of tissues in the abdominal
wall skin, fat, fascia (a tough membranous
tissue), muscle, and peritoneum (the smooth,
glistening, transparent inner lining of the
abdomen). I cut down into the fat. Another
sixteenth of an inch. William A. Nolen, The
First Appendectomy
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Elaboration
Definitions
There are five layers of tissues in the abdominal
wall skin, fat, fascia (a tough membranous
tissue), muscle, and peritoneum (the smooth,
glistening, transparent inner lining of the
abdomen). I cut down into the fat. Another
sixteenth of an inch. William A. Nolen, The
First Appendectomy
CLOSE
Using parentheses is another way to insert a
definition.
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Elaboration
Examples
An example is a sample of something used to show
what the whole is like.
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Elaboration
Examples
An example is a sample of something used to show
what the whole is like.
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Elaboration
Examples
An example is a sample of something used to show
what the whole is like.
Notice how examples support the idea about movie
monsters.
Movie monsters, like Godzilla and King Kong, have
a long and lively history.
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Elaboration
Examples
An example is a sample of something used to show
what the whole is like.
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Elaboration
Examples
An example is a sample of something used to show
what the whole is like.
Which terms in this sentence would be clarified
with examples?
On the surface of any moon or planet, there will
be external processes and internal processes.
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Elaboration
Examples
An example is a sample of something used to show
what the whole is like.
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Elaboration
Analogies
An analogy is a comparison between two unlike
things. Analogies can explain or clarify an idea
or support an argument.
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Elaboration
Analogies
An analogy is a comparison between two unlike
things. Analogies can explain or clarify an idea
or support an argument.
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Elaboration
Analogies
An analogy is a comparison between two unlike
things. Analogies can explain or clarify an idea
or support an argument.
What is the analogy in this paragraph?
Learning to use powerful design software is like
learning to swim. It is good to begin with a
patient coach who talks you through the steps,
but sooner or later you just have to wade in and
try it on your own.
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Elaboration
Analogies
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Elaboration
Analogies
What are the analogies in this paragraph?
In the 1950s, taking a flight was like going to a
formal dinner. People would dress up and prepare
to be on their best behavior. Today, taking a
flight is like taking the bus. The ride may be
bumpy and overcrowded with no food and few
amenities.
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Elaboration
Facts and Statistics
A fact is a statement that can be proved. A
statistic is a fact expressed in numbers. Adding
a fact or statistic to your writing can help
readers better understand your ideas.
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Elaboration
Facts and Statistics
A fact is a statement that can be proved. A
statistic is a fact expressed in numbers. Adding
a fact or statistic to your writing can help
readers better understand your ideas.
Fact Killer whales are among the worlds largest
predators.
Statistic Killer whales average 19-22 feet long
and weigh between 8,000-12,000 pounds.
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Facts and Statistics
A statistic can often be used to elaborate on a
fact.
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Elaboration
Facts and Statistics
A statistic can often be used to elaborate on a
fact.
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Elaboration
Facts and Statistics
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Elaboration
Facts and Statistics
What vague information could be replaced with
facts and statistics to strengthen this argument?
Manatees love Floridas warm waters, but so do
boaters. Every year numerous manatees are killed
when speedboats run into them. This is alarming
because only a small number of manatees are still
alive. At the rate manatees are dying, it wont
be long until they are extinct. Manatees are an
important part of Floridas natural environment,
and they need our protection.
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Facts and Statistics
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Visuals
Photographs, illustrations, charts, and graphs
enable you to present information that might take
several paragraphs to describe.
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Visuals
i
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Visuals
What do you learn from the following visual that
would be harder to understand in words?
CLOSE
With just a few words, this graphic clearly
illustrates where and when humans migrated across
the earth.
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Elaboration
Visuals
How does the following photograph help support
the information provided in this paragraph?
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Reasons
Reasons are the why behind arguments and
opinions. When you revise, be sure every reason
is supported with enough detail.
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Elaboration
Reasons
Reasons are the why behind arguments and
opinions. When you revise, be sure every reason
is supported with enough detail.
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Elaboration
Reasons
Reasons are the why behind arguments and
opinions. When you revise, be sure every reason
is supported with enough detail.
What reason is provided in this paragraph? What
details support the reason?
The Snowboarders Club needs its own presence on
the Web. We could increase our membership and
influence if we had a Web site. Members could
find out times and locations for boarding trips
and contribute to discussion groups about their
favorite topics.
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Expert Testimony
An expert is an educated, experienced authority
on a subject. Expert testimony is powerful
support for any argument.
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Elaboration
Expert Testimony
An expert is an educated, experienced authority
on a subject. Expert testimony is powerful
support for any argument.
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Elaboration
Expert Testimony
An expert is an educated, experienced authority
on a subject. Expert testimony is powerful
support for any argument.
I believe we need to do all we can to protect the
Florida Everglades. After all, the Everglades are
home to many species that could become extinct if
their habitat is degraded or destroyed. As noted
conservationist Adele Miller has observed, For
many of these species, the Everglades is their
only home. If it goes, they go with it.
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Elaboration
Expert Testimony
An expert is an educated, experienced authority
on a subject. Expert testimony is powerful
support for any argument.
I believe we need to do all we can to protect the
Florida Everglades. After all, the Everglades are
home to many species that could become extinct if
their habitat is degraded or destroyed. As noted
conservationist Adele Miller has observed, For
many of these species, the Everglades is their
only home. If it goes, they go with it.
CLOSE
The expert lends credibility to the claim of
extinction.