Preparation

• Read the question carefully, and underline or circle any keywords that indicate how you should answer it.
• Brainstorm ideas, words, and relevant parts of the text.
• Decide on the key argument or idea for your extended response.
• Use relevant resources, if this is an assignment you are completing at home.
• Write notes in your own words.
• Organise your notes into a plan.

Writing

• Make sure each of the points you are making are relevant to the question.
• Write your introduction. It should engage your reader, and start your discussion.
• Write the main body of your extended response, making sure each point gets a new paragraph and has evidence supporting it.
• Write the conclusion to the extended response. Summarise your main ideas and demonstrate how you have proved your point.
• Correctly reference quotes and other sources.

Editing

• Edit your draft, checking for spelling, punctuation and grammar.
• Make sure the final copy is clean, including footnotes and bibliography if being completed at home.