<explanation> Explanation

An explanation of why an answer is correct, or why an option is or is not correct. An explanation may provide additional information about a question, point to text that may provide useful information, or describe why one answer might be confused with another.

Usage/Remarks

Questions (<question>) may be associated with explanations (<explanation>) using the @pointer-to-explained attribute on the <explanation>.
Attributes

Base Attributes

Models and Context
May be contained in
Description
Content Model
<!ELEMENT  explanation  %explanation-model;                          >
Expanded Content Model

((object-id)*, label?, title?, subtitle*, alt-title*, ((sec)+ | ((answer | answer-set | boxed-text | chem-struct-wrap | code | fig | graphic | media | preformat | question | question-wrap | question-wrap-group | supplementary-material | table-wrap | disp-formula | disp-formula-group | def-list | list | mml:math | p | related-article | related-object | disp-quote | speech | statement | verse-group)+, (sec)*)), (glossary | ref-list)*)

Tagged Samples
Multiple choice with options and explanation
...
<sec id="sec45">
 ...
 <question-wrap>
  <question id="q1" question-response-type="multiple-choice">
   <label>1</label>
   <p>Where was the first permanent English 
    settlement in the New World?</p>
   <option correct="no">
    <label>A</label>
    <p>Plymouth</p>
   </option>
   <option correct="yes" id="q1b">
    <label>B</label>
    <p>Jamestown</p>
   </option>
   <option correct="no">
    <label>C</label>
    <p>Roanoke</p>
   </option>
  </question>
  <explanation pointer-to-explained="q1b">
   <p>Established by the Virginia Company of London, Jamestown 
    was the first permanent English settlement in the New World; 
    it flourished from 1607 to 1699.  Although the Roanoke colony 
    was founded earlier (in 1587), that colony failed; upon returning 
    from a trip to England for supplies, its Governor found the 
    settlement abandoned.  Although one of the earliest New England 
    colonies, Plymouth (in modern Massachusetts) was not founded 
    by the Pilgrims until 1620.</p>
  </explanation>
 </question-wrap>
</sec>
...
True/False question with <answer>
...
<sec id="sec45">
 ...
 <question-wrap>
  <question id="q2" question-response-type="true-false">
   <p>Peregrine White was the first English 
    child born in North America.</p>
   <answer pointer-to-question="q2" id="ans2">
    <p>False</p></answer>
  </question>
  <explanation pointer-to-explained="ans2">
   <p>The first English child born in North America was 
    Virginia Dare.  She was born in August 1587, in the 
    short-lived colony of Roanoke.  Although the settlement 
    was later abandoned and the fate of its inhabitants a 
    mystery, records brought to England by her grandfather, 
    the governor of the colony, later in 1587 note her birth 
    and baptism.  Born in November 1620, Peregrine White 
    was the first child born in the Plymouth colony.</p>
  </explanation>
 </question-wrap>
</sec>
...
True/False question with <option>s
...
<sec id="sec45">
 ...
 <question-wrap>
  <question id="q2" question-response-type="multiple-choice">
   <p>Peregrine White was the first English 
    child born in North America.</p>
   <option correct="no">
    <p>True</p></option>
   <option correct="yes" id="q2b">
    <p>False</p></option>
  </question>
  <explanation pointer-to-explained="q2b">
   <p>The first English child born in North America was 
    Virginia Dare.  She was born in August 1587, in the 
    short-lived colony of Roanoke (NC).  Although the settlement 
    was later abandoned and the fate of its inhabitants a 
    mystery, records brought to England by her grandfather, 
    the governor of the colony, later in 1587 note her birth 
    and baptism.  Born in November 1620, Peregrine White 
    was the first child born in the Plymouth colony (MA).</p>
  </explanation>
 </question-wrap>
</sec>
...
Part of <answer-set>
...
<sec id="sec45">
 <title>The Answers</title>
 <p>Students should use the answers below to check
  their understanding.</p>
 <answer-set>

  <answer pointer-to-question="q1">
   <p>B</p>
  </answer>

  <answer pointer-to-question="q2" id="ans2">
   <p>false</p>
   <explanation pointer-to-explained="ans2">
    <p>Soviet cosmonaut Georgy Beregovoy was born three months
     and three days earlier than United States astronaut John Glenn, whose birth date
     is July 18, 1921.</p>
   </explanation>
  </answer>

  <answer pointer-to-question="q3">
   <answer-set>
    <answer pointer-to-question="q3a" id="ans3a">
     <p>1</p>
    </answer>

    <answer pointer-to-question="q3b" id="ans3b">
     <p>3</p>
    </answer>

    <answer pointer-to-question="q3c" id="ans3c">
     <p>2</p>
    </answer>

    <explanation pointer-to-explained="ans3a ans3b ans3c">
     <p>Glenn resigned from NASA on January 16, 1964. He won election to the United States Senate
      in 1974. On October 29, 1998, he became the oldest person to fly in space.</p>
    </explanation>
   </answer-set>
  </answer>

  <answer pointer-to-question="q4">
   <p>This selection is a biographical sketch of John Glenn's career.  The
    sketch focuses upon his achievements at NASA, notably his becoming the
    first American to orbit the Earth in 1962.  The biography also discusses
    his retirement from the Marine Corps and subsequent election to the United
    States Senate, where he continued his interest in space flight.  The bio
    concludes with his participating at age 77 in a Space Shuttle mission.</p>
  </answer>

 </answer-set>
</sec>
...
Within Teacher’s Notes section (<sec>)
...
<sec>
 <title>Demonstration Test Teacher's Notes</title>
 <explanation pointer-to-explained="ans2">
  <p>The text says "Glenn is the earliest-born American to go to 
   orbit, and the second earliest-born man overall after Soviet 
   cosmonaut Georgy Beregovoy, who was born three months and three 
   days earlier." Since Georgy Beregovoy was born before John Glenn, 
   Beregovoy was the older man.</p>
 </explanation>
</sec>
...
Related Resources