<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.

Remarks

Questions (<question>) may be associated with their explanations (<explanation>) using the Pointer to Object Described in Explanation attribute on the <explanation>.

Attributes

Content Model

<!ELEMENT  explanation  %explanation-model;                          >

Expanded Content Model

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

Description

This element may be contained in:

Example 1

Multiple choice style question:
     
...
<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>
...

    

Example 2

True/False style question, tagged as an 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>
...

    

Example 3

True/False question, tagged as two options:
     
...
<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>
...

    

Example 4

As part of an <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>
...

       

Example 5

Within a Teacher’s Notes section:
     
...
<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>
...