Using Quotes as Evidence in Analytical Writing



Using Quotes as Evidence in Analytical Writing

Your Ideas + Quotes = Analytical Essay Magic!

Quotes support your ideas and prove that you are not talking crazy.

The Writing Process:

1) Read the question! What are your first ideas? (Note them!)

2) Where did you get those ideas? What quotes lead you to these ideas?

3) Find those quotes. Re-read them and figure out what made you choose these quotes.

4) Why are they important? How do they relate to character and plot?

(This should all be done in bullet or outline form)

5) Organize your quotes by topic or idea.

6) Write your introduction – what is your essay about? What do you want to prove? (Thesis!)

7) Write your body (this is where the quotes go!)

8) Step away 2-48 hours.

9) Re-read/re-work essay and then write your conclusion.

10) Proofread!

*Tips for writing intros and conclusions are to come…but for now we are focusing on quotes.

YOU CANNOT JUST DROP QUOTES INTO A PAPER WITHOUT INTRODUCING THEM AND EXPLAINING THEIR SIGNIFICANCE!

Think of quotes as an awkward relative you are introducing to your friends (the reader). They need support and explanation.

1) Idea – How does the quote connect to the main point of your paragraph?

2) Then introduce the quote – do not start a sentence or paragraph with a quote. *Use signal phrase! The quote is in the same sentence as the introduction!

3) Explain the significance of the quote. What does it say about the characters? Themes?

4) Concluding remark or transition to another quote – connects quote to your main point. Do not end a paragraph with a quote.

TRANSITIONS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR GOOD WRITING! THEY HELP THE READER MOVE FROM ONE IDEA TO ANOTHER!

Keys to transitions: Finding common links between quotes and ideas. You paper should be like Jay-Z and flow like crazy! Each sentence should move into the next. Otherwise your paper is choppy and difficult to read!

So every time you use a quote there should be 1 sentence before it and 2 after it; like awkward relatives, quotes need 1 piece of introduction and 2 pieces of explanation. Without these pieces of support they are random, do not make any sense and people would prefer to ignore them.

Putting all this information around your quote is called integrating the quote.

Signal Phrases:

Signal Phrases keep writers from becoming repetitive and prepare the reader for the quote.

As John Steinbeck has noted, “...”

“…,” claims poet Robert Frost.

Pa disputes Professor Herbert asserting, “…”

Choose an appropriate signal phrase. Look at the quote, is your source arguing a point, making an observation, reporting a fact, drawing a conclusion, refuting an argument, or stating a belief? By choosing the appropriate signal phrase you can make your writing clear and direct.

Sample Signal Phrases:

Acknowledges Comments Endorses Reasons

Adds Compares Grants Refutes

Admits Confirm Illustrates Rejects

Agrees Contends Implies Reports

Argues Declares Insists Responds

Asserts Denies Notes Suggests

Believes Disputes Observes Thinks

Claims Emphasizes Points out Writes

(Hacker, 263)

*Even though quotes are important they are not the most important part of your paper. They are secondary to your own ideas and words.

*They support your ideas! They are not your own ideas! Do not take credit for them!

*Do not use too many because then you will no paper, rather a collage of quotes that reiterates the story!

*If you have more than 3 quotes in a paragraph you heading towards a bad area.

*Your quotes should only be 1-2 lines. Choose the best part of a quote and use that. If you want to use a long quote, omit sections and use ellipsis (…) to indicate the part you have left out.

MLA Style for in-text quotations:

The MLA (Modern Language Association) style of documentation is used for courses in English and in foreign languages. MLA uses parenthetical citations. In this system you give your source (Author and page number) in parentheses immediately after the quote. Your reader will then be able to reference the Works Cited for the full information.

Put the author’s last name and page number before the end period.

(McMenimen 22).

Even if you write after your quote the citation goes before the end period.

Many believe “plot summary is not necessary in analytical essays,” which may contradict previous ideas (McMenimen 24).

Notice there is no p. and no comma! I know this is different from previous methods but this is what we are going to use from now on!

(Silverman, Hughes, and Wienbroer 90-131)

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