Using and Evaluating Textual Evidence
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of what a text says explicitly and what can be inferred, distinguishing between strong and weak evidence and explaining how the evidence supports a point
What a learner can do afterwards
- Identify a relevant quotation to support an inference about a character's feelings
- Explain why one piece of evidence is stronger than another for supporting a claim
- Use embedded quotations in a written response to back up an analytical point
The lesson
When you say something about a text, you need proof from the text itself. That proof is called evidence. Good readers point to the exact words on the page, not just a guess.
The text says: 'Jake's hands shook as he opened the letter, and he read it three times before saying a word.' Mia claims Jake felt nervous. Her evidence: 'his hands shook' and 'he read it three times.' Those exact words back up her idea.
Not all evidence is equal. Strong evidence points straight at your claim. Weak evidence only loosely connects, or it could support a different idea instead.
Claim: 'The old man felt lonely.' Strong evidence: 'He set two plates at dinner every night, though no one else had lived there for years.' Weak evidence: 'He walked slowly down the street.' Walking slowly could mean many things, but the two plates point straight at loneliness.
When you write about a text, slide the exact words into your own sentence with quotation marks, like this: Jake was nervous, shown when 'his hands shook as he opened the letter.' Don't just say a quote is true. Show it.
Strong evidence is a specific quote that points straight at your claim, not just a nearby detail.
Watch it
Where it sits
Where this leads
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.