Using Textual
Evidence Effectively
in a Literary Essay
Step 1: Choose evidence that
proves your point.
What words from the book
that makes you think like you
do?
Step 2: Introduce the evidence:
Set the stage—describe the action at the point
at which the quote occurs.
Occasionally, use phrases like early in the book,
toward the end, in the final scene.
If it is a quote, explain who is speaking and if
necessary, under what circumstances. Is it a
character or the narrator?
Do not use the words “quote” or “quotation” in
your essay. Do not use phrases such as, “In
the book…”
Step 3: Using the Evidence
Quotes
 Copy it exactly as written in the book. Place quotation
marks at the beginning and end of the quoted text.
 Put the page number in parenthesis after the last quotation
marks but before the punctuation.
 You rarely need to include a quote within a quote—quoting
both the narrator and the dialogue—unless you are
commenting on the narrator’s style. Introduce the quote
adequately and this won’t be necessary.
 Use ellipses (…) to indicate missing material. Missing
material can be at the beginning, middle, or end of the
quote.
 Use brackets to indicate any additions or changes you have
made to aid smoothness, such as identifying a pronoun.
Example of using a quote as
evidence:
Dolphus Raymond tries to explain to Scout why Dill
became so upset during the cross-examination of Tom.
Dolphus says, "Things haven't caught up with that one's
instinct yet. Let him get a little older and he won't get sick
and cry. Maybe things'll strike him as being-- not quite
right, say, but he won't cry, not when he gets a few years
on him” (pg). Raymond tells Scout that the more familiar
kids are with racism, the less it affects them. He shows
here that kids, and adults, know it’s wrong at first, but
forget as they get used to it. This indicates that people
are really good at heart, but become victims of their
environment.
Step 3: Using Evidence
Paraphrase/Indirect Quote
Say in your own words what the character
said. Be sure to introduce who is speaking.
Use verbs like “believes,” “claims,”
“indicates,” “thinks,” “exclaims,” “declares.”
Use some of the exact words from the text,
but not all of them.
Indicate the page number in parenthesis
before the period.
Example of paraphrasing as
evidence:
Jem declared that Scout was acting so
much like a girl that it was mortifying (pg).
This assertion of Jem’s indicates that
Scout is changing, and maturing, as she
grows older and starts taking on female
characteristics. At this point in the story,
Jem reveals that he still has the same
expectations of Scout that he had of her
before, and that his understanding of how
girls and boys behave hasn’t yet matured.
Step 3: Using the Evidence
Textual References
Use specific names, places, details
whenever possible.
Tom Robinson was killed.
 Tom Robinson was shot 17 times.
Atticus shot the dog.
 Atticus shot Tim Johnson, the rabid dog.
Step 4: Analyzing/Explaining the Quote
Tell the reader what that evidence proves and
explain your reasoning. Think like a lawyer—
the fingerprint as evidence isn’t enough, you
have to explain that the fingerprint proves the
intruder was in the house.
Try reading the quote to yourself and ask, “So
what?” Be sure the quote actually supports the
point you are trying to make, and that you have
shown how the quote relates to your argument.
Words or phrases in this part should connect to
the topic sentence and thesis.
Ms. Gates, Scout’s third grade teacher, is biased against black
people but doesn’t seem to realize it. During one school day
Cecil Jacobs, Scout’s friend, tells the class how Hitler was
persecuting the Jews. Ms. Gates explains to her class that
“Over here we don’t believe in persecuting anybody.
Persecution comes from people who are prejudiced” (pg). Ms.
Gates demonstrates that she understands what prejudice is.
However, later that night Scout asks Jem why Ms. Gates says
people in America aren’t prejudiced when she talks about Hitler
and the Jews. Scout recognizes Ms. Gates’ hypocrisy when
she reveals, “I heard her say it’s time somebody taught ‘em a
lesson, they were getting’ way above themselves, an’ the next
thing they think they can do is marry us. Jem, how can you
hate Hitler so bad an’ then turn around and be ugly about folks
right at home?” (pg). The author suggests that Ms. Gates
doesn’t recognize that she is prejudiced or that the persecution
of the Jews is similar to the persecution of African-Americans
in the United States.