{"id":374,"date":"2013-11-27T12:00:27","date_gmt":"2013-11-27T12:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.princetontutoring.com\/?p=374"},"modified":"2013-12-03T19:04:16","modified_gmt":"2013-12-03T19:04:16","slug":"introducing_and_integrating_textual_evidence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.princetontutoring.com\/blog\/2013\/11\/introducing_and_integrating_textual_evidence\/","title":{"rendered":"Introducing and Integrating Textual Evidence With Grace"},"content":{"rendered":"

Integrating textual evidence is one of the most challenging, and yet, one of the most rewarding aspects of an essay. A well presented quotation can truly make or break an essay, so merely finding the right evidence isn\u2019t enough. Imagine the timing and finesse of great lawyers, and channel this. (See Finding Purposeful and Specific Textual Evidence<\/a>\u00a0for more information on choosing what textual evidence to use.)<\/p>\n

\"Frosting,<\/a>

Textual evidence, the first defense of the writing.<\/p><\/div>\n

Once you have some words to highlight you must determine how on earth to include them in your essay. As discussed earlier<\/a>, Peeta using the word \u201csweetheart\u201d in itself isn\u2019t funny, so there is some explaining that must be done. And, as it turns out, carelessly plopping the word into your essay with quotation marks around in the spirit of abstraction won\u2019t do either. At this step you must consider the following two questions: \u00a0How can I introduce the quote? And how can I integrate it into a sentence?<\/p>\n

[Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to introduce and integrate your textual evidence into your essay!]<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Introductions: \u00a0It’s Nice To Meet You!<\/h2>\n

Introducing a quote is a delicate process. Think of it as introducing two strangers. A gracious host would provide each individual\u2019s name and a little bit of information about them. The question is: \u00a0What information? Do you describe the bug collection one individual had in fourth grade? Probably not. –Unless your other friend is an entomologist, someone who studies insects.<\/span><\/p>\n

The key to introductions is to find information that is relevant. Perhaps something recent or something related to your surroundings (Beth decorated the cake for us.) or something that the two people have in common (Beth plays tennis competitively too). You must treat textual evidence the same way: \u00a0consider the context of the quote and how it is relevant to your argument. Describing the \u201ccontext\u201d of a quote could mean a lot. It could mean describing:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • the setting (…a few days into a battle to the death, within the arena)<\/li>\n
  • the characters\u2019 relationship and situation (Katniss and Peeta are from the same district; they get along but they are in the middle of a battle to the death.)<\/li>\n
  • what happened before or after this quote (Earlier, Peeta seemingly betrayed Katniss and joined an enemy group. Soon, Katniss discovers that Peeta is critically wounded, though she never would have guessed given his high spirits.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Context can mean a lot, so you must figure out the relationship between the quote and your main point. (Remember: choosing something akin to your friend\u2019s fourth grade hobbies most likely isn\u2019t germane, so think back to your argument and your main purpose. –While commenting on Peeta’s great facial structure may have some factual relevance, it probably isn’t going to help your argument much.)<\/p>\n

    Our purpose is to prove that Peeta has a sense of humor. As observed earlier, calling someone \u201csweetheart\u201d in an arena designed to kill all but one participant is what makes the word humorous since the environment doesn’t exactly encourage bonding. So this aspect of the context must be described before integrating the quote into your essay. In this case, I think one sentence should do the trick. Note how I mention the setting and the characters’ situation:<\/p>\n

    In the midst of a battle-to-the-death in which Peeta and Katniss are involuntary combatants, Peeta miraculously maintains a lighthearted attitude..<\/span><\/p>\n

    Integrating A Direct Quote: \u00a0Be One With The Paragraph<\/h2>\n

    Integrating your quote means seamlessly featuring the quote in your paragraph. If introducing a quote is like introducing a guest with the right information, integrating a quote is like using the right timing and tone of voice. Interrupting your guests to introduce someone would be a social faux pas, the same way that awkward quote integration would reduce sentence fluency. Try one of these two methods to make your quote go with the flow of your paragraph:<\/p>\n

    1. Use a tag: \u00a0if the quote is the exact words of a character or narrator, consider using an appropriate dialogue tag such as, said, explained, claimed, exclaimed, announced, suggested, shouted, demanded, whispered, cried, and so on. If the quote is the words of the author (or if you\u2019d like to emphasize the author\u2019s word choice), try using a tag such as, wrote, described, explained, etc. Here\u2019s an example of some textual evidence with the context introduced and the quote integrated:<\/p>\n

    In the midst of a battle-to-the-death in which Peeta and Katniss are involuntary combatants, Peeta miraculously maintains a lighthearted attitude. When they happen upon each other, Peeta humorously announces himself, remarking, \u201cYou here to finish me off, sweetheart?\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    2. Use the exact words as part of your sentence: \u00a0Use the exact word or phrase to replace something you discuss in your argument. This can be a bit trickier but can sound highly sophisticated when pulled off well. Note the example below which uses the same exact introductory sentence but integrates the words of the quote differently:<\/p>\n

    In the midst of a battle-to-the-death in which Peeta and Katniss are involuntary combatants, Peeta miraculously maintains a lighthearted attitude.. When they happen upon each other, Peeta humorously calls Katniss a \u201csweetheart\u201d and asks her if she\u2019s \u201chere to finish [him] off.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Choose whichever method you are most comfortable with and experiment with arrangements and word choice: \u00a0there is no single best format, so try a number of combinations until you find the one you like best.<\/p>\n

    What’s Your Point?<\/h2>\n

    Now that you\u2019ve introduced and integrated your quote gracefully, it is time to explain the quote\u2019s significance. To really pack a punch, your argument cannot merely present evidence, it must support and explain the quote to create the most impact. Answer the question: \u00a0What does this quote prove? To do this, think back to your purpose. Why did you choose this quote anyway? Which detail is especially important and why? Try using words like, shows, reveals, demonstrates, proves, <\/em>or suggests<\/em> in order to explain to your reader exactly how the quote relates to your argument.<\/p>\n

    In this case, Peeta\u2019s word choice shows that he has a fairly merry attitude, in spite of the circumstances. To strengthen the connection between your quote and your statement of its significance, point out specific words or phrases from the quote if necessary and explain what your quote shows. For example,<\/p>\n

    Peeta and all of the combatants know that only one person is meant to make it out alive, so by using the word, \u201csweetheart,\u201d Peeta creates\u00a0a playful and ironic tone, which is at odds with his current situation. This\u00a0reveals\u00a0that he has a positive disposition that can withstand even the most grim of circumstances, including being mortally wounded<\/strong>, as Katniss soon discovers.<\/span><\/p>\n

    And there you have it. If you\u2019ve followed those steps, you have now used a quotation to make a great case for your argument.<\/p>\n

    Here is the completed use of textual evidence about Peeta:<\/p>\n

    In the midst of a battle-to-the-death in which Peeta and Katniss are involuntary combatants, Peeta miraculously maintains a lighthearted attitude. When they happen upon each other, Peeta humorously announces himself, remarking, \u201cYou here to finish me off, “sweetheart?\u201d\u00a0Peeta and all of the combatants know that only one person is meant to make it out alive, so by using the word, \u201csweetheart,\u201d Peeta creates\u00a0a playful and ironic tone, which is at odds with his current situation. This\u00a0reveals\u00a0that he has a positive disposition that can withstand even the most grim of circumstances, including being mortally wounded, as Katniss soon discovers.<\/span><\/p>\n

    If your textual evidence doesn’t sound as convincing as a high-profile lawyer\u2019s closing statement, do not despair: \u00a0Practice will make perfect, and even the most (especially the most) experienced writers edit their work repeatedly. If you don\u2019t know where to start with your edits, try asking a friend or parent to read your work, and ask them which parts are clear and which parts could use some clarification.<\/p>\n

    About the author: \u00a0Caroline graduated magna cum laude\u00a0from The College of New Jersey with a degree in English and Secondary Education. She taught 8th grade language arts and has enjoyed tutoring in a number of different contexts, including through volunteer opportunities, tutoring centers, and one-on-one tutoring. In her free time she enjoys applying literary theories to non-literary topics, faking athleticism fairly well, and pondering philosophical, political, and sociological quandaries. Since she lives to help others, she is looking forward to utilizing her education and experiences in order to help PT continue to make a difference in students\u2019 lives.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Integrating textual evidence is one of the most challenging, and yet, one of the most rewarding aspects of an essay. A well presented quotation can truly make or break an essay, so merely finding the right evidence isn\u2019t enough. Imagine the timing and finesse of great lawyers, and channel this. (See Finding Purposeful and Specific […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[40,44,30],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.princetontutoring.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.princetontutoring.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.princetontutoring.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.princetontutoring.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.princetontutoring.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=374"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.princetontutoring.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":411,"href":"https:\/\/www.princetontutoring.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374\/revisions\/411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.princetontutoring.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=374"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.princetontutoring.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=374"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.princetontutoring.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=374"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}