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Using evidence effectivelyin English responses

With reference to “Nothing Special”by Brett Woodland

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Using evidence

A good paragraph includes evidence as an essentialcomponent in explaining and supporting its point.

There are a few key points to remember when usingevidence:

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The basics

Use only what you need to evidence your point.

Be selective with quotes – use the most appropriate

piece of evidence.

Transcribe quotes accurately.

Enclose quotes with quotation marks (“ “). 

If quoting from more than one text, indicate thesource of your quote (usually by title and/orauthor)

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Accuracy & Clarity

Generally, use only the exact words from the text.

You can only change words in a quote slightly and in doing soyou cannot change their meaning. Changes should only be made

to clarify ambiguous points or change tense.

Any changes should be noted by placing them in square brackets.

“Forget about [living on] the streets.” 

“I knew [the young boy] well, and I didn’t care” 

“I knew him well, and I didn’t care [that he was dead]” 

Like the narrator, we too feel sorry but “that [goes] like everything else”. 

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Accuracy & Clarity

Similarly, you may have a particularly long quote, not all ofwhich is necessary to evidence your point. Non-essentialwords can be omitted as long as: Clarity is retained

You don‟t change the intention of the quote 

The quote continues to make sense grammatically.

Such omissions are indicated through the use of an ellipsis (…)to indicate missing words.

“And later on, when I couldn‟t make any money, I stabbed

him to death” can become “And later on … I stabbed him todeath.

NEVER leave out bulk parts of quote assuming that yourmarker will know the text well enough to „fill in the blanks‟themselves or that they will go to the text themselves to look it

up. For example, “And later … to death” will NOT berecognised as satisfactory evidence.

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Types of quotes

A paragraph should include one significant „showcase‟quote; the main piece of evidence to support your topicsentence.

Secondary quotes – smaller phrases of only a couple ofwords – should also be used to strengthen your point.This shows that your evidence doesn‟t just come fromone example.

Showcase quotes need a lead in to contextualise them,and explanation to link them to your point.

Secondary quotes should be built into the grammar ofyour own sentence.

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Leading into your quote

You can‟t just “chuck in” a quote. You need to lead into the pieceof evidence; contextualising its function in your paragraph.

The old standby “This is shown in the following quote” IS

acceptable, but considered a little unsophisticated.

Other lead in phrases: This is revealed when; the author showsthis by; In saying “xyz” the writer implies that; One such exampleis and so on.

Woodland reveals that the dead youth was intending to “go straight”, by

revealing that he was going to “go to his Uncle’s farm and start a newlife.” 

By adopting a police-like voice, Woodland suggests that uncaringattitudes towards the boy’s death are held by even the authorities: “Nothing special on this beat, brother.” 

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Explaining your quote

Your use of evidence must be explained. Why haveyou included it? What does it show?

Woodland reveals that the dead youth was intending to“go straight”, by revealing that he was going to “go tohis Uncle’s farm and start a new life.” This creates pathosin the audience as the real tragedy of this situation is

revealed: just as he was getting his life together, it istragically cut short.

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Secondary quotes

Short words or phrases are important secondaryquotes, used to further reinforce the validity of yourpoint.

They should be built into the grammar of your ownsentence.

This is where you let the author‟s own words speakfor you.

The reader is confronted by the realisation that they tooregard the death of a “junkie” as “nothing special”.

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Referencing

If quoting from more than one text, it is importantthat you indicate from which text you drew yourquote. This can be done a number of ways:

In “Nothing Special”, Woodland reveals the theme of thecheapness of life.

Effective descriptive language is used in phrases such as

“the cold steel slashed through warm flesh” (Woodland). Effective descriptive language is used in phrases such as

“the cold steel slashed through warm flesh” (“NothingSpecial”).

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Finally… 

Quotes rarely “prove” anything. Instead they: 

Imply

Reveal

Suggest

Make evident

Can be read as

Demonstrate

Indicate Challenge

Influence

Reinforce etc

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Practice

Using the following topic sentences, complete aparagraph incorporating evidence from the story,“Nothing Special” by Brett Woodland. 

Woodland effectively uses tone to convey how cheaply lifeis regarded by some.

Woodland challenges society – and the reader – byidentifying how we devalue the lives of those who don’tlive up to our moral standards.