Where’s the Evidence??? Using Literary Evidence to Support a Claim Shelley Rasinen

Summaries and Paraphrases  To summarize, give the main points of a passage.  To paraphrase, put the author’s words into your own words.  You must give credit to your sources!!!

Signal Phrases Are Used to  Introduce summaries, paraphrases, and quotes  Name the author  Provide context  Establish authority

Introducing Literary Quotations  In your introduction, introduce the author and the story about which you are writing. Kurt Vonnegut’s short story “The Kid Nobody Could Handle” ….. “The Kid Nobody Could Handle,” a short story written by Kurt Vonnegut…..

Introducing Literary Quotations  Correctly refer to the author, the speaker, or the character. Incorrect Kurt Vonnegut describes Quinn as a “dark, humorless man” (Vonnegut 147). Correct The narrator describes Quinn as a “dark, humorless man” (Vonnegut 147).

Introducing Literary Quotations  Do not confuse the author with the characters. Incorrect Vonnegut believes that Jim has potential. Correct Helmholtz believes that Jim has potential.

Introducing Literary Quotations  When you use a direct quote, name the speaker and provide a context for the quote. Incorrect “Love yourself,” said Helmholtz, “and make your instrument sing about it” (Vonnegut 156). Correct When Jim asks Helmholtz how to make the world more beautiful, Helmholtz tells Jim, “Love yourself and make your instrument sing about it” (Vonnegut 156).

Avoid Shifts in Tense  Literature is living so write about it in the present tense.  It may seem difficult to include a quote if the literary work is written in a different tense.  You can change the quotation to the present tense by using brackets or by using a partial quote.

Examples of Writing in the Present Tense Mixed Tenses Helmholtz is optimistic because each year he “dreamed the same big dream” (Vonnegut 146). Correction Helmholtz is optimistic because each year he “dream[s] the same big dream” (Vonnegut 146). Correction Helmholtz is optimistic because each year he envisions “the same big dream” (Vonnegut 146).

Formatting Literary Quotations for Short Stories and Novels  If a quotation is four or fewer lines, use quotation marks around it and correctly place it in the sentence. Example: Helmholtz is “appalled to see that the boy’s eyes [are] as expressionless as oysters” (Vonnegut 148).