Writing Critical Essays

Structuring the body of your essay

What is a quotation? Quoting simply means repeating what someone else has said or written. When a character says something in a play or novel s/he is speaking, but when you repeat what the character says in your writing or in oral work you are quoting the character. When you do this you must use quotation marks (also known as speech marks or inverted commas) to show that it is not your work.

Why use quotations? Imagine you are a lawyer and your essay is your way of convincing a jury (your teacher or examiner) of the validity of your argument. A lawyer might be interesting and persuasive, but without evidence a jury is never going to be sure that what the lawyer is saying is true. Quotes and examples work like evidence in a court case – they convince your audience that what you’re saying is true.

Quotations are used to support your own ideas Quotations are used to support your own ideas. They should not take the place of your ideas or be used to tell the story. Quotes are a useful way of exploring how theme, character and language are used in a play or novel or a particular part of it. You should usually provide some kind of context for the quote and comment on what is interesting about it.

How to use quotations Using a quote is like building a good burger! 1 The point to introduce your quote is like the top of the burger bun. Make your point, and give some context for the quote. 2 The quote, or evidence, is the meat in the middle of the sandwich. It might be yummy but it tastes better between two bits of bread! The comment analyses the techniques used in the text – without it you are just retelling the story. Remember! Without the two pieces of bread (the point and comment) your burger will fall apart. Without the quote your burger will be tasteless. 3 The bottom of the bun is like your comment on the quote: Why is it interesting? What does it reveal about character / language / plot etc?

For example: One of the ways in which the author creates suspense and a sense of fear is through narrative point of view. The story is written using an omniscient narrator, although the only character whose mind we are able to enter into is the main character, Connie. For example: Topic sentence point “...quite suddenly, she had an urgent conviction that there was something here that she should notice. Something quite inconspicuous.” Quotation / evidence The fact that we are told Connie’s thoughts and feelings throughout the story helps us to identify with her more as we share what she is going through. This choice of narrative voice means that we are aware of her growing sense of fear and her dawning realisation that there is a genuine basis for her fear. Comment

For example: One of the ways in which the author creates suspense and a sense of fear is through narrative point of view. The story is written using an omniscient narrator, although the only character whose mind we are able to enter into is the main character, Connie. For example: Topic sentence point “...quite suddenly, she had an urgent conviction that there was something here that she should notice. Something quite inconspicuous.” Quotation / Evidence Comment The fact that we are told Connie’s thoughts and feelings throughout the story helps us to identify with her more as we share what she is going through. This choice of narrative voice means that we are aware of her growing sense of fear and her dawning realisation that there is a genuine basis for her fear.