Citing Text Evidence

To cite text evidence, you find the exact sentence or detail in the text that backs up your answer. You do not just say what you think happened. You show the words the author actually wrote.

For example, if someone asks, "How do you know the dog was scared?" you cannot just say "I think so." You need to find the exact sentence that proves it, such as, "The dog's tail shook, and it hid under the table."

Use these three steps every time you need to cite evidence.

Step 1: Read the question carefully. What exactly is it asking you to prove?

Step 2: Go back into the text and find the part that answers it. Read slowly and look for key words.

Step 3: Copy the exact words using quotation marks. This shows your reader exactly where your proof came from.

Read this short passage.

"Maria packed her backpack the night before the trip. She checked her list three times and set two alarms so she would not be late."

Question: How do you know Maria was excited about the trip?

Evidence: "She checked her list three times and set two alarms."

Explanation: This detail shows Maria wanted to be ready and on time, which proves she was excited.

Sometimes the text does not say a feeling out loud. You must use clues to make an inference, but you still need to cite evidence to back it up.

"Sam's hands were shaking as he walked onto the stage. He looked down at his shoes and took a deep breath."

Question: What can you infer about how Sam feels?

Answer: Sam feels nervous.

Evidence: "Sam's hands were shaking" and "he took a deep breath."

Explanation: Shaking hands and a deep breath are clues that show nervous feelings, even though the text never uses the word "nervous."

Cite: To point to the exact words in a text as proof.

Text Evidence: A detail or quote from a text that proves an answer is correct.

Quote: The exact words from a text, written inside quotation marks.

Detail: A small, specific fact or description in a text.

Inference: A smart guess you make using clues from the text plus what you already know.

Support: To use evidence to back up an idea or answer.

Practice by reading a short passage, writing a question about it, and underlining the exact sentence that answers it. Try both direct questions and inference questions so you can tell the difference between a stated fact and a clue.

You can build on this skill with Analyzing Evidence from Text, where you look even closer at how evidence connects to bigger ideas, or with Textual Evidence and Analysis, which practices citing evidence in longer passages.

Related lessons

• Using Text Support for Analysis