Citing Strong Textual Evidence
Aligned to RL.9-10.1 — Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
What this lesson teaches
Strong evidence is precise, not vague — it names the exact detail that proves your point. Thorough evidence layers several details so an inference rests on a pattern, not a single line.
Worked examples
Example 1
If a story says a character 'folded the letter along its old creases and set it back exactly where it had been,' you can infer she has read it many times before — the worn creases and the careful placement together support the claim.
Example 2
A story notes that a character pays for coffee with exact change he has counted out beforehand, and that he refuses a receipt. Neither detail names poverty or pride. Together they support an inference the text never states — that he is managing money closely and does not want it observed — which is what makes two small details stronger than one large assertion.
Example 3
Common mistake: citing evidence that is merely nearby rather than relevant. If your claim is that a character is frightened, quoting the paragraph where the weather turns cold proves nothing unless you show the link. Ask of every quotation: does this sentence, specifically, make my claim more likely to be true? If it only sets the scene, find a different one.
Practice questions
- Choose a claim about a character and quote one exact detail that proves it.
- Support the same claim with a second detail from a different moment.
- Explain the inference each quote requires the reader to make, and why the two together are stronger than one alone.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Citar Evidencia Textual Sólida
La evidencia sólida es precisa, no vaga — nombra el detalle exacto que comprueba tu idea. La evidencia completa reúne varios detalles para que una inferencia se apoye en un patrón y no en una sola línea.
Ejemplo 1: Si un cuento dice que un personaje 'dobló la carta por sus viejos pliegues y la volvió a colocar exactamente donde estaba', puedes inferir que la ha leído muchas veces — los pliegues gastados y la colocación cuidadosa juntos sostienen esa idea.
Ejemplo 2: Un relato señala que un personaje paga el café con el cambio exacto que contó de antemano, y que rechaza el recibo. Ningún detalle nombra la pobreza ni el orgullo. Juntos sostienen una inferencia que el texto nunca enuncia — que administra el dinero de cerca y no quiere que se le note — y eso es lo que hace a dos detalles pequeños más fuertes que una gran afirmación.
Ejemplo 3: Error común: citar evidencia que solo está cerca en vez de ser pertinente. Si tu afirmación es que un personaje tiene miedo, citar el párrafo donde el clima se enfría no prueba nada a menos que muestres el vínculo. Pregúntale a cada cita: ¿esta oración, en concreto, hace más probable mi afirmación? Si solo ambienta la escena, busca otra.
More Reading: Literature lessons
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