Week 14 — Using and Citing Evidence from Sources in Writing

MCAP ELA 10 practice · Using and citing evidence · Download .docx

Objectives

Choose evidence from sources that is relevant to my exact point and sufficient to support it.
Integrate quotations and paraphrases smoothly with signal phrases that name the source and correct punctuation.
Paraphrase accurately in my own words, avoid plagiarism, and explain how each piece of evidence supports my point.

Key terms

Relevant evidence: A detail that directly supports the point you are making.
Sufficient evidence: Enough strong support to convince a reader.
Direct quotation: An author's exact words in quotation marks, credited to the source.
Paraphrase: A source's idea restated fully in your own words and structure.
Signal phrase: Words that introduce evidence and name its source.
Analysis: Your explanation of what the evidence shows and why it matters.
Plagiarism: Using someone else's words or ideas without credit.

The concept

Why evidence matters on MCAP

Both performance tasks end with a constructed response that must draw on the passages. Scorers look for evidence that is relevant, sufficient, smoothly integrated, credited to its source, and explained. A response full of strong opinions but thin on evidence, or one that strings quotations together with no explanation, will not reach the top of the Written Expression row.

Choosing the right evidence

Start with your point, then hunt for the detail that proves it. Ask: does this detail show exactly what my sentence claims? If your point is that oysters clean the water, a statistic about how much water an oyster filters is relevant; a description of oyster shells as shelter for crabs is about a different point. Then ask whether you have enough. Pairing a fact from one source with an example from the other usually makes a paragraph sufficient.

Quote or paraphrase?

Quote when the exact words matter: a vivid phrase, a precise number in context, or a statement from a person. Paraphrase when the idea matters more than the wording. A true paraphrase changes both the words and the sentence structure. Swapping a few synonyms into the author's sentence is called patchwriting, and it is still too close to the original.

Integrating evidence

Never let a quotation stand alone as its own sentence. Use a signal phrase that names the source and blends into your sentence: "According to Source 2, volunteers lower 'cages of baby oysters off a private dock' each week." Put periods and commas inside the closing quotation mark in American English. Use brackets to clarify a pronoun, as in "[The oysters] are carried by boat," and an ellipsis to show you skipped words, as long as the meaning stays the same.

Explaining evidence

The sentence after the evidence is where you show your thinking. Tell the reader what the detail means and how it supports your controlling idea or claim. Phrases such as "This shows that," "In other words," and "Because of this" help, but the explanation must add an idea, not repeat the quotation.

Honesty and scoring

Using an author's words without quotation marks is plagiarism, even on a timed test. Copied text also earns little credit, because MSDE's guidance says a score reflects what is in the response, and copied lines show the author's skill, not yours. Your own explanations are what the scorer is looking for.

Worked examples

Example 1: Passage: "Benjamin Banneker, a free Black man born in Baltimore County in 1731, taught himself astronomy and mathematics. Beginning in 1792, he published a series of almanacs with his own calculations of sunrise, sunset, and eclipses." Point: Banneker's achievements came from his own determined study. Model answer: Step 1, find relevant evidence: "taught himself astronomy and mathematics" directly shows self-directed study. Step 2, decide quote or paraphrase: the phrase is short and precise, so quote it. Step 3, integrate it: "According to the biography, Banneker 'taught himself astronomy and mathematics.'" Step 4, add sufficient support: paraphrase the almanac detail, "He later used that knowledge to calculate eclipses for his own almanacs." Step 5, explain: "His almanacs show that his learning was not a hobby but a skill strong enough to publish."

Example 2: Passage: "Electric school buses produce no tailpipe exhaust, so students waiting at the curb no longer breathe diesel fumes. They are also quieter, which drivers say makes it easier to hear students and traffic." — from a county newsletter. Model answer: Step 1, check a draft paraphrase: "Electric school buses make no tailpipe exhaust, so kids at the curb don't breathe diesel fumes." Step 2, notice the problem: it keeps the author's structure and most of the words, so it is patchwriting. Step 3, rewrite fully: "The county newsletter explains that because electric buses release no exhaust, the air at bus stops is cleaner for students." Step 4, add analysis: "This matters because students stand at those stops every school day, so the health benefit adds up over years."

Common mistakes

Choosing evidence that is on topic but off point. A detail about the same subject may not prove the specific sentence you wrote. Fix it by rereading your point and asking whether the detail shows exactly that before you use it.
Patchwriting instead of paraphrasing. Replacing a few words with synonyms while keeping the author's sentence is still too close to the original. Fix it by covering the passage, saying the idea aloud in your own way, then writing it and checking that both the words and structure are new.
Letting quotations stand alone without a signal phrase or explanation. A floating quotation confuses readers about who is speaking and why it matters. Fix it by naming the source before the quotation and adding a sentence after it that explains what it shows.

Self-check

Try each one before you look. A miss here costs nothing and tells you exactly what to reread.

1. A student's point is that oysters help keep the Bay's water clear. Which detail is the most relevant evidence?

2. Which sentence integrates a quotation correctly?

3. What makes a paraphrase acceptable?

4. A student writes a quotation and then the sentence "This quote shows what the author said." What is the problem?

5. Why does copying long passages from a source earn little credit on the constructed response?

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