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Authors include evidence in a text to develop and support their ideas. Citing evidence can help you to uncover what the author is trying to convey and can support or reinforce your own ideas about a text. Whether you are analyzing the meaning of a text, identifying the author’s purpose, justifying arguments or answering questions about information in a text, being able to cite evidence will give you a deeper understanding of what you are reading.

Explore the slideshow below to learn how to cite evidence to support analysis of texts.


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Citing Textual Evidence

flowchart with idea at top and two back and forth arrows pointing to evidence  from idea

Citing evidence is an important component in analyzing a text. Evidence includes facts, quotations, descriptions and explanations that provide support for the ideas in a text. Citing evidence to support your ideas about a text will help you answer the question, “How do you know?” To look for evidence, begin by reading the text. You should notice one or more ideas that the author is describing.