Embedding Quotations and P.Q.E. This PowerPoint is a tool for you to use to help you improve your essay writing. By the end of the presentation, you should know how to use P.Q.E. effectively and embed your quotations. You may also be able to analyse your own written style and assess how to make improvements.

Read this paragraph and consider how you could improve it. Mrs Birling does not seem to know her children very well, which highlights tension between the family. This is shown in the quote “What an expression, Sheila!” This suggests that she spends little time with her daughter because she isn’t used to the language that Sheila uses.

I sometimes think of a paragraph like a burger…

Think of … Top bun = the point you are making The lettuce = language analysis and the connotations of words The meat = your quotation Explain = your analysis of the quotation – how this links to theme/character/setting Can you add cheese? Punctuation?

Can you spot the language analysis? Mrs Birling does not seem to know her children very well, which highlights tension between the family. This is shown in the quote “What an expression, Sheila!” This suggests that she spends little time with her daughter because she isn’t used to the language that Sheila uses. The use of the exclamation mark shows that Mrs Birling is intonating her voice, this suggests anger and even embarrassment – Mrs Birling is embarrassed that Sheila has spoken so inappropriately in front of Gerald. This further highlights tension between characters in the play due to social class.

Can you spot the language analysis? Mrs Birling does not seem to know her children very well, which highlights tension between the family. This is shown in the quote “What an expression, Sheila!” This suggests that she spends little time with her daughter because she isn’t used to the language that Sheila uses. The use of the exclamation mark shows that Mrs Birling is intonating her voice, this suggests anger and even embarrassment – Mrs Birling is embarrassed that Sheila has spoken so inappropriately in front of Gerald. This further highlights tension between characters in the play due to social class.

The Water Pipe Metaphor An essay should always follow a logical structure. Think of each paragraph as part of a water pipe – each piece of pipe must connect or the water will drain away. Each paragraph must link into the next paragraph. Your conclusion must link back to your introduction to create a perfect, sealed water pipe!

But how do I connect my pipes? Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence. You should end each paragraph with a final sentence that links back to the essay question and allows you to write a topic sentence from it for your next paragraph.

What is embedding a quote? This means using bits and pieces of a longer quote with in your own sentence. Look at the following examples. Which one looks more sophisticated? The first example is from a different text – so don’t worry about the content, look at HOW it’s written…

Example 1 Tess’ future is not going to be perfect: “The lantern hanging at her wagon had gone out, but another was shining in her face-much brighter than her own had been”. This shows that the light in Tess’s future is going to go out in some traumatic way, Hardy is foreshadowing the events that will happen.

Example 2 Hardy used “the lantern hanging at her wagon” as a symbol of Tess’s future. So when it “had gone out,” Hardy is foreshadowing that the light in Tess’s future is going to go out in some traumatic way Can you see the difference? In this paragraph, the writer has ‘embedded’ the quote. While you are not marked on your written English, it really does help if you follow essay conventions.

To make it even better, let’s try to embed the quote… Mrs Birling does not seem to know her children very well, which highlights tension between the family. This is shown in the quote “What an expression, Sheila!” This suggests that she spends little time with her daughter because she isn’t used to the language that Sheila uses. The use of the exclamation mark shows that Mrs Birling is intonating her voice, this suggests anger and even embarrassment – Mrs Birling is embarrassed that Sheila has spoken so inappropriately in front of Gerald. This further highlights tension between characters in the play due to social class.

To make it even better, let’s try to embed the quote… Mrs Birling does not seem to know her children very well, which highlights tension between the family. When Sheila uses the word ‘squiffy’, Mrs Birling is shocked and exclaims “What an expression, Sheila!” This suggests that she spends little time with her daughter because she isn’t used to the language that Sheila uses. The use of the exclamation mark shows that Mrs Birling is intonating her voice, this suggests anger and even embarrassment – Mrs Birling is embarrassed that Sheila has spoken so inappropriately in front of Gerald. This further highlights tension between characters in the play due to social class.

A bit of self reflection… Have a look at some of your own paragraphs and apply what is suggested in this presentation. What do you need to work on in your next essay?