Supporting your arguments with textual evidence Embedding Quotes Supporting your arguments with textual evidence

Why do we use quotes? Embedding quotations is a sophisticated way to use textual evidence to support your argument. By citing evidence straight from the text, your arguments immediately become stronger—it proves to the reader that you didn’t just dream up what you are saying; your argument is based in the text.

What do we mean by embedded? Quotes should not just be randomly inserted! Lennie is very forgetful. “’I forgot,’ Lennie said softly. ‘I tried not to forget. Honest to God I did, George’” (Steinbeck 4). “Embedded” means to be placed, attached, or inserted, or lodged into……So when we are using quotes effectively, we need to embed them, or deliberately work them into our own writing.

For example Unembedded quotes are usually awkward and disrupt the flow of writing. The result is choppy writing, fragments, or run-on sentences. Example: Lennie is very forgetful. “’I forgot,’ Lennie said softly. ‘I tried not to forget. Honest to God I did, George’” (Steinbeck 4). Too choppy! The writer has not embedded the quote into their own thoughts—it just stands alone, without a clear connection to what the writer is arguing.

Improved… Lennie was very forgetful. His mental disability caused him to often not remember things, even when George asked him to. Readers often hear Lennie say things such as “’I forgot,’ Lennie said softly. ‘I tried not to forget. Honest to God I did, George’” (Steinbeck 4).

Which one is embedded? Lennie tries very hard to make George happy. He even goes as far to try to be like George whenever he can. “George lay back on the sand and crossed his hands under his head, and Lennie imitated him, raising his head to see whether he were doing it right” (7). Lennie tries very hard to make George happy. He even goes as far to try to be like George whenever he can. He attempts to copy George, as when Steinbeck writes that “George lay back on the sand and crossed his hands under his head, and Lennie imitated him, raising his head to see whether he were doing it right” (7).

Which one is embedded? Lennie tries very hard to make George happy. He even goes as far to try to be like George whenever he can. “George lay back on the sand and crossed his hands under his head, and Lennie imitated him, raising his head to see whether he were doing it right” (7). Lennie tries very hard to make George happy. He even goes as far to try to be like George whenever he can. He attempts to copy George, as when Steinbeck writes that “George lay back on the sand and crossed his hands under his head, and Lennie imitated him, raising his head to see whether he were doing it right” (7).

How do I make sure my quotes are embedded? You should never have a quotation standing alone as a complete sentence, or worse, as an incomplete sentence in your writing. It should always be surrounded by your own words!

3 Ways to Embed Quotes Begin with explanation before quote While some on the farm don’t understand Lennie’s disabilty, George explains to them that “he’s just like a kid. There ain’t no more harm in him than a kid neither, except he’s so strong” (43). Begin with quote, then explain “He’s just like a kid. There ain’t no more harm in him than a kid neither, except he’s so strong” (43) shows readers that Lennie is truly childlike in his actions as a result of his disability. Quote is inserted in middle of explanation George explains that Lennie is “just like a kid. There ain’t no more harm in him than a kid neither, except he’s so strong” (43), showing Slim that despite his huge size Lennie is childlike and disabled.