Finding and Using Evidence

Finding and using evidence

Nearly every mark in GCSE English reading depends on evidence — quotations from the text that support your points. Choosing and using evidence well is a skill worth mastering.

What counts as evidence

Evidence is a direct quotation (the writer's exact words) that proves your point. It must be:

• Relevant — it actually supports the point you're making.
• Precise — short and focused, not a long paragraph.
• Well chosen — rich in technique or strong word choices, so you have something to analyse.

Embedding quotations

Embed short quotations smoothly into your own sentence, rather than dropping them in separately:

• Weak: The writer describes the sea. "The sea was angry and wild."
• Embedded: The writer presents the sea as "angry and wild", giving it human fury.

Use quotation marks around the exact words, and keep them short (a phrase or a single word is often best).

The P-E-E structure

Build each point as Point – Evidence – Explain:

1. Point: your idea/claim.

2. Evidence: the embedded quotation.

3. Explain: analyse the words and their effect on the reader.

Zoom in on single words

The best evidence lets you focus on one powerful word:

The single word "trembling" reveals the character's fear without it being stated.

Using evidence for inference

For inference questions, pair the quotation with what it suggests:

"He slammed the door" suggests he is angry, even though the text never says so.

Worked example

Point: The setting feels threatening.

Evidence + Explain: The writer calls the sky "bruised and swollen", using injury imagery to make the weather feel violent and ominous, unsettling the reader. ✓

Common mistakes

• Quoting too much (long chunks you can't analyse).
• Dropping quotations in without embedding them.
• Giving evidence but not analysing it.

Exam tips

• Choose short, precise, technique-rich quotations.
• Embed them and always follow with analysis (P-E-E).
• Zoom in on a key word within the quotation.

Quick recap

• Evidence = relevant, precise, well-chosen quotations supporting your point.
• Embed short quotations and follow P-E-E (Point, Evidence, Explain).
• Zoom in on a single powerful word and analyse its effect.