Evidence and citation: complete overview - Regents ELA

Evidence is the connective tissue of every written response on the Regents Examination in English Language Arts, and the Command of Evidence criterion scores how well you use it. This site groups the evidence skills into four strands that serve both the Part 2 argument and the Part 3 response. This overview maps the four skills, the criterion they serve, and how to study them.

The four evidence skills

Each skill is a part of using evidence well.

• Selecting relevant textual evidence. Choosing the smallest specific detail that proves the exact point, not merely true or on-topic detail. See selecting relevant textual evidence.
• Embedding and quoting evidence. Weaving a short quotation into your own sentence and following it with explanation. See embedding and quoting evidence.
• Citing sources by text number. Attributing every borrowed detail in the Part 2 argument so the rater can verify it. See citing sources by text number.
• Avoiding summary and plagiarism. Staying on the analysis side of the summary line and using sources in your own words. See avoiding summary and plagiarism.

How they serve the rubric

The four skills together build the Command of Evidence criterion, and the avoiding-summary skill protects Content and Analysis.

• Selecting and embedding evidence produce the "specific and relevant" evidence the criterion names.
• Citing by text number makes the evidence verifiable, which the Part 2 task explicitly requires.
• Avoiding summary keeps the evidence in service of an argument rather than a retelling, which protects both Command of Evidence and Content and Analysis.

The thread through every skill: evidence with a job

The single habit across these skills is that evidence must do a job. It must prove a specific point (relevance), be presented cleanly in your own sentence (embedding), be traceable to its source (citation), and be attached to a claim or idea rather than just reported (avoiding summary). The signature weak response cites accurate evidence that sits inert; the strong response makes every piece of evidence earn its place in the argument.

How to study evidence and citation

1. Apply the relevance test. Ask of every detail, "does this prove my exact point, or just mention the topic?"
2. Embed and shorten. Weave short quotations into your sentences; never drop a long quotation in.
3. Cite as a habit. Add a text number to every borrowed detail in Part 2.
4. Always explain. Follow every piece of evidence with how it supports the claim or idea.
5. Never half-copy. Quote exactly in quotation marks, or paraphrase fully in your own words.

For the official exam materials

NYSED publishes past Regents ELA exams, scoring keys, and rating guides on the NYSED Regents Examinations site and the NYSED high school ELA assessment page. Study the rubrics and released responses, because the Command of Evidence expectations and the text-number citation convention are board-specific.