Skip to main content
TennesseeEnglish LanguageSyllabus dot point

How do you select, quote or paraphrase, and explain evidence from the passages so it actually supports your claim?

Using text evidence in the essay: selecting relevant evidence from the passage or passages, integrating it by quoting or paraphrasing, and (the part that earns marks) explaining how each piece supports the claim, using evidence from all passages on a paired prompt, for the TNReady English I and II writing subpart, scored under the rubric's second dimension.

How to use text evidence in the TNReady English I or II essay: selecting relevant evidence, quoting or paraphrasing it, and explaining how each piece supports the claim, drawing on all passages for a paired prompt. The explanation, not the quote, is what earns the rubric's second dimension.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.89 min answer

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

Have a quick question? Jump to the Q&A page

Jump to a section
  1. What this skill is asking
  2. Selecting and integrating evidence
  3. Explaining the evidence is where the marks are
  4. Using evidence on the test
  5. Try this

What this skill is asking

Text evidence is the support your essay draws from the provided passages, and using it well is the single biggest lever on the Tennessee writing rubric's second dimension, Development and Elaboration of Evidence. The skill has three parts: selecting evidence that is relevant to your claim, integrating it by quoting or paraphrasing smoothly, and, most importantly, explaining how each piece supports your point. Many students do the first two and skip the third, dropping a quote and moving on, which leaves the evidence undeveloped. On a paired-passage prompt, the skill also requires using evidence from all the passages and attributing it correctly. The transferable skill is treating evidence as something to be explained, not just cited: the explanation is what turns a fact into support.

Selecting and integrating evidence

Good evidence is relevant and well introduced, not just present.

Selecting evidence starts during reading: as you read the passages, mark lines that could support points you might make. When drafting, choose the most directly relevant evidence for each point rather than the first detail you remember. Integrate it with a short lead-in so the quote does not sit alone, and keep quotations brief, just the words that carry the support.

Explaining the evidence is where the marks are

This skill ties the reading and writing halves of the course together. The close reading and inference you practice on passages is what lets you find relevant evidence, and the two-part evidence items rehearse exactly the select-and-support move the essay rewards. Evidence you cannot explain is evidence that earns little.

Using evidence on the test

Try this

Q1. What is the reliable three-part shape for a body paragraph? [Recall]

  • Cue. Point, evidence, explanation: state the point that develops your claim, give relevant evidence (quote or paraphrase) from the passage, then explain how the evidence supports the point. The explanation earns the development marks.

Q2. A student writes, "The author says exercise helps the brain." How would you develop this into strong evidence and explanation? [Short explanation]

  • Cue. Introduce and specify the evidence, then explain it: "The author cites a study showing that 'students who exercised scored higher on memory tests', evidence that physical activity aids cognition. This supports the claim that schools should protect physical education, because the data links exercise directly to learning."

Exam-style practice questions

Practice questions written in the style of TDOE exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.

TNReady English I (writing, style)4 marksA student writes: 'The author thinks parks are good. He says they lower temperatures.' Improve this into a fully developed piece of evidence and explanation. (Development and Elaboration dimension, scored 0 to 4.)
Show worked answer →

A developed version introduces the evidence, integrates a specific detail, and then explains how it supports the claim: "The author argues that urban parks deliver concrete benefits. He notes that tree canopies 'can lower neighborhood temperatures by several degrees', evidence that parks address the real problem of urban heat. This supports the claim that cities should expand parks, because a measurable cooling effect is a practical reason to build more."

The improvement is the explanation: the weak version drops a fact with no analysis, while the strong version states the claim, gives specific evidence, and explains the connection. The Development and Elaboration dimension rewards that explanation, not the quote alone.

TNReady English II (writing, style)4 marksOn a paired-passage prompt, a student uses evidence only from Passage 1. Why does this limit the score, and what should the student do? (Development and Elaboration dimension, scored 0 to 4.)
Show worked answer →

A paired prompt expects evidence from both passages, so using only Passage 1 leaves out required support and weakens development. The Development and Elaboration dimension rewards relevant, sufficient evidence, and on a paired task "sufficient" means drawing on both texts.

The student should add evidence from Passage 2, attribute it correctly (say which passage it comes from), and explain how it supports the claim, ideally connecting the two passages. Keeping each author's evidence with that author and using both texts lifts the development score.

Related dot points

Sources & how we know this