Recap
A literary-analysis paragraph begins with a claim (a statement about the text that needs defence) and textual evidence (specific details or short, exact quotations). A link sentence explains how the evidence supports the claim. Quotations are embedded in your own sentence and the present tense is used for what the text does.
Key relationships
| Part | What it is | Test |
|---|---|---|
| Claim | A statement that needs defence with evidence | Could a reasonable reader ask “how do you know?” |
| Evidence | Specific details or short quotations | Is it exact, relevant and specific? |
| Link | A sentence explaining how the evidence supports the claim | Does it say how, not just place the quotation? |
| Fact | A statement that needs no defence | Not a claim |
| Summary | A retelling of events | Not a claim, not evidence |
What you may assume
- The reader of your paragraph has read the text, so you do not need to retell it.
- You may paraphrase when exact words are not needed, but a claim should rest on details that the text contains.
- An interpretation can begin from a claim and then find evidence, or begin from details and then form a claim.
Mistakes to avoid
- Opening with a fact or with a summary.
- Using a trait word (“nice”, “bad”) as the claim.
- Quoting a long block instead of the words you need.
- Changing a quotation, or quoting from memory.
- Mixing past and present tense when writing about the text.
Key terms
- Claim: a statement about the text that requires defence with evidence.
- Evidence: specific details or short, exact quotations from the text.
- Link: a sentence explaining how the evidence supports the claim.
- Embedded quotation: a quotation built into the grammar of your own sentence.
Sentence frames
- “[Character / narrator / speaker] [verb] … , which suggests that ….”
- “The phrase ‘…’ shows … because ….”
- “Taken together, these details show ….”
Mini-example
Weak: “Ilse is sad.” Better: “Ilse’s habit of standing at the jetty ‘for the full length of the old crossing’ shows that she cannot accept that the ferry has ended.”
How questions ask about this
- “Which of the following is a claim?”: choose the statement that needs defence, not a fact or summary.
- “Which evidence best supports the claim?”: choose the detail that bears most directly on it.
- “Which sentence best embeds the quotation?”: look for exact words, grammar that fits and a link.
- Constructed response: open with a claim, add two accurate quotations, and write a link sentence.
Quick self-check
- Is “The story is set in a market” a claim? Why or why not?
- Embed “the far end where the cobbles gave way to mud” in a sentence about Sandeep.
- What does a link sentence do?
Answers.
- No. It states a fact that needs no defence. A claim would say what the setting conveys.
- For example: Sandeep is placed at “the far end where the cobbles gave way to mud”, which marks him as an outsider.
- It explains how the evidence supports the claim, so the reader sees the reasoning, not only the quotation.
Full explanations are in the study guide. Try the practice questions next.