When integrating a quotation into your analysis, which practice best supports your argument?

• A. Place the quote with no explanation.
• B. Provide analysis explaining how the quote supports the claim.
• C. Replace your own reasoning with the quote.
• D. Use quotes only from one source.

Answer: (B)

Tying a quotation to your argument through careful explanation is the key. When you integrate a quote, use a quick lead-in to set the context and identify who is speaking or what situation is being described. Then present the quotation and immediately unpack what those exact words mean in that moment. Explain how the language shows a theme, reveals a character trait, or underscores your claim, and connect that meaning directly back to your thesis. Point out any nuance—tone, connotation, or rhetorical devices—that helps readers see why this evidence matters. The aim is to show your own reasoning guiding the interpretation, with the quote serving as support rather than the entire argument. If you lay out what the quote shows and why it matters for your claim, your analysis becomes persuasive and cohesive. Placing a quote without explanation leaves readers wondering how it supports the point, and letting the quote stand alone without linking it to your argument weakens your analysis.