Supporting in an Essay — How to Provide Evidence Properly?

Without sound reasoning and evidence, no-one will trust your words. If you do not include information from credible sources in your academic paper, your teacher will not take it seriously. And since citing various sources is one of the grading rubric requirements, you will not get a high score for your writing.

Supporting Evidence — FAQ for Students

It is essential to know when and where to insert words of other authors in your text and how to cite them properly. In the sections below, we will explain the significance of the evidence, its types, as well as some hints that will help you get the best grade for your essay.

What Types of Evidence Does the Writer Use to Support the Ideas in the Essay?

We have concluded that using evidence is a must if you want the reader to take your words seriously or get inspired by your reading. To show how objective you are, you can cite several types of evidence, such as:

  1. Facts;
  2. Statistics;
  3. Literal quotes;
  4. Quotes of famous people;
  5. Interviews with experts.

Each of these types is equally useful, and it depends on your topic and type of paper which of them you’re going to use.

Where Do Supporting Details Usually Appear in an Essay?

No matter which type of essay you write, remember that you do not need any evidence in the opening paragraph nor in the concluding one. In the introduction, you introduce the topic and explain why it might be interesting to the reader, while in conclusion, you summarize the main points and share some forecasts. Consequently, the only part of the essay where the evidence is needed is the body paragraphs.

Each of the body paragraphs starts with a topic sentence, which is a supporting claim that should help the writer prove the thesis statement. All three topic sentences should relate to your thesis, so you need to provide the evidence you collected during research to defend each and every claim. Be sure also to add a vivid example to make it sound even more persuasive.

What Type of Evidence Does the Student Use in Paragraph 2 of the Essay?

It is an easy question to answer. No matter which of the body paragraphs you are working on, you can operate with different types of evidence. The primary requirement here is to have credible, relevant, and up-to-date evidence.

In a Typical Essay, Where Will the Strongest Piece of Evidence Be Shared with Readers?

Share the strongest piece of evidence in the essay’s last section, i.e., the conclusion. You do not have to provide any in-text citations and references in the last paragraph, but rather paraphrase the supporting evidence from the paper’s body. Rewrite the thesis and start your conclusion with it, following which provide the strongest proof you managed to find based on the citations and facts from the body paragraphs.

What Statement Could Be Added to the Outline as Supporting Evidence for the Claim?

That section of your essay is called the thesis statement and represents the main argument of your paper.

Supporting Evidence in Various Essay Types

The primary thing to consider when choosing evidence for different types of essays is where to collect information. According to the requirements of most college and university instructors, the sources should be relevant and up-to-date, meaning you should focus on information that is no older than five years. You should also pay attention to the primary sources, such as:

  • Books and e-Books;
  • Magazines;
  • Newspapers;
  • Scholarly articles;
  • Websites;
  • Videos.

Secondary sources, such as data from surveys, interviews, and polls, are less effective but they are useful if you work on your own research.

What Types of Evidence Can Be Used in a Persuasive Essay?

The persuasive essay is one of the most complicated academic papers, which requires you not only to explain your position regarding a specific question but also answer it in a way that will make the audience agree with you. To achieve that, it is critical to cite facts and statistics from credible sources, such as the ones mentioned above.

How Does a Counterclaim Help Support a Writer’s Position in the Argumentative Essay?

The major difference between the persuasive and argumentative essays is that in the latter the writer should only state their position regarding a specific issue without having to make the audience agree with it. It does not mean that your essay should not sound convincing and include relevant and proven supporting facts from credible sources. The best proof of your competence may be a counterclaim, which is an opposing view. So, if you believe that some movie is terrible because of the bad acting or some other factors, you should still say that there are people who enjoyed it. Long story short, always include pros and cons because it will make your work look more professional in the eyes of your reader.

Types of Evidence in an Argumentative Essay

It is the most straightforward question to answer. In the argumentative essay, you should include almost the same types of evidence as in the persuasive one because they have similar purposes. So, rely on facts, statistics, and include counterclaims, i.e., opposing views.

How to Cite Evidence in an Argumentative Essay?

The answer to this question depends on the citation format your teacher requires you to adhere to. The most popular ones are MLA and APA, and if you use them, a citation will have the following format:

  • (Lawson, 2014)
  • (Lawson, 2014, p. 42)
  • (Lawson, 2014, p. 42) claims that…

The reference in parentheses should follow the citation itself, i.e., the words of the author you plan to include in your paper.

What is the Purpose of Citing Textual Evidence in a Literary Analysis Essay?

The primary goal of citing textual evidence is to support the central claim made in the thesis statement. The audience should also have the right to know the original source and check the list of quotation sources in the reference section of your paper.

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