Which option best demonstrates that you used textual evidence in your response?

• A. Providing a direct quote or paraphrase with citation
• B. Re-stating the question
• C. Offering personal opinion without text
• D. Summarizing the entire book

Answer: (A)

Using textual evidence means grounding your response in the words or ideas from the text and showing where they come from. The best option demonstrates this by including a direct quote or paraphrase from the text with a citation. This shows you consulted the text and can point to specific evidence to back up your claim. Restating the question doesn’t pull evidence from the text; it just repeats what was asked. Offering your personal opinion without text to back it up isn’t showing evidence from the text. Summarizing the entire book might show understanding of the overall story, but without pulling specific language or providing a citation, it doesn’t demonstrate that you used textual evidence to support a response. If you paraphrase, be sure to cite where the idea comes from so the evidence is traceable.