The perfect quote! The thing we are all searching for!
This is a question I get asked by students A LOT. It’s a mistake I see people making ALL THE TIME!
Most importantly, choosing the right quote can literally make or break your essay!
There are so many students I see who shoot themselves in the foot by choosing a difficult quotation.
So, here are 3 quick steps to help you!
1 – Make sure to take your quote from the right place
Okay…so this one sounds obvious but it’s amazing how many people get this wrong! For some questions you will be asked to answer on a section of the extract. This could be the first paragraph, perhaps lines 10-15.
So…your first job is to make sure you take your quote from the right section otherwise you’re out the game before you’ve even batted.
It’s amazing how often students make this mistake when they’re nervous in an exam!
My top tip is always to circle or highlight the section you’re being asked to answer on. It makes sure your nervous brain doesn’t do anything stupid…like taking it from the start when you’re supposed to be looking at the ending!
2 – Choose the right length
Okay…so this is an important one that often let’s students down!
You don’t’ want to be sat copying out a quote FOREVER otherwise you’ll waste time. You also don’t want to shoot yourself in the foot by choosing one that’s too short.
I see lots of students who use a quote that’s too short and then when they start analysing and picking out words…they struggle!
It’s hard to say exactly but around half a sentence to a sentence long should fit the bill. If you’re struggling to know how to structure your quote paragraphs, check out my guide to structuring your essay here.
3 – Choose a meaty one (okay…I’m a vegan so maybe vegan meat)
Make life easy for yourself and choose one that has some interesting things to say about it! Maybe there’s some language devices, a few powerful verbs or vivid and graphic imagery.
My best advice is to look for those sneaky language devices! Exam boards have chosen specific extracts on purpose because they contain lots of things to talk about…and usually that means lots of language devices!
Writing about language devices can really help you to secure more marks and the effects of them are usually easy to work out – a powerful simile is usually going to add to the tone and mood and create exaggeration! Check out my free eBook: My Top 5 Language Devices!
Some of our fan favourites include: similes, metaphors, personification, alliteration, onomatopoeia and oxymorons.
If you’re still having trouble, check out my free essay templates here!
And…there we have it! Three simple, easy and effective ways to make sure you’re choosing the right quote. Have fun putting these techniques into practise and good luck!