Common mistakes #1 - how do i embed my quotes?
Welcome to the first post in our High-Frequency Errors series—a guide to tackling the mistakes students often struggle with. At Tellucate we call these the high frequency errors, and in our tutoring we run straight towards them and tackle them early. In this post, we’ll show you how to embed quotes seamlessly in your GCSE English answers, an essential skill for boosting your grades and impressing your teacher.
You’ll have heard about embedding your quotes from your English teacher a thousand times. Let’s get it sorted! It’s an easy win, and your teacher will love you for it next lesson. The three answers below all make the same point - that the character of Mr Birling from An Inspector Calls is against the idea of community. Let’s look at them now.
Bad: Mr Birling suggests that community is nonsense. “all mixed up like bees in a hive – community and all that nonsense”.
Better, but still bad: Mr Birling suggests that community is nonsense. This can be seen from the quote “all mixed up like bees in a hive - community and all that nonsense.”
Good, embedded: Mr Birling suggests that community is “nonsense”, and mocks the idea that humans should be “all mixed up like bees in a hive”.
We’ll take these one-by-one.
Why is the first response poor? It’s better than not providing a quote or other evidence from the text - that would leave us stuck at the bottom of the mark scheme. But the quote is simply bolted on at the end. The response is grammatically incorrect and clunky.
Why is the second response better, but still poor? We’ve now improved it to make the response grammatically sound, but the sentence is crafted in a flat and awkward way. Ban the phrase “this can be seen from the quote” from your writing, forever. You don’t need it, and if you do use it, the flow of your writing is interrupted.
Why is the third response good? The third response is good because the quotes are embedded - they blend in with the rest of the answer, with no awkward breaks, and no “this can be seen from”. Notice that one of the quotes is a single word - “nonsense”. This is absolutely fine as long as the point your making is still being evidenced, and it often makes embedding easier.
The perfect test for whether or not your quotes are embedded is to see what happens if you remove the quote marks. With embedded quotes, someone who has not read the text will not know where the quoted sections begin unless the quote marks show it (and this is a good thing). If we’ve failed to embed, the quotation will be obvious even without quote marks.
Let’s look at one more set, and then it’s your turn. We’re still on An Inspector Calls, but this time we’re arguing that Inspector Goole believes everyone has responsibility for the wellbeing of others in the world. See if you can predict what the answers without embedding will look like, before you read them.
Bad: Inspector Goole argues that people should be unselfish and be responsible for each other. “We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other. And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood”
Better, but still bad: Inspector Goole argues that people should be unselfish and be responsible for each other. We can see this when Goole says “We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other”.
Good, embedded: Inspector Goole argues that humans are all “responsible for each other”, and that if people refuse to learn that lesson, they’ll be “taught it in fire and blood”.
Now your turn! Rewrite each sentence below, embedding the quote smoothly. Remember to use our test from earlier: remove the quotation marks when you’ve finished. Does it flow well? Is it obvious where the quote is even without the quote marks? (If it’s still obvious, try again). Possible answers are given at the bottom of the article.
Mrs. Birling dismisses the Inspector’s concerns. “She had only herself to blame.”
Sheila expresses her shame at her actions. “I behaved badly too. I know I did. I’m ashamed of it.”
The Inspector’s speech emphasizes social responsibility. “But just remember this. One Eva Smith has gone - but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering, and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our lives, and what we think and say and do.”
Aiming for a 9 challenge:
If you’re shooting for the highest grades possible, you’ll want to kick it up another gear. Try the following challenge of embedding two quotes from different characters into a single sentence:
Embed quotes about both Mr. Birling’s rejection of responsibility and Inspector Goole’s belief in social responsibility, into a single sentence about An Inspector Calls.
Embedding quotes is a simple yet powerful skill that can transform your writing. Practice this technique, and you’ll not only earn more marks but also stand out as a thoughtful, polished writer. If you found this helpful, check out our other tips or share this with a classmate.
Answers:
Original (1):
Mrs. Birling dismisses the Inspector’s concerns. “She had only herself to blame.”
Answer:
Mrs. Birling dismisses the Inspector’s concerns, claiming that Eva Smith “had only herself to blame” for her situation.
Original (2):
Sheila expresses her shame at her actions. “I behaved badly too. I know I did. I’m ashamed of it.”
Answer:
Sheila acknowledges her guilt and expresses regret, admitting that she “behaved badly” and is “ashamed” of her actions.
Original (3):
The Inspector’s speech emphasizes social responsibility. “But just remember this. One Eva Smith has gone - but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering, and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our lives, and what we think and say and do.”
Answer:
The Inspector highlights the importance of social responsibility, warning that while “one Eva Smith has gone,” there are still “millions and millions” of others whose lives are “intertwined with our lives, and what we think and say and do.”
Aiming for a 9 challenge:
The play contrasts Mr. Birling’s dismissal of responsibility, as he insists that “a man has to make his own way,” with Inspector Goole’s assertion that “we are responsible for each other” and that failing to learn this lesson will result in being “taught it in fire and blood.”