A paragraph that begins with a source name can still work, but it often tempts a writer into summary. Before or immediately after the source appears, make the paragraph's own claim unmistakable, then use the source as evidence for that claim.
Identify every source clearly
College Board directions require the sources you use to be clearly indicated through quotation, paraphrase, or summary. The cleanest forms are "(Source B)" or the identifying description supplied with the source. Citation tells the reader where the evidence came from; commentary explains why the evidence matters. You need both.
Choose the smallest useful piece of source evidence
A paragraph rarely needs an entire source's content. Select the smallest specific detail, a figure, a phrase, an example, that does the job the claim requires, rather than summarizing everything a source says and hoping the relevant part stands out.
Paraphrase without flattening the source
Paraphrasing a source's content in your own words is usually preferable to quoting it, but a paraphrase should preserve the specific, meaningful detail the source actually provides. A paraphrase that flattens a specific figure into a vague generality has lost the evidence's actual force.
Quote only when the wording itself helps
Quote a source directly only when the exact wording matters, a precise term, a notably phrased claim, or language you plan to analyze. If a paraphrase would convey the same information just as clearly, quoting adds length without adding function.
Attribute without slowing the sentence
A source needs to be identified, but the attribution should not overwhelm the sentence carrying the actual claim. "According to compiled circulation data from four library systems" is often sufficient; a full restatement of a source's description each time it is cited slows the paragraph down.
Explain the source inside your reasoning
After bringing in a piece of evidence, explain what it demonstrates and why that matters for the paragraph's claim, in your own words, before moving on. A source that is cited but never explained has been inserted, not integrated.
Use two sources in one claim when they truly relate
When two sources genuinely support the same specific point from different angles, a single paragraph that brings them together, rather than treating them in two separate, disconnected paragraphs, can show a more sophisticated synthesis of the evidence.
End the paragraph on the claim
A paragraph should end by returning to the writer's own claim or its significance, not by trailing off on the source's own conclusion. Ending on the source, rather than on the essay's argument, lets the source have the final word instead of the writer.
Exam Diamond
A source label tells the reader where the evidence came from. The next sentence still has to explain how that evidence supports the paragraph's claim.